The Opening Kickoff: Florida vs. Alabama -- #UFvsBAMA
Friday, December 4, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
ATLANTA -- The players are the stars in the pros. The coaches often dominate the headlines in college football.
The latter has been the case this week leading up to Saturday's SEC Championship Game between No. 18-ranked Florida (10-2) and No. 2 Alabama (11-1). First-year Florida coach Jim McElwain has provided a much-needed dose of optimism for a Florida program that has struggled in recent years. Meanwhile, Alabama coach Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide in position for another berth in the College Football Playoff and the program's fourth national title in seven years.
Saban hired McElwain to be his offensive coordinator in 2008 and the move paid off nicely for both veteran coaches. Alabama won a pair of national titles in McElwain's four seasons in Tuscaloosa and launched the longtime assistant to his first head-coaching job at Colorado State.
Six years after the two helped Alabama beat the Gators in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, they return to the Georgia Dome as opponents, a storyline that has been played out in the media this week.
When the two posed with the game's trophy on Friday afternoon, a throng of TV camermen and iPhone-toting reporters snapped photos. It was a year to the day that McElwain accepted Florida's offer to take over the program.
Gators coach Jim McElwain and Alabama coach Nick Saban on Friday. (Photo: Tim Casey)
"It's gone awful fast,'' McElwain said. "It's been so much fun seeing the development of the program, our players, of the people around the program. When you sit back and reflect just a little bit, we've come a long ways, but how far we're going to go is what's probably the most exciting part of it."
Few expected Florida to be here when the season started. And few expect the Gators to pull off an upset on Saturday.
However, Saban knows what his team is up against.
"They are an outstanding defensive team,'' he said. "They have really good skill guys, a good runner, [their] quarterback is a very talented guy. Look, we haven't beaten a team that's won 10 games all year. So we feel this is the best team we've played all year."
While Saban was his usual business-like self during Friday's press conference, McElwain was loose and enjoying the setting. He offered several quips that had the room full of reporters chuckling.
When talk turned to his team being a heavy underdog, McElwain turned serious.
"Our players, when they came to the University of Florida, the expectation is to be in this game,'' he said. "Those are the type of players that are choosing to come to Florida. I guess what I'm so excited about more than anything is the opportunity for this program to be back in Georgia and back in the Dome playing for an SEC championship, which guys, let's not take that lightly."
Here is a closer look at Saturday's Florida-Alabama game:
THREE STORYLINES
Few seem to give the Gators a chance against an Alabama team that has won nine consecutive games since a loss to Ole Miss. Can the Gators pull off a shocker after last week's 27-2 home loss to Florida State? If they do, it would be one of the biggest wins in school history and disrupt the College Football Playoff projections.
This game matches the nation's No. 2-ranked defense (Alabama) against the country's fifth-ranked unit (Florida). Points could be at a premium if both teams play defense the way they normally do.
The last time these schools met in Atlanta it was Florida on top of the college football world. In the six years since Alabama has been the country's dominant program, winning three of the past six national championships. The Crimson Tide are in the hunt for another national title; Florida can make a loud statement that it's back by pulling off the upset.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Gators sophomore quarterback Treon Harris was in the spotlight all week after the Gators failed to score a touchdown in the loss to FSU. Harris finished 19 of 38 for just 134 yards and missed open receives. For Florida to have a shot, Harris needs to be a factor in a positive way.
Alabama running back Derrick Henry is coming off a 271-yard game against Auburn to move into the lead for the Heisman Trophy. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound Henry leads the nation in rushing and needs only 95 yards to break Herschel Walker's single-season SEC rushing record (1,891 yards). The Gators must find a way to stop Henry from taking over the game.
Gators junior receiver Demarcus Robinson missed the FSU game due to a poor choice according to head coach Jim McElwain. Robinson was reinstated to the team this week by his senior teammates and has the ability to turn a routine play into an explosive one if he is focused.
