GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kyle Trask threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, helping No. 9 Florida beat lower-division Towson 38-0 Saturday and extend its winning streak to nine.
Trask set a school record in the process. The junior making his second collegiate start completed 15 consecutive passes to open the game, giving him 18 straight completions and breaking Chris Leak's mark (17) set against Wyoming in 2005.
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Trask's hot streak ended with an incompletion to Jacob Copeland early in the third quarter. He responded with a perfect throw to Kyle Pitts in the corner of the end zone for his second TD pass of the afternoon.
Trask finished 18-of-20 passing for 188 yards, giving way to Emory Jones in the fourth quarter. Trask showed progress by not having any turnovers. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in his first start , against Tennessee.
He was considerably more efficient, as expected, against the overmatched Tigers (3-2).
The Gators (5-0) need it to continue as they begin a daunting October against seventh-ranked Auburn next week.
Although Florida won the game and covered the 35 1/2-point spread, it also struggled to run the ball early. Coach Dan Mullen's team mustered 60 yards on 16 carries in the first half.
Towson moved the ball well, meanwhile, ending its first two drives with a fumble and a missed field goal.
The Gators led 17-0 at halftime, the same score they had against fellow Football Championship Subdivision team Tennessee-Martin earlier this month. And just like the first one, Florida played better after the break.
Towson continued to help. Tom Flacco, a younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco, threw interceptions on his first two drives of the third quarter. Donovan Stiner got the first one, and Jon Greenard the second.
Flacco completed 16 of 27 passes for 157 yards, with two interceptions. He was sacked four times and involved in a fumble. Freshman Jaydon Hill also dropped an interception that he surely would have returned for a touchdown in the first half.
THE TAKEAWAY
Towson: Fell to 0-2 against Southeastern Conference teams but held its own in both games. The Tigers lost 38-22 at then-No. 3 LSU in 2012, a game in which Odell Beckham Jr. caught five passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. They trailed Florida 17-0 at halftime and botched two scoring chances early.
Florida: Clearly has issues along the offensive line, which could prove problematic against the more dangerous Tigers: Auburn and LSU. Auburn's dynamic duo of Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson will provide the first test.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Florida should remain in the top 10 for the fourth consecutive week. Moving up will require beating more Tigers: first Auburn and then LSU.
BEING CAUTIOUS
The Gators held out two defensive starters - cornerback CJ Henderson and defensive end Jabari Zuniga - who probably could have played. Both are recovering from ankle sprains. Henderson missed his third straight game. Zuniga has sat out the last two.
UP NEXT
Towson gets a week off before hosting Colonial Athletic Association foe Albany on Oct. 12.
Florida begins the toughest part of its schedule by hosting Auburn next Saturday. The Tigers have won all three meetings since the schools stopped playing annually in 2003.
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