GAINESVILLE — The play seemed innocuous enough, but in an instant, yet again Florida’s football season changed.

Late in the second quarter, Luke Del Rio was hit under pressure by Vanderbilt’s Dare Odeyingbo. The junior quarterback managed to get the pass away, and after landing on his shoulder, tried to get right back to his feet. Then he grabbed at his shoulder, called for a trainer, and minutes later, Del Rio was off to the locker room, lost for the game. Hours later, after an X-ray revealed a broken collarbone, Florida head coach Jim McElwain confirmed he was gone for the season.

Football, like life, isn’t fair, but it seems especially cruel to Luke Del Rio, who after battling back from a debilitating shoulder injury that short-circuited his 2016 season, sees his 2017 season seemingly just as it was beginning.

Del Rio started for the first time Saturday, and certainly, he’d earned it. He’d fought hard and lost a camp battle for the starting quarterback position, but kept his head about him and showed the steely verve of a veteran in leading Florida to a fourth quarter comeback win at Kentucky the prior weekend in a brutal environment.

Del Rio responded to receiving the starting nod by leading two nice scoring drives, just as he had a week ago at Kentucky, helping a long-maligned offense show signs of life against a quality Vanderbilt defense. Then he was hit and hurt and as quickly as his chance came, it was gone. Now, if Del Rio wants to extend his playing career before diving into coaching (or whatever likely positive endeavors await him), he’ll have another rehab ahead, starting with collarbone surgery Monday.

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For the Gators, losing Del Rio is the latest in a rash of cruel injuries and ill-timed suspensions  that have befallen Jim McElwain’s program since they arrived home from SEC Media Days in Hoover, giddy and confident. Marcell Harris, Jordan Scarlett, Antonio Callaway and Luke Del Rio — all stars or valued contributors — all gone or perhaps gone for the entire year.

None of this should be read as excuse-making. Injuries happen in football and the suspensions are undoubtedly earned. But it’s Florida’s reality now and part of that reality is recognizing how difficult it is to continue to weather storm after storm.

Florida’s reality now also involves the following: It’s Feleipe Franks’ football team.

At 3-1, and unbeaten in the SEC, the Gators appear to be an improving football team, one that very much controls its destiny in the SEC East.

But whatever they are to make of 2017, they’ll have to do on the highly-coveted right arm of Franks.

Feleipe Franks ranks 5th in the SEC in completion percentage (63.5) and 4th in yards-per-attempt (8.8).

As positive an idea as using Del Rio to bridge the gap to a more-prepared version of Franks might have seemed to this coaching staff after the Kentucky game, that’s no longer an option. As good as Florida looked picking up blitzes and adjusting protections and run blocks under Del Rio, it’s now on Franks to pick up that stuff and Florida’s coaches to make it manageable for him. Sure, Malik Zaire is still in the locker room, and he’s an asset and a security blanket, the last pair of shoulder pads between Franks and Jake Allen’s redshirt. But whatever Florida wants to be, whatever their ceiling is — that’s now on Franks.

The early returns Saturday were terrific.

Facing a Vanderbilt team that entered the game with the nation’s 4th-ranked pass-efficiency defense, Franks was outstanding, completing 10 of 14 passes for 185 yards, and a season high 13.2 yards per-attempt. He also wasn’t asked to do a ton, using short routes to tight ends and the occasional play-action to bolster a vastly improved run-game.

Still, that’s Vanderbilt. The big challenges for Franks — and his Florida team — lie ahead. A desperate and hungry LSU comes to town next week. A Texas A&M team that can get you in a track meet follows. And then a bye week and a date with the media’s sweetheart — a resurgent Georgia, in a game that appears likely to decide the SEC East, where all that’s certain is that Florida will be an underdog and Franks will need to be special to win.

Del Rio will, undoubtedly, continue to lead by example, and along with Zaire, another cerebral veteran, he’ll be there in the film room to help Franks get ready.

But what happens to Florida on the football field now is all about Feleipe Franks.