Game Preview: No. 4 Florida (8-1) vs. No. 25 South Carolina (7-3)
*BCS Rankings used.
Just like old times. "The Ol' Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier, will be prowling the sidelines in Gainesville Saturday, Florida will then face Alabama in the SEC championship game, and the Gators are in the middle of a winning streak that has seen them put up 30-plus-point wins over four SEC opponents.
Despite the nostalgia factor of Saturday's game, it really is 2008 and not 1996. Spurrier will be on the opposing sideline as head coach of the Gamecocks and the No. 1 defense in the SEC. The Gamecocks come into Gainesville looking to secure their first New Year's Day bowl bid since 2001.
South Carolina has beaten Florida once since joining the SEC in 1992, but did come very close in 2006. The 2006 game was a classic that came down to a final field goal by South Carolina. It was blocked by Jarvis Moss and the win propelled Florida to a BCS Championship.
Florida wins the game if...
1. It sticks to the "one game at a time" theme.
After every game this season, the pulse of the Gator Nation has looked ahead, and after every win the buzz from Gainesville is moving outward toward the rest of the country. Some people may call it "drinking the Kool-Aid," Urban Meyer calls it "Florida nonsense."
At this point in the season, the Ole Miss game seems like an aberration. Florida is playing as well as any team in the country, and it all comes from the head coach. Urban Meyer has this team focused on one priority every week, and that is the game in front of them. This team has been dialed in every week, and has a focused ruthlessness not seen since the Steve Spurrier era.
2. The "forgotten" players keep making plays.
Every college football fan with a pulse knows that the Gators' offense starts with the duo of Tebow and Harvin. Then it trickles down to Demps and Rainey. After those four players, you would have to be a serious follower of Florida football to know that on Saturday against Vanderbilt; Harvin had one touchdown, while Demps and Rainey didn't find the end zone. Louis Murphy, Riley Cooper, and David Nelson had more touchdowns Saturday than Rainey, Demps, and Harvin had combined.
Add in the touchdown that Percy Harvin had taken away due to a terrible and now highly controversial (Meyer is contacting the SEC offices) 'fumble' call by the officials when it was clear he broke the plane of the goalline, the non-overturn by the replay official, and they would still fall short.
Aside from maybe Southern Cal, there is not another team in America that could go up to 11 or 12 deep with players who can take it to the house at any point. Also, remember running back Emmanual Moody? He's finally getting healthy. He's carried the ball 14 times for 119 yards in the last two games, which averages to 8.5 yards a carry. Just another weapon to have for the run to the BCS.
Florida loses the game if...
The game is played ugly
IF, (and a big if) the Gators are turnover-prone, the game is low-scoring, there are missed opportunities in the red zone, they have sloppy execution, and there is a possible letdown now that the SEC East is clinched; the Gators lose this game.
South Carolina doesn't have the offensive weapons to get into a shootout with the Gators, (their leading receiver is tight end Jared Cook), so the Gamecocks will try to contain the Gator offense long enough that they can stay in the ball game. South Carolina's defense is statistically ranked as the best in the SEC, while their offense is sadly ranked 86th in the NCAA (seventh in the SEC), which is strange given the offensive nature of their head coach.
The X-Factor will be...
South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier
Even though he may be patrolling the opposing sidelines now, Steve Spurrier is still as much a part of the Gator football program now as he once was. He is living proof that the Gators had a football program before he was the coach. He was the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history, and later the coach who brought the first official SEC crown to Gainesville.
Not many people can say they put a football program on the map twice. Steve Spurrier made the Gators a decent regional team as a player, and then took them to a national level as a coach. His name is twice-displayed proudly in The Swamp; once as a Heisman winner and once in the Ring of Honor.
He is revered in Gainesville, and will be welcomed home on Saturday as Gainesville's favorite son. He is probably the only Gator who can give Tim Tebow a serious run for his money in terms of popularity right now.
Game Prediction: Florida 35, South Carolina 14
*A big thanks to Rusty Thompson and the boys at Gatortailgating.com for puting this article on their site.
29 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
JoeGator Gator 7 months ago
"Add in the touchdown that Harvin fumbled away..."
What touchdown did Harvin fumble away? You mean the touchdown that the officials TOOK away from Harvin? The horrendous call about which Meyer has posted an officiating inquiry with the SEC?
That was no fumble. No way. Not even close.
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O-town Gator 7 months ago
Agreed. Harvin - and the Gators - were hosed by a bad call.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
I agree with both of you. It was a horrendous call. The officials mistakenly called it a fumble, the replay official mistakenly didn't overturn it, it officially went down as a fumble in the stats, and despite what everyone says about it not being a fumble, I went with how it was scored officially, no matter how bad I think the Gators got hosed, (which they did.)
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Nick The Only 7 months ago
There were 3 separate and distinct reasons why the call should have been overturned:
1. The ball crossed the goal line before it came out of Harvin's hand.
2. The ball was on the ground before it came out of Harvin's hand (and the ground cannot cause a fumble)
3. Harvin's knee was down before the ball came out his hand.
That was probably one of the worst reviews I have ever seen. There were three pieces of visual evidence, any one of which standing alone should have been enough to overturn the call.
Luckily for Florida, the call came in a game that was already out of hand.
