A week after losing by 21 points to Arkansas, Florida defeated South Carolina 20-7 at home, lost a handful of starters to injuries, and is now faced with a must-win game at LSU if the Gators want to guarantee a clinch of the SEC East.
Here’s what we learned from coach Jim McElwain’s and quarterback Austin Appleby’s press conferences on Monday:
1. Florida is still reeling from injuries
UF will be without at least seven starters when it faces LSU on Saturday: center Cam Dillard, linebackers Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone, defensive lineman Bryan Cox, left tackle David Sharpe, quarterback Luke Del Rio and safety Marcus Maye.
Maye, a redshirt senior, will not return this season after breaking his arm against South Carolina last Saturday.
McElwain said defensive lineman CeCe Jefferson and offensive lineman Tyler Jordan may play against LSU, but they will likely be game-time decisions.
“You’re talking (about) some real significant pieces,” McElwain said. “At the same time, we’ve got a bunch of guys jumping in and playing their tails off and that’s fun to see.”
2. Road atmosphere isn’t an excuse
After Florida’s 38-28 road loss to Tennessee on Sept. 24, Appleby placed some of the blame for the offense’s struggles on the crowd noise.
On Monday, McElwain had a message for Appleby and his offense.
“Don’t let it happen again,” McElwain said. “They shouldn’t have been issues. To me, they were excuses.”
Appleby agreed.
“It’s an excuse,” the quarterback said. “When it’s loud and you can’t hear yourself think, it’s our job to communicate the calls from the center all the way out. And we’re gonna have a test at our hands with the crowd noise, obviously, and it’s nothing we can’t overcome.”
3. Appleby’s former teammate at Purdue is now LSU’s starting QB, and it is “bizarre”
When Appleby and Danny Etling were battling to be Purdue’s starting quarterback two years ago, neither thought they would ever end up here.
On Saturday, Appleby and Etling will go head to head as starting quarterbacks when Florida faces LSU.
Appleby said he and Etling talk all the time and have even formed a group text along with current Purdue quarterback David Blough.
“We’re not mortal enemies,” Appleby said. “I’ll probably send him a text here tonight early in the week just to wish him luck, wish him the best. He’s done the same for me all season.”
McElwain, on the other hand, is highly intrigued by the matchup.
“That is kind of bizarre, isn’t it?” McElwain said.
4. McElwain isn’t sure how the SEC should’ve handled the UF-LSU postponement, and he wants you to ask someone else
After the Southeastern Conference was forced to postpone Florida’s game with LSU in October due to severe weather, the SEC vowed to never create a situation like that again, one where both schools were left scrambling to arrange a game at a later date.
So, Jim McElwain, what do you think should be done to avoid the last-minute postponing of games that have drastic implications on the league’s title outcomes?
“I’m a P.E. major,” he said. “I don’t know.”
McElwain went on to say that most of the logistics of the postponed game were “totally out of (our) control”, but that he has faith in the SEC to figure out a solution.
“I think smarter people will put something together,” McElwain said. “They’ll do it right. I’ve got total trust in the SEC. It’s a quality organization led by a guy that knows what the heck he’s doing. It’ll get done right.”
5. Appleby once worked out with an NFL Pro Bowl quarterback
A couple years ago, Appleby met and worked out with former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees in Los Angeles, who happened to be training with Tim Tebow.
Appleby and Brees exchanged phone numbers, and they have talked a few times. Brees has even called Appleby to offer advice and support him through his college career.
“He’s (Purdue's) Tim (Tebow) I guess,” Appleby said. “He’s obviously a Hall of Famer. What he’s done, what he means to that university is huge.”
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Austin Appleby throws during Florida's 20-7 win against South Carolina on Nov. 12, 2016, at ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
