Developments Aplenty as Gators Prepare for Vanderbilt

The Gators will continue to find ways for Kadarius Toney to be involved in the game plan after his breakout performance at Kentucky. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Developments Aplenty as Gators Prepare for Vanderbilt

Monday, September 25, 2017 | Football, Chris Harry

Luke Del Rio was named starting QB the same day UF got some news regarding its suspended players.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Given the tone on Twitter, talk radio and message boards, there is much to be concerned about with the Florida football program. The developments of Monday, both on and off the field, only fortified that perception.

But there is one indisputable fact about the current situation with the Gators.

They're unbeaten and tied atop the Southeastern Conference East Division standings with a chance to better themselves this weekend.

"I think we have a pretty good opportunity coming up," UF coach Jim McElwain said Monday.

The No. 21 Gators (2-1, 2-0) will be back home Saturday at Spurrier/Florida Field to face Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1) at noon. As far as opportunities to go, it's the next one and all coaches and players will say that's important. In the bigger picture, though, some things about this team came further into focus Monday when in the span of about 15 minutes McElwain announced that fourth-year junior Luke Del Rio would start at quarterback against the Commodores and news broke that nine suspended UF football players, including wide receiver Antonio Callaway and tailback Jordan Scarlett, could face third-degree felony charges of fraud after sworn complaints were filed against them in Alachua County Court by the University of Florida Police Department.

The latter development was neither a shock nor even a death blow to the team because the players have been suspended and banned from the team since before the regular season began. News of the charges became filtering out on Twitter during McElwain's news conference, so questions about the charges — and what they meant to the status of those players — took him aback.

"You're asking me something I don't even know anything about. I don't know if that's fair," the coach said. "I mean, I'm not sure you'd be sitting here with a felony."

The promotion of Del Rio, however, was an easy topic to expand on, not to mention a significant turn of events as far as the offense and maybe even the overall outlook of the team. When Del Rio came off the bench midway through the third period, something happened with the offense.

Something good.

"Yeah, a little bit, rhythm," McElwain said. "I think, we needed a jumpstart. It was like, sometimes maybe not all cylinders were hitting, and yet I think he came in and gave us that boost."

Del Rio replaced redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks Saturday night at Kentucky and sparked the Gators from a 13-point deficit to a 28-27 road victory, including a five-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Swain with 43 seconds left that proved the game winner. After throwing an interception, Del Rio led UF to a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, helping the Gators amass 138 yards of offense on two possessions and 20 plays after totaling 157 yards on 43 plays the previous 10 possessions, eight of which with Franks under center. He hit 9 of 14 passes for 74 yards, plus the touchdown and pick.

"He wasn't afraid of making a mistake," senior wide receiver Brandon Powell said of Del Rio. "He got in and his [third] pass was an interception, but he came to the sideline and was still telling us that we were going to win the game. That showed. He was getting the ball to his playmakers and making plays for them."

It was a small but pointed reminder of why Del Rio won the job in the preseason last year and was humming along until suffering a knee injury in the third game against North Texas. He returned a month later for a win over Missouri, but suffered a shoulder injury the following game against Georgia and — against his better judgment and that of the coaching staff — tried to fight through it during a road game at Arkansas that proved a disaster.

Now he's healthy and those same attributes that won him the job last year remain. He's actually even more familiar with the offense.

"It's always good to have Luke Del Rio in there, have that upperclassmen experience," third-year sophomore center T.J. McCoy said. "I feel like he kind of kept some of the young guys at bay, kind of calmed them down a little bit when we were in a tough game, a close game. It was really good to have him in there and keep us all together."

Now he's back at the helm of a Florida offense and the goal will be to build on the momentum of not only a big, come-from-behind road win, but those last two offensive series. The Gators no longer rank at the bottom of the SEC in total offense — instead, they're next to last (323.3 yards per game), just ahead of Vandy (279.0) — and now know they have two new toys to play in tailback Malik Davis and all-purpose guy Kadarius Toney, a couple true freshmen who were instrumental in the win at Kentucky.

Electric, actually.

Davis rushed 21 times for 93 yards against a UK unit that started the night ranked No. 1 in the league against the run, allowing just 57 yards per game. UF finished with 186 yards on the ground. Toney, meanwhile, did a little bit — make that a lot of bit — of everything, rushing for a 36-yard touchdown on a direct snap, throwing a 50-yard completion on the first play of Florida's first fourth-quarter touchdown drive and hauling in four passes for 35 yards.

McCoy on Davis: "Man, when Malik gets in there he does a great job of pressing the hole. You know, he's a very patient back. I feel like this game he showed his physicalness. We had that run, it was fourth-and-1, I believe, and the D-line did a great job submarining us -- diving down our legs so we couldn't get movement -- and he kind of just went around it and jumped over the pile and kept running to the linebacker and got some tough yards."

McElwain on Toney: "I'm sure glad he's on our team."

Now, it's up to the UF coaches, Del Rio and the rest of that offense to figure how to get something — anything — going against a Vandy defense that has absolutely smothered the Gators the previous two seasons, albeit both times in close Florida victories. The Gators managed just 258 yards and three field goals, including a late game winner, in a 9-7 win at home in 2015. Last season in Nashville, UF had only 236 yards in a 13-6 win.

This Vandy team (and defense), however, is likely smarting on the confidence front after being annihilated 59-0 at home Saturday by No. 1 Alabama. The Crimson Tide rolled up 677 yards of total offense, including 496 yards on the ground, and 38 first downs. The Commodores had just 78 yards on offense and three first downs.

"That happens to a lot of people when they play Alabama," said McElwain, who learned that fact all too well in the last two SEC title games. "Our players got nothing on getting your tails kicked by Alabama."

Instead, he'll focus on the final scores of the last two meetings, as well as the problems that Vandy tailback Ralph Webb, who starred at Gainesville High, has presented in rushing for back-to-back 100-yard games (22 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD in 2015 and 24 carries, 110 yards in '16) in those two outings.

Bottom line: It's another chance to play in The Swamp and a chance to go 3-0 not only in the SEC, but in the division.

"What they did last week has nothing to do with what they're capable of," sophomore linebacker David Reese said of the Commodores. "I know they're going to give us their best game, especially coming off a loss like that. We've just got to be prepared for whatever they've got."