Gator football team preps for Friday battle with Seminoles

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -There is a new twist to the Florida-Florida State football rivalry--This year’s season-ending showdown at Doak Campbell Stadium takes place the night after Thanksgiving.

For decades, it’s been tradition for the Gators and Seminoles to face off on a Saturday However, as you might have noticed, college football is going through a lot of changes these days.

One concern for UF faithful is the short week of prep. Florida has a small window to bounce back from a discouraging loss to Vanderbilt last Saturday that dropped the team’s overall record to 6-5. Quarterback Anthony Richardson believes he and his teammates will be prepared.

“It’s just a quicker turnaround for us,” said Richardson. “We have the same game prep, schedule. It’s just bumped up a little bit. So nothing has really changed for us.”

“Our players are anxious about this opportunity,” said Florida head coach Billy Napier. “When I was growing up, Florida and Florida State were dominating college football. It was Steve Spurrier, it was Bobby Bowden, and it’s pretty awesome to be a part of this game.”

FSU has won four straight games, and is listed as a 9.5 point favorite. The Gators have prevailed in each of the last three head to head meetings, but this year’s game will Florida’s first visit to Tallahassee since 2018.

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