Florida Gators Hand Steve Spurrier Worst Loss Ever
in the waning seconds. In 2007, Meyer held
Percy Harvin
out of the game because he felt bad that South Carolina’s season had gone…well…south, so he wanted to win handedly, but not without letting the Cocks think they were in it, if even slightly. And then came this year. Meyer has decided there’s no mercy and all opponents (
Ole Miss
aside) – regardless of the presence of a legendary coach here and there – will bow to him and the Gators’ overwhelming offensive prowess and new found defensive domination. Put it all together and you get a 1-point win in 2006, a 20-point win the following year, and a 50-point thrashing this season.
I will miss Percy Harvin. I will miss his speed. I will miss his field vision. I will miss his moves. I will miss the way he effortlessly gallops down the field leaving all defenders in his dust. Not that he wasn’t dynamic during his first two seasons at Florida, but Harvin has found the end zone more and more this year and looks like he’s putting himself in a good position for the 2009 NFL Draft. Yes, I fully believe we are down to Harvin’s last four games as a Gator. Although never seriously injured, Harvin has had a number of bumps and bruises that have forced him to miss games. He knows because of his position and the way he plays the game, he could be one big hit away from disaster. Therefore, thanks to his play this year – and the fact that he bulked up in the offseason – it looks like Harvin is ready for the big time. So watching him sprint 80 yards to pay dirt on Saturday, a little piece of me died. How many more times we will get to see Harvin wow us and make us wish we even had 1% of the athletic ability he has?
There were rumors earlier this year that Harvin was not a team player. He had supposedly isolated himself from the team and appeared to only be concerned about his performance and not whether the team won or lost. Being that they were only rumors, no one put much stock in them, but after watching Harvin’s sideline interactions over the last few games, it’s pretty obvious they weren’t true at all. Harvin appears to be the happiest Gator of them all when it comes to the Gators’ recent success. He is interacting with teammates and seems to be one of the first to cheer on fellow Gators when they do well. People don’t just snap out of egotistical funks. Once an ass, always an ass. That doesn’t seem like Percy. Harvin has turned up his game and is relishing the team’s success as much as anyone. I can just see him saying “it’s great to be a Florida Gator.”
Of the Gators I already miss, Reggie Nelson is at the top of the list. During the most recent blow out, Will Hill reminded everyone why he was so highly touted coming out of his school. Hill has played very well this year, but hasn’t gotten the time on defense people expected. This isn’t Hill’s fault, but due entirely to the fact that Ahmad Black took the starting safety job and ran with it, to the tune of being tied for the nation’s lead with six interceptions. But one play showed us all what Hill will bring to Florida over the next few years. In the fourth quarter, Hill eyed a breakdown in coverage from the other side of the field and made an immediate adjustment. South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia thought the Gamecock receiver was wide open – similar to how so many quarterbacks though receivers were open during Nelson’s time as a Gator. Problem was the receiver wasn’t open. It was merely a case of Hill pulling off his best RFN impression. Hill swooped in and intercepted the pass in perfect stride. And so the legend was born.
So now we’re down to the final two before what is already being touted as a one-game playoff to get a chance to play for the national title. No one actually thought the Gators would fall to the Gamecocks, but South Carolina’s defense was supposed to do a little more. Of course, four turnovers by the offense don’t help. Florida is the only school not named Alabama or Texas Tech to have first-place votes next to their name. In two months, they could be the only team with any.