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Michael 7 months ago
I really don't see a blowout. I understand Florida is capable of it but I think this game means too much to the Carolina Defense and Steve Spurrier/the offense.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
When the Tight End is the leading receiver in a Spurrier offense, you know you've got problems.
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JoeGator Gator 7 months ago
For a clear view of the Harvin TD, go to Gatorvision online. The Sun Sports cameras caught the play in detail.
1. Harvin extended the ball well across the goal plane... clear video of this. The play was officially over at the instant the ball crossed the plane.
2. Havin pulled the ball back into his chest.
3. Vandy LB Chris Marve then yanked the ball away from Harvin AFTER the play was dead.
This was one of the worst on-field & replay calls I've ever seen. Harvin was robbed. The replay official situation needs some IMMEDIATE attention from the SEC commissioners office and from the NCAA.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
I agree, the Gators got hosed on the call. I was trying to be objective, unbiased, and not a homer by stating that it officially was a fumble, no matter how bad the officials ripped off Harvin of his second touchdown.
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JoeGator Gator 7 months ago
"...by stating that it officially was a fumble..."
Where in your article did you make the distinction that it was only "officially" a fumble? Your copy describes "...the touchdown that Harvin fumbled away...", I see no mention that the so-called fumble was a highly controversial call. Calling a "bad call" a "bad call" has nothing to do with being a "homer"... and hanging a "fumbled away a touchdown" tag on an elite Gator playmaker is not fair to one of the hardest working backs that ever played at Florida.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
The copy has been edited to correctly tell what happened.
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Edmon 7 months ago
Calm down everyone. It was one play (in a blowout) and just a small part of this article (a pretty good article).
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JoeGator Gator 7 months ago
No worries Edmon, I was just having a little fun with Michael for nitpicking my typo on another thread when I had made the correction myself a minute or so after I had posted it. (BTW Edmon, I agree that Michael has given us a good preview analysis of the SC game) :)
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
Thank you Edmon for reading.
Joe, I didn't realize I had nitpicked one of your comments on another thread. My bad. Thanks for reading the article and the support.
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Lou Vozza 7 months ago
27-3 Gators. These guys have no offense. Excellent defense will hold Gators under 50.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
I appreciate the feedback.
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GatorHerb 7 months ago
good article and the ol' ball coach will have a few tricks up his sleeve. also, don't forget about South Carolina's all time leading receiver Kenny McKinley. He is their number #1 threat and the type of guy that will step up big time in this game. I expect him to have an impact. Cook, their tight end, does catch a lot of balls too and does so because he presents match up problems with his size.
Gators 51-16.
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
Wow. I wouldn't have said 51 points, but the way the Gators are playing right now, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
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GatorHerb 7 months ago
Two reasons why I think the Gators will pour it on:
1. "Style Points" - to get a bump in the polls.
2. because Gamecocks LB Eric Norwood has given the Gators some bulletin board material: "At the end of the game, I don't think they're going to put up 40 on us like that. I was just thinking, we're not going to let it happen again next time we come down here, it's going to be a different story."
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
1. Style points may factor into it, so I could see that.
2. Norwood is a beast. He's South Carolina's best defender. But you're right about the bulletin board material, just look at Ricky Jean-Francois, and how well that worked out.
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GatorHerb 7 months ago
talkin' smack to Tebow didn't work to well for Geno Hayes either. :)
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
or the clowns from Miami, Tennessee, and Georgia
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John Crow 7 months ago
Dude, the SEC refs have no interest in overturning a call on the field. All throughout this season we've seen blatant calls that should have been reversed, but the Ref sees it another way. No other conference in the NCAA is so reluctant to overturn a call on the field. I'm a die-hard Gamecock/SEC honk, but I would say that is our one blemish. My room mate and I always laugh when an SEC call goes under review and we take on this 1940's southern tone and remark "are you callin' me a liar, boy? i seen it like i seen it and that's just the way it is"
it's pretty pathetic. and how about SEC linebacker, errrrr umpire trying to tackle USC's QB?
the SEC ref situation needs to be addressed
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
It should have been addressed last season after the South Carolina-LSU game. Never have I seen a game so dictated by the officials. It was so bad, someone has a whole YouTube clip about it. Look up LSU Football 101 on Youtube.
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Franklin Crittenden 7 months ago
Michael, I am thinking that South Carolina is to Florida, what LSU was to Alabama. There is bad blood there. Therefore I am thinking hard fought close game with Florida coming out on top!
You guys take care of business! We need each other right now buddy!
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
I don't think that there's too much bad blood between UF/SC like there is between LSU and Nick Saban.
Spurrier is still well liked in Gainesville.
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Franklin Crittenden 7 months ago
I meant between Irban, and Steve?
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Michael Oleszek 7 months ago
Nah, not at all.
The only thing Urban would be mad about is the 2005 game in which Carolina knocked out Florida's SEC East chances. They would have clinched with a win. Afterwards he was more pissed at players who didn't give a rip about the program. Notice how no one complained when Chad Jackson left for the NFL early???
Steve might be mad he wasn't the only coach to hire after Zook's firing, but that would be with the A.D. and not Urban.
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Franklin Crittenden 7 months ago
Okay?
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GatorHerb 7 months ago
As of now, I am standing by my prediction above: 51 to 16 Gators.
Statistically, USC will no longer be the best "D" in the SEC.
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