Driskel to start for Florida in SEC opener

By David Jones, Florida Today

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida football coach Will Muschamp said Monday that Jeff Driskel will start at quarterback Saturday as the Gators visit Texas A&M in both teams' Southeastern Conference opener.

"I told Jeff I don't want you looking over your shoulder but you need to play well,'' Muschamp said.

"He wants me to play loose and calm so that's what I'm going to do," Driskel said. "He told me today I was going to play. He told me the choice wasn't just based on Saturday, through out camp and through out practice they had been evaluating us for a while.''

Driskel completed 10 of 16 passes for 114 yards and one touchdown in the season-opening 27-14 win against Bowling Green. He shared the job with Jacoby Brissett last week.

"I just felt like at this time it's good to name one guy and go with it,'' Muschamp said.

He said Driskel's ability to make things happen running with the ball "played a big part'' in the decision.

"I think right now in the development of our offense, that's something that's going to benefit us,'' Muschamp said.

He added Brissett needed to understand "he's one snap way.''

Brissett "wasn't very happy'' when being told he was No. 2, the coach said.

"I would expect that,'' Muschamp said.

Brissett was the No. 2 quarterback last season behind John Brantley, after Driskel started the season as the backup. Now it's Brissett, also a sophomore, who must take a back seat. Driskel said he planned to talk to his teammate but that the conversation would remain private.

"Obviously it was tough,'' Driskel said of falling behind Brissett last year. "But I didn't let it get to me too much. At first I was real upset and going through a little tough time. But I had the support of family and friends and just stayed working hard.''

View the original article here

Florida State DE Jenkins to miss remainder of the season

TALLAHASSEE – Senior defensive end Brandon Jenkins, the biggest star on Florida State's star-studded defense, has been lost to a season-ending foot injury.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire

Florida State's Brandon Jenkins, seen here at ACC Media Day in July, suffered a season-ending foot injury on Saturday.

Jenkins, a Florida High graduate who led FSU in sacks each of the past two seasons, went down in the second quarter of Saturday's season opener against Murray State. After tending to him on the sideline, team trainers tried to give Jenkins crutches to help him get back to the locker room, but he tossed them aside and walked back under his own power.

After the game, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters that X-rays of Jenkins' foot were negative, and that team doctors believed it was just a deep bruise. During his weekly press conference Monday afternoon, Fisher opened the door slightly that it could be worse.

"We'll probably MRI it, check it, just to make sure for his sake," Fisher said.

That MRI, as well as a "weight-bearing" X-ray, revealed that Jenkins had sustained a Lisfranc injury. The most common description of a Lisfranc injury refers to a broken bone (or bones) or torn ligaments in the "midfoot" area, according to medical websites.

"Brandon is not only a tremendous player, but a great person, teammate and leader that we will miss," Fisher said in a statement late Monday. "I know he'll bounce back and recover to continue a great career."

Jenkins' injury is the second major blow to a Florida State defense that was projected to be among the best in the country. Senior cornerback Greg Reid was dismissed from the team during the summer for a violation of team rules. The Seminoles now have lost their most experienced defensive back and top pass-rusher.

Jenkins earned first-team All-ACC honors as a sophomore after racking up 13 1/2 sacks. He posted a team-high eight sacks in 2011 and was named second-team All-ACC.

He likely will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Cornellius Carradine, who came off the bench Saturday to lead the team in tackles. And the Seminoles likely will go with a four-man rotation at the two defensive end spots — with Carradine and junior Bjoern Werner backed up by senior Toshmon Stevens and redshirt freshman Giorgio Newberry.

Fisher said Monday he hoped to redshirt freshman defensive ends Mario Edwards Jr. and Chris Casher, but that approach might have to be adjusted.

Earlier this year, Jenkins planned on skipping his senior season and making himself available for the NFL Draft. He was projected to go in the second round but changed his mind after a heart-to-heart with Fisher.

Jenkins said he wanted to come back to pursue his degree, help the Seminoles win a national championship and improve his draft status. Because Jenkins played as a true freshman in 2009, he would be eligible to take a medical hardship and return to the Seminoles next season. He also could make himself available for the 2013 draft.

View the original article here