Florida Football: Gators' RB Matt Jones out for Season

With quarterback Jeff Driskel and defensive lineman Dominique Easley already out of commission, yet another key player for the Florida Gators will be out for the season.

Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post tweeted an announcement from UF head coach Will Muschamp Monday that running back Matt Jones will miss the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus:

Lieser added that the sophomore won't be able to take a redshirt. Jones suffered the injury during the first half of Florida's 17-6 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge over the weekend.

OnlyGators.com quoted Muschamp, who said he is disheartened for his starting running back.

Jones missed UF's Week 1 win over Toledo with a viral infection and endured a slow star to the season. He made it back to top form in the Gators' Oct. 28 win over Kentucky when he ran for 176 yards and a touchdown.

Against LSU, Jones took four carries for 17 yards before suffering the knee injury.

With the injury to Jones, junior Mack Brown will take over as the feature back in the UF offense. With Jones missing time already early in the season, Brown became the team's leading rusher.

He has logged 340 yards and three touchdowns on 91 carries thus far.

Florida will also likely expand the role of its talented freshman back, Kelvin Taylor. The Belle Glade, Fla. native joined the Gators in 2013 as a 247Sports composite 5-star and the No. 2 overall running back.

He quickly earned his way on the field in a backup role to Jones and Brown and has 98 yards on 16 carries.

The loss of Jones couldn't have come at a worse time for UF, as it is in the brunt of a treacherous SEC slate with numerous players already out of the lineup.

Four Top 15 teams still remain on the Gators' schedule. They'll take on No. 14 Missouri this week and No. 15 Georgia in two weeks, with South Carolina and Florida State still looming on their regular season schedule.