Franks Calls Own Number, More Gators Tidbits

Feleipe Franks took matters into his own Saturday, calling his own number on fourth-and-goal from South Carolina's 1 late in the fourth quarter. (Photo: Alaina DiGiacomo/UAA Communications)

Franks Calls Own Number, More Gators Tidbits

Monday, November 12, 2018 | Football

By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com Intern

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Trailing South Carolina 31-28 with less than five minutes remaining and facing a third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Gators coach Dan Mullen called a quarterback power play.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks took the snap and tried to blast his way up the middle and into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Instead, he was stopped about half a yard short.

Franks knew Mullen wanted to go for it on fourth-and-goal, so he looked to the sideline to get the play call. However, he couldn't find the signaler, so he looked down at the goal-line portion of his wristband and called the same quarterback run play again. This time, he dove into the end zone, and the Gators defeated the Gamecocks 35-31.

"I wanted to kind of try to run somebody over," Franks said Monday. "I was just super pissed. I just wanted to lower my head. I mean, we were on the 1-yard line. I have faith in myself, and I have confidence in myself to go and get any kind of yardage, especially if it's fourth-and-1. I wanted the ball, and I wanted to go score.

"I haven't even talked to [Mullen] about what it was supposed to be. We scored, so 'good job'. It was kind of all like in the heat of the moment, so it wasn't like, 'I'm mad at you because you didn't call this.' "

As it turns out, Mullen was trying to call the same play anyway.

Franks' second rushing touchdown of the game lifted the Gators to a much-needed victory coming off back-to-back losses to Georgia and Missouri.

"I like that he wants the ball in his hands on a game-winning play to win in the game," Mullen said. "I always think that's huge. You want guys that want the ball in their hands to win the game. That just shows their confidence in themselves and their belief in themselves that they can make the play to win the game."

MULLEN'S HALFTIME MESSAGE

Florida came out flat against South Carolina and went to the locker room at halftime trailing 21-14. In a similar situation the week before, the Gators trailed Missouri 21-10 at the half. In that one, they came out equally as flat in the second half en route to a 38-17 drubbing.

To prevent the game from snowballing on his team again, Mullen apparently gave an impassioned speech at halftime. His message was simple – either go onto the field expecting to win or stay in the locker room.

"I feel like he's always like that, though," junior receiver Josh Hammond said. "It's never just for this game. He kind of gives that message every week, especially if we're down a score or, you know, he knows it's going to be a four-quarter football game. So, that's always just the message every week, and we were just ready to come out and play that second half and come out with a win."

Hammond said the key to the comeback was staying focused and sticking to the game plan. Florida finished with a season-high 367 yards rushing and totaled 528 yards overall.

"I think throughout the second half, guys just stayed focused, continued to play the game, not try to do too much, not try to do too little, but just do their job, and it played in our favor and helped us come out with a win," Hammond said.

HELP ON WAY?

Three Gators missed the South Carolina game with injuries: offensive lineman Brett Heggie, safety Brad Stewart and receiver Freddie Swain.

Mullen said Heggie, hampered by injuries all season, sprained his ankle and is questionable to play against Idaho. Swain also is recovering from a sprained ankle and is expected to play. Stewart is suffering from a quadricep pull and is considered day-to-day.

Mullen also delivered positive news regarding quarterback Kyle Trask. Trask broke a bone in his foot during practice last week, and it was initially thought to be a season-ending injury. However, Mullen said there's a possibility that he could be available to play in UF's bowl game.

FARR'S AIR GUITAR

During the Gators' traditional singing of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" between the third and fourth quarters, senior long snapper Ryan Farr played an air guitar on the sideline. ESPN returned from its commercial break to footage of Farr's performance, and the clip soon began making its way around the internet.

Mullen said he saw Farr's routine for the first time when he watched the TV copy of the game.

"The leg part was good, I think, but the behind the back, I think he lost it there," he said.

This wasn't the first time the Gators specialists entertained fans from the sideline this season. Against Vanderbilt, they lined up in victory formation on the sideline, while the offense did the same on the field. In the waning moments of the victory over Tennessee, the unit hoisted kicker Jorge Powell into the air. Prior to the season, Farr went undercover at Gators Fan Day and tried to trick his teammates.

"They get a lot of free time, I would say," Hammond said. "And during their free time, they definitely take advantage of the opportunities that they have, and they're always doing a lot of different, fun, cool things that we don't really notice until they hit social media."

Said Mullen: "You're at practice, I always look at a long snapper. See, he walks out there, and every time he walks out, his job is to either snap the ball and get a PAT or a field goal, or snap the ball and run down the field and cover. The guy on the left and right of him, that's like 1/100th of what they have to know for the game. That's all he has to do."

The ESPN crew commented that Mullen probably wouldn't be pleased with the specialists acting crazy on the sideline while the team was trailing 31-21. However, Mullen encourages his players on the sideline to create as much excitement and energy as possible. So, he's fine with Farr's air guitar, "as long as he snaps the ball and runs hard down the field."

GATORS NOT OVERLOOKING VANDALS

On the surface, Saturday's game with Idaho appears simple. The Gators will win handily, and Idaho will collect a large paycheck and go home. After all, the Vandals are an FCS program and one with a losing record at that (4-6, 3-5 Big Sky). In their only other game with an FBS school this year, they were beaten 79-13 at Fresno State. They also gave up 62 points to rival Idaho State.

However, Idaho is coached by Paul Petrino, the younger brother of former Arkansas and Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino. The younger Petrino has been an offensive coordinator at Arkansas and Illinois and the wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons.

Petrino's son Mason is the Vandals' quarterback, and he's thrown for 1,863 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, very similar numbers to those posted by Franks.

"Offensively, knowing the system, [coaches' sons] tend to be winners," Mullen said.

Vandals running back Isaiah Saunders has amassed 879 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively, they are led by senior linebacker Kaden Elliss, who has recorded a whopping 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He is the son of former NFL All-Pro Luther Elliss, who is Idaho's defensive line coach.

The Vandals will play with desperation. They will not make the FCS playoffs, so this will be their final game.

"They're going to … treat it like a bowl game, let it all go, hold nothing back and just throw everything at you on offense, defense and kicking game," Mullen said. "So, we've got to come out, be ready to play hard, be sound."