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INSIDE ◗ Freshman Vernon Hargreaves III has impressed Florida’s coaching staff with his strong start. Read the story on page 3. ONLINE ◗ The alligatorSports football beat writers preview this KICKOFF weekend’s game between Florida and Tennessee. KICKOFF Editor Phil Heilman ◗ Cover Photo Alligator File Photo ◗ Cover Design Rachel Crosby and Landon Watnick Alligator, Friday, September 20, 2013 Rocky Stopped Pivotal ’04 game changed course of rivalry JOE MORGAN for a similar fate that same night. Alligator Staff Writer @joe_morgan Before Baker’s pivotal fl ag, Wilhoit was the � � � goat as the Volunteers trailed 28-27. Tennessee cannot break the “Dallas Baker Tennessee had matched Florida touchdown Curse.” That’s how Baker’s family and friends for touchdown all night, but a botched extra The war raged throughout the 1990s between see it, anyway. point by Wilhoit in the fi nal minutes allowed the Gators and the Volunteers. After the South- The last time the Volunteers beat the Gators, UF to run out the clock. eastern Conference split into two divisions and Baker was penalized for unsportsmanlike con- The Gators seemed destined to claim their established the SEC Championship Game in duct in the game’s fi nal minute. The fl ag helped third straight victory in Knoxville, Tenn. 1992, either Florida or Tennessee represented UT rally for a 30-28 win on Sept. 18, 2004. Wilhoit took the kick for granted. He had the East every year until 2002. “It’s kind of funny,” Baker said of the curse. never missed an extra point before then as a “It became a big rivalry for Florida and for “We joke all the time.” Volunteer. He admitted he got lazy. He shanked Tennessee, I guess, because we were, in the ear- Offi cial Bobby Moreau threw the fl ag when the kick wide right. He was in shock. ly ‘90s, the two best teams in the East,” former Baker retaliated with a shove after Tennessee’s “The sudden reality started to kick in,” Wil- Gators coach Steve Spurrier said. “Tennessee Jonathan Wade hit him in the facemask between hoit said. “And I said, ‘If this game ends the way and us were usually fi ghting it out for the di- third and fourth down. it could, then it’ll be my fault that we lost the vision championship in those years, so it was a “I wasn’t really thinking,” Baker said. “It all game.’ I was desperate for an opportunity. Once huge game.” happened in slow motion.” I missed that extra point, I knew that it was my Wilhoit, who grew up a Volunteers fan, was Teammates had told Baker in previous fault and I had just had a really bad mistake.” always invested in the UF-UT series. weeks to toughen up and play with more pas- Wilhoit was dying for a second chance. Wade He said Tennessee’s rivalry with Florida sion. In that instance, the sophomore wide re- and Baker’s exchange gave him hope. even surpassed the Vols’ rivalry with Alabama, ceiver simply went too far. When Tennessee got the ball on its own 39- known as the “Third Saturday in October.” “I made a boneheaded decision,” Baker said. yard line with no timeouts and 43 seconds re- Wilhoit looked up to former Volunteers “That wasn’t my way to show passion and fi re maining, Wilhoit sought out Volunteers offen- kicker Jeff Hall, who also beat Florida with a and stuff like that. That was the fi rst thing I sive coordinator Randy Sanders. game-winning fi eld goal. Hall’s kick preserved thought about.” “Just get me across midfi eld, and I’ll make Tennessee’s perfect record en route to winning The personal foul cost UF 15 yards and it,” Wilhoit told Sanders. the 1998 national title. stopped the clock, helping UT win with six sec- Thirty-seven seconds later, Wilhoit split “Florida was our hated rival,” Wilhoit said. onds remaining. the uprights from 50 yards away. Gators fans “That was the game that I wanted to perform “On the way home, I remember I was fi ght- mockingly thanked Baker following the game, well, and that was one that I always remem- ing back the tears because my teammates kept but Wilhoit said they should be thanking him. bered. So to play well in that game and to make telling me it was OK, that we all make mis- “Ron Zook was your coach at the time,” that kick made it that much sweeter.” takes,” Baker said. “But inside, I felt like I was Wilhoit said of what he tells Florida fans. “Mak- After beginning the annual series in 1990, Alligator File Photo the reason we lost.” ing that fi eld goal, and then you guys losing to Florida