The year was 1986; Mike Tyson had just become the youngest Heavyweight Boxing champion in history. Platoon won best picture. Ronald Reagan was president and the Kentucky Wildcats beat the Florida Gators on November 15.
A 24-year old Jim McElwain is a graduate assistant at Eastern Washington making $4,700 a year, which, even in 1986 Cheney, Washington, doesn’t pay the bills. To make ends meet McElwain says he was a part time bartender and worked a package delivery route. A lot has changed since the last time Florida lost a football game to Kentucky.
Every year when the game comes up Florida plays the same card. They’re keenly aware of the streak that began long before any on the roster were even born, but publically take the stance that it doesn’t mean anything.
“I mean, we ain’t really talking about that. It’s a new game,” cornerback Quincy Wilson said. “We can’t go off what happened in the past or what not. It’s a new year, new game.”
Kentucky comes into Gainesville nursing the wounds of a 44-35 home loss to Southern Mississippi. Sophomore quarterback Drew Barker tossed four touchdowns in the first half as Kentucky built a 35-10 lead. 34 unanswered points later, the Golden Eagles walked off of the field victoriously.
Florida wasn’t exactly impressive offensively in their debut but the Gators did find a way to win the ball game. Kentucky will present a much more formidable foe than the Minutemen of UMass did but the Gators found a way to win. They’ll add offensive weapons in tight end C’yontai Lewis, receiver CJ Worton and a pair of freshmen receivers in Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells. The return of Duke Dawson and Teez Tabor cannot be understated against a Kentucky team that threw for over 300 yards a week ago either.
Florida can’t afford to take a week off, especially not the first weekend of conference play and not after how the last two games have played out. Two years ago in Gainesville Kentucky forced triple overtime and the Gators may have gotten a critical play off after the play clock had expired. Last year the Gators withstood another scare, taking a close game 14-9 in Lexington. Kentucky has been knocking on the door, but the Gators have refused to answer.
The coaching staff is trying to build a championship team. That means showing up ready to work on Monday, carrying the same intensity throughout the week and showing up on Saturday with confidence, ready to go.
The question still begs asking, though. Is there more pressure on the Gators to not be the team that ends a streak three decades in the making or is it on an 0-1 Kentucky team that isn’t expected to win? Florida’s has avoided the question this week, preferring to rather focus on itself.
“Great teams, the opponents don’t matter. It’s the personal part of the preparation and play and taking in pride in who you are and what you’re all about to go out and compete no matter whom you’re playing. It doesn’t matter. And that’s where we’ve got to learn where the Florida gators can’t be up and down. Up and down. They’ve got to understand the level and certain standard in which you have to go about your business to be a champion.”