It's just one day, but spring can sometimes be a springboard
Friday, April 6, 2012 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Just one of 15 evaluations in the spring.
That's what Florida coach Will Muschamp has insisted repeatedly with regard to how he'll weigh individual performances during the Orange & Blue Debut game, set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
As coach, that's what Muschamp has to say. The Gators need to rebuild and rebound from last year's 7-6 record, the program's worst since 1987. The last few weeks, UF's staff has demanded maximum effort and intensity from each player from the moment they took the practice field.
No wasting time when time is limited.
But forgive the thousands of fans who flock to Florida Field this weekend for not embracing the whole “one of 15” mantra. They're coming to see something more. They're coming to see progress. They're coming to see something altogether different than what they saw last year. They're coming to not see Charlie Weis.
They're coming to see a show.
Maybe even the birth of a star.
In fact, I'll make the case that this game -- given the woeful offense last year, the arrival of new coordinator Brent Pease from Boise State and the quarterback duel between unproven Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel -- sets up as the most anticipated spring fling since the debut of favorite son Steve Spurrier's 22 years ago. That offseason featured a wide-open quarterback derby with five players vying to be the first starter in Spurrier's vaunted "Fun-N-Gun" offense.
I love history lessons. 
On April 7, 1990, junior Kyle Morris boarded the bus for Jacksonville -- Florida Field was undergoing transition from artificial turf to grass -- and walked into the Gator Bowl as UF's No. 1 quarterback.
“I think Kyle has improved tremendously and is clearly ahead in the battle for the position,” Spurrier said heading into the game. "If we were starting the season tomorrow, he'd be our quarterback."
Good thing it didn't.
Morris threw four interceptions that day, while the guy who started the spring fifth on the depth chart, a sophomore by the name of Shane Matthews, went 9-for-15 for 146 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and led his Orange team to a 21-13 victory.
Spurrier from the post-game: “The bad plays Kyle made may have opened up the quarterback situation this summer. Again, I never said Kyle was it — I said he was ahead. But some of those bad plays may have put him in there with the rest.”
Yeah, they did.
Matthews locked up the job in fall practice and went on to the win the first of his back-to-back Southeastern Conference Player of the Year awards that season.
Morris transferred to Division II Mississippi College.
Think either of those players thought that April afternoon in pads was just “one of 15?”
Some guys are gamers. Matthews had that trait. He wasn't great at practice, especially early in his career, but he responded when the lights came on.
The same opportunities will be there for Brissett, Driskell and every other Gator Saturday. Yes, the evaluation process that coaches take into the offseason will be aggregated from every time the team took the field this spring. And it should be.
Be there's nothing like using the 15th of those 15 to leave a lasting impression.
Just ask Matthews.
Better yet, ask Morris ... if you can find him.
