Can Ron Zook ever catch a break? The arrogance and dominance of Florida under Steve Spurrier has made the downfall from the ranks of the elite as sweet as can be for rival SEC fans, and Zook is the one catching all the heat.
After a bizarre finish to the 2002 season with questionable play calling at the end of the Outback Bowl loss to Michigan, Zook needed something big to happen early in the season to win over the hearts of the Gator Nation, and he almost had it. Unfortunately, Brock Berlin chose to have his one good quarter of the season in an out-of-body experience in Miami's miracle 38-33 early season win.
Easily forgotten, Florida actually won a piece of the SEC East title, but all the goodwill was completely blown away with Chris Rix's miracle touchdown pass in Florida State's amazing win to close out the regular season. And then there was the mystifying performance in a 37-17 Outback Bowl loss to Iowa to fuel message boards for months.
The strange part about the Florida situation is that Zook and his staff haven't done a poor job. Under just about any other circumstances, he'd be hailed as a rising star with the recruiting classes he brought in, the wins over LSU and Georgia, and the potential for big things to come with some bright young stars. Nope, not in Gainesville. Not when there's a perfectly good visor waiting to be thrown.
With an unemployed Steve Spurrier looking for something to do, there can't be any more inconsistencies; Florida has to win big and win big right now. Unfortunately, this won't be the team to do it. There are plenty of athletes and talent, but not enough overall experience to win the toughest conference in the country. The pressure will be on, and it'll make for fascinating storylines all season long to see how this top program handles it.
The Schedule: It's Florida, so there will be easy tune ups getting MTSU and Eastern Michigan to slaughter before the annual showdown with Tennessee. Ron Zook can restore the aura of The Swamp with a win over LSU and must keep the hex over Georgia going. The finishing kick could be surprisingly tough if South Carolina turns into something strong.
Best Offensive Player: Junior C Mike Degory. QB Chris Leak is the team's signature star and will quickly grow into a top player, but Degory is the best player on the offense going into the season. He has all the tools to be the nation's best center with two years of starting experience, and a 6-5, 314-pound frame.
Best Defensive Player: Sophomore LB Channing Crowder. Player Profile ... A leader from the moment he started his career. Crowder could be a top 15 draft pick whenever he chooses to come out if he has a season like he did last year. He has everything you'd want in a middle linebacker.
Key player to a successful season: With the loss of pickoff artist Keiwan Ratliff, there's a gaping hole at cornerback. Dee Webb, Reynaldo Hill, Vernell Brown and DeShawn Carter are all fast and are all athletic, but they're also inexperienced. The spring game didn't help their overall confidence as the offense opened up the attack bombing away at will. There aren't many strong passing teams on the schedule so the corners will have time to get their feet wet.
The season will be a success if ... the Gators win the SEC East. This isn't the best team in the league, but winning titles is all that matters. The road team has had the success in the Florida - Tennessee series lately, so going to Knoxville isn't an automatic loss. Georgia is head-and-shoulders better than the Gators, but the Cocktail Party has been owned by Florida. The SEC road games after Tennessee? At Vanderbilt and at Mississippi State.
Key game: October 9th vs. LSU. A win over the defending national champs would be the huge win Zook needs in The Swamp, and would serve notice that the Gators will be players in the SEC race.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interception return average: Florida 20.3 - Opponents 3.1
- Florida first quarter scoring: 71 - Florida fourth quarter scoring: 107
- Sacks: Florida 27 - Opponents 27
After a bizarre finish to the 2002 season with questionable play calling at the end of the Outback Bowl loss to Michigan, Zook needed something big to happen early in the season to win over the hearts of the Gator Nation, and he almost had it. Unfortunately, Brock Berlin chose to have his one good quarter of the season in an out-of-body experience in Miami's miracle 38-33 early season win.
Easily forgotten, Florida actually won a piece of the SEC East title, but all the goodwill was completely blown away with Chris Rix's miracle touchdown pass in Florida State's amazing win to close out the regular season. And then there was the mystifying performance in a 37-17 Outback Bowl loss to Iowa to fuel message boards for months.
The strange part about the Florida situation is that Zook and his staff haven't done a poor job. Under just about any other circumstances, he'd be hailed as a rising star with the recruiting classes he brought in, the wins over LSU and Georgia, and the potential for big things to come with some bright young stars. Nope, not in Gainesville. Not when there's a perfectly good visor waiting to be thrown.
With an unemployed Steve Spurrier looking for something to do, there can't be any more inconsistencies; Florida has to win big and win big right now. Unfortunately, this won't be the team to do it. There are plenty of athletes and talent, but not enough overall experience to win the toughest conference in the country. The pressure will be on, and it'll make for fascinating storylines all season long to see how this top program handles it.
The Schedule: It's Florida, so there will be easy tune ups getting MTSU and Eastern Michigan to slaughter before the annual showdown with Tennessee. Ron Zook can restore the aura of The Swamp with a win over LSU and must keep the hex over Georgia going. The finishing kick could be surprisingly tough if South Carolina turns into something strong.
Best Offensive Player: Junior C Mike Degory. QB Chris Leak is the team's signature star and will quickly grow into a top player, but Degory is the best player on the offense going into the season. He has all the tools to be the nation's best center with two years of starting experience, and a 6-5, 314-pound frame.
Best Defensive Player: Sophomore LB Channing Crowder. Player Profile ... A leader from the moment he started his career. Crowder could be a top 15 draft pick whenever he chooses to come out if he has a season like he did last year. He has everything you'd want in a middle linebacker.
Key player to a successful season: With the loss of pickoff artist Keiwan Ratliff, there's a gaping hole at cornerback. Dee Webb, Reynaldo Hill, Vernell Brown and DeShawn Carter are all fast and are all athletic, but they're also inexperienced. The spring game didn't help their overall confidence as the offense opened up the attack bombing away at will. There aren't many strong passing teams on the schedule so the corners will have time to get their feet wet.
The season will be a success if ... the Gators win the SEC East. This isn't the best team in the league, but winning titles is all that matters. The road team has had the success in the Florida - Tennessee series lately, so going to Knoxville isn't an automatic loss. Georgia is head-and-shoulders better than the Gators, but the Cocktail Party has been owned by Florida. The SEC road games after Tennessee? At Vanderbilt and at Mississippi State.
Key game: October 9th vs. LSU. A win over the defending national champs would be the huge win Zook needs in The Swamp, and would serve notice that the Gators will be players in the SEC race.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Interception return average: Florida 20.3 - Opponents 3.1
- Florida first quarter scoring: 71 - Florida fourth quarter scoring: 107
- Sacks: Florida 27 - Opponents 27
