GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It didn't matter if you were in Tallahassee or here in the Swamp this week, or in Columbus or Ann Arbor, or Norman or Stillwater, or Auburn or Tuscaloosa, or in any of the other college towns around the country that pop across datelines during Rivalry Week. A familiar question was asked.
What impact does the game have on recruiting?
Second-year Gators head coach Dan Mullen was asked that about the Florida-Florida State game -- also known as "The Fresh From Florida Showdown" -- at his press conference to preview Saturday night's tilt at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium between his No. 11-ranked Gators (9-2) and FSU (6-5).
Some coaches might say it means more than all the others. Mullen's view is not as directly linked to recruiting.
"Well, I think it's huge. I don't ever know if it has as much of a recruiting effect, to be perfectly honest,'' he said. "But certainly the taste-in-your-mouth effect is huge, winning this game."
Sweet if you win. Bitter if you lose. You beat your biggest rival and your friends and family come bearing hugs. You lose and the reception you get is much cooler.
As for a rivalry game's impact on recruiting, it certainly exists, but it's not as if the winner is going to swing half the other team's recruits its way on National Signing Day. Maybe a player or two flirts with the other side. It happens. Still, by this point in the recruiting cycle, if the relationships are based on genuine interests from both parties, most programs have an idea of where they stand with their targets.
The Gators will host a group of recruits on Saturday night and a victory over the Seminoles can't hurt their chances.
"Obviously, it's a big rivalry game,'' Mullen said. "A lot of recruits probably coming to this game because of the type of game it is. Anytime you can [win], it helps. They want to see, 'What's the environment? What's it like? What's the energy within the stadium? Is this a place I want to play?' I think that's how people look at recruiting when they come to see the game.
"Winning will help, but a lot of our fans creating the environment will help. All of that leads to one goal, which is us trying to find a way to get a win."
For more on Saturday's "Fresh From Florida Showdown" between the Gators and Seminoles, here is The Opening Kickoff: THREE QUESTIONS WITH ... GATORS C NICK BUCHANAN
A fifth-year senior, Nick Buchanan has started 23 games over the past two seasons after waiting for an opportunity to crack the rotation. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Q: Is a night game at home against Florida State as good as it gets here?
A: Yeah. We definitely expect everybody to show up early. The Swamp is going to be rocking. The atmosphere is going to be totally different. I'm excited for a lot of the freshmen. A lot of the younger guys haven't seen a Florida State game at night. Florida State at night is a whole different ballgame. I'm excited to go out there and see it.
Q: What's your mindset considering it's your last home game?
A:My mindset is just to come out here and do what we usually do. We've had a recipe for success this year that has worked more often than it hasn't. We are going to go out there and not going to do anything different. But it is a big game, a home game in the Swamp, so we're going to go out there and make sure we get it done.
Q: What's one thing you will take with you Saturday, mentally or physically?
A: Hopefully a win. That's all I need. THREE STORYLINES
Florida isn't headed to Atlanta to play in the SEC Championship Game next weekend, but the Gators have ample reasons to show up ready to play Saturday night. First, a chance to defeat the Seminoles at home for the first time in a decade should get their juices flowing. Next, they can win 10 games for the second consecutive season. Finally, a New Year's Six Bowl berth remains a possibility. If there are any questions whether this is a big game for the Gators, you have your answers.
If you have paid any attention to FSU players on social media recently, you have likely noticed how many of them are campaigning for interim head coach Odell Haggins to be named the permanent head coach. Haggins has led the Seminoles to wins over Boston College and Alabama State in his second stint as the interim coach at his alma mater. A loyal assistant and Seminole through and through, Haggins could certainly help his cause with an upset over the Gators.
