Luke Del Rio’s biggest strength during Florida’s preseason quarterback battle was, in his own words, “consistency.” He was said to be a veteran who knew the offense, and one who didn’t make many mistakes. His first drive of 2017 didn’t show that.
After coming in to relieve starter Feleipe Franks in the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Kentucky, Del Rio threw an interception on his first drive. It came on a deep pass down the middle, and it looked brutal.
But when Del Rio arrived back on the sideline, teammates say he didn’t panic. He didn’t get nervous. Instead, he assured them they were going to find a way to come back from 13 points down and win the game.
“He wasn't afraid of making a mistake,” wideout Brandon Powell said. “He got in, his first pass he threw an interception. He came to the sideline and was still telling us that we were going to win the game. That showed.”
As a result, coach Jim McElwain decided to name him the starter this Saturday against Vanderbilt. He said Del Rio will take first-team reps this week and the team will “go from there.”
Center T.J. McCoy said Del Rio’s presence in the huddle against Kentucky made a difference. He said he was able to effectively communicate calls to the offensive line, though he was careful not to say Franks couldn’t do the same.
“I feel like both QBs do a great job of making calls and communicating,” McCoy said, “but it's always good to have Luke Del Rio in there, have that upperclassman experience.”
He also said Del Rio helped calm down some of the younger players concerned about the score.
In the preseason, McElwain assured fans the quarterback competition was just that — a competition between Del Rio, Franks and transfer Malik Zaire. On Monday, he said even though Franks started the first three games, the competition will remain ongoing. But after his 9-for-14, 74-yard, one touchdown performance, he said Del Rio earned it this week.
“It's not to say Feleipe won't start again,” he said. “It's one of those deals where he continues to get better, and I think in some cases I think Luke's preparation and his understanding of where he was with his injuries and yet not letting that hinder him but rather (saying), 'OK, now I'm getting back.' I think that's good."
After the win over Kentucky, Del Rio said he wasn’t worried about being named the starter. He just wanted to enjoy the win.
Fewer than 48 hours later, he needn’t worry at all. The job is his.
You can follow Ethan Bauer on Twitter @ebaueri, and contact him at ebauer@alligator.org.
Luke Del Rio looks to the sideline for instruction during Florida's 24-10 win over Georgia on Oct. 29, 2016, in Jacksonville.
