College football

Club seeks way to rekindle fire

By ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published November 14, 2005

COLUMBIA, S.C. - What now?

For the past couple weeks, Florida has motivated itself with the knowledge it was in the hunt for the SEC East title. Entering Saturday's game against South Carolina, all the Gators needed was a victory and an Auburn win over Georgia and the trophy would reside in Gainesville.

Auburn delivered. The Gators blew it.

As they shift through thoughts of what might have been, the big question is whether the Gators will rebound for the regular-season finale Nov. 26 against Florida State and a bowl game, or just collapse.

"I don't know," said sophomore linebacker Brandon Siler , one of the few Gators who spoke with reporters after the game while teammates dejectedly dragged themselves to the bus. "It was kinda easier to bounce back from the loss to LSU because you know you still have hope to win the SEC championship and you still know you can make the SEC Championship Game. And now you don't. It's kind of empty right now."

Florida coach Urban Meyer defended his team, saying the loss is part of the transition and that rebounding is mandatory.

"It's a program that in my mind is a young program, a program going through a lot of changes, a lot of growth, and there's a few speed bumps along the way," he said. "You're playing for a championship in November (but) you didn't accomplish your goal. We've got a rival game coming up in two weeks and we'll play in a bowl game, so we've got a lot to play for. We've got a lot of seniors that have invested a lot in this program, been through a lot the last several years. That's what I just told the team. We got to regroup and go."

NO HARD FEELINGS, RIGHT?: Shortly after beating his former team and crushing its league championship hopes, Steve Spurrier said it wasn't personal and he didn't think UF fans would take it that way.

"I think most of them realize that maybe 12 years there was enough," he said. "I left to go somewhere else. I didn't leave to come here. Three years later, this was the best place for me and best for them to get another coach and go in that direction. Hopefully they'll see it that way."

That remains to be seen.

[Last modified November 14, 2005, 01:04:15]