Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- During a decade of instability at the game's most important position, the Gators found steadiness at quarterback with Feleipe Franks when Dan Mullen took over the program.

Franks started his 18th consecutive game in Florida's win at Kentucky, only the second time this decade any Florida quarterback has started 10 or more consecutive games behind center. This point needs clarity, though.
 

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The only other UF player to start at least 10 consecutive games at quarterback since the departure of Tim Tebow following the 2009 season was his immediate replacement, John Brantley, who started 18 consecutive games prior to suffering an ankle injury against Alabama in 2011 that forced him to miss a pair of games. Technically, one of Brantley's starts during that streak was at receiver -- he lined up there at Florida State in 2010 while Trey Burton took the first snap at quarterback. 

Meanwhile, Jeff Driskel had a career-high string of 10 starts in a row following Brantley's departure. He started nine of those at quarterback and one at receiver, taking over for Jacoby Brissett after the first snap in the 2012 season opener against Bowling Green in a bit of gamesmanship by former UF head coach Will Muschamp.

Franks' season-ending ankle injury led to an opportunity for career backup Kyle Trask to make his first career start on Saturday when Tennessee visits "The Swamp." Mullen, who used two quarterbacks at UF as an offensive coordinator in 2006 when he split time between Chris Leak and Tebow during the Gators' national championship season, said that is the plan with Trask and redshirt freshman Emory Jones with Franks out of the picture.

"Each guy brings a little bit something different issue to the defense," Mullen said. "But it crosses over a lot, too. I think that will be kind of fun for us offensively to put it all together."

What will Mullen's plan look like Saturday? What about the rest of the season? Obviously, it's too early to know those answers. Perhaps Trask is the passing quarterback and Jones the running quarterback. Maybe Trask stays hot and Jones never sees the field. Maybe Jones replaces a cold Trask and takes over for good.

In discussing Jones' readiness compared to Tebow's as a true freshman 13 years ago, Mullen said he "is much further along that Tim would have been in '06."

Anything is possible, so for now, it's a wait-and-see situation.

Trask definitely passed the test in Florida's 29-21 comeback win over the Wildcats, completing 9 of 13 passes for 126 yards and directing three fourth-quarter scoring drives.

Trask is ready for whatever considering he is prepared to make his first start Saturday since he was on the junior-varsity team at Manvel (Texas) High in 2012.

"We're here to do what's best for the team," Trask said. "Whatever we need to do, we'll do whatever the coaches ask. When our number's called, I'm sure we'll produce."

That's the attitude Mullen said he is accustomed to from both players. That's why despite the unfortunate injury to Franks, the Gators seemed upbeat this week that the quarterback position is in good hands with Trask and Jones.

"I mean, really great guys and good people, but they both have pretty big egos," Mullen said. "To do what they do out there, if you don't, you're not going to survive. You have to have a little bit of an ego about you to be a player at that level. I think we've been through it. We understand. We'll talk to them and keep them educated. The key is that everybody knows what's going on. As long as we're all on the same page, we're good."
 

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CHARTING THE GATORS

Redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Trask is expected to make his first career start Saturday. A look at UF quarterbacks in their first career starts this decade:
 

QUARTERBACK	YEAR	STATS/RESULT
Feleipe Franks	2017	5 of 9, 75 yards in 33-17 loss to Michigan in Arlington, Texas
Malik Zaire	2017	13 of 19, 158 yards, 1 INT in 45-16 loss at Missouri
Austin Appleby	2016	23 of 39, 296 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT in 38-28 loss at Tennessee
Luke Del Rio	2016	29 of 44, 256 yards, 2 TD in 24-7 win over UMass
Will Grier	2015	10 of 17, 151 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT in win over East Carolina
Treon Harris	2014	3 of 6, 27 yards as Gators rushed for 418 to upset Georgia
Skyler Mornhinweg	2013	10 of 13 for 107 yards, 1 INT in 19-14 loss at South Carolina
Tyler Murphy	2013	15 of 18, 156 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT in 24-7 win at Kentucky
Jeff Driskel*	2012	10 of 16, 114 yards, 1 TD in 27-14 win over Bowling Green
Jacoby Brissett	2011	8 of 14, 94 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT in 41-11 loss at No. 1 LSU
John Brantley	2010	17 of 25, 113 yards, 2 TD in 34-12 win over Miami (Ohio)

 
Note: *Driskel started at receiver, took over at quarterback on next play