This is a rivalry that has swung back and forth in drastic fashion since both schools were competing for national championships year in and year out in the 1990s. Florida took control under Urban Meyer, who went 5-1 against the Seminoles, and then FSU grabbed control under Jimbo Fisher, who went 7-1 against the Gators. Dan Mullen won his first matchup as a head coach in the rivalry a year ago and the Gators are heavy favorites to make it two in a row.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Gators senior DE/LB Jonathan Greenard is coming off one of the most dominant performances for a UF defensive player in recent history. Greenard had two sacks and five tackles for loss in Florida's 23-6 win at Missouri two weeks ago. Greenard said this week he is finally back to full speed after being slowed midseason by a high-ankle sprain. He could cause trouble for an FSU offense that has surrendered 36 sacks on the season. Only Miami (38) and Syracuse (48) have allowed more in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Florida senior WR Tyrie Cleveland exited last season's win over the Seminoles in Tallahassee due to a broken collarbone. As the Gators celebrated their first win over FSU in six years, Cleveland's arm was wrapped in a sling following the game. Cleveland is eager to get back on the field one final time against FSU and hopes to see some passes thrown his way against a defense that ranks 13th in the ACC in pass defense (273.8 yards per game). Cleveland had 12 receptions in the first six games but has just six in the last five games, so he is due.
Redshirt freshman QB Jordan Travis has provided a late-season boost to Florida State's offense. A transfer who spent his freshman season at Louisville, Travis did not play in the first nine games. However, following the dismissal of head coach Willie Taggart, interim head coach Odell Haggins has used Travis in spot duty the past two games. He has rushed for 163 yards on seven carries and is 3 of 7 passing for 71 yards. In his first appearance for the Seminoles, a 38-31 win at Boston College, Travis had a 66-yard touchdown run, the longest scoring run in school history for a QB.
THREE DIGITS
2 –Florida and Oregon are the only FBS teams to hold five opponents this season without a touchdown. The Gators did it against UT Martin, Tennessee, Towson, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
19– Florida's current ranking nationally in passing offense. The Gators are averaging 292.3 yards per game and on pace to finish with their highest average since 2001 when they averaged 405.2 yards per game in Coach Steve Spurrier's final season.
79 –Florida's highest ranking nationally in passing offense this decade (215.8 yards per game in 2016). INJURY REPORT
As a result of Florida State's dismissal of head coach Willie Taggart earlier this month, a well-known coaching veteran in the Sunshine State returned to the sidelines.
Former USF coach Jim Leavitt, who had joined Taggart's support staff as a behind-the-scenes defensive analyst prior to the season, moved into the defensive-line coach vacancy created when Odell Haggins took over as FSU's interim head coach.
Leavitt was the first football coach in USF history and from the Bulls' inaugural season in 1997 through his final season in 2009, he had a 95-57 record and led the program to bowl games in each of his final five seasons. Leavitt's tenure in Tampa ended in controversy and in the decade since, he has bounced around as an assistant at the NFL and collegiate level.
One of Leavitt's most significant wins at USF came in 2009 when the Bulls visited Doak Campbell Stadium and upset the No. 18-ranked Seminoles 17-7. Leavitt and the Bulls celebrated on Bobby Bowden Field for 20 minutes after the game ended.
A look back at the victory from the pages of the Tampa Tribune:
THEY SAID IT
"We've got to beat the heck out of these boys. That's our whole mindset. I hope they think the same thing. That's how we're coming." -- Gators DE/LB Jonathan Greenard
"I can definitely imagine it. It was a tough time for us not really knowing what the future held and feeling like there was not really anything to play for." -- Gators S Donovan Stiner on if he can relate to what FSU players are going through after coaching change
"I mean, I still have a whole 'nother year here, so I don't plan on leaving." -- Gators QB Kyle Trask on his considerations toward the NFL draft after meeting with Coach Mullen
BOTTOM LINE
The Gators are heavy favorites. They are playing under the lights at home in the Swamp. The place is going to be rocking in anticipation of a blowout win. This rivalry has been unkind to the Gators in recent years. Some of the ugliest games I can remember watching over the past decade have come when these two have knocked helmets, the worst being the 21-7 Seminoles win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2011. FSU finished with 95 yards of total offense. The Gators cranked out a whopping 184 and lost by two touchdowns. That 27-2 loss to the Seminoles in 2015 is another one Gators fans should never show their little ones. A year ago in Tallahassee, the Gators finally got to celebrate a victory over the Seminoles for the first time since 2012. UF's only wins in the rivalry this decade have come on the road, so the Swamp creatures are due. They deserve to exit sometime late Saturday night and dance on the sidewalks along University Avenue if they wish. By the tone around this one, they will have that chance as Florida has the edge in talent and coaching back on its sideline. Gators growl loud Saturday night.