THE QUOTE FILE
"This has been a season of discovery for us. It's been a lot of fun, and yet I can see how much we have to go and how much we have to build and what's great is we've got the pieces in place." -- Gators head coach Jim McElwain at Friday's press conference
"Jim was on our staff early on when we were building a program, did a fantastic job for us. You always hate to see them go to the next spot, but you're always happy to see them fulfill their professional goals.'' -- Alabama coach Nick Saban on McElwain, the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator from 2008-11
"It's fun to watch him play. Not when you're playing against him.'' Gators defensive back Jalen Tabor on Alabama running back Derrick Henry
"Guys wanted to be great and that's what we're doing this year. Guys are putting it all together and playing physical, tough football.'' -- Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland on the Tide's defense
"He has good confidence. He has to just keep playing his game, but the team -- all of us as a team -- has confidence in Treon and we're just going to keep rallying around him.'' -- Gators running back Kelvin Taylor on Treon Harris
INJURY REPORT
Out: DE Alex McCalister (foot); Questionable: OL David Sharpe (foot), WR Brandon Powell (foot); Probable: LB Antonio Morrison (abdomen).
SEC FLASHBACK
The Gators played Alabama in four of the first five SEC Championship games, winning three times (1993, '94, '96). On the way to the program's first national title in 1996, the Gators parlayed a late 84-yard touchdown pass from Danny Wuerffel to Jacquez Green to beat the Crimson Tide 45-30. "Goodbye, goodnight" was the call from longtime radio play-by-play man Mick Hubert:
10 QUICK HITTERS
- This is the eighth time Florida and Alabama have met in the SEC Championship Game. The Gators hold a 4-3 advantage.
- Gators coach Jim McElwain is the third coach to lead his team to the SEC Championship Game in his first season. LSU's Les Miles lost to Georgia in 2005, and Auburn's Gus Malzahn defeated Missouri in 2013.
- The Gators are 9-9 all-time in domed stadiums, including 5-3 at the Georgia Dome. The last time Florida played in a dome was a loss to Louisville in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2012 season.
- Alabama coach Nick Saban is 9-1 in "championship" games in his time at Alabama and LSU, winning five SEC titles and four national championships. His only loss was to Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship Game.
- Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen leads the team with nine sacks. The Crimson Tide have 41 sacks, the fifth-best total in school history and most in Saban's nine seasons.
- Derrick Henry's 46 carries last week against Auburn established a new Alabama record and he has eight 100-yard games on the season.
- Gators running back Kelvin Taylor is just 23 yards from his first 1,000-yard season. Fred Taylor, Kelvin's father, also had a 1,000-yard season for the Gators.
- The Gators' 38 sacks are their most since they registered 40 in 2009. Senior defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard has a team-leading 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks, second on the team behind injured Alex McCalister (6.5).
- Florida kicker Austin Hardin is 5-for-13 on the season and has missed four consecutive field goals since making two in a row, including the game-winner against Vanderbilt.
- Gators freshman receiver Antonio Callaway needs 58 yards receiving to tie Reidel Anthony's single-season record (615) for a true freshman.
Alabama running back Derrick Henry overtook LSU's Leonard Fournette as the Heisman favorite last month when the Crimson Tide dominated the Tigers -- and Henry dominated the head-to-head matchup against Fournette. If you want see why Henry has dominated the Heisman chatter of late, check out this highlight video:
BOTTOM LINE
The Gators face a monumental challenge in defeating Alabama on Saturday as they try to win the program's eighth SEC Championship Game. Florida and Alabama match up well defensively. However, what makes Florida a heavy underdog is its offensive struggles of late, specifically quarterback Treon Harris. If Harris can avoid costly turnovers and use his running and passing ability to keep Alabama's defense guessing, then Florida should be in the game if the defense can limit Derrick Henry's explosive play-making ability. Regardless of the outcome, Florida's first season under Jim McElwain has been a success and one that has put the program back on the national radar after two seasons far removed from the spotlight.
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