With starter Luke Del Rio
expected to sit out at least one more game due to a knee injury, Austin Appleby hopes to rekindle a QB competition in Gainesville.
GAINESVILLE — Backup quarterback Austin Appleby sees a critical opportunity for the Florida Gators.
He also views Saturday’s visit to Vanderbilt as an audition for himself.
With starter Luke Del Rio expected to sit out at least one more game due to a knee injury, Appleby hopes to rekindle a quarterback competition and back up a solid outing at Tennessee with a strong performance against the Commodores.
“I would like to at least put some pressure on and be the quarterback for this team. I think I am,” Appleby said. “I didn’t come here not to be. But again, that’s a question for Coach [Jim McElwain] and hopefully my play takes care of itself.”
Appleby, a Purdue graduate transfer, admittedly was disappointed by McElwain’s decision in August to name Del Rio the starter.
Given his chance last week at Tennessee, Appleby gave coaches, players and fans pause when he led the Gators to a 21-0 lead before the Vols stormed back for a 38-28 win.
Appleby’s decisive, pinpoint passing downfield led to completions of 36, 43 and 51 yards to set
up scores, giving the Gators offense an explosive element Del Rio had struggled to provide. UF entered the game with two pass plays longer than 30 yards in its previous three games.
But during the second half, Appleby stopped taking shots downfield as the the Gators’ offense stalled. UF failed to convert on third-and-1 during its first series. The next two series Appleby was faced with 3rd-and-10 situations the Gators couldn’t convert and were forced to punt a play later, allowing the Vols to rally.
“The game plan didn’t change at all,” Appleby said. “It was just some of the execution stuff. We’ve got to be better at executing on early downs and keeping ourselves out of third-and-long.
“And then once the crowd gets into it, the pass rush heats up and they play with a lot of energy in the second half.”
McElwain said the Gators failed to counter the Vols’ defensive adjustments.
“They took some things away and we didn’t take advantage of what they were taking away,” McElwain said. “Probably stuck a little bit to the mom and dad and didn’t go to brother-in-law and sister-in-law, which in layman’s term is you’ve got to counter to what everything you’re doing.
“I thought they got a pretty good bead on us, and I don’t think we did a very good job of that in the second half.”
The No. 23 Gators (3-1, 1-1 SEC) are unlikely to face a similar challenge at Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1). The Commodores are 10-point underdogs and struggling on both sides of the ball.
Coach Derek Mason’s defense kept his team in games a season ago, but it currently ranks 13th of 14 SEC teams in total defense, allowing an average of 452.5 yards, and 10th in scoring defense, yielding an average of 26.2 points.
Appleby could turn in a performance to give McElwain a quarterback decision to make when Del Rio returns. The redshirt sophomore practiced Tuesday in a limited capacity and is “highly doubtful” for Saturday’s game.
“We’ll try to ease him a little bit, keeping him involved in the game plan,” McElwain said.
Del Rio dressed in full uniform and wore a left knee brace at Tennessee, but his role was to help Appleby during his first start at UF.
“I really felt he did a great job on the sideline,” McElwain said of Del Rio. “He was really good for our team. He even said a few things afterward in the locker room as well that really resonated with some guys. He’s a valuable piece of this.”
Appleby said Del Rio’s presence was helpful and their relationship is rock solid. A quarterback competition does not have to necessarily become a controversy.
“He and I support each other as good as any quarterback that I’ve ever been with,” Appleby. “He’s a great teammate. He wants to win.”
“I would like to at least put some pressure on and be the quarterback for this team. I think I am.” UF backup QB Austin Appleby