Florida Gators: Lost Idaho Game Could Hurt Gator Season

The Florida Gator football team has the opportunity to get rested and regroup this weekend. But is that really what they needed this weekend?

At the time, the decision to not reschedule the rained-out Idaho game made perfect sense. Though both teams had open schedule dates for this Saturday, the teams elected to cancel the game rather than reschedule.

We all imagined a competitive Florida Gator team needing the rest this weekend before a pivotal match with Georgia to decide the SEC East. In hindsight, the rains that poured on Florida Field that September night didn’t only soak the athletic association for almost $1 million dollars, it also may have ended up drowning the Gator season.

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Need the Win

At 3-3, the Gators need to get to six wins in order to qualify for a bowl game. Florida has two winnable games against Eastern Kentucky and Vanderbilt, which is in Nashville, to get them to five wins. The Gators would have to win one of the remaining three, two of which are against top-10 opponents, with Georgia next week and at Florida State to end the season.

After these two, South Carolina is the next toughest team on the schedule. The Gamecocks were predicted by many to win the SEC East this year, but with three conference losses, they are underperforming. Still, no game is a sure thing for the Gators, and without an Idaho win on the ledger, the South Carolina may be do-or-die for their postseason hopes.

Missing a  Bowl Game Hurts

Bowl games aren’t just for the entertainment of fans. Attending a bowl game delivers many benefits for the football programs invited to attend. One of the most valuable benefits is the practice it generates for players. Teams preparing for a bowl have 10-15 practices before the game. Coaches say this practice time is enormously helpful in helping prepare players for the next season. Teams that don’t qualify for bowl games aren’t permitted to hold these practices. Turn out the lights, the season is over. Bowl games are also crucial for player recruitment, who can attend bowl practices and the bowl game. Teams that don’t play in a bowl are often seen by recruits as a program in decline.

Preparation for Treon

Coach Will Muschamp announced that freshman Treon Harris would be the starter at quarterback. Though both quarterbacks struggled early, Harris led the team to two touchdowns late in the game, when the outcome was long since decided. Though scored in “garbage time,” these drives are good for his development, which he needs more of before he’s ready to face the improved defense at Georgia. A game this weekend against the 1-6 Idaho Vandals would be just the opponent for Harris to work out the kinks of the offense.

No More September Nights

For future scheduling, how about no more September night home games? I know they’re good for the fans but it just rains too much in Florida to pull that off. The Idaho game would have gone off at a noon or 3 pm start, but with all the Florida heat at that time of the year, you just have to count on a rain storm in the evening. It rains practically every evening in August. Let’s just assume the same thing will happen if we’ve got a September night game scheduled and avoid this problem in the future. Set a few up in October and November, they’ll be great, and will most likely be able to go off without a hitch.