GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators need two wins in their final four games to become bowl eligible. Texas A&M needs three.
That's all you need to know to discern the mood in Aggieland, where head coach
Jimbo Fisher has become a punchline for
Lane Kiffin and the national media.
Â
The Aggies lost their fourth consecutive game last weekend, falling at home 31-28 to Kiffin's Ole Miss team. Afterward, Kiffin jabbed back at Fisher for comments Fisher made over the summer in a verbal battle with Kiffin and Alabama coach
Nick Saban regarding perceived NIL (name, image and likeness) methods.
While Ole Miss and Alabama are in contention for the SEC West title, Fisher's Aggies are at the bottom despite signing the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2022.
Fisher is down, but the Gators know they can't take him lightly.
Jimbo usually jams against Florida.
Fisher owns an 8-1 record all-time against the Gators, 7-1 during his time as head coach at Florida State, and a 41-38 win over Florida in 2020 that set then-UF coach
Dan Mullen off about the crowd size during the pandemic. If that wasn't enough, the Gators had to pause their season for two weeks after the game due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program.
Fisher's first win over the Gators was in 2010, a 31-7 victory in
Urban Meyer's final regular-season game as UF's head coach. The next season he beat his buddy
Will Muschamp's first UF team despite the Seminoles managing only 95 yards of offense (UF had 184 in a 21-7 loss at The Swamp).
Fisher's only loss to Florida was a 37-26 setback at Doak Campbell Stadium in 2012. The next season, the Seminoles beat the Gators 37-7 in Gainesville on their way to winning the national championship.
The Gators and first-year head coach
Billy Napier will try to snap Fisher's six-game winning streak against UF on Saturday when they pay a visit to Kyle Field.
Yes, Fisher is on the ropes. Still, the Gators can't count him out. Remember that 2017 FSU-Florida game? The Seminoles had just 216 yards of total offense and won 38-22.
That's the way it's been for UF against Fisher. Weird.
Here is a glance at how Fisher stacks up against Florida compared to some of the most famous coaches the Gators have faced consistently in the history of the program:
Â
JIMBO & CO.
| COACH |
SCHOOL(S) |
RECORD vs. UF |
WIN PCT. |
| Jimbo Fisher |
Florida State, Texas A&M |
8-1 |
.889 |
| Bear Bryant |
Kentucky, Alabama |
12-2 |
.857 |
| Nick Saban |
LSU, Alabama |
10-4 |
.714 |
| Vince Dooley |
Georgia |
17-7-1 |
.700 |
| Shug Jordan |
Auburn |
16-9 |
.640 |
| Charlie McClendon |
LSU |
8-6-1 |
.567 |
| Steve Spurrier |
South Carolina |
5-5 |
.500 |
| Bobby Bowden |
Florida State |
17-18-1 |
.486 |
| Phil Fulmer |
Tennessee |
5-12 |
.294 |
Â
Â
