Florida vs. South Carolina: Austin Appleby to start for Gators

Florida will start redshirt senior Austin Appleby on Saturday against South Carolina, coach Jim McElwain confirmed on Wednesday during the his segment in the weekly SEC coaches’ teleconference.

“Austin will jump out there and take the start,” he said. “Feleipe (Franks) has been getting a bunch of reps and Kyle (Trask) has been getting less. So we’ll go with Austin and Feleipe with Kyle kind of in the bullpen.”

When he announced that Luke Del Rio would be out for the Gators’ meeting with the Gamecocks on Monday, McElwain suggested that Franks and Trask, Florida’s two true freshman passers, would figure into the Florida game plan. And when asked if it would be an open competition between the three quarterbacks, McElwain demurred by saying “We’ll figure it out.”

Appleby, who transferred as a graduate from Purdue to Florida this offseason, started for the Gators in their loss to Tennessee and win over Vanderbilt. Over action in those two games and in sparing use in relief Del Rio against Kentucky and North Texas, he has thrown for 470 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.