Q. Obviously being able to come off what coach called your most complete game, how you guys want to carry that to this week and get ready for two road trips?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Whenever you're doing something good, you want to keep it going. We also messed up a little bit in that game, penalties and stuff. We don't want that, especially in the red zone. So we're going to try to improve on that but keep the same intensity and the same effort that we had last week.
Q. Montrell's performance, what you've seen from him and just the way he's kind of been carrying the load at running back.
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I've been talking about that performance like two, three days now. I was talking to him yesterday about it. Bro, you went crazy. Man, that's just nuts. Bro, 160 in the game, that's tough.
But just having him in the backfield is a blessing, him and Trevor. They do their thing. They make it easier for us to move the ball and score on offense. So I'm thankful for those guys.
Q. Why does he seem to get stronger as the game -- I was asking Billy about it. He seems to be one of those backs that gets stronger as the game goes.
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I think most people like to get hit first and see what the defense is going to bring. If it's too soft, he's going to bring that thunder to them. I feel like that's what he does every game.
Q. Do you notice that, though, he seems to get stronger as the game goes?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I think he's stronger the whole game, just breaking tackles. He's just doing him.
Q. Being from Florida, have you ever played in sub-33 weather before?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I don't think so. I know I played in some cold games. It wouldn't be cold to a lot of people, but to me it's definitely cold. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to see how I perform in it.
Q. How do you decide what to wear?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Just stay warm. That's the main goal right there and try not to get in your own head about it.
Q. You grew up in Florida. Now what's cold to you?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: If the wind's blowing too much, that's cold. If it's 65, that's kind of cold. It really depends.
Q. Do you think if it requires more than a sweater?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Definitely. If I got to throw on some slacks, it's cold.
Q. Anthony, how do you feel like you've improved this year? What areas have you made the most strides since you started the season?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Just being a leader. Keeping the team going, keeping the team rolling. I've improved with that a lot.
That's pretty much been our mission lately kind of, just me speaking up and being vocal and leading by example. I feel like that's the main thing I've improved on.
Q. How have players responded since you've started to take steps toward being a better leader?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Surprisingly, other people started speaking up. They realize they have a voice as well, and we started playing for each other because of the leadership we do have on the team. I'm thankful for it.
I'm glad I got the opportunity to do it, and I'm glad other guys are stepping up and doing it.
Q. When did you get comfortable getting up and talking? Gradual process, or was there one time you got up and said that felt right?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It's definitely been a gradual process for me because I haven't always been a vocal guy, a guy who likes to talk a lot, but Coach Napier, he pushes me all the time to step out of my comfort zone.
A few weeks ago, I finally did it, and it felt good to express myself and have the team listen to me and have other guys relate to how I was feeling. It feels good to do it, and I'm going to try to continue to do it.
Q. The last few weeks the defense has been playing, how much extra confidence has that given you, especially everyone around you too?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It makes it easier for us. They're not letting people score, and we're putting up some points. It makes it easier for us to win the game. I'm glad those guys are getting it rolling.
Q. What's the gist of what you said to the team when you spoke out?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I just told them, don't take opportunities for granted because not a lot of people get the opportunity that we get. We're blessed enough and fortunate enough to play here in the SEC. Just to play college ball, period. A lot of people want to be in our shoes.
I told them that we're part of the percentage of people that made it to this point and this opportunity. So don't take it for granted and just have fun with it.
Q. When you had that moment, is there something that went off in your head that said these guys are going to listen to me if I talk?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I feel like something did go off. Just like watching and seeing guys, sometimes we would just go through the motions if there's a walk through. We know the plays and stuff, so we're just going to do this, instead of being intentional. I felt like we were just getting complacent because we're here at the University of Florida.
So I just decided to step up and talk to the guys, and a lot of people related to it. We flipped the switch, I guess.
Q. Are you a yeller and screamer, or are you just grab them by a face mask? What's your approach?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It depends on the mood and what needs to be done, but I'm not most of the time a yeller, but if I have to yell, I'll do it.
Q. Is this after Georgia?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Yeah, it was.
Q. You were with Mike Wright at the Manning Passing Academy. What's your relationship like with him?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: That guy is hilarious. I'm glad I got to meet him. He's a cool guy, funny guy. He's also a pretty good quarterback himself.
So just going to that camp and having the opportunity to meet those guys and to have fun with them, it was definitely a blessing.
