Florida Gators Sports Report and Nostalgia for September 9th

Good morning Florida Gators fans, aka Gator Nation. We are just three days away from the second game of the 2015 season and ten days from our first road test against the Kentucky Wildcats.

A Kentucky win certainly will not define our season, it may show a little more of the Florida Gators football team of 2015, but hosting the Tennessee Volunteers in a couple of weeks will be against a currently ranked team and will reveal a little more of the Gators.

Watching and reading about the East Carolina Pirates since Saturday does show that a minor test that we expected to have early in the season, may not be that at all. The Pirates losing their QB in preseason may have sunk the Pirate ship before it sailed.

While on the Florida sideline the Gators may have proven false the old saying a team that has two quarterbacks really has none. Both Treon Harris and Will Grier did all a fan could want and more in their opening games.

I suspect that Jim McElwain will name a starter before we kickoff against Kentucky, I just hope he does not name him like Urban Meyer did Monday night right before their kickoff. My belief at this time the starter will be named  for the Kentucky Wildcats depending a little on the game plan. If the Gators plan on keeping it on the ground a little more than passing then I would think the coaches might would start Harris, based on experience and running ability.

If on the other hand the plan is to toss it all over the field I think Grier is a little better at that simply based on what I saw against the New Mexico State Aggies. Of course the Gators coaching staff has a much bigger body of work to go by than what fans saw Saturday so it could be the complete opposite of what I just said.

I guess that is called hedging my bets.

One thing we learned from our new head coach Saturday night, he does not like vanilla. At least not in his offense or play calling.

Florida Gators games of the past

As most Florida Gators fans are aware of now the Gators took over the streak for most consecutive wins to start the season at 26. This, of course, happened when the Nebraska Cornhuskers lost to BYU Cougars this past weekend.

It was this date in 1989 that the Florida Gators opened the season losing to the Ole Miss Rebels 24-19 at home.

It was one of those types of games that Gators used to be known for. Outplay an opponent and then find a way to lose.

Sour grapes?

Florida led Ole Miss in first downs that day 25-9. Of course, sometimes a team does not earn many first downs because they are ripping off huge gains.

Florida led Ole Miss in total yards that day 379-128. So that Gators were five yards short of tripling the Billy Brewer coached Rebels.

Galen Hall, the Florida Gators coach was quoted following the game.

  • “We self-destructed and helped them,” Florida coach Galen Hall said. “I credit Ole Miss for taking advantage of our mistakes and credit us with making mistakes that cost us the football game.”

The final score of the game was written:

  • “The score came on a 2-yard run by Emmitt Smith, who finished with 117 yards rushing on 26 carries.”

In case you are wondering how far the Gators opening game win streak would go back if the Gators had not fallen in 1989 to Ole Miss, not far. In fact in the 1980’s the Gators lost the opening game of the season in 1981, 1984 and 1987. All those losses were to the Miami Hurricanes.

Other games played by the Florida Gators on September 9th.

In 1995 the Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 42-7 (2nd game of that season)
Also in 2000 and 2006 the Gators pitched shutouts against Middle Tennessee State (55-0) and Central Florida (42-0).

Notes:

  • The 606 yards of total offense from Saturday’s games against New Mexico State is the 16th best at Florida Field for the Gators.
  • Will Grier completing 16 of 18 passes is second only to Danny Wuerffel (1996, 15 of 16, 93.8) and just ahead of Tim Tebow (2009, 31 of 35, 88.6). Grier percentage was 88.8 (minimum ten completions 2015 Media Guide page 151)

Today in Florida Gators Sports

Wednesday is another quite day for Florida Gators athletics. Action will begin Thursday and continue through the weekend.

Whether you’ve got your own teeth or not keep smiling everybody.

This song was No. 1 in 1989 when the Florida Gators last lost a season opener.

gatorgrowl
David Shepherd has been a member of Gator Country since 1996. He retired from CSX Railroad in 2001 after nearly 30 years of service. Since that time he has worked for Gator Country, Waycross Journal Herald and First Baptist Church in Paris. He loves listening to his grandchildren plqying music. He has been married to Donna for 42 years.