GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Quarterback Kyle Trask was perfect. The rest of the Florida Gators were not.
Eventually, the nation's ninth-ranked team would get on the same page against Towson and pull away for a 38-0 win Saturday in the Swamp.
With next weekend's visit from Auburn on the horizon, many of the No. 9 Gators (5-0) opened the game looking like they were peaking ahead to a visit from a top-10 SEC foe. Trask, though, looked like a man on a mission.
The redshirt junior who was making his second career started opened the game by completing 15 consecutive passes, giving him a school-record 18 straight completions dating to last weekend's 34-3 win over Tennessee. Trask even followed his first incomplete pass, on first-and-goal from the Towson 7-yard line, with touchdown strike to leaping tight end Kyle Pitts in the northwest corner of the end zone.
A week after Trask and Pitts hooked up for a 19-yard touchdown on the opening drive against Tennessee, the Kyle-to-Kyle combination accounted for two of the Gators' first three scores against Towson. Trask finished the day 18-of-20 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns before redshirt freshman Emory Jones took over during the fourth quarter.
Trask's earlier efforts carried an offense that continued to struggle running the football, outside of a couple a long runs by sophomore Dameon Pierce against a gassed Towson defense. Pierce's 37-yard touchdown, facilitated by a nice block on the perimeter by receiver Trevon Grimes, pushed UF's lead to 31-0 late in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, Towson (3-2) and quarterback Tom Flacco caught the Gators' defense flat-footed.
Towson, ranked No. 10 in the FCS entering Saturday, did not look the typical lower-division cupcake coming to the Swamp to collect a payback. Behind Flacco, younger brother of NFL veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, the Tigers' first two drives reached well into Gators' territory.
Towson failed to come away with points either time. The Tigers fumbled at the UF 25 during their first series and missed a 32-yard field goal to end their second one, allowing the Gators to hold a 10-0 lead.
Flacco did not get much help, highlighted by several dropped passes, as UF recorded its second shutout out the season and held its third opponent without a touchdown.
After gaining 143 yards by halftime, compared with 199 for the Gators, Towson opened the second half gaining two yards and throwing two interceptions during the Tigers' first two series.
Louisville graduate transfer Jon Greenard once again led the way. The Gators' top pass rusher consistently was in Flacco's face, ending the day with five solo tackles, three quarterback hurries and half a sack. Greenard also corralled a Flacco pass tipped by tackle T.J. Slaton and returned the interception to the Towson 7.
