Philo or Jones? Sumrall Says No QB1 Announcement Before Oklahoma
Jon Sumrall is not naming a starting quarterback for Oklahoma, and he said so plainly on Monday.
After practice, the Florida coach said Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. both practiced and that he has a plan for who starts Saturday, but he is not ready to announce it. "I have a plan that is already kind of in motion and in place," Sumrall said. "But I don't know that it helps us with me naming a starter today. We need both of them to be ready to play to go win."
He closed the answer with one line: there will be no QB1 announcement today.
Sumrall's answer starts at 7:22 of Monday's press conference. Video: Florida Gators Football on YouTube.
For the first time this season, Florida listed "or" between the two quarterbacks on its depth chart Monday, FloridaGators.com reported. Sumrall explained why. "We list them as 'or' because right now I need both of them to be ready to be our starter at any point," he said.
How Florida got here
Philo started the first six games. A shoulder injury kept him out against Texas, and Jones made his first career start in a 27-24 Florida win on Oct. 18. After the open date, Philo returned to the lineup against Georgia, with both quarterbacks listed as questionable on the availability report.
Philo threw two early interceptions on Saturday, and Jones replaced him. Jones finished 18 of 25 for 172 yards with one interception and scored Florida's only touchdown on a 2-yard run in the 27-8 loss.
By the numbers
Aaron Philo: 7 starts (4-3), 110 of 156 (70.5%), 1,367 yards, 9 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 8 sacks taken
Tramell Jones Jr.: 1 start (1-0), 63 of 89 (70.8%), 579 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 5 sacks taken
Sumrall said Jones is not fully healthy and will likely need surgery after the season. He did not specify the injury.
The competition is not splitting the locker room
Sumrall said the quarterbacks have handled the competition well. "Yeah, they both want to be the starting guy. If they didn't, we have a problem," he said. "You want guys that want to be the starter. But the way they've handled it has not created division within our football team."
The offense needs more than a quarterback change. Florida scored eight points against Georgia, its fewest this season. In its last four games, Florida is 1-3 and averaging 319.3 yards and 17.8 points per game. In its first four games, it averaged 532.8 yards and 53.5 points. Sumrall has pointed at all 11 players on offense, as we reported in Sumrall: Tom Brady Would Have Been 'Under Too Much Duress' Against Georgia.
What's next
Florida (5-3, 3-3 SEC), No. 25 in the Associated Press poll, hosts Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network. The Gators then visit No. 8 Kentucky on Nov. 14 on ESPN.
Hear Buddy Martin and the crew break down the quarterback question on The Buddy Martin Show, Monday through Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on YouTube.
Statistics and depth-chart details: FloridaGators.com. Quotes: Sumrall's Nov. 2 press conference.
Photo courtesy UAA (University Athletic Association, FloridaGators.com) and Hannah White. See more of her work on Instagram, and the official Florida Gators photo galleries at FloridaGators.com.
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