Game Notes: Gators Return Home to Face Furman
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 | Football
The University of Florida welcomes the Furman University Paladins to Gainesville for the first meeting between the two schools since 1990. Florida (5-5, 3-5 SEC) is coming off a 17-12 loss at No. 15 South Carolina last week, while Furman (6-4, 5-3 SoCon) had a three-game win streak snapped with a 41-34 loss to Elon.
This week's matchup is the ninth overall between the two schools, with the Gators holding a 6-2 edge in the series. UF has won the last six meetings, but the Paladins claimed the first two wins in the series back in 1922 and 1930.
This weekend, UF will participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2011 Game Day Challenge. Seventy-eight colleges across the country will compete to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most waste at home football games during October and November. Winners will be announced in December.
This week also marks the University of Florida's “Saluting Those Who Serve” Military Appreciation Week, sponsored by Kangaroo Express. Silver Star recipient Sgt. Jason Mike, a loyal Gator fan and former Jacksonville University fullback, will be honored at Saturday's game.
Sgt. Mike was a fullback for Jacksonville University when America was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. As he lined up for the National Anthem before the game that first weekend after Sept. 11 and a color guard presented the American flag, Sgt. Mike was overcome with a sense of purpose. Shortly after, he joined the Army as a combat medic and served in Kuwait and Iraq as part of the 617th Military Police Company. In Iraq, his routine convoy escort was ambushed by a group of more than 30 insurgents. For his bravery in the face of enemy fire during that attack, Sergeant Mike received the Silver Star Medal in June 2005.
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