Published November 16, 2010 - 12:00pm
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Appalachian State Mountaineers (9-1, 7-1 Southern) at Florida Gators (6-4, 4-4 SEC): Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, 12:30 pm, Pay-Per-View.
The Big Question: Will Gator fans shell out the money to watch this one?
What you are likely to miss: the Southern Conference Champion Mountaineers with another upset of a premier Division I FBS team. Though outscoring their FCS opponents 377-196 in 10 games, App State won’t have enough firepower to overcome a Gator squad out for blood after their crushing 36-14 loss to South Carolina.
Home team favorite: We’ll see if the panic button was pressed if Florida tight end/quarterback, Jordan Reed, lines up under Mike Pouncey on the Gators’ first drive. In two games, Reed has two touchdowns and one interception and has shown he is the most capable person to throw a forward pass without it being tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Someone else to watch: Watch App State QB and Tampa native (Middleton High), DeAndre Presley, in a tune-up game before his Division I FCS playoff run (Playoffs? What are those things?). Through the air, Presley has 2,066 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. He is also lethal on the ground, rushing for 727 and 11 TDs.
A reason not to wait for Breakfast With the Gators: If the Gators current state of offensive malaise permeates through just one quarter against App. State, then who knows what kind of a nail biter this game could turn into? There are still Mountaineers on the team with the memories of the historic 2007 win over Michigan. They can act like they’ve been there before because they have.
My highly unscientific pick: Florida 38, Appalachian State 21. Gators get back to ball-hawk defense and debut yet another offensive scheme. But App State will put up enough fight after using their speed to score early and score late.
Not another Michigan: If the Gators lose this one, all hell breaks loose. No seriously, a giant Hellmouth will appear under at the 50-yard-line, and we might see some Lovecraftian-style smiting of the wicked. Or we could see our first on-field crucifixion by bloodthirsty fans enraptured by Cthulhu’s call. Obviously, I’m kidding on all counts, but the dread is real.
