After center Tyler Jordan went down with an injury Saturday, followed shortly thereafter by starting left tackle David Sharpe, leaving Florida three starters shy on the offensive line, there was no panic in the huddle. Instead, there was a sense of calm, and it exuded from quarterback Austin Appleby, a replacement player himself.
“He said, ‘Come on. We’re good. We’re fine. It’s time to go,” sophomore guard Fred Johnson said.
And off the Gators went. On offense. And on defense, where the injury situation was even worse, with five starters missing by the second half against South Carolina.