After a major scare to open the second half, Florida linebacker Darrin Kitchens is expected to be fine.
According to the team, Kitchens was released from Shands at UF late Saturday night after a helmet-to-helmet hit knocked him out of UF’s 21-7 loss to FSU.
Kitchens strapped to a backboard and carted off the field after taking a brutal hit on the third quarter’s opening kickoff. The sophomore lay motionless on the field for nearly 10 minutes as trainers and doctors attended to him and the rest of his team looked on from the 30-yard line.
Trainers carted Kitchens off the field following a long, cautious attempt to stabilize and move him onto the backboard. As he was being carted off, Kitchens raised his left arm and gave a thumbs up to his teammates and the crowd of 90,798.
“It’s always scary when you deal with something like that,” coach Will Muschamp said Saturday night. “Good, clean hit on their part, but I think he’s going to be fine.”
Kitchens recorded 21 tackles on the season, including a career-high 12 last week against Furman while making his first career start.
Brantley concussed: Redshirt senior quarterback John Brantley suffered a concussion late in the first half Saturday and his father said he is “doing fine,” according to multiple reports Sunday.
Brantley was helped off the field after he was sandwiched between FSU defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and defensive end Brandon Jenkins on a 21-yard pass to Quinton Dunbar.
Jenkins was also injured on the play and did not return to the game due to concussion-like symptoms.
Easley injured: Sophomore defensive tackle Dominique Easley was also carted off the field during Saturday’s loss to FSU with what Muschamp said was a twisted knee.
After the Seminoles scored their second touchdown early in the second quarter, Easley was helped off the field by trainers and subsequently checked out on the sideline before he was carted to the locker room with an ice pack on his left knee.
Before suffering the injury, Easley had two tackles, including a 5-yard sack of quarterback E.J. Manuel on Florida State’s first possession. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Leon Orr, who finished with one tackle.
Reed out: Florida was without its leading receiver Saturday, as tight end Jordan Reed was sidelined with an ankle injury he suffered against Furman.
He entered Saturday leading all Gators receivers with 28 receptions for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns despite missing two games earlier in the season with a hamstring injury.
Young moving on: Redshirt junior offensive lineman David Young told the team that he would like to move on from playing football despite having a year of eligibility remaining. Young was honored during Saturday’s Senior Day ceremony and will graduate this year with a degree in recreation and event management.
Young has appeared in all 12 games this season and 28 for his career.
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
Gators sophomore linebacker Darrin Kitchens is carted off the field during the third quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Seminoles after suffering an injury during a kickoff return.
