Nearly a month into the season, No. 20 Florida will finally have its full complement of offensive linemen.
Since last summer, multiple linemen have suffered injuries that kept them out of games for extended periods of time, but almost all — Chaz Green is out for the season after suffering a torn labrum — are expected to play against Kentucky on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“I just want to stay healthy, personally,” offensive guard Jon Halapio said, “and I want everybody else to stay healthy.”
Halapio kicked off the injuries on the line this season.
He suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle while lifting weights in July. The injury caused Halapio to miss training camp and UF’s first two games of the season.
The redshirt senior returned to the field for Florida’s game against Tennessee on Sept. 21 but missed more time due to an unforeseen injury.
Halapio said he went to cut block a defender who was trying to avoid him. The defender’s hand got caught in the lineman’s facemask, cutting his eye.
The injury took Halapio out of his season debut, but he returned later in the game.
“I was definitely thinking, ‘I can’t catch a break,’” he said. “If it’s not my pec, it is something else.”
Added left tackle D.J. Humphries: “It looked like somebody knocked him out.”
But while Halapio was able to play through his injury, the Gators were still missing someone on the right side of the line.
Redshirt sophomore Tyler Moore (ankle) was scratched before the game on Saturday. Instead, Florida slid redshirt senior Kyle Koehne — typically a guard — out to tackle.
“I didn’t think I’d be playing tackle much this year,” Koehne said, “but numbers go down and my number’s called.”
Moore suffered his injury against Miami on Sept. 7. On Wednesday, coach Will Muschamp said Moore “looked good running [Tuesday].”
Other linemen suffered injuries as well.
Humphries, junior Max Garcia and redshirt senior Jon Harrison, have suffered minor injuries that have kept them out for varying amounts of time. Humphries (knee) missed the second half against Miami, while Garcia and Harrison missed shorter amounts of time against the Hurricanes.
Humphries said the line has not suffered due to the injuries, but the Gators have struggled with what was supposed to be the bread and butter of their offense — a punishing interior running game.
Florida is averaging 199.7 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 12th out of 14 in the run-based Southeastern Conference.
Against the Volunteers, running backs Mack Brown and Matt Jones averaged 3.6 and 4.1 yards per carry, respectively.
“It’s just getting in a groove,” Humphries said. “The more we play, the easier the running game will open up.”
The line will need to open holes in the running game and secure gaps in the passing game.
Starting quarterback Jeff Driskel suffered a season-ending fractured fibula against Tennessee, handing the reigns of the offense to redshirt junior Tyler Murphy, who did not attempt an official pass until Saturday.
Behind Murphy are Florida’s two other scholarship quarterbacks — redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg and freshman Max Staver. Neither quarterback has played a down of college football.
“We just have that sense of urgency when our starting quarterback goes down,” Halapio said. “Tyler Murphy comes in — that’s basically one of our last options. We’ve just got to protect him.”
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Offensive lineman Jon Halapio blocks during Florida’s 27-20 win against Louisiana on Nov. 10 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
