Down via 10 issues with 9 mins left in opposition to South Carolina two weeks in the past, a other determine emerged from the Florida bench. This one had no visual scars, handiest the ones left aching deep within a psyche manhandled via social media and haunted via expectancies. One hoping for a new soccer id.
Turns out, it was once usual Graham Mertz … simply a new angle. Florida’s quarterback knew of just one approach out in that second.
“There wasn’t a bone in my body that was telling me we weren’t going to win that game,” Mertz mentioned.
So he handed alongside that feeling to his teammates, up and down the bench. And then he, neatly, handed. It wasn’t going to occur once more. The Gators were not shedding this chance in opposition to a beatable convention opponent. They were not shedding this shootout when the fellow making the decision had the awesome howitzer.
Never thoughts Florida most likely flaming out in its comeback strive to be an SEC contender once more, Mertz determined he wasn’t going to flame out.
“We always say, ‘Customer service,'” Mertz recalled after the Gators’ 41-39 win over the Gamecocks. “‘How do you want your food? You want left shoulder, right shoulder?’ It’s like customer service with my receivers.”
After the ones 9 mins, Mertz had chucked on each and every down however one. During Florida’s ultimate two possessions, there have been 22 passes, 13 completions, 160 yards and two touchdowns — the eventual game-winner coming with 47 seconds left.
The consequence redefined the primary part of Florida’s season and cleared Mertz’s psyche a bit.
The quarterback had now not handiest thrown for career-high 423 yards, he was once on a career excessive himself.
“For me, it’s the time of my life,” he mentioned.
The emergence of Mertz this season adjustments masses at Florida. It offers tangible proof of a turnaround in Year 2 below trainer Billy Napier. The Gators are all at once 5-2 and only one spot out of the AP Top 25 heading into a showdown with No. 1 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS).
And with a gunslinger in the pocket, there may be explanation why to assume the Gators no less than have a puncher’s likelihood in opposition to the Bulldogs. Out of nowhere, Mertz is the third-most correct passer in the rustic (76.2%). This in spite of by no means finishing greater than 61% of his passes in a season since taking up as Wisconsin’s starter in 2020.
That’s the place this tale diverges. For Mertz, Wisconsin was once … an revel in. Two views will also be stated from that have.
- Mertz was once the highest-rated quarterback recruit in program historical past, a four-star prospect out of suburban Kansas City rated as the No. 1 participant in the state of Kansas and No. 3 pro-style prospect in 2019 as outlined via the 247Sports Composite.
- An ultra-conservative offense in keeping with pounding the ball by no means have compatibility Mertz, and as a result, he by no means lived up to expectancies.
That’s the place the manhandling via social media comes in. It occurs to everybody who does not measure up to whoever is doing the measuring.
“Nobody can go through what Graham went through and not have some scar tissue,” mentioned Justin Hoover, Mertz’s Overland Park, Kansas-based throwing trainer. “He was definitely banged and bruised up mentally and physically when he got home.
“I simply concept that — and he did too — there wasn’t any approach to win that [Wisconsin] fan base once more. [It was good to] wash his palms of it. It broken him, quickly. The good thing for him, he by no means misplaced his pastime for soccer.”
Mertz is not the kind to communicate concerning the previous. That’s left to those that have seen him. He talks about emerging fired up each and every morning.
“Going to that facility — the vibe, the people,” Mertz mentioned of Florida, “the work doesn’t feel like work.”
Mertz can stroll throughout campus in the light as the Gators quarterback unbothered as a result of there is not a lot strolling throughout campus anymore.
“You’re not really going to class,” Mertz mentioned. “It’s online.”
More intimidating are the statues of Florida’s 3 Heisman Trophy winners outdoor The Swamp — Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow.
“I’ve been around football long enough to know this is a great spot to be. This is a great spot to develop. These are good people,” Mertz mentioned. “[I thought], ‘That’s where I want to go. I want to be coached by these people.'”
And when fortune is concerned at the present time, it grins. During that game-winning pressure in opposition to South Carolina, fellow switch Ricky Pearsall had to bend backwards to catch certainly one of Mertz’s passes. The tipped ball went to freshman Eugene Wilson III, Napier’s prized, fresh-faced offensive ability.
