It’s rivalry week in college football, which in the state of Florida it’s FSU taking on UF. This year, the Seminoles will embark on the hostile waters of The Swamp. Though the Gators have already been eliminated from Bowl eligibility, this game still means everything.
In an interview with EA Sports, Tim Tebow broke down which game is truly Florida’s biggest rival. According to the legendary quarterback, his family has mixed ideas on that. Here’s why:
“It depends which generation you ask,” he told EA Sports. “If you ask my dad’s generation, he would probably say Georgia.”
But for Tim, Florida’s biggest rival is “that other team.” And that statement should say it all when the team goes unnamed.
“If you ask me, I’d probably say FSU,” he hesitantly said, not even wanting to utter the name of that ‘other school.’ “But I want to throw up even when I say that, like I don’t even like putting that together. But there’s just something for me about in-state, just winning your own state; that other team, man I loved it; it’s one of my favorite games I ever got to play in and it was also something we took super seriously," Tebow explained.
Tim Tebow owned FSU
During the Tebow era, the Gators were 11-1 in the big rivalry games. The one single loss was to the Georgia Bulldogs on October 27, 2007, with the Gators getting defeated 42-30 in Jacksonville. It was his first start in his hometown. He wasn’t completely healthy as he continued to deal with a shoulder injury and couldn’t play at 100 percent ability, and to lose in front of his family and closest friends in his hometown, he had five words to describe the memory: “That one still haunts me,” he said.
Tebow started three games at quarterback against Florida State during his time at the University of Florida, and he was successful all three times. In the 2007 matchup between the rivals, the Gators came out on top 45-12. And in his final home game in 2009, Florida won the Sunshine State Cup 37-10. In that game, Tebow threw three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns. He was 17-for-21 with 221 yards passing and 90 rushing yards.
For the Gator alumni, Florida vs Florida State will always be the biggest rivalry match for the Gators.
This weekend, when the Gators take the field, they’ll do so in front of another sold-out Swamp with the Gator fans in the faithful, chanting to the sound of “We Won’t Back Down” and hoping their Gators can find a way to end this season with a victory. Because this one just means more. Much more.