Game Notes: No. 12 Gators Prepare For Huge Tilt With No. 2/3 Alabama
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 | Football
With four solid outings in the books, the Gators turn their attention to the first game of a challenging four-game stretch (vs. Alabama, at LSU, at Auburn and vs. Georgia). Florida and Alabama are both 4-0 heading into Saturday night's matchup at 8 p.m. on CBS. The Gators are scheduled to face top three opponents in back-to-back weeks during the regular season for the first time in school history, with a trip to No. 1/2 LSU coming next week.
In both 2008 and 2009, the two schools played for the SEC title – each was a match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2 – and the winner ended up claiming the BCS title in each case. In each of the past three meetings, one of the two teams has been ranked No. 1 in the country (UF in 2009, UA in 2008 and 2010).
Alabama leads the overall series against Florida, with a 22-14 record. The Crimson Tide also leads the series when playing in Gainesville, holding a 7-2 mark. The teams are 5-5 in the last 10 meetings. Five of the last 10 matchups were for the SEC title in Atlanta (UF won 3).
For UF head coach Will Muschamp, it will also be his first meeting with his mentor, UA head coach Nick Saban. Muschamp was on Saban's staff from 2001-04 at LSU and in 2005 with the Miami Dolphins.
The Gators average 461.8 yards per game, while the Tide average 456.0 per game. Both teams rank in the top-five nationally in total defense (UF #5, UA #2), rushing defense (UF #5, UA #3) and scoring defense (UF # 4, UA #2).
Each team is led by a pair of dynamic running backs. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have totaled 731 rushing yards and six TD while averaging 7.5 yards per carry for Florida. Alabama's Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy have been just as effective, scoring 12 TD and averaging 7.5 yards per carry for 806 total yards.
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