Franks looking to rebound from shaky showing against Georgia
GAINESVILLE — Entering last season’s Missouri game, UF quarterback Feleipe Franks had lost his starting job for the second time and surely whatever confidence remained during a miserable slough to the finish of a 4-7 season.
Franks and the No. 13 Gators will host the Tigers Saturday on much sounder footing, albeit following the shakiest outing of a bounce-back season.
Franks’ first throw Saturday — when he missed Van Jefferson wide open behind the defense — ultimately set the tone for a performance that mostly was off the mark during a 36-17 loss to Georgia.
“He’s got to learn to not let that frustrate him,” coach Dan Mullen said Monday. “Move on to the next play.”
Franks would go on to complete just one pass longer than 15 yards as the Gators managed 275 total yards and just 105 passing — both season lows.
An interception ended the Gators’ next drive. Later, with UF trailing 20-14, Franks committed a cardinal sin, coughing up the football on UF’s 1-yard line after running out of the end zone.
“Obviously, the fumble was a bad play,” Mullen said.
Franks said the turnovers were two plays he would like to have had back.
“Just silly mistakes like that — they’re not like me,” he said.
A season ago, making illtimed mistakes was Franks’ m.o.
This season, he has been more steady, reliable and productive for the Gators (6-2, 4-2 SEC). Yet, Franks also has four turnovers during the past two games and an interception in four straight games. He threw just two picks during the season’s first four outings.
Despite his starting quarterback’s recent struggles, Mullen said he does not plan to rein in Franks or modify the game plan.
“We just got to protect the ball better,” Mullen said. “We got to work ball security more at practice. I’m also not going to bench our running back that fumbled the ball. We just got to coach them better.”
Mullen said he also does not plan to dramatically increase the workload of first-year freshman quarterback Emory Jones. Against Georgia, Jones saw his first SEC action, playing five snaps.
In his first appearance since mop-up duty during the Sept. 1 season opener, the 6-foot-2, 199-pound Jones ran for 19 yards on four carries. He lost seven yards on one of those attempts after he fumbled on a poor option pitch.
Jones also might have had a touchdown pass to Jefferson if not for Georgia pass interference.
Introducing Jones into such a high-stakes game was a sign of his improvement this season. It was not a harbinger of a looming change at quarterback. Mullen said Jones will play at least two more games to capitalize on the new rule allowing first-year players to appear in four games and remain eligible to redshirt.
“He’s grown,” Mullen said, adding later, “I think he’s right on schedule.”
In the end, the Gators will sink or swim with Franks this season.
Despite Franks’ miscues and lack of production last weekend, Mullen did not pan his 20-year-old quarterback’s performance. Franks just needed to be better to give the Gators a chance against a talented Georgia team with an explosive offense averaging nearly 40 points.
“I don’t think he played bad,” Mullen said. “I don’t think he lit it up and played at a big-time performance. I don’t know that he took a huge step backwards in his growth and his development.
“I just think he missed some throws.”
Franks also made one throw that stopped everyone in their tracks at Jacksonville’s TIAA Bank Field. Franks’ 36-yard touchdown strike to Freddie Swain had the velocity, timing and accuracy of a throw seen on Sundays.
“His touchdown pass was a big-time throw,” Mullen said.
The strong-armed Franks’ potential as a passer has never been a question.
The same is true of Missouri senior Drew Lock. Like Franks, Lock had moments early in his career that raised red flags, including a pair of pick-sixes two seasons ago in the Swamp.
Lock is now a top NFL prospect with 83 touchdown passes the past three seasons. This past July at SEC Media Days, he predicted Franks would be stronger for his struggles.
“He’s definitely a tough soul, he’s a good quarterback and he’s going to get through it,” Lock said. “He’ll be a good quarterback. I’m just hoping he doesn’t hit his stride when he plays Missouri this year.”
Franks said he never has met Lock, but appreciated the support from one of the SEC’s top QBs. Franks also might benefit from facing a Missouri pass defense allowing an SEC-worst 288.2 yards a game.
“It’s just one of those things and he’s been in those shoes before, and I think that’s a really good thing that I heard, just a confidence-builder,” Franks said of Lock. “Have to keep on grinding because hard work does pay off.”