Current:Home > FinanceGraham Mertz injury update: Florida QB suffers collarbone fracture against Missouri-LoTradeCoin
Graham Mertz injury update: Florida QB suffers collarbone fracture against Missouri
View Date:2024-12-23 15:59:19
Florida football lost more than a close game to No. 9 Missouri on Saturday. The Gators could also be without starting quarterback Graham Mertz for their Rivalry Week game vs. No. 4 Florida State.
Florida (5-6, 3-5 in SEC play) needs to beat the Seminoles to earn bowl eligibility, but might have to attempt a win without Mertz. Near the end of the third quarter, he took off to run and came up favoring his shoulder. He was then shown being taken to the locker room before the ESPN telecast said he bypassed the locker room and went straight to Missouri's facilities for X-rays.
The X-rays revealed a collarbone injury that will more than likely sideline him for the FSU game.
"Graham has a non-displaced fracture of the collarbone, so he'll be out for a little bit," Florida coach Billy Napier said. "We'll have more information whether it's surgical or not, we think right now the belief is it may not be but we'll need to get more images to make that decision."
Asked if the injury will keep him out for the FSU game, Napier responded: "We'll see. I'll let you know Monday. I don't want to speak to something I don't have 100 percent of the facts. I just know he's not available. We think it's a pretty significant injury."
REQUIRED READING:Florida football score updates vs No. 11 Missouri in SEC Week 12
The first-year starting quarterback exited the Gators' game trailing 23-21 and had completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns with an interception before being replaced by backup Max Brown.
Mertz is in his first year with Florida after transferring from Wisconsin, where he started for three seasons.
Graham Mertz injury update
Mertz exited Florida's game against Missouri on Saturday after taking a hit on a quarterback scramble. He then was shown favoring his shoulder.
Mertz then exited the game and was shown being taken to the locker room, but the ESPN broadcast later reported he was bypassing the locker room and heading straight to the Tigers' facilities for X-rays. He later was shown back on the sidelines, but in street clothes with his arm in a sling.
Graham Mertz stats
YEAR | CMP-ATT | YDS | TDS-INTS | RUSH YDS | RUSH TDS |
2019* | 9-10 (90%) | 73 | 0-0 | 6 | 0 |
2020* | 118-193 (61.1%) | 1,238 | 9-5 | 38 | 2 |
2021* | 169-284 (59.5%) | 1,958 | 10-11 | -25 | 4 |
2022* | 164-286 (57.3%) | 2,136 | 19-10 | -40 | 2 |
2023 | 247-337 (73.3%) | 2,720 | 18-2 | -87 | 4 |
Who is Max Brown?
Mertz was replaced by redshirt freshman backup Max Brown after exiting.
The 6-2 passer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, completed 6 of his 7 career passes this season before Saturday. He was a 3-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, and chose the Gators over Washington, Central Michigan and Temple.
Brown was rated the No. 1558 player nationally and No. 96 quarterback, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.
Brown overcame a turnover to rally Florida to 10 straight fourth-quarter points as UF took a 31-30 lead over the Tigers with 1:36 left.
"Give Max some credit," Napier said. "You know Max settled in there a bit and made a few plays. Obviously he's a good athlete and we were able to use his legs a little bit in the read (option) game and he made some throws as well."
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Wicked Director Jon M. Chu Reveals Name of Baby Daughter After Missing Film's LA Premiere for Her Birth
- Johnson & Johnson reaches tentative deal to resolve talc baby powder litigation
- The 2024 Oscar nominations were announced: Here's a look at who made the list
- Dwayne The Rock Johnson gets ownership rights to his nickname, joins TKO's board
- Stressing over Election Day? Try these apps and tools to calm your nerves
- Man accused of killing wife in 1991 in Virginia captured in Costa Rica after over 30 years on the run: We've never forgotten
- Years of Missouri Senate Republican infighting comes to a breaking point, and the loss of parking
- French tourist finds 7.46-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Use
- New York City looks to clear $2 billion in unpaid medical bills for 500,000
Ranking
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Spanish police arrest suspect in killing of 3 siblings over debts reportedly linked to romance scam
- Sammy Hagar's multi-million-dollar Ferrari LaFerrari auction is on hold. Here's why
- Rights center says Belarusian authorities have arrested scores of people in latest crackdown
- Halle Berry surprises crowd in iconic 2002 Elie Saab gown from her historic Oscar win
- Sofía Vergara reveals why she and Joe Manganiello divorced
- The 2024 Oscar nominations were announced: Here's a look at who made the list
- J.Crew’s Extra 60% off Sale Features Elevated Staples & Statement Pieces, Starting at $9
Recommendation
-
Kate Spade Outlet’s Early Black Friday Sale – Get a $259 Bag for $59 & More Epic Deals Starting at $25
-
'Angel watching over us': Family grieves 13-year-old South Carolina boy after hunting death
-
Norman Jewison, Oscar-nominated director of 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Moonstruck,' dies at 97
-
Sammy Hagar's multi-million-dollar Ferrari LaFerrari auction is on hold. Here's why
-
Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
-
UN chief warns that Israel’s rejection of a two-state solution threatens global peace
-
Ed O'Neill says feud with 'Married… With Children' co-star Amanda Bearse was over a TV Guide cover
-
Man ordered to stand trial in slaying of Detroit synagogue leader