Posted by NoleCC

By Bill Kristoph

Hooray! I mean HOO-freakin-Ray! Seriously, I am excited and it is only Wednesday morning at the time of this writing. It is that special time of the year, when the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles renew their football rivalry. In the State of Florida, this is, perhaps, the biggest rivalry of them all. Sure, the University of Miami would lay claim that they are not only a better team, but a better rival for both the Seminoles and Gators. Those ‘Canes can continue to live in la-la land. Based on sheer numbers of alumni, UF / FSU was, is and always will be THE rivalry in Florida, if not the entire college football nation.’,'It was not so long ago that the annual rivalry featured two teams that were both ranked in the top 10 (and many times top 5). Over the past couple of years though, both schools have seen their ups and downs, with the University of Florida seeing its toughest three-year span in years. The Gators are quick to blame Ron Zook for their troubles, however, this ‘Nole believes that the Gator Nation needs to scratch a little deeper and look to athletic director Jeremy Foley as the root of their problems. The again, as Zook stated, “I have the best quarterback in the SEC and I’m not winning like I should.” But I digress…

The Florida State Seminoles have remained higher overall in the polls over the same period (which, depending on the school you talk to is either post-Spurrier or Rix, A.D.), but they have also seen their share of struggles. This season was going to feature a calmer, cooler under fire Rix who would break most school records. Kirk Herbstreit even went as far as naming Rix to his Heisman watch list, but another loss to Miami, lackluster play and an ankle injury, has both prevented Rix from attaining those records and led the Seminoles to their current #1 quarterback, Tallahassee’s own Wyatt Sexton. While most fans on both sides of the ball will think that QB is the big story (and it is big), the biggest story for the Seminoles is kicker Gary Cismesia, who is 6-6 in his first two games. Had Cismesia been playing from the start of the season, the ‘Noles would likely be undefeated heading into Saturday’s contest.

The keys to a Gator victory:
FSU fans do not want to admit that Chris Leak makes them shake in their boots. The Florida QB needs to have a stellar performance against the Seminoles, if the Gators have any chance to win this game. Traditional thought with this game is that the Gators will have to out-rush FSU. This year, I disagree. The Gators need to rush enough to keep the ‘Noles honest, but with the Seminole defense only giving up 1.8 yards per carry, the mighty Gators should not plan on having a 100 yard rusher on Saturday night. Look for O.J. Small and Andre Caldwell to have big nights if the Gators do well.

The Gator defense must find a way to stop the Leon Washington / Lorenzo Booker tandem. When the Seminole offense has played well this year, it has been because opposing defenses have had to respect the running game. The Gators need to put 8 or 9 guys in the box, and at the very least make FSU think that they are leaving them there. Coach Ron Zook is known as a defensive specialist, and although his Florida Gators have not played well at times this year, expect them to have a solid defensive gameplan for FSU.

It is also important to remember the intangibles with UF. This is Head Coach Ron Zook’s final regular season game with his players. He is a players’ coach, and judging from the player interviews after Athletic Director Jeremy Foley announced Zook’s firing, the Gators are going to have the “win one for the gipper” mentality Saturday night. That attitude brought them a 48-14 whipping of the South Carolina Gamecocks on November 13. Look for Florida to play with emotion and attitude, try a couple of trick plays and, in general, play loose and have fun. That is always a big step toward victory.

The keys to a Seminole victory:
Offense, offense, offense. Can the Seminoles find an identity on offense? Oddly enough, the Seminoles are a RUNNING team, and offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden should remember that. They need to run the ball effectively against the Gators, in order to win the game. This means that the offensive line had better play well and that the ‘Noles cannot broadcast a 3rd and 17 reverse or draw. Also, the Seminoles need to run the ball on first down at least 50% of the time. The offense can roll if Wyatt Sexton is not constantly put in 2nd and long, where an opposing defense can pin back their ears and blitz and batter him. If the running game is established in the first half, the Seminoles will have a deadly play-action attack in the second half. Successful first down play-action can lead to big points on the scoreboard. Also, the Seminole wide receivers need to step up and catch some of those passes!

The bright spot for most of the year has been the FSU defense. As Chris Fowler so elegantly stated, “FSU has a National Championship defense and a Pop Warner offense.” Can anyone imagine this defense paired with a Chris Weinke or Charley Ward offense? FSU would win games by 40. Sadly, that is not the case, but the FSU defense has kept the ‘Noles in every game this year, giving them a chance to win. Look for a surprisingly great defensive line to pressure Chris Leak and stuff the run, and watch for #34 Ernie Sims to be his typical self; an animal.

Some good news for the Seminoles is that freshman kicker Gary Cismesia is making kicks from all over the field. Just remember Gary, “Keep your head down, keep your head down, keep your head down.” If Coach Bobby Bowden wanted to surprise the Gators, he would let Cismesia kickoff this weekend. It might be a key to winning the field position battle.

Prediction:
Rivalry games are always fun and exciting. Although the Gators appear to be having a down year, they will play extremely well on Saturday night. The Seminoles will have the best and loudest crowd of the year behind them. Expect a field position battle, and a bit of a defensive struggle. ESPN is in for a treat, and College Gameday will be sorry that they went to Utah / BYU instead of visiting Tallahassee, when they miss a Seminole victory 24-21 on a Gary Cismesia game winning field goal.