Typical Florida Gators. Only way to sum it up.
Of course that “team from up north” is all about a rivalry renewed now; confident in the state of their program and using their muscle to get a “neutral site” game on the books—in the 407.
Miami to Orlando; a solid 232 miles. Gainesville to O-Town clocks in around 111. Neutral, my ass. There’s more University of Florida support in the middle of the state than there is for the University of Central Florida. O-Town is Gator Country any way it’s sliced or diced.
The showdown is set for the 2019 season opener and is part of the Camping World Kickoff games at the former Citrus Bowl.
“Florida Citrus Sports is proud to announce yet another big-time college football game for Orlando,” FCSports CEO Steve Hogan said in a release. “We’re excited to pair two in-state teams for a match-up with tremendous appeal locally and nationally at the top of the 2019 season.”
Two more ACC versus SEC showdown have been announced at the venue; Florida State and Ole Miss this fall, followed by Louisville and Alabama in 2018.
Miami leads the all-time series with Florida, 29-26—the Canes and Gators sporadically playing since UF cited scheduling issues in the decades back and ended the annual meeting after the 1987 season.
What Florida faithful have chalked up to SEC participation and lost revenue from out-of-conference road games outside the confines of The Swamp—the rest of the planet knows it’s nothing more than a sore loser taking their ball and going home.
Miami and Florida played almost annually between 1938 and 1987—the Canes winning three of the final four regular season games before things came to a screeching halt.
One decade of modern day U-fueled success was all that Florida could take.
The early years of he rivalry were somewhat even; both programs even at 10-10 by 1959. From there, the Gators pulled ahead—winning 12 of the next 18.
By 1979, it became clear these weren’t your father’s Hurricanes anymore as Howard Schnellenberger began building a bonafide program in Coral Gables—picking up where Lou Saban left off, taking Miami to places no one expected.
Between 1978 and 1987, the Canes took 7-of-10 from the Gators and that was all she wrote. One of those three Florida wins—a 28-3 whipping of Miami in Gainesville in 1983. “The U” proceeded to rattle off straight 11 wins, including a takedown of No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the national championship.
Translation; in a year when the Gators got the best of the Canes, Miami still won the war despite losing the battle.
By 1987—the Hurricanes had won two titles over a five year span (while leaving two more on the table. Miami waxed Florida at the Orange Bowl that season, 31-4, waving the white flag soon there after.
In 1990 Florida cancelled its 1992 and 1993 games against Miami—paying a $75,000 penalty in the process. It also voided letters of agreement with the Canes for games in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000.
Then UM athletic director Sam Jankovich reacted bitterly to Florida’s bail-out.
“I was shocked to learn about the Florida series through the papers,” Jankovich told the Miami Herald. We had received no previous notice.”
Florida arguably saved themselves a loss in 1992, with Miami the top-ranked team and undefeated before falling in the Sugar Bowl to eventual champs Alabama. 1993 would’ve been a toss-up, though the Gators finished stronger than the Canes.
Those 1996 and 1997 games would’ve gone Florida’s way—Miami on probation, getting kicked in the teeth—while the Gators won a national title and title went 22-3 over that span.
1999 would’ve been another toss-up between two eventual 9-4 teams, but 2000 was settled on the field by way of the 2001 Sugar Bowl as the second-ranked Hurricanes dominated the No. 7 Gators, 37-20.
The teams met during the regular season two years later. Miami—fresh off the program’s fifth national title—destroyed Florida at The Swamp, 41-16. The following year the Gators blew a 33-10 lead at the Orange Bowl in an improbable U-fueled 38-33 win.
Insult to injury; the comeback was led by former UF quarterback Brock Berlin—who was also under center for the Peach Bowl victory against his former mates the following year, 27-10.
The postseason win pushed Miami’s win-streak against Florida to six game. The Gators got one back in 2008 with Tim Tebow leading the charge—en route to a national championship—26-3. Florida (somehow) staved off their return game at Miami until 2013—which the Canes won, 21-16 courtesy of six Gators’ turnovers.
A bowl game could pit these two against one another before 2019. Regardless, the amount of shit-talking between now and then will be immeasurable—two programs that loathe each other, celebrating the enemy’s missteps along the way.