NASHVILLE, Fla. — Here at
FloridaGators.com, we love context, and there's no better way to contextualize than to cite precedent. Even relive it.
So, with that in mind, and No. 6 Florida (5-1, 5-1) headed to face winless Vanderbilt (0-6) Saturday at Dudley Field, let's venture back to Nov. 9, 1996, for a refresher course in perils of overconfidence.
[Read senior writer Scott Carter's comprehensive "Opening Kickoff" setup here]
Steve Spurrier's Gators weren't just ranked No. 1 and unbeaten through eight games, they were beating opponents' brains in to the tune of nearly 52 points and 531 yards per game. Early in the week, Spurrier was reminded of the team's last trip to Vandy, a pseudo-comfortable 17-point win in 1994, when the Commodores' faithful (the ones still remaining in the stands) booed the Gators when their backups scored a late touchdown. Oh, Spurrier remember, all right. The UF coach warned that similar circumstances and a similar response would be greeted with a rain of passes that would really give the Vandy folks, whose team had won just two of nine games, something to boo about.
[Note to first-generation Florida fans: Yes, that actually happened. Stuff like that happened all the time back then]
Anyway, the came game day.
Everything seemed fairly routine, with Danny Wuerffel, en route to his Heisman Trophy, throwing four touchdown passes to stake his team to a 28-6 lead with about three minutes left in the third quarter.
Then disaster struck.
First, the Gators lost their starting right tackle to injury, with his replacement instantly surrendering a sack/fumble that turned into a 31-yard defensive touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion. Vandy got the ball back and scored again to make it 28-21 with nine minutes left, then forced a three-and-out and had the ball again, this time with a chance to tie the game -- or take the lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion. The UF defense bowed up, though, and halted Vandy on downs, giving Wuerffel the ball back near midfield with 2:11 left. On fourth-and-1 from the Vandy 44, Spurrier eschewed a punt (of course he did), and Wuerffel's quarterback sneak staved off what would have been a Buster Douglas-like upset as Florida fans everywhere crawled off their collective ledge.
Still, the Commodores had outscored the Gators 18-7 in the second half and short-circuited on two drives with less than six minutes remaining. They were
that close.
"He said he just might throw the ball every time at the end and I was daring him to do it, but I guess he went back on his word," Vandy safety Eric Vance said of Spurrier afterward. "Maybe he didn't have any respect for us. Maybe he does now."
Spurrier was asked if he regretted his pre-game comments. "You mean like I regret saying 'Free Shoes U?' " he shot back. "Nah. Tuesday and Wednesday conversations don't mean anything."
Dudley Field/Vanderbilt Stadium (capacity 40,550) won't look much different than the above image come Saturday due to Covid restrictions in both the state of Tennessee. Only 840 were in the house for the Commodores' last home game.
Fast forward to present day.
Dan Mullen addressed the media Monday and made it clear the Gators would head to the Music City with a healthy respect for their opponent. They have every reason to do so, of course, if for no other reasons than the Commodores are next in line on UF's quest to win the Southeastern Conference East Division title, a prize that
Kyle Trask and friends have put themselves in position to claim.
The Florida offense is averaging numbers similar (though not quite as dominating) as the '96 squad at 45.6 points and 511.7 yards per game, both among the top three in the league. Defensively, Vanderbilt ranks 12th in points allowed (35.8) and 11th in yards (443.0). Three times this season, the Commodores have surrendered at least 41 points in a game; each time at home, each time against teams currently with losing records.
Yes, it all points to good things for the visiting team, but that's not the point. Just like last week, when the Gators put aside the euphoria of beating rival Georgia for the first time in four years in handling Arkansas for a 63-35 win, they need to move on from that one and will have to do so in a near-empty stadium. Keeping playing, keep peaking (rather than peeking beyond the task at hand).
The term "business trip" can be overwrought in sports, but there are times when it's applicable. Mullen reminded his players that Vandy threw a wicked 17-12 scare at a Texas A&M team that handed UF its only loss of the season. He revisited their last trip to Nashville, when the Commodores jumped to a 21-3 lead, forcing the Gators to storm back and eventually take a 37-27 win by tying the greatest road rally in program history. That was just two years ago.
Do Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday conversations mean anything? Who knows? Sometimes, though, words of caution might work better than others.
Kickoff is set for noon on ABC with the crew of Bob Wischusen on play-by-play, Dan Orlovsky providing analysis, and Paul Carcaterra working the sidelines. The game will be rebroadcasted twice on Tuesday, at 1 a.m. and again at 11 a.m., both on the SEC Network. For Gator Radio Network affiliates,
click here.
Finally, follow senior staff writer
Scott Carter on Twitter (@GatorsScott) for commentary and analysis throughout the afternoon.
FloridaGators.com will have complete coverage from the game Saturday and fresh content Sunday, as well.