Q. What stood out about his game when you were there? Obviously no pads or anything, but was it his arms, legs, anything like that?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Pretty much everything overall. He can definitely run. He's a fast guy. He can definitely throw it. So just his overall game. Just the person he is, that's what stood out to me the most.
Q. Are you going to talk any trash to him this week?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Probably not. I don't talk trash. I don't really know how to talk trash. That's not me.
Q. That throw to Ricky the other day, just picture perfect, and then might miss one where he's wide open. What is the difference on these? Is it your footwork? Is it decision-making? Is it comfort level? Like you made these great throws and then maybe miss a routine one. What happens?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It's just me forgetting how fast these guys are. Just seeing Ricky come across the field and seeing how fast he can accelerate, I've just got to put the ball in a better spot for him. Just understanding that these guys do have real game speed, and I've got to put it in the right spot for them.
Q. How much are you picking things up in the read option terms of your running game? It seems like the last three, four weeks you're kind of finding more holes and you've been more assertive in that regard?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I've just been feeling more comfortable with zone read because we've been having the way the defense rotates and the way the running backs have been running the ball, they've got to pick and choose who they want to tackle. If they don't want to tackle them, they've got to tackle me. If they don't want to tackle me, they've got to tackle them. That's just overall what it's been.
Q. Billy said that you're your own biggest critic at times. When you look at your current improvement and what you need to work on, what kind of stands out to you right now of ways, hey, I can improve this and get better at this right now?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Definitely being consistent with accuracy, missing the guys by a yard or two, I've always been hard on myself about that. If I want to throw the ball here to their face and I throw it here, I'm going to criticize that.
Coach Nape tells me all the time, you don't have to be so hard because it was completed. But as a quarterback, you want the ball to go where you want it to go. Being a perfectionist kind of affected that. Just accuracy is pretty much the main thing.
Q. Are you hard on yourself even after a 32-point win at home like this? Do you sit there and look at the incompletions and say, if I hit this, would you feel better about your performance? Are you that kind of guy?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Before, I was like that. But everything happens for a reason. Missing those completions just tells me I got to get better at completing the ball and throwing it better.
I definitely do criticize myself a lot. Even though we did win by 30, we could have put up more points in the red zone, and I take that into account. So I definitely criticize myself.
Q. How proud of yourself are you with the interception streak, like four games without a pick, without a turnover, I don't think, right?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I'm definitely proud of myself. I know Coach Nape is proud of me as well. We always talk about posting that zero and having no turnovers. That was pretty much one thing we worked on in fall camp. If we threw an interception or if it was close to an interception in practice, it counted, and it went to your interception percentage.
We had a huge competition about that. So I definitely take that into account, and I'm glad I found some rhythm.
Q. You've always been a guy who could run away from people. The last couple weeks you've been running over people. Which is more satisfying, to outrun them or to maybe run over somebody?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It's a little bit of both, you know, keeping the defense on their toes and them not knowing what I'm going to do. It kind of feels good because they don't know whether I'm going to run around them or run through them.
I'm 240, so somebody got to feel this weight.
Q. It feels like the polar opposite when Coach Mullen was here? You guys are running almost 60 percent of the time compared to 40 passing. We've seen the benefits for the offense, but how does it benefit you and how does it change how you operate, if it does?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: It just helps me manage the game more. When I do pass the ball, I've got to be smart with it because I know we're going to eventually run the ball. It just helps me become a better game manager.
Q. Do you see advantages to it in what's been an era of a lot of pass happy football across college and really all levels to be able to run the ball as much as you guys do?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: I definitely see it. A lot of people like to play deep zone coverages. They light on the ball, so it allows us to penetrate the defense and get the ball moving and rolling. Eventually once they start coming up, hit them with some play action and go over their head. I think it's an advantage to be able to run the ball.
Q. Anthony, we saw what a celebration it was when big Dez had the fumble the other day. Why are you guys so excited for that?
ANTHONY RICHARDSON: Guys were just having fun, that was the main thing. We were just enjoying what was going on in the field. The defense got a takeaway, so that was another thing.
Just having fun and playing for each other, that was just the main reason we were celebrating. Coach Nape tells us to celebrate with our teammates. He said he would rather us get a flag celebrating than get a flag for something else. We try to have a party on the sideline every time.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports