GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- In the past three weeks Treon Harris has gone from the bench to potentially leading the Gators to an SEC East title on Saturday when Vanderbilt stops by.
Harris is rarely a picture of perfection when he drops back to pass, but if we've learned anything about the sophomore from Miami during his UF career, never count him out.
You never know what's going to happen as a play unfolds with Harris gripping the ball.
"He is doing a wonderful job of extending plays," Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said Wednesday. "We're going to look to cage the rabbit the best we can."
Georgia had Harris caged for much of the first half last weekend until Harris drifted from the pocket and hit Antonio Callaway in stride for a 66-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Florida's offense was as stagnant as a covered swimming pool when Harris took the snap.
He had missed nine consecutive passes and the game's only score to that point was Gators defensive back Nick Washington's recovery of a muffed punt in the end zone.
And then Treon did what Treon does. As Callaway darted from his position in the slot and turned outside and then upfield, Harris lobbed a perfectly placed spiral into Callaway's arms.
The Gators never looked back in their 27-3 win as Harris improved to 2-0 against the Bulldogs.
"Treon's got a great understanding of where guys are going to be," Florida coach Jim McElwain said. "It's been a positive for us obviously and we hope it continues."
Despite the midseason quarterback change as a result of Will Grier's suspension for testing positive for a substance banned by the NCAA, the Gators quickly stabilized when Harris took over. Florida lost at LSU in Harris' first start â he threw for a career-high 271 yards â but the game was competitive and came down to the final moments.
Harris finished 8 of 19 for 155 yards and a touchdown in the victory over Georgia, causing Florida fans angst as he missed those nine consecutive passes early. Still, he made enough plays to make a difference.
That is the Harris way. He has completed 44 of 78 attempts for a less-than-ideal 56.4-percent completion rate. However, of his 44 completions, 12 have gone for 20 or more yards (27.3 percent).
Harris' big-play ability is derived primarily from his elusiveness and ability to run.
"The guy trusts his legs," teammate Kelvin Taylor said. "He's a very mobile quarterback and he knows how to throw on the run."
Harris also avoids turnovers. He lost a fumble against Georgia, but Harris has thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions.
That trait could be his most important as Florida (7-1, 5-1), No. 10 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season unveiled Tuesday night, tries to keep the magic alive.
Harris has impressed McElwain with his decision-making to avoid costly mistakes.
"In our case, he has been using his feet as his check-down, which has been very effective for us," McElwain said. "As time goes on and people get us on film, maybe applying an extra guy or spy to him will help us on the outside create some throwing lanes."
"We are kind of developing as we go with him behind center. I'm going to say this: He's been playing really good, he's confident in what he's doing, and he's done a really good job of learning the plans. Harris enters Saturday's game against the Commodores with a 6-3 record as Florida's starting quarterback.
As Harris and Grier battled for the starter's job in preseason camp, the Gators already knew what it took McElwain and the new coaching staff to learn.
"He never complained, never doubted himself," junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III said. "He always knew he was going to get his shot and he's taking full advantage of it."
The Gators hope the best is yet to come.
"The more he plays, the more he gets to evaluate and see on film and make some tweaks here and there," McElwain said. "We'll continue to grow with him and our team believes in him, and that's something that is invaluable, especially with the quarterback position."