“Not a good ball at all,” Mertz mentioned. “Exactly how you draw it up, man.”
Seconds later, Mertz hit Pearsall with the game-winner.
How’s that for customer support?
“God smiled on the Gators,” Napier mentioned after the sport, borrowing Spurrier’s previous line.
There is not a lot room in the present quarterback tradition for sign callers who’ve the temerity to blossom in their 5th yr at their 2nd faculty. Joe Burrow did it, however there have handiest been a handful of Joe Burrows. Otherwise, the entirety has to be carried out now. The shelf lifetime of the ones five-star possibilities handiest stretches thus far as the endurance of the ones Twitter trolls.
“There is a reason it happened the way it happened,” Hoover mentioned. “Graham loves ball, and to see him having fun again is a lot of fun. Toward the end of his career at Wisconsin, he was obviously under pressure.”
If there may be any bitterness to the placement, it isn’t obtrusive. Mertz prefers to talk about his new house. He transferred to Florida for the entire proper causes — a new get started, a new faculty, new teammates.
Oh, and there was once a transparent beginning alternative after Anthony Richardson matriculated to the NFL and the Gators noticed their quarterbacking plans at the back of him unpredictably move up in smoke.
In his first career get started at Wisconsin, Mertz threw 5 landing passes in opposition to Illinois. He threw 4 the remainder of that COVID-19 season. There had been 4 interceptions in opposition to Notre Dame in 2021. Turnovers snowballed. Mertz by no means stopped talking glowingly about Badgers trainer Paul Chryst. Then, two days into October ultimate yr, Chryst was once fired after a loss to Illinois. He left this system with 72% profitable price.
Mertz sooner or later left this system, too, via his personal selection. He evolved a shut courting with Florida offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara, who works with the group’s quarterbacks. (Napier serves as the on-field place trainer.) Mertz additionally was speedy buddies with Pearsall, who arrived out of the switch portal from Arizona State 365 days previous.
In the season opener, Florida misplaced a bewildering sport at Utah. But Mertz threw for a then-career excessive 333 yards. It wasn’t a victory, nevertheless it was once freeing. In the SEC opener, he threw for a ranking and ran for every other in opposition to then-No. 11 Tennessee.
Something was once converting.
“He came home back to the apartment, let it all out,” mentioned Mertz’s father Ron. “We were having a father-son great moment. He said, ‘Best day of my life.'”
Mertz had thrown for simply 166 yards that evening, however perhaps it was once simply being in keep watch over of one thing once more that made him so emotional. Maybe it was once simply a exchange of surroundings, but if Florida was a switch possibility, Mertz’s eyes lit up.
“His exact words were, ‘It’s freakin’ Florida,'” Hoover recalled.
Mertz has been running with Hoover since 6th grade. There is a courting past soccer. Hoover can monitor frame language. he is has taught the likes of long run NFL quarterbacks Josh Freeman and Drew Lock. Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan (TCU) was once his scholar, too. The quarterback whisperer says he has 42 highschool varsity starters in seven states.
Mertz is excellent for trade. Now, if he can simply continue being nice at Florida.
“Tennessee was one of those where he still got viewed as a [game] manager a little bit,” Hoover mentioned. “Then, Saturday night.”
Yes, Saturday evening (if truth be told, two Saturday nights in the past). That South Carolina sport redefined Mertz to the purpose there was once a little bit of social media karma. Some of the ones trolls had been now complaining about Mertz being “underutilized” at Wisconsin.
Forget them. What was once as soon as a slog is now vivid with probabilities. We’ve already noticed how the likes of Burrow (Ohio State to LSU), Michael Penix Jr. (Indiana to Washington) and Bo Nix (Auburn to Oregon) — amongst others — have thrived in new environments.
Consider the phrases of a father who needs the most efficient for a son in his 5th yr at his 2nd faculty.
“If he goes big on Georgia, I think we’ve got something crazy going,” Ron mentioned. “It could be a Burrow 2019 coming out party.”