Luke Del Rio never saw the hit coming.
North Texas defensive end Joshua Wheeler came rushing around the edge in the third quarter and drilled Florida’s starting quarterback late and low in his left knee.
Del Rio sat flat on his back following the hit while trainers attended to him on the field. After a few minutes, the redshirt sophomore walked off to the locker room under his own power.
Yes, Florida (3-0) defeated the Mean Green 32-0 and the defense allowed a program record 53 yards in the process at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday night.
But it came with a price.
After the game, McElwain said Del Rio would be examined, and that that he likely won’t play next weekend versus Tennessee.
“I obviously took that hit on Luke awful personal,” said McElwain, who was restrained by his players on the field while visibly upset with referees after the hit. “I really care about these players. I care about them in more ways than just as football players, and when you see something like that, it’s my responsibility when their parents aren’t here to be their parents.”
Before graduate transfer Austin Appleby took over for Del Rio, Florida’s defense set the tone early against the Mean Green (1-2).
Defensive lineman Caleb Brantley slipped past a blocker and sacked UNT quarterback Mason Fine for a safety on North Texas’ second play of the game. The play was just a harbinger of the havoc UF’s defense line caused all game.
Florida recorded seven sacks, the most in a game since doing so against Tennessee in 1999.
“That’s what we do,” cornerback Jalen Tabor said. “I’ve been saying it all along. We’ve got one of the best defenses in the country.”
But the Gators offense, however, didn’t look spectacular by any means.
It instead resembled the 24-point output versus UMass on Sept. 3.
An Eddy Pineiro 22-yard field goal put the Gators ahead 5-0 to end a first quarter in which UF gained 154 yards and held the Mean Green to negative 3 yards.
In the second quarter, Florida produced where it didn’t before — the red zone.
Sophomore Jordan Cronkrite found the end zone for a 6-yard rush and freshman Lamical Perine punched one in from 2 yards out, which stood after an official review and put UF ahead 19-0.
Prior to the scores, the Gators failed to convert a fourth-and-two attempt once in the first quarter when Mark Thompson was stuffed inside the 10-yard line and once again before halftime on a Del Rio up-for-grabs pass in the end zone that fell incomplete.
The third quarter was eventful, but not for any positive reasons on Florida’s sideline.
After Del Rio exited, offensive lineman Martez Ivey was ejected for a personal foul.
"You know, it's one of those deals that, let's face it, that penalty probably was mine. OK?” McElwain said. “So I get how it is. I'm sure he did it and yet there's probably some makeup calls every now and then too. That wasn’t.”
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that UF buried the Mean Green.
Thompson turned a handoff from Appleby into a 20-yard touchdown after hurdling a defender near the end zone. That was a followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt on an errant pass from Appleby.
One drive later, Jordan Scarlett crossed the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown to mark Florida’s final points in the 32-0 victory.
After the game, players were looking forward.
If Del Rio isn’t healthy for the next game, Appleby will be the first quarterback up, McElwain said.
That might mean the defense, which has allowed just 14 points through three games, will have to play even better.
“I think we're just going to adapt and overcome,” senior defensive lineman Joey Ivie said. “Just keep pressing forward. We'll send our prayers up."
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @Pinakk12
Florida coach Jim McElwain is restrained by tight end DeAndre Goolsby (30) and offensive lineman Fred Johnson (74) after McElwain showed his displeasure after quarterback Luke Del Rio, left, was knocked out of the game during the second half of an NCAA college football game against North Texas in Gainesville, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. North Texas was penalized for roughing the passer. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
