GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators' offense cranked out 38 points and a season-high 467 yards in their win over Vanderbilt last weekend. Those are numbers the Gators would surely take on Saturday against LSU.
However, they might have to try without sophomore receiver
Tyrie Cleveland, who teamed with quarterback
Feleipe Franks for a 49-yard pass – Florida's biggest play of the game – in the victory over Vanderbilt.
Florida head coach
Jim McElwain said Monday that he expects Cleveland "to be out" Saturday when the Tigers visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"He's in a boot right now,'' McElwain said.
If Cleveland is unable to return to practice on Wednesday or Thursday, he likely won't play due to a right high-ankle sprain he suffered in the fourth quarter against Vanderbilt as he blocked on a running play. Cleveland had left the game earlier in the second half when he suffered an apparent toe injury.
McElwain is scheduled to talk to the media after Wednesday's practice to provide an update on Cleveland and other injured players.
                                                    CLEVELAND CAN CATCH
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| GAME |
CATCHES |
YARDS |
AVERAGE |
LONG |
| Michigan |
4 |
56 |
14.0 |
31 |
| Tennessee |
5 |
93 |
18.6 |
63t |
| Kentucky |
4 |
110 |
27.5 |
50 |
| Vanderbilt |
2 |
67 |
33.5 |
49 |
If Cleveland can't play, it's a big loss for a UF offense that played its best game of the season against Vanderbilt. Cleveland leads the team with a career-high 15 catches for 326 yards. He ranks third in the Southeastern Conference at 81.5 yards per game.
Cleveland has developed into redshirt freshman quarterback Feleipe Franks' go-to receiver through four games. Cleveland caught the game-winning 63-yard touchdown against Tennessee and had four catches for 110 yards in the victory at Kentucky.
"He's obviously been a guy on the deep stuff,'' McElwain said. "These guys [LSU] are really good in the back end. It isn't like you are going to run by them. I think obviously, Freddie [Swain] and Josh [Hammond] have been playing really good. I think it'll be next man up."
When the Gators make a big play, it usually involves Cleveland, who has catches of 45, 49, 50 and 63 yards this season. The Gators have 11 pass plays of 20 or more yards this season and Cleveland has five, including all four receptions of 40-plus yards.
The Florida depth chart released Tuesday has sophomore Freddie Swain and true freshman Daquon Green listed atop Cleveland's position. A product of Tampa Bay Tech, Green has not played through four games.
"It definitely hurts a lot,'' sophomore receiver Josh Hammond said. "He was definitely a big problem for defenses. Definitely a big, vertical, deep threat and definitely helped take things off a lot of other guys. I think other guys in our room will be ready to play.''
While Cleveland's absence would be costly to for No. 21-ranked Florida (3-1, 3-0), LSU (3-2, 0-1) is without senior safety Ed Paris, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at practice last week and missed LSU's stunning 24-21 home loss to Troy.
The Tigers have tinkered with their secondary in practice this week, including moving five-star defensive back recruit JaCoby Stevens back to the secondary. Stevens moved to offense in preseason camp.
To illustrate Cleveland's production compared to the rest of the receiving corps this season, no other Gator is averaging more than true freshman Kadarius Toney's 26.8 yards per game.
Hammond and Swain are the potent downfield threats without Cleveland, with senior Brandon Powell, running back Mark Thompson and Toney the underneath targets. Dre Massey could also factor in despite only one catch in four games for the highly-touted junior-college transfer who missed 2016 due to a knee injury.
And don't forget tight ends DeAndre Goolsby, C'yontai Lewis and Moral Stephens, a trio that has combined or 11 catches for 119 yards. Stephens caught two passes for a career-high 45 yards against Vanderbilt.
"I've been working hard to get on the field and have my number called,'' Stephens said. "Hopefully I can continue to help the team win and just make some plays when they are there."
