FRANKS keeps head above The Swamp.
Feleipe Franks kept his emotions in check for his homecoming game at The Swamp on Saturday night.
All week the storyline that dominated the University of Arkansas’ visit to Gainesville, Fla., was Franks — the Razorbacks’ starting senior quarterback — returning to Florida to play the No. 6 Gators.
Franks was at Florida for four years and started 24 games there before suffering a season-ending injury last year, being replaced by Kyle Trask and transferring to Arkansas.
A lot of players might have struggled to deal with a scenario of returning to a place that was such of a big part of their lives to play friends and former teammates.
Not Franks.
The Gators had too much offensive firepower and beat the Razorbacks 63-35, but Franks put together another strong performance. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception.
“Take the football side of it away, the plays he made out on the field, take that away and just think about him stepping into this environment,” Barry Odom, Arkansas’ defensive coordinator who also served as interim coach, said of Franks’ composure. “For a 22-year-old kid, and the history that he had here.
“Then he ended up at Arkansas really not knowing we were going play Florida during that time, so he didn’t have to really worry about it.”
Florida wasn’t on the Razorbacks’ original schedule, but a road trip to Florida was added in August when the SEC went to a 10-game all-conference schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Then when the schedule comes out, you’re faced with everybody you grew up with, so to speak, in the locker room,” Odom said. “That takes some tremendous mental toughness, and I’m so proud of the way he handled it and so proud of the way he competed. I’m so happy he’s our quarterback.”
Franks said he enjoyed playing against his former teammates.
“If I’m going to be honest with you, it was awesome,” Franks said. “Just being around those guys and to see the excitement that they had to see me, and for me to see them and all that.”
Florida Coach Dan Mullen said he was impressed by how Franks played in a tough environment.
“I thought Feleipe played pretty well at times,” Mullen said. “You know we got after him.”
When Franks was Florida’s quarterback, the defensive players weren’t allowed to hit him in practice.
“I think there were some guys that were excited to hit him,” Mullen said. “Had been waiting for years to hit him, and they got to go hit him a couple times.”
The Gators sacked Franks four times, but he wasn’t complaining.
“In between the lines it was even fun, just being able to go out there,” he said. “I’ve been with those guys for four years and to actually play and they can hit me and all that, it’s fun.
“You love the game and that’s what you play it for, the relationships you build along the way. It was a blessing to have the opportunity to get out there and play against them and see them again.”
After the game, Franks talked with and hugged numerous Gators, and he spent extra time visiting with Mullen and Trask.
“I think it’s just communication that we have, the relationship that we built,” Franks said. “Coach Mullen is a wonderful coach, great coach at what he does. Obviously [a friendship with] Kyle as well.
“I’ve spent so many years with both of those guys and to see Kyle flourishing and then Coach Mullen flourishing and them giving me words of encouragement, it’s awesome to have that and it makes me feel good.”
Franks threw two touchdown passes to Mike Woods. The first was for 47 yards and tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter, and the second was 82 yards and pulled the Razorbacks within 56-28 in the fourth quarter.
“I thought Mike played fantastic,” Franks said. “He did a great job of winning versus man-to-man.”
Senior linebacker Grant Morgan said Franks showed no signs of being overly emotional about playing the Gators.
“You wouldn’t know that he was from Florida aside from everyone telling him that, ‘Hey, man, we’re going to go play Florida,’ ” said Morgan, who like Franks is a team captain. “He really did a good job tonight. I wish we could have helped him more on the defensive side of the ball. But he’s one of a kind. He leads really well, plays with a lot of heart, plays with a lot of passion.”
Franks started every game when Florida finished 10-3 in 2018 in Mullen’s first season as coach.
“So proud of what he’s done, and I think he knows,” Mullen said. “How much we love him, how much he’s part of this program and helping us build where we are.
“I mean, he’s a Gator. He played here. Helped us win a New Year’s Six Bowl here.”
Florida beat Michigan 41-15 in the Peach Bowl to cap the 2018 season.
Franks said he and the Razorbacks couldn’t have asked for a better situation than to play Florida in a night game on ESPN.
“At the end of the day, I’m here to help the Hogs win,” he said. “That’s my main goal every Saturday week in and week out.
“I think the emotional part of it was good. I thought I handled it OK. But it’s sentimental coming back and being able to play against these guys.”