Oct 6, 2018; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) throws the ball against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks looks like he is growing into his role more and more with each game. In Saturday’s 27-19 win over LSU, Franks became the clutch playmaker everyone thought he could be as he engineered the premiere drive that spurred the No. 22 Gators’ upset over the No. 5 Tigers.
After LSU had just scored to take a 19-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, the 6-6 sophomore completed a 26-yard pass to Van Jefferson down the left sideline to the Tigers 49. Three plays later, he took a third down play off the right side on a quarterback draw to the LSU 17.
Franks’ most intriguing effort came when he pitched the ball to tight end Lucas Krull who ran left. Franks went into the formation off the right side and Krull executed a perfectly thrown pass to the signal caller for 15 yards to the Tigers 2 where Lamical Perine scored on the next way to give the Gators a 20-19 lead with 8:43 remaining.
“We’re able to execute that at a high level,” said Florida’s Dan Mullen. “We made some explosive plays on that drive, made some great catches. You get to the one-on-one opportunities. We made some. If we don’t make some of those one-on-one opportunities taking shots down the field, different outcome to the game.”
Franks finished 12 of 27 for 161 yards, while rushing six times for 42.
Game, set, match: As LSU quarterback Joe Burrow started trying to run the two-minute offense with one time out remaining, Florida corner Brad Stewart, Jr., jumped an out-pattern and took a 25-yard interception this distance with 21 seconds remaining.
“I saw the quarterback peek over at his receiver, and he knew that our linebacker was about to blitz,” explained Stewart, “So, I just made the play off of the receiver.”
Out for a run: Saturday was a huge day for Florida’s rushing offense as the Gators rushed for 215 yards on 43 carries. Lamical Perine and Jordan Scarlett have given Mullen a pair of running backs that complement each other and give him a chance for lots of varied plays in the running game.
Perine led the attack with 85 yards on 17 carries and two scores, while Scarlett had 65 yards on 14 attempts. As the game wore on, Florida was able to extend drives because of both backs’ abilities.
“He’s a great play-caller,” said Perine of Mullen’s ability to adjust as the game unfolds. “As the game goes, the defense comes out and runs stuff that we didn’t know they were going to run; he changes it up. He goes to the board, and mixes up schemes.”
Florida proved it can match up and play a physical game, but the mental toughness of being able to move forward from play to play and then dominate the line of scrimmage against a physical team like LSU shows progress in the team as it moved to 5-1.
LSU came into the game, giving up only 103 yards per game. The Gators ran for 110 in the first half.
“Those two guys feed off each other and allow you to get fresh and physical going forward,” said Mullen. “The running back position is a strength of our team.”
Mullen’s analogy to exude Florida’s mental toughness: “When you come and you’re at home, we always talk about holding the rope. All of a sudden in the third and fourth quarter that rope starts slipping through your hands and it’s burning. You ever hold rope and it starts ripping out of your hands and it’s burning your hands? Most people, it starts burning your hands, you’re gonna let go of that rope. We don’t let go of that rope. Even though it was slipping, we held on.”
PTP-er: No matter the sport, it is almost impossible to silence really good players for an entire game. That was the case with LSU leading rusher Nick Brossette in Saturday’s loss.
Brossette started the fourth quarter with only 16 yards on 11 carries when lighting struck on the Tigers first drive of the final frame. He ripped off back-to-back runs of 31 and 47 yards and then scored his second touchdown run of the afternoon.
“I was just really trying to win the game for my teammates,” said Brossette. “Somebody had to step up, and I felt like it had to be me.”
