Jake McGee will miss the entire 2014 season with a broken tibia and fibula after playing less than one full game for the Gators.
The transfer tight end from Virginia was carted off the field during the second quarter of Florida’s 65-0 victory against Eastern Michigan. McGee’s left leg was rolled on awkwardly, causing trainers to immediately run out and immobilize his leg with an inflatable cast.
"I’m so disappointed for him," Muschamp said. "It’s very difficult to come into a situation for one year, and he has done it as well as you could possibly imagine."
McGee failed to record a single reception during Saturday’s contest and was only targeted once by quarterback Jeff Driskel.
The redshirt senior would be eligible for a sixth year at the collegiate level because of the injury. However, McGee could also enter the NFL Draft in May.
"Losing Jake was obviously a bad deal," Driskel said. "He’s a great guy and I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody. But losing him, I think, is going to be big for our team. I feel for him and his family right now. Knowing him, I know he’ll respond and make the most out of it."
Left tackle D.J. Humphries also left the game in the first half with a lower-leg injury, but his diagnosis was much less severe than that of McGee’s.
The junior was taken to the locker room during the first quarter after chipping a bone in his ankle. Humphries will miss the next two weeks.
"It’s not anything serious," Muschamp said. "There’s no surgical issues there. There’s going to be some swelling, it’s going to be sore but no surgery is needed."
Replacements impress: Clay Burton took the majority of the game’s reps at tight end after McGee’s injury, and the senior impressed the coaching staff.
Burton led all receivers with seven catches after recording just three catches in his previous three years at UF.
"We’ve got all the confidence in the world (in Burton)," Muschamp said. "That’s why he’s a starter and he’s a guy that has continued to make plays for him. He’s a very valuable member of our organization. He really understands offensively what we’re trying to do and the things we try to do with him."
On two different occasions, Driskel completed two straight passes to Burton. Although his longest reception on the day was just 9 yards, Burton proved to be a reliable short-yardage target in Kurt Roper’s spread system.
At quarterback, Treon Harris relieved Driskel at the start of the fourth quarter. And although the true freshman had just two pass attempts, he made each count.
Harris completed a 70-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson in his first collegiate pass attempt. On his second, he connected with Mark Herndon for a 78-yard score, which put Florida up by the eventual final score of 65-0.
"We felt like we had some deep-ball opportunities in the game and I told Kurt (Roper), ‘The guy needs to play,’" Muschamp said. "He needs more and more of those reps, and more and more of those opportunities to go in and play."
First-touch success: Running back Brandon Powell and safety Duke Dawson each scored a touchdown on their first touches in their first collegiate game.
Powell’s first rushing attempt ended in a 12-yard dash to the end zone. Dawson returned a 36-yard interception for a touchdown, which marked the first time in UF history that a true freshman recorded a pick-six in his first collegiate contest.
Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley did not score Saturday, but the redshirt freshman did recover and force a fumble in his first game for Florida.
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Redshirt senior tight end Jake McGee lies on the field injured during Florida's 65-0 victory against Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. McGee broke his tibia and fibula and will be out for the season, Muschamp said.
