Charting The Gators: Where Are They Now (A Year Later)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida and Florida State renew their rivalry on Friday night at Doak Campbell Stadium.

While the game lacks the hype of the rivalry’s glory years when Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden matched wits, a Gators-Seminoles matchup remains an event, going under the Friday Night Lights for the first time this year.

Florida seeks a fourth consecutive win in the series. The Gators, boosted by reserve quarterback Anthony Richardson in the second half, won their third straight over the Seminoles, 24-21, on a sunny afternoon at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium 12 months ago. Both programs entered last season’s meeting with losing records, a rarity in the series.

A year later, both programs have shown signs of improvement. The No. 16-ranked Seminoles (8-3) have won four in a row in their third season under head coach Mike Norvell. The Gators (6-5) had won back-to-back games until being upset at Vanderbilt last week.

 

Rivalry week is upon us. 🐊#GoGators | #jOURney pic.twitter.com/rY8MSarsim

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 21, 2022

While the loss to the Commodores stung, the Gators are in a better place than at the end of last season following the dismissal of head coach Dan Mullen six days before facing FSU. In a tumultuous season, Mullen had fired offensive line coach John Hevesy and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham earlier in the season.

Greg Knox, a longtime Mullen assistant, served as interim coach in the win over FSU. UF became bowl eligible with the victory.

Following Florida’s loss to UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl under Knox, recently hired Billy Napier took over day-to-day operations and has restored some stability in the locker room and on the field.

The Gators became bowl eligible with their 38-6 thumping of South Carolina two weeks ago and can clinch a winning season by beating FSU on Friday night. They will need a strong performance from Richardson in his first season as the Gators’ starting quarterback to do so.

Richardson came off the bench in last season’s win over the Seminoles to complete 5 of 7 passes for 55 yards, including a 5-yard scoring pass to Justin Shorter. Meanwhile, running back Dameon Pierce added 62 yards rushing – and who can forget Pierce churning for the end zone after losing his helmet on a second-half run? – before a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Florida a 24-7 lead.

Regardless of the circumstances, this game always provides memorable moments. Before we turn our attention to Friday…