Where they needed to be; Gators win in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, AL- It’s a city built on grit, determination, & necessity. A city that rest in the foothills of the pleasant Appalachians and the heartland of a congenial South; yet has had to make its way through red clay running off the slopes and by the hard iron and steel which gave it it’s prominence.

A city that is seen by many inside the state as a past shrine that should be fought for, but still remains as a black mark on history to those across the line.

A city that therefore has a long history of tough success but a more recent one of oppression and failure; a reputation that it is still struggling to shred.

A city that has been told countless times in recent years to die yet stubbornly refuses to do so.

Birmingham, Alabama is all of these things and more.

Perhaps it is fitting then that this was the site of the 2014 Gators football team’s final game.

Representing a program once revered, this was a team that limped into the Magic City with low expectations and seemingly lower motivation.

The 2014 regular season saw the Gators become bowl eligible, a feat that they missed out on in 2013 for the first time since 1990. But it was also a year that saw one too many close calls, way too many overtimes and enough disappointment to demand a change.

With that change came hurt feelings and a locker room that should have been floundering. Many thought it would be and understood if it was. The team would at least need excitement in order to find the desire to play and play well. And excitement seemed as allusive as snow in South Florida.

The players admitted as such following Saturday’s game. It was the Birmingham Bowl. Two years removed from playing in the BCS Sugar Bowl as the number 3 team in the country and only six from their last national championship, this did not seem to be the place for the Gators to play.

But it was necessary.

Because this city and this team mirrored each other in so many ways right and wrong, good and bad.

The only things more motivating than excitement though are respect and a common enemy. Both the Gators and the city of Birmingham are fighting for and against them simultaneously.

Florida had a head coach’s legacy to respect and an interim head coach to honor so that was an easy cause of respect to fight for.

Linebacker Michael Taylor lamented before Saturday’s game that the team also was ready to fight for each other’s respect. His brothers, as he called them, had each other’s back and wouldn’t let the other down.

But that didn’t seem like it would be enough for some. With guys heading to the NFL, and others just ready to forget another lackluster season, the consensus was a helmet rolled on the field would more than enough to expect.

And that was the common enemy. This team now had to shutdown a prolific offense in East Carolina and Shane Carden but had a much bigger adversary. They had to shed a blanket of complacency that many placed over them. It only grew heavier with suspensions and rainy weather.

That rainy weather sogged the field as well making it difficult to play, but play they did. Brian Poole was able to slosh through with a pick six to get things started and Adam Lane hit pay dirt time and again (even if that pay dirt was mostly muddy) to make his name known on the running back depth chart.

The defense lost its leader, Antonio Morrison, to a knee injury early in the first half. As that leader was carted off, the defenses heart stood next to him and promised to finish the game for him. Dante Fowler did just that, finding the quarterback three times for sacks and holding down the line while underclassmen forced fumbles, made tackles, tipped passes and kept the Pirates out of the red-zone during five of their seven trips there.

The offense followed two quarterbacks, both of whom had led at some point this season. Treon Harris and Jeff Driskel combined for only 171 yards and two touchdowns but they were able to keep things running smoothly. Coupled with steady plays from Adam Lane, Demarcus Robinson and one burner blasting play from Ahmad Fullwood, it was enough to do the job.

It all combined for a 28-20 win on Legion Field in another tip of the hat to Birmingham.

Placed in the middle of the city’s hardest area, in a stadium that turns up more noses than not, this field has seen history play out through college rivalries like the Iron Bowl, college championships such as Alabama and Florida (coincidentally) in the first two SEC Championship games and even Olympic soccer matches during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

It’s a rugged, blight shining light in a city that will cling to any, surrounded by blocks of abandoned buildings that recall what once was.

In the most unsuspecting perfect setting, the Florida Gators closed out one of the worst chapters in their recent history with something that had been missing; hope. Refusing to die, they fought grittily once more, calling on a history of proudness to help build a future with pride.

Kassidy Hill
Born into a large family of sports fanatics and wordsmiths alike, sports journalism came natural to Kassidy. It’s more than a passion; it’s simply a part of who she is. Hailing from Alabama in the midst of typical Iron Bowl family, she learned very quickly just how deep ties in the SEC could run. She came to Gainesville after college to pursue a degree as television sports reporter but quickly realized she missed writing. She’s excited to now marry the two aspects for Gator fans. She loves Jesus, her daddy and football; wants to be Billy Donovan’s best friend and firmly believes that offensive lineman are the best people on earth. Follow her on Twitter @KassidyGHill