Count senior running back Mark Thompson in the camp that thinks Feleipe Franks should have gotten more run in the Florida Gators 33-17 loss to Michigan last Saturday.
Franks, making his first career start, played he first half, completing 5-of-8 passes for 75 yards. There was a fumble, when right guard Fred Johnson stepped on Franks’ foot, but Franks recovered. He came out of the locker room with a 17-13 lead but Michigan quickly drove down the field to score, taking a 20-17 lead. Then Tyrie Cleveland fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Michigan made it 23-13. Franks was tackled during a three-yard scramble and fumbled. Michigan fell on this one and turned it into three more points.
Ball security is an issue on the next one. But for the most part we missed on one of the play-actions when we moved the pocket. We probably put it downfield when we shouldn’t have. Those things happen,” McElwain said on Monday. “The left guard took the wrong step, stepped on his foot down in the red area. Right guard, excuse me. Hitting in on one of the other ones, the running back’s path wasn’t right, which forced him down on one of the play-actions as well. Those are obviously technical things that hurt his performance that were actually caused by others.”
That’s when Jim McElwain went to Notre Dame graduate transfer Malik Zaire. McElwain contends that it was part of the plan to use both quarterbacks, but Franks was only given the opportunity to throw the ball nine times.
“It was the man’s first game. He played well in my opinion. We got to let him play the full game. We can’t take him out halfway through the game,” Thompson said on Tuesday. “That’s above my pay grade. I don’t have any say in that but I think he was playing well. I think he will continue to play well.”
McElwain gave Franks the nod to start this week against Northern Colorado and Franks wasn’t one of the 10 players that have an “or” between them and another player on the depth chart. Should the full game be his? Many fans think so and loudly voiced those opinions on social media.
McElwain, unsurprisingly, wouldn’t divulge his plan for the quarterbacks this week against Northern Colorado but Franks will start and should be able to throw the ball more against Northern Colorado.