› Florida to face Bulldogs with a dwindling roster,
The Florida Gators defeated Georgia 24-10 last October behind Jordan Scarlett’s 93 rushing yards, Luke Del Rio’s 131 passing yards and Antonio Callaway’s 42 receiving yards.
All three of those players returned this season for the two-time defending Southeastern Conference Eastern Division champions. None of them will play this Saturday when the 3-3 Gators face 7-0 and No. 3 Georgia at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.
Injuries and suspensions have ravaged Florida in Jim McElwain’s third season as coach, leaving its roster far closer to the 63 scholarship players allowed in the Championship Subdivision level compared to the 85 that Bowl Subdivision programs can possess.
“That is what it is,” McElwain said last Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. “I’m sure there is not a coach in America who hasn’t been through something like this or will go through something like this, yet at the same time, the guys who are here have played really hard. That’s all good and dandy, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to win.”
This marks the first time Florida has started 3-3 since 2003, which was the middle of Ron Zook’s three seasons. The Gators did upset Georgia 16-13 that year.
Scarlett, who rushed for 907 yards and 5.0 yards per carry last season, and Callaway, who had 721 receiving yards a year ago, were among nine Florida players who were suspended before the start of the season for credit card fraud. The nine, who are accused of making illegal purchases of items that include electronic devices, face potential third-degree felony charges.
While Callaway and Scarlett are the most recognized players involved, others such as offensive lineman Kadeem Telfort, defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis, and linebackers James Houston and Ventrell Miller were expected to either be in the rotation at their respective positions or provide needed depth.
Del Rio began this season on the bench but replaced Feleipe Franks in the third quarter of the Sept. 23 game at Kentucky and rallied the Gators from a 27-14 deficit to a 28-27 triumph. The following week, when Florida hosted Vanderbilt, Del Rio suffered a season-ending collarbone injury.
Franks is scheduled to start this week and be backed by Malik Zaire, a graduate transfer from Notre Dame. Those are essentially Florida’s lone quarterback options, with Kyle Trask having undergone foot surgery before the season.
Last week’s open date for the Gators came at a desired time from an injury standpoint, as receivers Tyrie Cleveland (ankle) and Kadarius Toney (shoulder), offensive tackle Martez Ivey (knee), defensive end Jabari Zuniga (ankle) and defensive back Chauncey Gardner (ankle) were “very limited and basically out,” according to McElwain.
Asked last week about having to prepare for a Florida team with so many personnel unknowns, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, “To be honest with you, I haven’t even thought about it. We’re not even thinking about Florida. I really don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
Smart’s Bulldogs were installed Sunday as 14.5-point favorites.
Cleveland caught the 63-yard touchdown pass from Franks on the final play of the 26-20 win over Tennessee, and he is his team’s top deep threat, averaging 21.7 yards a reception. Toney is Florida’s most versatile offensive weapon, having averaged 9.8 yards per carry on 12 rushes.
Florida’s troubles began when senior safety Marcell Harris, one of the three players who represented the Gators at SEC media days in July, tore his right Achilles tendon several days after that event. The setbacks haven’t stopped, with starting defensive end Jordan Sherit leaving the fourth quarter of the Oct. 14 loss to Texas A&M and undergoing season-ending hip surgery.
“The big thing is that it’s the next guy up and making sure you put things in offensively and defensively that they can handle and not be exposed,” McElwain said. “That’s the chess match and the creativity to give yourself an opportunity to win it in the fourth quarter. In our case, we haven’t won, so we’re not doing a good enough job of that.
“It’s something we’ve got to focus on moving forward.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.