Vanderbilt quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels will miss the BBVA Compass Bowl. Head coach James Franklin confirmed Carta-Samuels suffered a torn ACL in a game against Georgia in October and underwent surgery at the end of November. Freshman Patton Robinette will take over under center for the bowl game.
“That guy made the ultimate commitment to his team,” Franklin said, according to the Associated Press. “He’s had his surgery and will be back for pro day.”
Carta-Samuels played in 10 games this season, completing 68.7 percent of his passes for 2,268 yards with 11 touchdowns. His leadership on Vanderbilt’s roster was never in doubt and he was one of the most respected players on his team.Need an example of sacrificing for the team? No reason to look beyond @AUSTYNCS_6 … Playing last 3 games (all Ws) with torn ACL. WOW!
— VandyFootball (@VandyFootball) December 16, 2013
Carta-Samuels actually returned to the team for the final three games of the year with a brace on his knee. Franklin said a discussion about holding off on the surgery until after the bowl game against Houston could be possible, but doctors informed them that would require Carta-Samuels to miss out on potential pro workouts. Looking for a more long-term solution, it was decided it would be best for Carta-Samuels to have the surgery at the end of the regular season to allow for more rehab time to be in the bets shape possible when the NFL scouts start taking looks for potential draft picks.Vanderbilt offensive line coach Herb Hand shared a message of support for Carta-Samuels on Twitter...
I know I speak for the @VUOLine when I say that it was an honor taking the field w/ a true warrior-@AUSTYNCS_6. #ManDownNextUp @probinette4
— Herb Hand (@CoachHand) December 16, 2013
Robinette appeared in nine games this season. He completed 58 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and three interceptions and 488 yards. He also rushed for 177 yards and six touchdowns, so he should be capable of giving Vanderbilt some production on offense against Houston on January 4, 2014.