From Saurian Sagacity – Mergz on Vols and Gators

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Posted by Mergz from Saurian Sagacity

One Day in September 2000

Our small group of Gator fans walked briskly through the burnt orange crowd, heads slightly down, eyes averted from contact. “Do nothing to provoke them”, I told my friends, “They are already pissed off”.

However, they were far more than pissed off – they were downright irate. Everywhere we went on our seemingly endless trek back to our car, Volunteer fans shouted one version or another of the same refrain –

“You Gators cheated!”

I had no idea what they were talking about.

From my vantage point of the game at the very top of Neyland stadium, I had seen – just barely at that – the Gators score a touchdown with 14 seconds left that appeared to be a short pass from Jesse Palmer to Jabbar Gaffney. Why the Tennessee fan anger? All I could see of the play was the referee raise his hands signaling “Touchdown”. I couldn’t see much else. Until I saw it on ESPN back at my hotel that evening, that is.

For the record, this Gator fan does not think Gaffney caught that ball. Does it bother me? Not a bit. Just another bizarre outcome in a series that has become one of the SEC’s most fierce. (Of course, Tennessee would have its revenge 4 years later at Neyland when some very questionable clock management allowed the Vols to kick a field goal and win by 2)

The Rivalry Begins

The Gator – Volunteer rivalry is not particularly long by SEC standards, but over the past 20 years it may arguably be the most important. My Gator fan experience began in 1984, and for most of the 1980’s Tennessee was an SEC afterthought for Florida – a team we played occasionally, but with no real rivalry such as we had against Georgia and Auburn.

That all changed in 1992 with the reorganization of the SEC into East and West conferences. Suddenly, not only was Tennessee a yearly opponent, it was the main impediment to possible SEC success. Consider this – for the first ten years of conference play under the new SEC, the East Champion was either Tennessee or Florida. (UT 3 times, Florida7). Of those 10, the eventual SEC winner on 7 of those occasions was Florida (5 times) or Tennessee (2 times). Overall in 15 years of SEC Eastern conference play, Florida or Tennessee has won 12 times (UGA has the other 3).

Plus, since the inception of SEC Championship game, Florida (’96,’06) and Tennessee (’98) have accounted for 3 “national” titles. That 3rd game in September (per the Gator’s schedule) means one whole hell of a lot.

Although SEC conference championship play kicked off in 1992, the real rivalry between the Gators and Vols started with the arrival of Tennessee native son Steve Spurrier in 1990. At that point, UT was back on the Gators rotation, and the Vols served up what remains one of the worst losses in Spurrier’s career at Neyland in 1990 (45-3).

I was at that game, which was competitive at halftime (10-3). During the second half, both the Vol’s offense and the skies opened up. I remember vividly standing in the pouring rain near field level while a Tennessee cheerleader mocked the Gator fans with the Gator “chomp” to the sounds of Rocky Top. At that moment, a burning rivalry, at least in this fan’s heart, was born.

We repaid the debt next year at Florida beating Tennessee soundly 35-18. That game is somewhat notorious in Tennessee legend as the game “some Gator fan threw a cup of piss on Fulmer’s wife”. I’m not one to discredit anybody’s legends, but it was not piss. The cup was warm coke and bourbon. Let’s leave it at that.

In 1992, although Tennessee would get the better of Florida 31-14 in Knoxville, Florida won it’s first SEC East title when – putting it politely – Tennessee totally choked in later SEC play, losing 3 consecutive SEC games as follows –

24-25 to Arkansas in Knoxville

10-17 to Alabama in Knoxville

23-24 to South Carolina in Columbia

So, if it has never been said before – “Thank you Vols for that first SEC East title!”

Florida Reigns

From 1993 to 1997 the Tennessee beatings were a regular Gator affair, with the following outcomes (Florida score – Tennessee score) –

1993 41-34

1994 31-0

1995 62-37

1996 35-29

1997 33-20

Of those games, the two that stand out for me are ’95 and ’96. In 1995 at the Swamp, another rainy affair in the rivalry, Tennesseeled 30-14 in what was looking to be a Gator disaster. Danny Wuerffel and the offense then laid 48 consecutive points on the Vols to win 62-37.

We were dancing in the stands. Literally.

