Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio suffered yet another significant injury on Saturday, leaving Feleipe Franks as the starter.
A multi-year trend of quarterback instability for the Florida Gators continued on Saturday, as starter Luke Del Rio was lost for the year with another major injury.
Del Rio was removed in the first half of Saturday’s victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores after being hit on a pass attempt and landing on his surgically repaired left shoulder. The injury will require season-ending surgery, as Florida head coach Jim McElwain later indicated it was a broken collarbone via Nick de la Torre of GatorCountry.com.
McElwain clarifies it's a collarbone for Del Rio.
— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) September 30, 2017
Injuries have been a recurring problem for Del Rio, who missed a total of seven games last year with knee and left shoulder issues before getting a second surgery on his right shoulder last spring. That may have cost Del Rio the starting job initially this year, as Florida has also rotated in Feleipe Franks and Malik Zaire through the first month.
Despite having a limited offense marred by suspensions and injuries, the Gators are off to a 3-1 start with the only loss coming to a playoff contender in Michigan. Del Rio entered in the third quarter of last Saturday’s game against Kentucky with the Gators down 10 points and led a wild comeback by completing 9-of-14 pass attempts for 74 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
While the season-ending injury makes every college football fan feel for Del Rio and the Gators have gone 6-1 in games he’s started over the past two years, it may not end up hurting Florida all that much. Franks’ 2017 numbers are far better than anything Del Rio posted in 2016, and he has the skill set to help the Gators hit on at least a few plays down the field.
Right after replacing Del Rio, Franks hit star Tyrie Cleveland on a 49-yard pass to set up a game-tying field goal heading into halftime. Franks finished with an efficient 10-of-14 performance for 185 yards, helping the Gators hold off the Commodores for a 38-24 victory.
Florida would likely not be sitting at 3-1 without Franks, as the redshirt freshman played well in the victory over Tennessee and tossed a game-winning, 63-yard Hail Mary as time expired. That throw showcased Franks’ incredible arm strength and accuracy on deep balls, and the connection with the 6-2, 196 pound Cleveland is Florida’s best chance at generating big plays.
Of course, the Gators might not have enough offensively to win the SEC East no matter who is under center. Georgia’s front seven is playing at an elite level and has already shut down a far more talented quarterback in Nick Fitzgerald in last Saturday’s 31-3 drubbing of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
As of right now, Franks hasn’t shown enough for the Gators to have much confidence in the Oct. 28 matchup against Georgia that will almost certainly decide the SEC East. However, Franks gives Florida’s offense more upside, and has enough raw talent to make huge strides over the next month leading into the rivalry showdown.