Even after missing Monday’s practice because of a sprained right ankle, quarterback Jeff Driskel never doubted whether he would play against Florida State on Saturday.
Missing a game of this magnitude for a simple ankle sprain would be unthinkable.
“In a game like this, the ankle injury can’t be an issue,” Driskel said. “You have to play through that. A little ankle sprain isn’t going to keep me out of a game like this.”
Despite the pain, Driskel played one of his best games this season, completing 15 of 23 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown as No. 6 Florida topped No. 10 Florida State 37-26.
“Driskel is a tough quarterback, man,” Gators running back Mike Gillislee said. “He had a little ankle injury, but he knew he had to push through it and stay focused, and that’s what he did. He’s a humble quarterback.”
Driskel suffered the injury during Florida’s 27-20 win against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 10, missing UF’s 23-0 win over Jacksonville State on Nov. 17 as a result.
Driskel sat out Monday’s practice but returned to action Tuesday, and on Wednesday coach Will Muschamp named him UF’s starter.
After the game, Muschamp said he thought Driskel was about 85-90 percent healthy.
“Jeff’s a tough kid,” Muschamp said. “It was important to him to play, and I think he played very well.”
Driskel credited the work of Florida’s training staff, saying the ankle felt better with each passing day.
Combined with the rush of playing in a rivalry game with so much at stake, Driskel said the ankle was hardly an issue.
“I had a lot of adrenaline going,” Driskel said.
Although Driskel lost a fumble due to a miscommunication on a read-option handoff to Gillislee in the third quarter, his ability to avoid turnovers was critical to Florida’s success.
Driskel was not intercepted Saturday and has thrown only three picks in 216 pass attempts this season.
He hasn’t put up gaudy statistics, but his 11 touchdowns and 64.8 completion percentage in his first season as a starter have been key to Florida’s offense.
Florida showed faith in Driskel from Saturday’s opening snap, dialing up eight passes on UF’s initial drive. Driskel narrowly missed a touchdown when he overthrow wideout Frankie Hammond Jr. but still completed 6 of 8 passes for 33 yards to lead the Gators to an early field goal.
Although Driskel netted minus-20 rushing yards in the game, he also made plays on the ground. Driskel consistently bought time in the pocket, and he converted a third-and-13 with a 31-yard rush on Florida’s second possession.
“He made some plays with his feet, and that’s what we love about him,” center Jonotthan Harrison said.
Driskel’s 14-yard TD pass to wideout Quinton Dunbar extended Florida’s lead to 30-20 with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The threat of the pass opened up holes in the running game. The Gators picked up 244 yards on the ground. Gillislee led the way with 24 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
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