As he helplessly crawled around in agony on the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium grass, Jeff Driskel needed a lifeline.
The date was Sept. 21, 2013, and the Florida quarterback was in trouble — in more ways than one.
In the football department, Driskel had just thrown an interception to Tennessee cornerback Devaun Swafford, who raced down the sideline for a touchdown to put the Volunteers ahead 7-0.
More importantly, Driskel’s inability to walk was caused by what was later diagnosed as a broken right leg — an injury which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2013 season.
But even as Driskel and the Gators prepare for their first meeting with UT since then, the Florida quarterback insisted he hasn’t revisited the gruesome injury anytime recently.
“No, not really,” he said Monday when asked if he’s thought about the injury. “I’m just ready to get back out there. That was a long two weeks.”
And what an eventful two weeks it’s been.
After losing their SEC opener to Alabama by three touchdowns — a game where Driskel went a dismal 9-of-28 passing for 93 yards and two interceptions — the Gators then had an bye week to regroup before heading out on the road again.
While the general consensus is that bye weeks are a time to relax and unwind from the collegiate grind, Driskel’s time off was marred by continual criticism and questioning of his leadership abilities.
On forums like Twitter and Facebook, countless Gator fans have demanded Driskel’s immediate removal from the starting lineup, believing true freshman quarterback Treon Harris is the ultimate solution for a offense currently ranked 13th in the SEC.
“There’s a lot (of criticism) out there, so you can’t really shield yourself from all of it,” Driskel said. “That’s just part of playing quarterback here. I’ve never been one to where that stuff gets to me whether its people saying you’re the best or you’re the worst. So you’ve just got to be even keel and keep moving forward.
“I’m grown. I can handle it.”
That increased maturation certainly shined through the last time Driskel led the Florida troops into Knoxville. As just a sophomore, the Gator signal caller torched UT for 218 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns as then-No. 18 Florida routed the Vols 37-20.
With the third quarter clock winding down, Driskel connected with ex-Gators and current Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed for a 30-yard touchdown pass — the late scoring pushing Florida ahead for good as it cruised to a fourth straight win in Knoxville.
“We pride ourselves on emptying the stadiums, so we just want to go in and play hard,” Driskel said. “Hopefully we get the same results as the last time we went in there.
“It’s going to be a great crowd, hostile environment. We’re going to have to handle the crowd noise. That’s probably the loudest place I’ve played in.”
While Driskel stressed that “what happened in the past does not matter at all,” one aspect of his riveting 2012 performance could, in fact, spill over into Saturday’s contest.
Last time in Knoxville, the dual-threat Driskel scampered for 81 rushing yards on only eight attempts, part of a Florida ground effort that eclipsed the 300-yard mark on its way to the 17-point victory.
“I think his involvement in the run game will help our football team,” Florida head coach Will Muschamp told reporters Monday. “He’s a very good athlete, he’s a very good runner, and that’s something we’ll continue week-to-week depending on schematically what the other team is giving us. We’ll add him in the running game.”