took six of the fi rst eight games as part Former Gators wide receiver Dallas Baker (81) breaks a tackle during Florida’s 21-20 The backlash in Gainesville was fi erce. of a run of four straight SEC titles from 1993- Mississippi State a couple of weeks later, all of a victory against Tennessee on Sept. 16, 2006 in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. “Thanks, Dallas,” frustrated Florida fans sudden that led to Urban Meyer being the head 1996. Tennessee played in the Florida Citrus wrote on the 34th Street wall. coach. So, in the long run, you guys may have Bowl — now known as the Capital One Bowl Florida has won eight straight contests Former Gators wide receiver Jacquez Green “That crushed me even more,” Baker said. lost the battle, but you won the war.” — three times during that span. against UT by an average margin of 15.5 points added.“I think the fans and sportswriters make Tennessee kicker James Wilhoit was on track In the spring of 1997, Spurrier famously per game. The past six games were decided by it more of a rivalry now. I think a rivalry is when joked, “You can’t spell Citrus without U-T.” double digits. both teams have an equal chance of winning on But once Peyton Manning — who never beat Tennessee has only three winning seasons a yearly basis.” Florida — left Tennessee after 1997, the series in- since Meyer started at UF in 2005 and has lost But whether the rivalry is alive or dead, the tensifi ed. Tennessee took four of the next seven six or more games six times during that span. nostalgia remains. contests — fi ve decided by single digits — with UT last won the SEC East in 2007. The Gators “I remember telling (Tim) Tebow and all an average margin of victory of only 6.3 points beat the Vols 59-20 that year. those young guys, ‘This is a game here that you per game. The rivalry fl ared up when Lane Kiffi n ac- dream about playing in,’” Baker said. “I remem- UF even ended up in the Citrus Bowl a cused UF of a recruiting violation involving ber telling them, ‘This is a game that you never couple of times, prompting UT fans to jab right Nu’Keese Richardson in 2009. But the claim was want to lose.’” back at Spurrier. A plane fl ew over the 1998 unfounded, and Meyer beat Kiffi n in the latter’s Florida Citrus Bowl between Florida and Penn lone year as Tennessee’s coach. State with a banner that read: “Vols: Welcome Will Muschamp picked up where Meyer left the Gators to the FLA Citrus Bowl!” off, defeating UT in each of his fi rst two years. Meanwhile, the Volunteers have had fi ve “You guys may have lost the battle, different head coaches since 2008. but you won the war.” Blame the “Dallas Baker Curse”? PROBABLE James Wilhoit “The guy watched us both — then threw a DE Jacques Smith (thumb) former Tennessee kicker fl ag, and they haven’t beat us since,” Baker said. DE Corey Vereen (knee) Spurrier also enjoyed the increased competi- “So I feel like maybe there is a ‘Dallas Baker WR Pig Howard (undisclosed) tiveness in the late ‘90s. He said he remembers Curse.’” WR Johnathon Johnson (undisclosed) every game against Tennessee, but he has a soft The lopsidedness of recent meetings has re- spot for Florida’s 27-23 comeback win in 2000. sulted in mixed opinions of whether or not the OUT “All their students were ready to swarm the once-great SEC matchup is still a rivalry. Both WR Devrin Young (hand) fi eld,” Spurrier said. “They were ready to come coaches think so. “It’s still a huge rivalry,” Muschamp said. LB Curt Maggitt (knee) out there and then all of a sudden they just stood DL Trevarris Saulsberry (knee) there and looked at each other for a while. So I’d “It’s a very important game at the University of say that was my favorite.” Florida.” Although Spurrier got on the nerves of Wil- “Our players understand the rivalry, what is hoit and other Tennessee fans, the kicker always at stake,” UT coach Butch Jones told the Associ- respected the Ol’ Ball Coach. Wilhoit admired ated Press. “I think they understand what has Spurrier’s will to win. gone on before them.” “I liked his moxie and his ability and his So does Jeff Driskel. mentality to kind of go for the throat,” Wilhoit “It goes way back,” the quarterback said. PROBABLE said. “He was going to go for the jugular. So I “Two storied programs. Since I’ve been here, for QB Jeff Driskel (knee) respected that part of it. He’s a great coach.” a while, we’ve dominated the series, but I know OL Jon Halapio (pectoral muscle) they’re gunning for us.