Austin Appleby and Danny Etling, who used to compete for the starting quarterback job at Purdue, will be trying to beat each other on the field Saturday in Tiger Stadium when Florida plays at LSU.
Appleby, who went from Purdue to Florida as a graduate transfer this season, is starting his second game for the Gators in place of injured Luke Del Rio.
Etling, who redshirted at LSU last season after transferring from Purdue, will make his eighth start for the Tigers since taking over for Brandon Harris.
"It's already been a crazy year," Etling said of two former backups starting against each other. "What's one more coincidence to happen?"
Appleby beat out Etling to be Purdue's starter going into the 2015 season, but then David Blough beat out Appleby later in the season.
Appleby and Etling said they remain friends and often exchange texts with each other as well as Blough.
"We're not mortal enemies," Etling said. "Our whole little Purdue quarterback group text ... whoever we're playing it's 'Good luck against Arkansas, good luck against South Carolina, good luck against Northwestern.
"We all kind of keep in touch and support each other. It's been pretty cool to keep that group together."
Etling said he and Appleby got along well at Purdue despite competing for the starting job.
"That's something you definitely learn in college," Etling said. "Going up against each other every day and knowing only one quarterback is going to play, you've got to maintain a relationship because at the end of the day, you're teammates.
"It's important to have each other's back, because in the quarterback room is the only people who know what you go through."
No time to wait
Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze said it wasn't a tough call to play true freshman quarterback Shea Patterson -- who sat out the first nine games with the plan of redshirting -- after starter Chad Kelly went down with a season-ending knee injury against Georgia Southern.
"Once I knew that Shea and his parents were OK with it, it was really easy for me," Freeze said. "I don't see how any coach can preach team first, team first, team first and then with three critical games left look at the seniors and say, 'I'm not going to give you the best chance to win.' "
It made sense for Patterson -- a five-star recruit -- to redshirt with Kelly a returning starter and leading the SEC in total offense before his injury.
But with the Rebels in jeopardy of missing a bowl game and the possibility Patterson may be so good he wouldn't stay his entire college career at Ole Miss, Freeze's decision to play him now is tough to question.
"I'm not big on planning for three years ahead," Freeze said. "I think that I may not be here then, or he may not be here then or who knows what's going to happen in three years?
"But I know right now we have a chance to win three football games and I owe it to those seniors and to those other kids in that room to give them the best opportunity, and I really felt like Shea was that."
Patterson proved he was ready to be an immediate impact player as he completed 25 of 42 passes for 338 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception in the Rebels' 29-28 victory at Texas A&M.
"Shea really didn't surprise me," Freeze said. "I've always known he had the 'it' factor.
"Now, I wasn't sure exactly how he'd handle the atmosphere at a place like Kyle Field and the multiple looks that you get from A&M's defense, and he'd be the first to tell you he made a lot of mistakes. But as the game went on, I thought he got more and more comfortable."
The Rebels (5-5) outscored the Aggies 23-7 in the fourth quarter and now need to beat either Vanderbilt or Mississippi State to be bowl eligible.
"The fourth quarter he had for a true freshman in that environment was pretty special," Freeze said.
Gators hurting
Florida Coach Jim McElwain said seven starters are out of the LSU game because of injuries: quarterback Luke Del Rio (shoulder), center Cam Dillard (knee), offensive tackle David Sharpe (ankle), safety Marcus Maye (hand), defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. (ankle). and linebackers Jarrad Davis (ankle) and Alex Anzalone (broken arm).
Defensive end Cece Jefferson (foot) and offensive lineman Tyler Jordan (ankle) are questionable, McElwain said.
McElwain joked on the SEC coaches teleconference that he might see if LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron would agree to play by Montana high school rules.
"Back in Montana they've got a little eight-man league," said McElwain, who is from Missoula, Mont. "I've been thinking about calling Ed and seeing if we could just maybe play eight-man football and go at it that way."
McElwain talked seriously about the injuries earlier in the week.
"You can sit and cry about it or do whatever or you can just move on," he said. "That's what we've got to do. We're going there to play and that's the way it is."
All the injuries to the starters have come in the last two games against Arkansas and South Carolina.
"You're talking some real significant pieces, but at the same time we've got a bunch of guys jumping in and playing their tails off and that's fun to see and it's fun to see these guys who are nicked up taking a really big role in being involved with these guys that are playing," McElwain said. "I think that really shows we're growing up as an organization. "
Staying in touch
After Florida beat South Carolina 20-7 in Gainesville, about 30 Gators lined up to greet Gamecocks Coach Will Muschamp.
Muschamp, the Gators' coach from 2011-14, smiled and exchanged handshakes and hugs with his former players.
"I've got a great relationship with all those young men," Muschamp said. "I still text back and forth with them and their families.
"All those guys, that's what it's all about. It's all about the relationships you have with people. I really appreciate those guys reaching out."
Trading places
Missouri and Vanderbilt took turns breaking their SEC losing streaks against the other.
The Tigers' 26-17 victory over the Commodores' last week broke Missouri's 11-game SEC losing streak. It was Missouri's first SEC victory since Oct. 3, 2015, when the Tigers beat South Carolina 24-10.
Last season Vanderbilt beat Missouri 10-3 to end the Commodores' SEC losing streak at 11 games. It was Vanderbilt's first SEC victory since Nov. 23, 2013, when the Commodores beat Tennessee 14-10.
Dress for success
Georgia Coach Kirby Smart was at Sanford Stadium the last time the Bulldogs wore black jerseys. He's hoping they play better Saturday while wearing them.
For Saturday's game against Louisiana-Lafayette, the Bulldogs will wear black jerseys for the first time since 2008 when Alabama beat Georgia 41-30 after building a 31-0 lead in the first half.
Smart was the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator for that 2008 game and he sounded less than enthused about the black jerseys Wednesday when asked about them on the SEC coaches teleconference.
"Yes, we are going to wear black jerseys," was Smart's only response on the topic.
Two-minute drill
• Alabama has won at least 10 games for the ninth consecutive season. The Crimson Tide matched Texas -- which had nine seasons of 10 or more victories from 2001 through 2009 -- for the second-longest streak among Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Florida State has the record with 16 consecutive seasons of 10 or more victories from 1987 to 2002.
• If Kentucky beats Austin Peay, the Wildcats will be bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
• Auburn Coach Gus Malzahn said he's not sure if sophomore defensive end Byron Cowart will be able to play again this season after undergoing emergency surgery Wednesday to have his appendix removed. Malzahn said the surgery went well.
• Georgia's 13-7 victory over Auburn improved the SEC East to 2-9 against the West this season. Kentucky has the East's other inter-division victory, 40-38, over Mississippi State.
Sports on 11/17/2016