In the 1996 game Florida started with a 35-0 lead at Neyland, then held on in the second half to win 35-29. The 1993-97 period can best be summarized by the Spurrier quip, “You can’t spell Citrus Bowl without UT”. Notably, the 1995, 1996 and 1997 games marked Tennessee legend Peyton Manning’s 3 consecutive losses to Florida.

Peyton may have a Superbowl ring, a retired number at Tennessee, and a street named for him in Knoxville. But he will never have a victory over the Gators.

The Blue Tick Hound Turns

“To be the man, you have to beat the man.”

-Ric Flair

In 1998, Tennessee finally did. 1998 of course saw Tee Martin and the Vols not only beat the Gators, but win it all. The score in that game – 20 to 17 – was the closest Tennessee SEC contest that year. The Vols would go on to beat “that other” Florida team in the Fiesta Bowl for a national title later that year.

However, of all the storied battles in this rivalry, the one that hurts me most has to be 2001. The game which should have taken place at its regular 3rd Saturday in September spot was changed to year’s end by the September 11th attacks (6 years ago this week).

By the time the game did happen, Florida was on a roll having just beat FSU 37-13. The Gators overall record was 9-1, and a trip to the SEC Championship – and perhaps the BCS Title game – looked well within reach. At the time I was dating a Tennessee fan (it didn’t last). I made the unbelievably bone-headed decision to take her to the game at Florida. So there I was, in my long time Florida seats, with a gal dressed in Tennessee burnt Orange. In what would be Steve Spurrier’s final game at the Swamp, the Vols won 34-32. The SEC title hopes, the national title hopes, all gone. The Gator fans in my section blamed me for the loss for bringing a Tennessee fan. Some still do to this day. It was the closest I ever came to being eaten by my own kind. I can’t say they are wrong, either. If there was to be any solace, Tennessee became the only SEC team to lose to a 3 loss team in the SEC Championship the very next week to LSU, thus dashing their national title hopes.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Sure, seeing the Vol’s lose to virtually any SEC opponent is particularly delightful in a Schadenfreude kind of way. But when the SEC season ends, I want Tennessee to win. The Vols victory over FSU in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl was fantastic, as was the Vols win over Cal last year. The loss at Cal this year stung. Basically, when it comes to the SEC, I prefer all the beatin’ stay in the family. It’s the southern way.

They Ain’t All Bad

Despite my significant distaste for all things Vol, there are a few things I admire about Tennessee. The scene in Knoxville on game day is amazing, with Neyland stadium right next to the river. I’m not aware of any other college team with it’s own “navy”, as the UT fans refer to all those boats tailgating on the Tennessee river pre-game.

Plus, Neyland stadium is “one of those places”. When you sit in Neyland, usually in some alpine-steep nosebleed section as a visitor, you really know that you are “in for it” as a visiting fan. The sight 105,000 plus UT fans in a sea of orange, the constant refrains of “Rocky Top”, those Ralston-Purina looking checkerboard end zones, all scream “Enemy Territory”!

For pure visiting fan intimidation, Neyland on game day has few rivals (perhaps LSU’s Death Valley).

Also of interest – two coaching legends of each school (Spurrier and Doug Dickey) have cross ties, with Spurrier being born inJohnson City, TN, and Dickey being a Florida grad. Dickey was of course also the Tennessee AD. Southern “in-breeding” at its best.

Somebody’s Season is Gonna End this Saturday

History tells us that either Florida’s or Tennessee’s SEC hopes will end Saturday at the Swamp. The SEC East looks particularly competitive this year with South Carolina on the rise, and a single SEC East loss may be one too many.

For Florida the game is critical, for so much as we can afford to lose one SEC game, we had better save that mulligan for LSU. Plus, Urban Meyer has never lost at the Swamp, and to have the first loss come to Tennessee – well that is unspeakable.

Sure, the Vols have already lost one at Cal, but they have plenty to play for. A single early season loss to Cal on the road is recoverable, and the road to a BCS game remains open, but it goes through Gainesville before Atlanta. Not to mention, can Fulmer survive opening 1-2, with another loss to Florida?

Florida has won 11 of the 17 contests since 1990, but the overall series stands at 19 Tennessee wins, 17 Florida wins. Saturday will see a new chapter in this rivalry where even the non-competitive games have lasting impact. Two big time schools, with big time expectations. Only one can be right.

Whether the outcome is glorious, painful or bizarre, you can count on it being memorable. Because someone’s season is going to end. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Posted by Mergz from Saurian Sagacity