STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Graham Mertz threw three touchdowns and ran for another to lead Florida to a 45-28 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday.
The Gators had 503 total yards of offense and a 93 percent passing success rate. Mertz completed 19 of his 21 passes for 201 yards and DJ Lagway completed all seven of his throws for 76 yards.
The Bulldogs’ defense conceded a touchdown on all but three of their attacks. The visitors averaged 6.3 yards per carry, with 36 carries for 226 yards. The Gators made 6 of 9 third down attempts.
For the third straight game, the Bulldogs dug themselves a hole in the first half. After being outscored 55-6 by Arizona State and Toledo in the first half, MSU trailed 28-7 in the first half before a touchdown run by quarterback Blake Shapen made it 28-14.
MSU got within 28-21 after Shapen missed a 13-yard catch to Jordan Mosley in the third quarter, but a fourth-down stop at the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs out of the game.
Shapen led an offense that rushed for 480 yards (Florida’s 503) and a season-high 240 yards on the ground. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown and had 12 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury.
Michael Van Buren came in and completed 7 of 13 passes for 100 yards. Davon Booth and Johnnie Daniels led with a total of 29 carries for 178 yards and two scores.
Florida: Billy Napier has a more coveted coaching position than anyone else in the country, and that’s unlikely to change after Saturday’s result. With a week off, things are getting more exciting for Florida.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are in the midst of a major rebuild, and that’s becoming more apparent each week. State’s defense was helpless against the Gators’ offense, which barely scored against the other two Power 4 teams they’ve played this season.
Florida: Hosts Central Florida on October 5
Mississippi State: Travel to Texas on September 28
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