Gators Notebook: Backfield Loses Davis, More Tidbits

Running back Malik Davis is out indefinitely with a broken foot. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Gators Notebook: Backfield Loses Davis, More Tidbits

Monday, September 17, 2018 | Football

By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com Intern

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the Gators' workmanlike 48-10 defeat of Colorado State on Saturday, sophomore running back Malik Davis' injury was one of the few negatives. In the second quarter, Florida's offense was finally starting to find its rhythm with Davis at tailback. Then he limped off the field and was later spotted in a walking boot.

On Monday, Coach Dan Mullen said Davis broke his foot and will be out "for an extended period of time." He missed the final four games of last season after suffering a knee injury against Georgia. He was UF's leading rusher at the time. He also battled an ankle injury through fall camp.

"We have some guys that can step up like Dameon [Pierce] coming in, obviously [Jordan] Scarlett, [Lamical] Perine doing a good job as well," redshirt sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks said. "So, we'll be fine, but it's also a big loss for us, and we'll be praying for him that he gets a speedy recovery."

Once considered the deepest position on the team, the running back position is suddenly down to three. Sophomore Adarius Lemons quit the team and announced his intention to transfer following the Kentucky loss on Sept. 8. Redshirt junior Scarlett and junior Perine figure to receive the bulk of the carries, with freshman Pierce providing depth. Also on the roster is freshman Iverson Clement, who has alternated between running back and defensive back due to injuries on that side of the ball.

In other injury news, Mullen said he feels "very opportunistic" about senior linebacker David Reese (ankle) and redshirt sophomore cornerback C.J. McWilliams (unspecified) making their season debuts against Tennessee on Saturday. Meanwhile, sophomore safety Shawn Davis (unspecified) is questionable.

MORE PIERCE?

After Pierce's electrifying 68-yard touchdown run against the Rams, fans have been clamoring for him to receive more carries. Due to Davis' injury, they'll likely get their wish.

Mullen said Pierce has big-play ability with the ball in his hands. He leads the Gators with 162 rushing yards and an 11.6 yards per rush average. He and Scarlett are the only two backs to find the end zone for Florida this season.

57485 — Freshman running back Dameon Pierce, who changed to No. 27 in the Colorado State game, has made his presence felt in the run game. (Photo: Allison Curry/UAA Communications)

"The big thing that I look for, he's doing the things we're asking him to do," Mullen said. "He's doing a pretty good job on special teams. He's playing hard on special teams."

However, he said Pierce needs to become more well-rounded to see more playing time.

"He has to know what route to run, how to run routes, how to catch the ball, how to protect within pass protection," he said. "All of those little things, I think are steps that he's going to continue to grow and continue to build on into the future."

BETTER ANTICIPATION NEEDED

Mullen was asked about Franks' uneven performance against Colorado State. Franks went 0-for-6 with an interception in the first quarter but went 8-for-9 for 119 yards and two touchdowns the rest of the way. He said the next step in Franks' development is processing information faster and making quicker decisions.

57633 — Quarterback Feleipe Franks on the run. (Photo: Matt Stamey/UAA Communications)

"I've had some guys in college that can do that," he said. "I mean, Alex Smith was great at it. Lo and behold, it is, whatever, 15 years later, and they're still paying him a whole bunch of money to do that. Dak Prescott could do it by the back end of his career. You could just seem him, and he would just, boom. He'd hit the fifth read in the progression in just 1.2 seconds. He'd be like, 'All right, I anticipate this happen. Ball snapped. Yes, happened, happened, happened, happened, boom, get to the fifth read in the progression.' Because he kind of knew what was going to happen before it happened, and Feleipe's still learning that."

This discussion was likely prompted by Franks' interception on Saturday. Early in the game, junior receiver Josh Hammond ran wide open down the middle of the field. Had Franks thrown the ball on time, it could've been a touchdown. Instead, he hesitated, and by the time he threw it, the defenders had closed and had an easy pick.

Mullen said this type of anticipation and knowledge comes through experience in his system. The hope is that as Franks becomes more familiar and comfortable, he will be able to identify which receivers will be open before the ball is even snapped, which will result in fewer interceptions like the one he threw against Colorado State.

HOUSTON PROGRESSES

With Reese out, the Gators had to rely on younger linebackers such as redshirt freshman James Houston IV. Houston flashed against the Rams, leading UF with eight tackles. He also forced CSU's punter to fumble, which led to a recovery by junior receiver Josh Hammond and eventually a Gators field goal. In a linebacking corps that has struggled with tackling, Houston has arguably been the most consistent tackler.

57643 — Linebacker James Houston IV had the best game of his career against Colorado State. (Photo: Matt Stamey/UAA Communications)

Mullen said Houston's big game was a product of him buying in to the new staff. He missed all of last season with a torn ACL he suffered in high school and a suspension for his involvement in a credit-card fraud case.

"After training camp, he just wasn't where we expected him to be, but, 'Hey, you have potential, you're an athletic guy. I know you missed last season, but you've got to buy into the program if you want to have success,' " he said. "Probably midway through training camp, you kind of started to see a little bit of a buy-in. I think he started to figure that out."

Mullen's hoping that his success against the Rams will further motivate him to improve.

"To me, the common-sense pattern would be, the more I buy in, the more successful I'll be," he said. "The harder I work, the more I grind, the more I do what I'm supposed to do, how I'm supposed to do it with the intensity needed to be successful, the better I become, not just on the field, but off the field."