One step short of BCS title game, Gators find Sugar Bowl incentive
NEW ORLEANS – Florida senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter is done dwelling on what might have been if the Gators hadn’t lost to Georgia.
Having finished third in the BCS standings, one spot too low to play for the national title in Miami, fourth-ranked Florida insists it is highly motivated going into today’s Sugar Bowl as a 13-point favorite over No. 22 Louisville.
Hunter even suggested a victory for the Gators (11-1) over the Cardinals (10-2) would be a “program changer,” because Florida has not been to a BCS bowl since Tim Tebow left after the 2009 season.
Last year, the Gators nearly missed out on the postseason, going 6-6 in the regular season before posting a 24-17 victory over Ohio State in the Gator Bowl. This season, only a 17-9 loss to Georgia on Oct. 27 got in their way of playing for the national championship.
“Being able to get this program back to a BCS game and possibly winning the game is big for our program,” Hunter said. “Being able to say that you brought Florida back to the top before you left is going to be special for these seniors.”
The Gators are hesitant to buy into the idea that they’ll just roll over the Big East champions without much resistance.
One reason is their familiarity with Louisville coach Charlie Strong, who was Florida’s defensive coordinator from 2003 to 2009, a period that included national championships in the 2006 and 2008 seasons.
“I played for his defense and I know how he talked to us and got us ready for games and I know their defense is going to be ready,” Hunter said.
Strong has sought to motivate his players by playing up their underdog status.
“Nobody really gives us a chance,” Louisville defensive end Marcus Smith said. “We kind of take that to heart and want to show everybody what we can do.”
Strong said, “It’s going to be key for our program because we have a chance to go play a Southeastern Conference opponent, an opponent that’s one game away from playing for a national championship.”
Strong had a chance to rejoin the SEC as Tennessee’s coach, but chose to remain at Louisville, an indication of how far he believes he can take Cardinals football, particularly if he keeps prolific sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater around the next two seasons.
Bridgewater, an exceptional passer and scrambler, ranked eighth in the nation in pass efficiency, throwing for 3,452 yards and 25 touchdowns.