GAINESVILLE, Fla. | Dan Mullen didn’t mince words.

In his TV interview heading into halftime of Florida’s 24-13 win over Auburn on Saturday, the Gators head coach was fed up with the play that sent his starting quarterback, Kyle Trask, to the locker room with a knee injury.

“Hopefully the league really tries to keep quarterbacks safe from dirty plays,” he said.

Florida’s second-year coach was referring to a sequence in the second quarter. Gators tackle Stone Forsythe had the block on Auburn end Marlon Davidson as the senior defensive lineman came at quarterback Kyle Trask.

Forsythe caught Davidson from behind as he dove toward Trask to alter the throw. Trask got rid of just a second later. Davidson was blocked straight into Trask’s left knee. The QB was down on the field for a few minutes before walking into the locker room under his own power.

“I was just trying to make a play, to be honest,” Davidson said. “The tackle, he was pushing me down. At the end of the day, I felt really bad for Trask, man. It hurt me. It really did."

Davidson made sure to find Trask postgame.

“... You never want to see that happen to a great player,” Davidson said. “After the game I went up to him and apologized. At the end of the day, it’s football, but you never wish anything bad on anybody.”

Trask returned with 1:09 remaining in the first half. The redshirt junior completed 19 of 31 passes in the victory for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’m not a dirty player," Davidson said. "I always play between the rules. … I was devastated out there, man... I went to the sidelines, and Coach (Malzahn) had to pull me to the side and say, ‘Man, you’ve just got to continue to play football.’ Because my mind was all on him: ‘I hope he gets up. I hope he feels better. I hope it’s nothing serious.’

“I told him after the game, ‘Good job for fighting. I understand that you’re banged up.’ … I apologized for it and told him, ‘I’m praying for you.'"

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