GAINESVILLE, Fla. — No. 3 Alabama showed it can run and stop the run better than 12th-ranked Florida, maybe better than anyone in the country.
Trent Richardson had a career-high 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns, breaking tackles and carrying defenders along the way, and the Crimson Tide rolled the Gators 38-10 on Saturday night in an early season matchup of Southeastern Conference heavyweight programs.
“This was very sweet because it was against Florida,” said Richardson, a junior from nearby Pensacola. “I really wanted to play well in this game and help us get a win.”
With Richardson leading the way, the Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) extended its recent dominance in the series, outscoring Florida (4-1, 2-1) by a whopping 101-29 in the last three meetings, all wins for Alabama.
The latest one was over by halftime, a clear knockout in a game billed as Florida’s speed vs. Alabama’s power. It also denied new Florida coach Will Muschamp a victory against his mentor, Alabama’s Nick Saban.
“Obviously, we didn’t do many things well,” Muschamp said.
If anything, the outcome showed how far the Gators have to go to get back to championship form. It was Florida’s worst home loss since falling to LSU 36-7 in 2002 — the beginning of the Ron Zook era. Saban-coached teams dealt Florida both losses.
It could get worse too. The Gators play at top-ranked LSU next — and they might be without starting quarterback John Brantley.
Brantley threw a perfect deep ball to Andre Debose on the game’s opening play, a 65-yard touchdown pass that energized the second-largest crowd (90,888) in the history of Florida Field. It ended up being one of few highlights for the Gators, who lost Brantley to a right leg injury late in the second quarter. A senior who has started 18 consecutive games, Brantley twisted his knee and ankle on a sack just before halftime. He was helped to the locker room and didn’t return for the second half.
“When we lost John, that took the wind out of our sails,” said Muschamp, who said he would know more about Brantley’s injury today. “I haven’t even talked to the doctor yet.”
