After four years and 297 bylines, Alligator lifer says farewell
By JONATHAN CZUPRYN< | Dec. 9, 2014I stand in the company of greatness. And it smells.
I stand in the company of greatness. And it smells.
Finally, the sources and flight tracking are over. The Gators have their head man.
TALLAHASSEE — As Treon Harris lined the Florida offense up with fourth and the ballgame to go, I scanned the crowd of 82,485 at Doak Campbell Stadium. My eyes met briefly with a female Florida State fan, and she smiled at me. It wasn’t one of those happy smiles, it was a nervous one, an "oh crap there’s still a chance we might lose this game," kind of smile. I just assumed she was new around these parts. Perhaps she had woken from a coma last Sunday and this was her first FSU game this season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vernon Hargreaves III was worried about the cold before the game started. His Tampa blood isn’t thick enough for an autumn evening in the Tennessee hills. Thankfully for Florida, its ballhawks flew around and heated the Gators on a chilly evening, charging them to a 34-10 victory against Vanderbilt.
JACKSONVILLE — Will Muschamp’s eyes seemed to well up with tears at the podium as he spoke of a man who passed away in May — a man he wished would have been in the stands Saturday at EverBank field, to share the vindicating 38-20 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.
Coach Will Muschamp’s mantra has been the same all season.
Kurt Roper is a storyteller.
Well, Gator fans, it’s finally here.
My ignorance is my fault, but I don’t think the point was really driven home about how disconnected the Florida football program had gotten from its fans until Wednesday.
We all know Will Muschamp hasn’t yet attained the success that Urban Meyer did in his tenure at the University of Florida.
My senses tell the story of college football better than I can. The stimulation that runs stupendously deep for months on end is the most tangible reminder that this sport is more than a game played by young men, but a living, breathing right of autumn. As sure as I am that the leaves will change, I’m equally as confident that a touchdown pass will bring a visceral reaction from my core.
And so we have arrived at the million dollar questions pertaining to the 2014 Florida football season: How many games is this team going to win, and how will it perform in general? Summer alligatorSports editor Jonathan Czupryn and assistant Richard Johnson got together to rally in order to give new University of Florida students a preview of what’s to come.
A few months ago, one of my roommates brought home a blowgun. Like any red-blooded American male, we immediately went outside to try and shoot stuff. One of those things was a squirrel in our backyard. My roommate hit one, but I am not the marksman he is and didn’t come close. I tell you that story to say: I know what it means to be 18 years old and just mess around like Heisman winner Jameis Winston.
As part of the Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2013-14 season, staff writers Jordan McPherson and Eden Otero will debate two of the five nominees for best male athlete. Check out the rest of the nominees in the photos (left) and vote for the winner.
What will it take for the Florida football fanbase to be satiated? What will it take for it to stop calling for Will Muschamp’s head on a silver platter? Some will never be satisfied with his defense-first philosophy and I get that. But can the moderates be swayed into believing that Muschamp is making noticeable improvements? To find the answer, I’ll run through win-loss scenarios.
As part of the Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2013-14 season, staff writers Jordan McPherson and Eden Otero will debate two of the five nominees for best female athlete. Check out the rest of the nominees in the photos (left).
As part of the Alligator Awards recognizing the best in UF athletics during the 2013-14 season, staff writers Jordan McPherson and Eden Otero will debate two of the four nominees for best freshman. Vote for the winner online at alligatorSports.org.
HOOVER, Ala. – The College Football Playoff will officially replace the Bowl Championship Series for the 2014-2015 college football postseason, and the program’s executive director had a chance on Wednesday to wow the public with a simple and efficient presentation of the incoming system.
HOOVER, Ala. — Welcome to the Hyatt Regency Birmingham, better known as The Wynfrey.