Franks makes strides coming off the bench
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Back in August, Florida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks braced himself for the twists and turns of his first college football season. He never imagined the ride ahead. No one could have.
Suspensions, injuries, five straight losses and a head coaching change have left the 19-year-old’s head spinning and his team’s seasons in shambles.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Franks said after Saturday’s 28-20 loss at South Carolina. “This is my first season as kinda like a starting college quarterback, so I mean, I knew it was gonna be a bunch of ups and downs. A bunch of people who love you, people who hate you, then they love you again.
“So, I knew that was gonna happen.”
Franks, somehow, has remained upbeat as he has been yo-yoed from the field to the bench and back again more than once.
At South Carolina, Franks found himself under center due to a knee injury in the second quarter to starter Malik Zaire, who usurped Franks’ starting role after a 42-7 loss Oct. 28 to Georgia.
Franks made the best of things Saturday and ultimately gave the Gators’ an outside chance to force overtime until a tipped pass led to an interception on the University of Florida 47-yard line with 1:06 remaining.
Even so, Franks continued to show promise and improvement for the second straight week. The redshirt freshman led UF to its only touchdown in a 29-point loss Nov. 4 at Missouri.
“Game after game, you get more and more comfortable,” He said. “Especially as a freshman, it's kinda hard just to go out there … and, you know, light it up. At the Missouri game I felt comfortable, coming into this game I felt comfortable.”
Frank was thrust into an uncomfortable situation at South Carolina.
Zaire was injured after a 23-yard run to the Gamecocks’ 14. After an incomplete pass by Franks, Zaire tried to return to the game, but collapsed for a six-yard loss. Franks replaced him again, and after another incomplete pass, UF settled for a field goal to cut the lead to 14-6.
“It’s definitely kinda hard coming off the bench, especially when it’s kinda cold like it was today,” he said. “But the guys got me going, the coaches got me going.”
UF trailed 21-6 when Franks next took the field with 3:40 remaining in the first half as the Gators’ only legitimate option remaining at quarterback. With Zaire wearing a left knee brace on the sideline, walk-on Nick Sproles and receiver Dre Massey, a former high school quarterback, were the next options.
Franks immediately completed a 37-yard pass on first down to Josh Hammond to ignite a 75-yard touchdown drive — UF’s longest since an Oct. 14 loss to Texas A&M.
The throw was Franks’ longest completion since UF’s last win — Sept. 30 against Vanderbilt. Later, Franks found tight end Moral Stephens for 63 yards to the South Carolina 1-yard line, leading to the day’s final score.
Overall, Franks was mostly hit or miss. He finished 10-of-25 passing for 174 yards, but was under pressure often. He also was victim of at least two dropped passes, including a perfect throw on first down squarely in the hands of sophomore Freddie Swain.
“Costly,” interim coach Randy Shannon said. “We’ve got to catch those footballs. And they know it. The receivers know it.”
Even so, having a shot late at South Carolina after giving up during a 29-point loss at Missouri was a step forward for the Gators (3-6, 3-5 SEC). Franks hopes to build on the performance during the final two games of the season.
“Ultimately it wasn’t the outcome that we wanted, but there’s things that we improved on from last week,” he said. “And I think that’s what’s gonna help us going in obviously finishing these two games out and then going into next year man. We have a lot to hold our heads high about.”