On the final play of UCF’s gut-wrenching Friday night loss against the Louisville Cardinals, Knights’ junior starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel broke his clavicle, he announced on Twitter.
The seriousness of the injury Gabriel suffered to his throwing shoulder was first reported by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde.
Gabriel left Cardinal Stadium with his left arm in a sling and with ice on his shoulder. The Knights’ QB received X-Rays immediately after the game, according to Forde.
UCF head coach Gus Malzahn provided an update on Gabriel following the loss, saying he didn’t know the diagnosis, but Gabriel “is a great player and competed until the last play.”
“We’ll know more when we get home,” Malzahn said, according to Forde.
Until Gabriel’s Saturday afternoon tweet, UCF had not released a statement explaining how serious the injury may be. But Forde, who was at the game, wrote that “every postgame indication” points to the injury as “major,” and noted that Gabriel was consoled by his family after being seen by the medical team.
On the drive just prior to the injury, Louisville intercepted a Gabriel pass-attempt and returned it for the game-winning touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 42-35 lead with just 13 seconds remaining.
Gabriel finished the game completing 22-of-29 passes, throwing for 184 yards. The quarterback scored four total touchdowns on the night, throwing for three of them.
His six-yard rushing touchdown tied the game up at 35 apiece with just over one minute remaining.
Who could be the next man up since Gabriel is unable to play?
The current second-string quarterback on the Knights’ depth chart is freshman Mikey Keene.
Keene, a three-star recruit from Chandler, Arizona, has made one appearance in his very young collegiate career.
In the lone appearance, which came during last week’s 63-14 win over Bethune-Cookman, Keene completed four of his seven pass-attempts, going for 55 yards. Keene also threw a touchdown in the win, connecting with sophomore receiver Kaedin Robinson for the 30-yard score.
Following a bye week, UCF will travel to Annapolis, MD to take on American Athletic Conference opponent Navy on Oct 2.
Check back with Knight News for updates.
