Gators QB Feleipe Franks has grown, but consistency still needs improvement

Playing to please nobody is a great way to approach outside perspectives in football. That's how Florida Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks is handling himself this season.

"I don’t need anybody’s approval. I’m myself, I’m my own person," Franks told the media on Tuesday following Florida's 24-20 win over Miami. "I play to win. I play to help this team win, the program win. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since I’ve been here. I don’t play to please anybody outside this building."

That method should help Franks block out the noise that has come his way, following an inconsistent showing against the Hurricanes last Saturday night. The redshirt junior went 17-27 for 254 yards, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another.

However, he also committed three turnovers - two interceptions and a fumble as he attempted to pull the ball on a run-pass option in order to target wide receiver Trevon Grimes on a slant.

Franks battled his inconsistencies better than he had in the past, though. Following his first interception, Franks responded with a perfectly-thrown 65-yard seam pass to WR Josh Hammond. That response to adversity is something that earned the signal-caller praise from head coach Dan Mullen.

"What gets missed," Mullen began on Franks' inconsistent showing, "He threw a pick in the 4th quarter that could have been the deciding play. The next time we got the ball, he accounted for every yard and we scored the game-winning touchdown. I don't know if Feleipe Franks could have done that last year. I think that pick might have affected him."

His new-found ability to bounce back under pressure is where Franks has grown as a quarterback entering this season. Which is a critical aspect of his development and a testament to his confidence growing like his teammates and coaches had praised him for all offseason.

But there's still more that we need to see from Franks, despite him not playing for the critics.

Consistent play should be Franks' own expectation, much less the expectation of Florida fans and analysts. Matching scores with turnovers, no matter how much better he's gotten at bouncing back from mistakes, isn't a championship formula.

Now, obviously the Miami game was the first of the season, and Franks was playing against an uber-talented defense. It was an opportunity for him to shake the rust off before the season really gets underway against SEC competition.

But Franks needs to put up video game numbers against the University of Tennessee-Martin, and continue to grow from there. In his second year within a system he's expressed comfort in - one that he's seen himself grow in as a passer and a person - consistency is going to be key to Franks' own success, as well as Florida's.

Overcoming inconsistent play is a great trait to possess, and Franks appears to have that under his belt now. But in order for him to turn the corner and boost Florida towards national contention, Franks needs to mask his ability to overcome inconsistency - simply by playing more dependably.

We'll see if he's capable of doing that over the next few weeks as Florida starts to embrace their SEC schedule.