Florida Football: We’re all Duquesne Dukes today
By Will Thomas
Florida football is still a week away. But not to worry Gator fans, we still have something to cheer for.
This evening, FSU is hosting the Duquesne Dukes in their first game of the year.
At first glance, this is just a classic week one cupcake where the power 5 team will cruise to a win and start the year off right. But FSU isn’t always able to take care of inferior opponents.
Remember what happened when Jacksonville State took the trip to Tallahassee?
Going into that game, FSU was -3000 to win the game and favored by 26.5
In tonight’s game, FSU is -1600 and favored by 39.5. No, I’m not sure why the money line moved down and the spread moved up.
Maybe it’s just me, but a co-requisite that comes with being a die-hard Gator fan is also finding the time to cheer against FSU.
No UF fans think that FSU is a threat in the state. But that doesn’t really matter. Whenever they lose, we win.
Let’s imagine for a second that the Dukes are actually able to walk into Doak and put the Noles at 0-1. The jokes are going to be endless.
Going back-to-back seasons with a home FCS loss may get the whole program canceled. Yeah, that’s hyperbole, but it’s fun to think about.
Some analysts around the country are already calling their shot that Mike Norvell doesn’t last the whole season as coach of the Noles. A loss tonight would just about seal that fate.
Overall, this game won’t have much of an effect on the Florida football program. What it will have an effect on, however, is the fanbases.
A Dukes’ win would send Gator fans over the moon. They’d be able to make fun of FSU fans all season, and double down on it when the Gators beat FSU head to head later in the year.
Nothing can bring a fanbase as big as UF’s together like the downfall of a rival.
We’re all Duquesne fans tonight.
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