Here's a surprise... Hurricane fans are complaining that Florida "ran up the score" by kicking a field goal with 28 seconds left. Like this moron on the ESPN conversation boards - "Florida has no class whatsoever. Kicking a field goal with 8 seconds left?" Actually, it was 28 seconds, but, whatever. "The mere fact that they drove the ball that possession alone is incredibly unsportsmanlike. Yes, they opened it up in the fourth quarter, and by that point deserved to win, but not like that." Or, consider the words of Miami head coach Randy Shannon, "I'll just say this one statement. Sometimes when you do things and people see what kind of person you really are you turn a lot of people off. Now whatever you want to get out of that I won't say it again. But it helped us. It helped us more than you'll ever know."
I wondered about the decision at the time, but let's think about it. What should the Gators have done? Take a knee, and just hand the ball back to Miami? Would that make them feel better? Toss one into the corner of the end zone? Hand the ball off? What if the running play had gotten a first down? Or a touchdown? Would that still be classless?
Let's look at reality. This wasn't Our Lady of Great Agony Prep School. This was Miami. First, if the 'Canes have sunk to such a point that they need to complain about somebody - anybody - running up the score on them, well, the irony is palpable. Secondly, let's look at this Box Score from Miami's game against Texas A&M last year in which the 'Canes kicked a field goal with 2:07 left in the game, despite having a 21 point lead. Was that running up the score? Isn't it interesting how you apply a double standard when someone is doing that to you as opposed to the other way around? Thirdly, consider Urban Meyer's explanation after the game. That was the first time Gator kicker Jonathan Phillips had attempted a field goal in a game. With 8 touchdowns in the previous game against Hawaii, Florida attempted no field goals. Now Phillips has one career field goal attempt in a game setting. Granted, it was a meaningless field goal, in terms of the outcome of the game, but it got him out there in front of the crowd, under the lights, with at least a little pressure to succeed. The Gators may need a clutch field goal against Tennessee in two weeks. Meyer can feel at least slightly better now that his kicker is 1 for 1 instead of 0 for 0. So the whiney Hurricane fans should shut their stinking traps. You lost. And you lost to a better team. Deal with it.
But, just for good measure, I dug up this nice old video highlight (below) that reflects how Gators feel about 'Canes. It's Jarvis Williams hitting Melvin Bratton back in the day. It almost brings tears to my eyes.
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I would not say we lost to a better team. I would say we lost to a more experienced team.
ReplyDeleteIt just stinks that this game could not have waited until the middle of the season or at the end. Oh, well. WE STILL OWN U!!! 28-26
It's funny that you mentioned that, because that appears to be the widespread perception. OR maybe it's what Hurricane fans are telling themselves to make each other feel better.
ReplyDeleteBut I just looked at the published rosters from each team's website.
Florida lists 121 players, which, obviously, includes kids who will never see real playing time. They have:
19 seniors
22 juniors
39 sophomores
41 freshman
Miami lists:
23 seniors
19 juniors
16 sophomores
37 freshman
So, maybe you should be worried that there is no significant difference in the number of upperclassmen on the respective rosters. Florida is NOT more experienced, in general, although, obviously, much more so at the quarterback position.