Kyle Trask Bolsters Heisman Resume with 6 TDs in Florida’s Win over Arkansas

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Florida didn’t let an old friend derail its playoff hopes, as the No. 6 Gators earned a 63-35 win over Arkansas.

Former UF starter Feleipe Franks was under center for Arkansas and had 250 passing yards in his return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It wasn’t enough to keep up with his replacement, Kyle Trask, who starred by tossing six touchdowns to continue his Heisman Trophy-worthy campaign.

It was his second six-score game of the year, and he has 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2020.

Florida improved to 5-1, including three straight victories with at least 40 points scored.

Arkansas (3-4) played without head coach Sam Pittman, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom served as the team’s interim coach.

Notable Performances

Kyle Trask, QB, FLA: 23-29, 356 passing yards, 6 TDs

Trevon Grimes, WR, FLA: 6 catches, 109 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Keon Zipperer, TE, FLA: 3 catches, 47 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Feleipe Franks, QB, ARK: 15-19, 250 passing yards, 2 TDs

Trelon Smith, RB, ARK: 8 carries, 118 rushing yards, 1 TD

Mike Woods, WR, ARK: 2 catches, 129 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Trask Lights Up Scoreboard for Florida

Trask had been one of the hottest players in college football to start the year and did not slow down Saturday.

After throwing at least four touchdowns in five straight games—the first SEC player ever to do that—he accomplished the feat again Saturday before even reaching halftime. His production has put him in rare territory:

Beyond the numbers, those watching were impressed by his throws:

Arkansas had been one of the toughest pass defenses in the SEC entering the game, allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game in the conference, but the team had no answers for this offense.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Florida’s explosion was it was without one of its top weapons. Tight end Kyle Pitts was sidelined with a concussion, removing an elite red-zone threat who had a team-high eight touchdowns entering the day.

The Gators didn’t seem to miss him as Trask was throwing darts all game, completing passes to nine receivers with four players catching touchdowns before the starter left in the fourth quarter.

Even teammate Anthony Richardson tweeted about him at halftime:

The onslaught continued in the second half as the Gators couldn’t be stopped, scoring touchdowns on eight of their first 10 offensive possessions. Zachary Carter then helped seal the win with a fumble returned for a touchdown.

Trask was the real story, however, making himself a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy with a huge effort on national television.

Big Plays Not Enough to Keep Arkansas in Game

Fans were not happy to see Franks, who was booed during his first appearance:

The quarterback was the starter for parts of three seasons at Florida but suffered an ankle injury last year and eventually lost his job to Trask. He transferred to the SEC rival in January.

Franks silenced the fans early with a 47-yard touchdown to Mike Woods:

Arkansas appeared ready to keep up in a high-scoring battle when Trelon Smith broke an 83-yard touchdown run in the middle of the second quarter:

In the second half, Franks connected with Woods again for an 82-yard score.

However, the Razorbacks couldn’t do enough to keep up.

Franks was an efficient passer and helped move the ball throughout the game (Arkansas had 458 total yards), but going 3-of-10 on third downs killed drives and limited the team’s effectiveness.

Struggles on defense also left Arkansas with just 21 minutes and 12 seconds of possession in the 60-minute battle.

Without Pittman on the sidelines, the Razorbacks simply had no answers. 

What’s Next?

Florida will try to keep rolling next Saturday with a road game against Vanderbilt. Arkansas returns home to face an LSU squad that has struggled during a rebuilding season.