When Florida squares off against LSU in Baton Rouge this Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, Gators graduate transfer Austin Appleby will reunite with the quarterback he once beat out while at Purdue.
Appleby and LSU signal-caller Danny Etling each entered 2016 as backups for their respective teams since transferring from Purdue, but after Luke Del Rio suffered a shoulder injury at Arkansas - and Brandon Harris' struggled at the quarterback position for the Tigers at the start of the year - both schools have turned to the former Boilermakers to lead their offenses.
Etling transferred from Purdue following the conclusion of the 2014 season, after Appleby eventually replaced him as its starting quarterback midseason, and sat out 2015 at LSU per NCAA transfer rules. Meanwhile, Appleby joined Florida as a graduate transfer following his redshirt junior season at Purdue in 2015, where he was benched midseason for redshirt freshman David Blough.
“That is kind of bizarre, isn’t it?" McElwain said of both former Purdue quarterbacks squaring off Saturday. "I know these guys are buddies. I think when he had his first, I remember Austin talking about, he talked to him after his first game, you know, whatever. back in the beginning of the season. So that's kind of neat."
Appleby reaffirmed that notion, saying he, Etling and Blough have kept in touch frequently since their days together at Purdue.
“No, we’re not mortal enemies," Appleby said Monday. "I'll probably send him a text here tonight early in the week just to wish him luck, wish him the best. You know, he’s done the same for me all season. Our whole little Purdue quarterback group text that goes on. You know, whoever we’re playing … good luck against Arkansas, good luck against South Carolina, good luck against Northwestern. We all kind of keep in touch and support each other. It’s been pretty cool to keep that group together.”
Appleby is fresh off of a 17-of-21 passing performance in a win over South Carolina, where he threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns against one interception while establishing himself as the Gators' starter for the LSU game.
"The spark that they played with and, you know, I thought it was pretty good," McElwain said of the offense under Appleby's leadership. "The thing Austin did a nice job of is he got the ball out of his hands and made decisions and went with it. Didn't see a bunch of ghosts, and that was good."
Meanwhile, Etling has led LSU to four wins in its past five games since Ed Orgeron took over as the interim head coach. Etling has thrown for 945 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions on 70-of-116 passing (60.3%) during that five-game stretch as LSU's running game has been a key factor in its recent success.
IVEY NAMED SEC OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK
The circumstances weren't ideal for Florida's offensive line Saturday, losing starting center Tyler Jordan and left tackle David Sharpe to injuries against South Carolina, but the group had one of its strongest outings of the season this past weekend.
A big factor in that was sophomore Martez Ivey, who slid over from left guard to left tackle in Sharpe's absence while redshirt sophomore Kavaris Harkless took over at left guard. Ivey kept Appleby clean while helping the Gators for the most part get a good push in the run game against the Gamecocks.
For his efforts playing well at a different position Saturday, Ivey was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week for the second time this year. The sophomore had previously earned the honors a couple of weeks ago for his performance against Georgia.
It's a notable accomplishment for the former five-star recruit, who saw the start of his Florida career plagued by knee and shoulder injuries as a freshman and then this past offseason. Ivey finally looks comfortable - and is blossoming into the impact offensive lineman the Gators have envisioned.
“I’ll tell you what, that’s pretty cool. Good for him," McElwain said of the honor. "I’ll tell you what, he got after it. He’s a guy that has a lot of pride. You know, doesn’t allow some of the negative stuff to sink in. He works hard, it’s important to him. He cares. He’s a guy that when he does talk, people listen. It was fun to see him operate on the outside like he did."
Ivey will have a challenge on his hands at LSU this week, as he's expected to start at left tackle with Sharpe still sidelined.
"I’m excited about seeing him this week against that No. 49 guy (Arden Key) of theirs,"McElwain said. "Then you think about him, but then them other guys, they’ve got a whole slew of them up there. Strap it on and let’s go.”
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LSU RELEASES DEPTH CHART
On Monday, LSU released its depth chart ahead of its matchup with Florida this Saturday. Below is a closer look:
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