Ricky Pearsall delivered birthday gift by Graham Mertz in 49-7 win over McNeese

Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun
·4 min read

After his critical mistake in his final game as a 22-year-old, Ricky Pearsall didn’t know what to expect in his first game as a 23-year-old.

Turns out, Florida football QB Graham Mertz delivered birthday boy the perfect gift.

Late in the third quarter, Mertz bombed a pass downfield for Pearsall, who caught it in stride and strode into the end zone for a 50-yard score in Florida’s 49-7 win Saturday night against McNeese (0-2).

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Building a connection between Ricky Pearsall and Graham Mertz

Postgame Saturday, Pearsall said the touchdown came after multiple repetitions and building a level of trust between him and Mertz.

“I think improvement throughout the week is the most important thing with the guys,” Pearsall said. “Continuing to build the relationships and get better execution through the plays.”

The touchdown, Florida’s only score of 10 plus yards, served as a nice redemption for the senior after his dropped pass resulted in Mertz’s only interception in Week 1's loss to No. 12 Utah.

Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) looks to throw before the game against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) looks to throw before the game against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

In total, Pearsall finished with six catches for 123 yards and the long touchdown. Nearly half of Mertz’s completed passes (14) and over 60 percent of his yards (193) went to Pearsall.

The long TD increased the chemistry and confidence between the two, something Pearsall noted was already high.

“I have full trust in him. He has full trust in me,” Pearsall said. “It's always good when we hit on a big play like that.”

Pearsall said Mertz’s poise and enthusiasm is contagious for the offense, him included.

“When maybe I'm not feeling as hyped for a game or something, I'll hear Graham in the background yelling for all the guys,” Pearsall said. “That just motivates me, motivates all the other guys too.”

Run game and short passes emphasized

Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) scores a touchdown during the first half against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) scores a touchdown during the first half against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

In general, coach Billy Napier emphasized the run game, which he said opened Florida’s offense and created multiple third and shorts for the offense.

“That's where you're essentially playing with odds on your side, and ultimately that's where you want to live as a play caller,” Napier said.

Florida’s run game totaled 327 yards. Its three-headed monster of Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Treyaun Webb each went over 70 yards and combined for five TDs.

Pearsall added that McNeese began the contest in a 'three high (safety) look', which made it challenging to get passes in there sometimes.

“We got guys like 2 and 7 who are extremely good and gifted athletes, so I think just getting the ball in their hands early, you can't go wrong with that,” Pearsall said.

Florida’s offense moved in a much-slower fashion Saturday night. All its scoring drives, besides Pearsall’s 50 yard grab, were at least seven plays long.

Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) scores a touchdown during the second half against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 9, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) scores a touchdown during the second half against the McNeese State Cowboys at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Pearsall said he prefers the short passes from Mertz since it allows him to work in the open field.

“I like when I'm out there and I have a little bit of space and a little bit of freedom to make a move,” Pearsall said.

Napier emphasized that Mertz’s intelligence, experience, and awareness helped move Florida’s offense Saturday night.

“He's made mistakes in his past, and I think he's taken ownership of that,” Napier said. “He showed some toughness last week. I think he's earned the respect of the players with how much he's improved since the day he got here.”

Pearsall concurs.

“Graham is a really experienced guy,” he said. “Everybody in the room respects him for that, and I think all the guys pull for him.”

Pearsall said the flow of the offense and the lack of mental mistakes (Florida only committed four penalties for 20 yards) helps increase the team’s confidence for its game next week against No. 9 Tennessee (2-0) at 7 p.m. in The Swamp.

Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Ricky Pearsall gets gift from Graham Mertz on 23rd birthday