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Florida football: Sunday Gator game presents unique challenges

By Benjamin Henderson

Sep 10, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) runs with the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators running back Trevor Etienne (7) runs with the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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There is probably a part of Florida Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin that looked outside today and said “Florida football could be playing today.” It’s currently 80 degrees and sunny in Gainesville.

But Stricklin and Florida head Coach Billy Napier couldn’t have known that for sure earlier this week. And not wanting a repeat of the 2016 episode with Hurricane Matthew and LSU, the Gators made the decision Tuesday to push back its contest against Eastern Washington one day.

Gainesville was fortunate to be spared the massive damage and destruction that Ian left down south. So while the challenges facing Florida football this week are trivial by nature, some things will require an adjustment for the Gators.

Florida football: A whole new world

According to the Florida football archives, this will be the first time the Florida Gators are playing a regular season game on a Sunday. The game as scheduled was already going to struggle to match the energy of Florida’s first three games inside The Swamp. Lane Kiffin quipped this week that Ole Miss felt like a high school stadium at times. The Gators might take that at this point.

Between people going to church, people being distracted by the full slate of NFL games (including the 2-1 Jacksonville Jaguars vs the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in prime time against the Kansas City Chiefs), a student section that might have gone home thanks to the extended break of classes at UF, and people still cleaning up their own messed behind from Ian and it’s easy to see how Florida football vs a FCS opponent isn’t the first thing on people’s minds.

The Gators need to go in with the mindset that they have to bring their own energy to The Swamp on Sunday.

Then there is the following week. NFL team’s deal with shortened weeks all the time when they play on Monday night and lose a day of preparation for the following Sunday. This rarley happens in college football and since the Gators always play on Saturday it never happens for Florida.

Billy Napier will probably be incentivized to pull his starters early if and when the opportunity presents itself to ensure proper rest heading into next week’s game against Missouri.

Should the loss of one day of rest doom Florida football against the Tigers? It shouldn’t, but if someone takes a knock against EWU they now have one less day to be ready.

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