We made it.
273 consecutive mind numbing, coach searching, crab leg and Nole bragging days since the Florida Gators have taken the football field. The Gators will break that streak today while looking to extend the nation’s second-longest active home opener winning streak and end a seven game skid dating back to last season.
But enough about last year; this is 2014 and it’s time to wipe the slate clean. Here is all your broadcast information and some game notes to get you read and help pass the time until the sound bite that the late Jim Finch gave to Gators fans everywhere and the boys in orange and blue run out of the tunnel to “HEEEEEEEEERE COME THE GATORS!”
Game Info
Who: Florida Gators (0-0) vs. Idaho Vandals (0-0)
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
When: 7 pm
TV: ESPNU
Game Notes:
- Will Muschamp named four seniors as captains for the first game of the season. Max Garcia, Chaz Green, Jabari Gorman and Mike Taylor will serve as captains.
- This is the first ever meeting between the two schools.
- UF holds a 9-1 record all-time against current Sun Belt Conference members.
- Florida has the second-longest Week 1 winning streak in the country at 24 games (second to Nebraska).
- The Gators’ last home loss in a season opener was a 24-19 setback to Ole Miss in 1989.
- Quinton Dunbar has caught at least one pass in a school-record 28 consecutive games.
- 31 Gators will don the Orange and Blue for the first time on Saturday. Florida’s 31-member class of newcomers includes 28 true freshmen and three transfers.
- 27 true freshmen have appeared in a season opener during Head Coach Will Muschamp’s tenure with the Gators, including two starts.
- Saturday’s contest is just the second night game at Florida Field since the start of the 2012 season.
- The Gators are 3-2 in home night games under Head Coach Will Muschamp, including a 2-1-nonconference record.
- Saturday’s game will be the Gators’ first home opener at night since 2011 vs. Florida Atlantic.
- Idaho has played at five BCS conference schools the last two seasons, losing by an average of 54 points per game.
- Moscow Idaho is 2,789 miles away from Gainesville.
- Idaho gave up 53 sacks last season, most in the FBS.
- Idaho returns a combined 15.5 sacks in ends Quinton Bradley, Maxx Forde and Quayshawne Buckley. If any group has success against Florida, my bet is on the D-line.