When the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers meet for their latest edition of their SEC East rivalry game, they will each do so a little short-handed. Tennessee cornerback Cam Sutton is expected to miss the next eight weeks with a fractured ankle. Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio has also been ruled out for the game due to a knee injury.
On Monday, Florida head coach Jim McElwain confirmed what had been feared about Del Rio when he ruled him out for this week’s game. McElwain also suggested Del Rio could miss more playing time in the future as he recovers from his knee injury suffered against North Texas. With Del Rio out, Florida will hand the offense to former Purdue quarterback Austin Appleby.
Further complicating things for Florida’s offense is the possibility it could be without one of its top offensive players, wide receiver Antonio Callaway. Callaway sat out this past weekend’s game and is said to be questionable at the beginning of Tennessee week in Gainesville. But wait, there’s more! Florida will also be without starting left guard Tyler Jordan, who has undergone eye surgery.
Sutton fractured his ankle on Saturday in a home game against Ohio. Although he walked off the field after injuring himself, he was unable to return to the game. How quickly the ankle heals remains to be seen, but eight weeks feels about right for the severity of an ankle fracture for a player that needs to track down receivers on a regular basis. So if you were expecting to see a Callaway-Sutton matchup, too bad.
