This Saturday will be one of the defining moments in the Miami Hurricanes football season. For the first time in over a decade, the Hurricanes will face the Gators during the regular season. So what exactly is the big deal about this weekend’s game?
The history is one major factor. The current record between the two teams stands tied at 25 games apiece. Even a University of Florida graduate can tell you that Saturday’s game will decide who has the upper hand in the rivalry. But bragging rights are not the only concern.
Much more than a simple record is on the line. If you recall, the two teams met two years ago in the Sugar Bowl, and the Gators barely escaped alive. Add to that the fact that the ‘Canes are the reigning national champions, and it becomes clear just how much the Gators have to prove. In Saturday’s game, the focus will also be on the quarterbacks, Ken Dorsey and Rex Grossman. Grossman leads one of the most dangerous offenses in the nation, and he rarely leaves a game with less than 300 yards passing (of course, one can only wonder at the punishment the Canes’ menacing secondary of last year would have put on the Gators’ passing game, but unfortunately we will never know the outcome of that situation).
While many players are new, the Hurricanes know what it takes to be a national championship caliber team. They have already been through the tests and they were successful. The Gators, on the other hand, failed to prove themselves last year, and will quite possibly fail again under the pressure of Miami’s attack.
We hope you enjoy the game. And don’t forget that you are witnessing the rebirth of a rivalry. May we emerge victorious.