Saturday, a new chapter in a new story will be written at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, also known as The Swamp, a title created by the man who helped the Florida Gators rise to national prominence.
A man whose accomplishments as a player and coach are respected by the current Florida head coach, Will Muschamp.
“He has a statue outside the stadium,” Muschamp said.
That man, Steve Spurrier, will enter that stadium to face his alma mater for the tenth and possibly final time. While Spurrier will look to take down his former team, the coach has developed a bond with Muschamp. The two fly to Bristol during the summer and the two have talked about the Florida program over the years.
Throughout his time at Florida, Spurrier has shown support of Muschamp, something Muschamp said he appreciates. While Spurrier doesn’t think their possible talks should be public knowledge, he is hoping Muschamp turns things around.
“I will say I consider him a good friend in coaching,” Spurrier said. “I’m pulling for him to make it down there. He’s a good person and good coach. They’ve sort of come together these last couple of weeks since the Georgia game, it seems like.”
Despite the bond between the two coaches, there is a task at hand for the Gators. The team needs to defeat the Gamecocks in order to keep their SEC East title hopes alive. Florida’s secondary has improved in recent weeks, but will be challenged by the Gamecock offense. A staple of Spurrier-coached teams, South Carolina’s passing offense that is second in the SEC in yards per game with 294.6 and 23 touchdowns over the season
Muschamp said their offense is the best they’ve faced thus far, in his opinion, citing quarterback Dylan Thompson’s play, as well as South Carolina’s receivers.
“They’re a talented group outside,” Muschamp said. “They’ve got Pharoh Cooper [who] does it all. He lines up and plays Wildcat quarterback, speed sweeps. They run it with him, they throw it to him. He’s a very, very talented football player.”
The support Spurrier has shown Muschamp has been reciprocated. Muschamp said he understands what the South Carolina coach is going through this season. After being picked by many to win the SEC East before the season, the Gamecocks are 4-5 overall, with a 2-5 conference record. South Carolina’s year mirrors Florida’s 2013 campaign when the Gators went 4-8 after being picked by some to win the division.
Saturday, a new chapter will be written between two teams that are led by coaches with a special bond. While Muschamp is attempting to bring the Gators back to the levels of success enjoyed by his opponent and school legend, the admiration for what Steve Spurrier has done over his career will remain.
“As far as South Carolina is concerned, I have great respect for Coach Spurrier and the job he has done as a coach and more than anything as a man,” Muschamp said. “He’s a good guy. He’s been great to me as long as I’ve been at the University of Florida. I really look up to him in this profession. He does things the right way.”