Florida must battle emotions in showdown with East Carolina
By Ethan Levine
Published:
The Florida Gators have been through the wringer in the four weeks since their regular season finale, and those four weeks could create for a plethora of emotions swirling on the UF sideline when the Gators take on East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl on Jan. 3.
Some Gators will be playing in their final collegiate game, and for many of the seniors it will mark the final organized football game of their lives.
There will be plenty of players hoping to honor former coach Will Muschamp with a victory, especially considering the outpour of well-wishes directed to Muschamp following his final press conference in Gainesville.
There will be other players expected to return next season who will be playing to impress new head coach Jim McElwain and his future coaching staff. McElwain has already said none of Muschamp’s staff will be retained, meaning every coach on UF’s sideline in Birmingham will be coaching in his final game with the Gators. Some of Muschamp’s assistants have already been replaced, and it remains to be seen how many coaches from this bowl game will be back next season.
Some members of the team might be fueled by the promise of a fresh start; others might be weighed down by all the change that has occurred in such a short amount of time.
One thing is for certain: there won’t be many players “going through the motions” when the Gators take the field in Birmingham.
In fact, managing emotions could be more important to Florida’s chances at victory than executing the game plan interim coach D.J. Durkin has put together for the game.
With so many different emotions swirling within the program, it is imperative the Gators are on the same page when the game begins inside Ladd Peebles Stadium. Florida must present a unified front when it squares off with the Pirates. If it has players coming out with different agendas in the midst of this transitional period, the Gators could fall to the SEC’s only bowl opponent from outside the power conferences.
Florida cannot force the issue or play “hero ball” in trying to impress McElwain or honor Muschamp. They can’t treat the bowl like a meaningless game either, even though it is an unheralded affair that serves as the conclusion to a season UF would love to forget.
The players can motivate themselves however they like, but they must come out of the tunnel with the same level of energy and with the same goal in mind — to execute the game plan and beat East Carolina.
Any other goal simply serves as a distraction. Giving their best Herman Edwards impression, Florida must play to win the game first and foremost and not try and control things it cannot control.
It’s easier said than done, but the Gators must control their emotions for this game. Florida might be the better team, but if it is not the more focused team it could be in trouble in Birmingham.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
