Gators QB Del Rio Injured, Out Saturday vs. South Carolina
Monday, November 7, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter
Quarterbacks Austin Appleby, Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask to compete in Del Rio's absence.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators took a beating on Saturday and so did starting quarterback Luke Del Rio.
Florida head coach Jim McElwain announced Monday that Del Rio played with an injured shoulder at Arkansas and will not play on Saturday when the No. 22 Gators (6-2, 4-2) host South Carolina (5-4, 3-4).
With Del Rio out, McElwain said fifth-year senior Austin Appleby will take the first-team snaps at practice Monday and that freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask will compete in practice this week for an opportunity to play.
"We'll go with all three guys [in practice]," McElwain said. "We'll see as the week goes on where and how we'll play those guys. It's an opportunity for a lot of guys because of these injuries, and also an opportunity for some of the guys at their other positions to really step up."
Del Rio, clearly mentally and physically drained, played from start to finish and spoke to the media after Saturday's 31-10 loss and voiced frustration over his play.
"I need to play better,'' he said. "Guys are doing their jobs. I need to do mine."
McElwain said in looking at film, it appears Del Rio was hurt midway into the second quarter. Del Rio didn't say anything to the coaches and according to McElwain, "he'll be out a while."
"Looking back, hindsight is 20/20. At halftime of that ballgame, I think speaks to the belief of our team and the toughness of Luke,'' McElwain said. "But sometimes you have to be honest. He was banged up. Played that way. And, you know, looking at myself in the mirror, we should have made a change at halftime, and yet part of the reason we didn't, obviously, we didn't know the severity of it. And, No. 2, there was never really a panic."
Del Rio is just one of many on Florida's injury list.
McElwain said starting center Cameron Dillard (knee) and linebacker Alex Anzalone (arm) are also out Saturday. Anzalone underwent surgery on Monday for a broken arm suffered in the second half. Linebacker Jarrad Davis (ankle) and running back Mark Herndon (hamstring) are likely out, and receivers Chris Thompson (head), Tyrie Cleveland (undisclosed) will be re-evaluated following Wednesday's practice. McElwain added that defensive lineman Cece Jefferson (foot) will likely be a game-time decision.
Meanwhile, Florida's quarterback situation is muddled once again.
Del Rio completed 19 of 37 passes for 229 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns on Saturday. He had been 5-0 as UF's starting quarterback entering the Arkansas game. And in fairness, Del Rio had a crucial third-down pass to C'yontai Lewis dropped and his first pass of the game to Cleveland was intercepted. Cleveland did not reach out for the ball on a quick slant and it hit him in the body, bounced off a defender and was intercepted by Santos Ramirez and returned 24 yards for a touchdown and set the tone in the 21-point loss.
"You could tell he was in pain at some times but that kid's a fighter,'' Gators receiver Ahmad Fulwood said. "Even if he was, he was going to make sure he finished that game and he gave us all he got."
However, there is a clear discrepancy between Del Rio's first three starts of the season and his last three after Del Rio missed two games due to a knee injury suffered in a win over North Texas on Sept. 17.
In wins over UMass, Kentucky and North Texas, Del Rio completed 61.3 percent (62 of 101) of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions while averaging 254.0 yards per game. Since he returned from the knee injury, Del Rio's completion percentage is 52 percent (52 of 100) with two touchdowns and six interceptions while averaging 198.7 yards per game, a sharp decline.
The Gators defeated Missouri and Georgia in Del Rio's first two games back, but the offense sputtered throughout at Arkansas. Florida had 12 drives and seven ended with a punt, two on interceptions, two on turnover on downs, and one with a field goal. Florida's only touchdown came on defensive back Duke Dawson's 37-yard interception return.
In Del Rio's absence, Appleby started two games, at Tennessee and at Vanderbilt. The Gators lost 38-28 at Tennessee and won 13-6 at Vanderbilt. Appleby was 42-for-67 for 440 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in his two starts.
Neither Franks nor Trask has played this season.
