COLLEGE
STATION, Texas — With
47 seconds left Saturday, Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel knew he
would walk out of Texas A&M’s Kyle Field with an enormous
victory. After surviving an early ambush from the Aggies and
patiently guiding the Gators to a 20-17 lead, he finally got the call
to end it with a kneel down.
“That’s
the best play in football,” he said. “It was a close game the
whole game, and that clock couldn’t tick down fast enough.”
It
was the most impressive performance of Driskel’s whirlwind two
years at Florida. He fell behind fellow sophomore Jacoby Brissett, a
former Dwyer High School star, partway through last season, then
worked his way back to even in the race.
Just
a few weeks ago, he appeared to have a 50-50 shot of being the
Gators’ starter. Now he claims a road win at one of the SEC’s
toughest venues and has teammates surging with confidence as they
prepare for Saturday’s trip to Tennessee.
“He
took the initiative of the huddle,” said receiver Omarius Hines,
who caught a 39-yard strike from Driskel in the fourth quarter. “He
was being forceful. It’s what we need in a quarterback.”
Offensive
lineman Jon Halapio continued the praise by saying, “There was a
lot of urgency to his game, especially in the fourth quarter. When
things didn’t go our way, he always lifted up the O-line and
everybody else around him.”
The
fact that his teammates were so impressed shows how much he has
grown.
Driskel
looked bewildered as a freshman. The first pass of his career was a
badly overthrown interception against lowly Florida Atlantic, and
Alabama overwhelmed him a month later.
On
Saturday, Driskel felt more comfortable than ever. He avoided
debilitating mistakes and completed 13 of 16 passes for 162 yards.
“We
knew that we had good plays in store that we hadn’t used yet, so it
wasn’t hard at all to keep composure,” he said. “I felt like I
was playing loose the whole time.”
Offensive
coordinator Brent Pease used a variety of short passes to keep the
plan manageable for Driskel and counteract Texas A&M’s blitzes.
The Gators also relied on their ground game, which produced 143 yards
on 32 carries. Driskel added another 56 rushing yards on six
scrambles.
He
completed his first six passes of the game, helping Florida stay
within range of the Aggies’ relentless “Air Raid” offense.
Texas A&M scored on three straight drives to open the game,
faltering only when time ran out at the end of the half, but only led
17-10 at halftime.
In
two games, Driskel has completed 71.9 percent of his passes (fifth in
the SEC) and committed no turnovers. He is averaging 10.9 yards when
he takes off running.
The
major flaw he has exhibited is holding the ball too long and taking
sacks. He ran out of bounds for a 7-yard loss in the red zone against
Bowling Green the first week, then took eight sacks from Texas A&M.
Of those eight, at least two came when he needlessly ran out of
bounds instead of throwing it away.
“He
could’ve gotten rid of the ball at times, but there were some
protection issues,” coach Will Muschamp said. “He took care of
the ball. There’s nothing wrong with ending a series with a punt. I
know that’s not allowed to be said at Florida, but there’s
nothing wrong with that, all right?
“Don’t
put it on one guy. There’s a lot of different things that go into a
sack.”
Overall,
Driskel’s first true start was tremendously successful.
Technically, he started at receiver the previous week against Bowling
Green and shared time with Brissett. This was the first game that was
all his, and he delivered a win that might have been unattainable for
Florida a year ago.
The
celebration will be brief. The next test is Driskel’s first visit
to Neyland Stadium, where No. 18 Florida is trying to extend a
seven-year winning streak over a despised rival. No. 23 Tennessee
also is 2-0.
“He
was calm and collected,” Florida offensive lineman James Wilson
said of Driskel. “I’m so proud of him, so proud of him. He’ll
be ready for Tennessee, too. I know that.”
