If Kyle Trask hadn’t gone down with a foot injury during practice this week, who knows if Feleipe Franks would have even been Florida’s starting quarterback this week against South Carolina?

Franks did get the call, though, and made the most of it after a rough first half. Franks threw for 161 yards and a touchdown and ran for two other scores while leading the Gators to a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback in the 35-31 victory.

After the game, DB Chauncey Gardner was asked about a tweet from former Florida QB Luke Del Rio, who said this week that coach Dan Mullen risked losing the Florida fanbase if he started Franks again. As you can see below, Gardner had his quarterback’s back and went off on Del Rio:

It was only one week, and Franks didn’t exactly have a great game, but Gardner’s defiant tone is a good sign for the Gators moving forward.

Now, Franks will have to keep the Gators going strong as they play Idaho and Florida State to close the regular season. If he struggles, the boo birds may come out once again.