Buddy Martin Blog: The Tennessee Beater Checks In For Saturday
- Buddy Martin
- Sep 14, 2023
- 2 min read
Spurrier was asked on the Buddy Martin Show how he saw the game Saturday. He gave a simple answer.
Of all the people who make up the Florida-Tennessee rivalry and have coached or played in it, nobody has impacted the outcome more than Steve Spurrier. Unfortunately, a twist of
fate in the 2001 game -- moved from its traditional third Saturday of the season due to the 9-11 tragedy -- may have deprived one of the HBC’s best teams a chance at some huge post-season honors. including a possible SEC title, a national championship and a Heisman Trophy for Rex Grossman.
He was 5-1 at home vs Tennessee while coaching at UF but unfortunately it didn’t end well for Florida’s all-time greatest coach In another anomaly for Spurrier, whose home record at Florida was a remarkable 68-5, He lost his last game at The Swamp when the Vols came in and knocked the Gators off in the game that has been rescheduled by 9-11.
So, there is no love lost between Spurrier and Tennessee, the team he admired while growing up in nearby Johnson City, about 107 miles from Knoxville. He was not interested in playing for the Vols in the single wing, but was offered a basketball scholarship by Ray Mears, which he turned down.
The Vols have always been dominated by the Gators in the Swamp. And when it came down to the Science Hill High School superstar vs the team from 107 miles up the road, Spurrier dominated UT over a 16-game stretch, winning 12 of them. The tables have turned since then and the Vols are a 6.5 favorite Saturday for the 7 pm kick.
Just last week the HBC returned to Raleigh-Durham for a celebration honoring his 1989 team’s upset over Clemson. Turns out Steve could also celebrate the 2023 upset over Clemson. Just like when the Dookies did in 1989, the 2023 Duke upset Clemson j hin and the students storming the field.
“I tell people all the time, that if our Duke team did not beat Clemson 21-17 and go on to win all the rest of the games, and win an ACC championship,” Spurrier said this week, “I would never have been the head coach at Florida. Because I did not play at Alabama, I never played for Bear Bryant and I did not coach under Nick Saban. So why would they hire a guy at Duke and he never did win anything? Fortunately, we won the ACC and President Bob Bryan hired me and gave me a chance to coach at my alma mater.”
On the matters at hand, Spurrier was asked on the Buddy Martin Show how he saw the game Saturday. He gave a simple answer:
“I think the team that plays the best and the coaches who coach the best will win the game. Talent-wise they’re about even. And Tennessee has not been all that impressive. And I would say we haven’t.
“So I really believe it’s a tossup game and we’ve got an excellent chance to beat these guys. We’ve got to play better than them and we’ve got to coach better.”
Why does it sound so simple when Steve Spurrier says it?
Mix Buddy Martin with a dose of Steve Spurrier and you’ve got pure Gator profundity. Love those two guys!
Great show last night with The HBC, Ali Peek and David Moulton.