Florida vs. Florida State is one of college football’s most storied rivalries, and with that deep-rooted history comes plenty of hostility.
“It’s my least favorite team in all of college football,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Austin Barber said on FSU. “They don’t like me; I don’t like them. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into that game.”
It’s not just another game for the players; we’ve seen tempers flare over the last two years.
In 2023, after FSU’s 25–14 win over Florida in The Swamp, Seminole stars Jared Verse and Trey Benson cut sod from Steve Spurrier Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to take back to the Sod Cemetery in Tallahassee. The Gators didn’t take it too kindly.
“That was something that’s been ingrained in our minds for a long time,” Barber said.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks says there’s been recent conversations about the sod incident amongst the team.
“I’ve been talking about that. Strength coach actually brought it up this morning,” Banks said on Wednesday. “We can’t let nobody come in our house and do that honestly. I remember my first year here, I remember seeing Jared Verse, he was digging, picking up the grass. It was hitting, that’s when I started realizing I really don’t like these guys. Like why are you doing that? We can’t let that happen this year.”
One year later, Florida got their revenge. Edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. planted a Gators flag at midfield of Doak S. Campbell Stadium after Florida’s 31-11 win over FSU. This sparked a scrum on Bobby Bowden Field which included a heated conversation between head coaches Mike Norvell and Billy Napier.
“A lot,” Banks said on how much he wants to beat Florida State in 2025. “We don’t need them planting no flags on our field, so we gonna go out there and handle business for sure.”
Sitting at 5-5 on the season, Saturday evening’s contest will decide whether Florida State will be eligible for a bowl game. The Gators are determined to not let that happen.
“We’re gonna do our best to prevent them from having a bowl game,” Banks said.
This game will always mean something, regardless of records. If nothing else, it’s a year’s worth of bragging rights. You can expect the emotions to be high as the Gators try to defeat their in-state rival.
“It’s always a big game – big game every year,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Jake Slaughter said. “Usually there’s a lot that goes into it. We know each other. You play against these guys year in and year out, and a lot of times these guys that you might have gone against in high school, played with in high school. So it’s a big game, and it’s a year’s worth of bragging rights on it.”
The all-time series dates back to 1958 with the Gators owning a 38-28-2 lead and wins in four of the last six. Week 14’s contest between Florida and Florida State is set to kickoff at 4:30 p.m. eastern on ESPN2.