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vs. MSU #19/20 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SATURDAY, OCT. 23, 2004 DAVIS WADE STADIUM AT SCOTT FIELD (55,082) 2004 GATOR FOOTBALL STARKVILLE, MISS. 12:30 P.M ET GAME NOTES FOOTBALL CONTACTS: STEVE McCLAIN, ZACK HIGBEE, CARMINE PIRONE, JOHN HINES RELEASED: OCT. 17, 2004 (352) 375-4683 ext. 6100 - FAX (352) 375-4809 GATORS TAKE TO THE ROAD AGAINST MISSISSIPPI STATE... GATOR STORYLINES THE MATCH-UP nToday’s game will be the first for the Gators on nThe University of Florida football team returns to the road and Southeastern Conference play as the the road in over a month. Since Florida’s last road Gators travel to Starkville, Miss. for the 51st meeting with Mississippi State on Oct. 23, 2004. The game game was on Sept. 18, 2004, UF has spent four will kickoff at 12:30 ET. UF has defeated MSU in seven of the last nine meetings and holds a 31-17-2 consecutive weekends in “The Swamp.” lead in the all-time series. Florida enters the game with an 4-2 overall record and is 2-2 in SEC play after Saturday’s meeting with the Bulldogs will be the a 52-16 win against Middle Tennessee State last weekend. The Bulldogs are 1-5 on the season and 0- first time in 35 days Florida has played a game on 3 following a bye last Saturday. the road. GAME SETUP ON THE ROAD THE POLLS UF MSU nThe Florida-Mississippi State game marks the first of three straight games away from home for the Associated Press 20th NR Gators. Four out of Florida’s last five regular season games will be on the road. Three will be confer- ESPN/ USA Today Coaches 19th NR ence contests as the Gators are 8-2 away from home against SEC opponents under head coach Ron Zook. The record tied with Tennessee for the best record against league schools away from home THE RECORDS UF MSU since 2002: Overall 4-2 1-5 Florida _________________8-2 Arkansas ________________5-5 Conference 2-2 0-3 Tennessee _______________8-2 Ole Miss _________________5-5 Auburn __________________7-3 South Carolina ____________4-6 TELEVISION Georgia __________________7-3 Kentucky ________________2-7 LSU _____________________7-4 Mississippi State__________0-10 The game will be broadcast on Jefferson-Pilot. Alabama _________________6-4 Vanderbilt ________________0-10 Dave Neal, Dave Rowe and Dave Baker will call the action. DOWN THE STRETCH POSTGAME nUnder head coach Ron Zook, the Gators have finished the SEC schedule strong. In 2002, UF won For in-depth television coverage after the game, four in a row to end the conference slate. Last season, UF won five in a row which was started off by the “Gator Postgame Presented by Chevron” airs a three game stretch in which the Gators won three consecutive games over three consecutive ranked live, immediately following each game on Sun- teams away from home for the first time in school history (at LSU, 19-7; at Arkansas, 33-28; vs. shine Network, with interviews from outside the Georgia, 16-13). lockerroom, press conferences and analysis. Sun- shine Network reporter Bernie Guenther will be COACHING CONNECTIONS on site. nUniversity of Florida head coach Ron Zook was Frank Beamer’s first defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech in 1987. Shane Beamer (Frank’s son) is in his first year on the Mississippi State staff as recruiting DELAYED TELEVISION coordinator/cornerbacks coach. The year Coach Zook was in Blacksburg, Va., working with the Hokies, Sunshine Network with David Steele (play-by-play) Shane was 10 years old. Frank Beamer and Ron Zook coached together at Murray State prior to Nat Moore (color) and Steve Babik (sideline) will Virginia Tech. From 1978-80, Coach Zook was the defensive backs coach, while Frank Beamer was at show the game at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24 Murray State as the defensive coordinator from 1979-80 and the head coach from 1981-86. on Sunshine’s “Breakfast with the Gators.” The game will also air on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 10:30 nFlorida’s Ron Zook and Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom both returned to the college level after p.m. spending time in the National Football League. The two met four times in the NFL and the record in those games is 2-2: THE GATOR RADIO NETWORK Date Coach Zook Coach Croom Score The Gator Radio Network team of Mick Hubert 12/8/96 Special Teams/Pitt. RBs/San Diego 16-3, Pittsburgh (play-by-play), Lee McGriff (color) and Steve Babik 11/26/98 Special Teams/Pitt. Off. Coor./Detroit 19-16, Detroit (OT) (sideline) will broadcast the contest. Scot Brantley 9/26/99 Defensive Backs/KC Off. Coor./Detroit 31-21, Kansas City joins Babik as co-host of pregame, along with regu- 9/3/00 Def. Coor/New Orleans Off. Coor./Detroit 14-10, Detroit lar commentator James Jones. WFXJ radio (930- AM in Jacksonville) serves as UF’s flagship sta- nUniversity of Florida offensive line coach Joe Wickline and Mississippi State offensive line coach J.B. tion. The pre-game show begins two hours be- Grimes were on opposite sidelines for the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl. From 1982-83, Wickline was a fore kickoff. There is also a 90-minute show fol- graduate assistant on the Florida coaching staff, while Grimes was the offensive line coach at Arkansas. lowing the conclusion of the game. The Razorbacks won the game, 28-24. Current Gator Assistant Head Coach Dwayne Dixon was the UF MVP in that contest, catching three touchdown passes. SATELLITE RADIO Florida football can be heard on Sirius Satellite nUF assistant head coach/inside receivers coach Dwayne Dixon and Mississippi State Head Coach Radio. The channel is TBA, however, fans can log Sylvester Croom have both been a part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coming out of college, Dixon on to www.sirius.com for more information. was a wide receiver for the Buccaneers from 1984-1985 and again in 1987. Croom started his NFL coaching career in Tampa. He was a running backs coach there from 1987-1990. 2004 FLORIDA FOOTBALL VS. MSU WWW.GATORZONE.COM 1 WHAT’S NEW WITH THE GATORS... nUniversity of Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Mississippi State offensive line coach 2004 SEC STANDINGS J.B. Grimes attended Henderson State in Arkansas. Coach Strong earned his Masters in Physical EASTERN DIVISION Education from Henderson State in 1985, while Coach Grimes played from 1973-76 and graduated Team SEC Pct. Overall in 1977. Tennessee 3-1 .750 5-1 Georgia 3-1 .750 5-1 South Carolina 3-2 .600 5-2 HIGH SCHOOL CONNECTIONS Florida 2-2 .500 4-2 nSeveral players in today’s game attended the same high school: Vanderbilt 1-3 .250 1-5 Kentucky 0-3 .000 1-5 Clewiston - Clewiston HS Longview, Texas - Longview HS Andrew Jones, So. UF Tate Casey - Fr. UF Andrew Powell, So. MSU WESTERN DIVISION Marvin Byrdsong - Jr. MSU Team SEC Pct. Overall Auburn 4-0 1.000 7-0 LaGrange, Ga. - LaGrange HS Tuscaloosa, Ala. - Hillcrest Ole Miss 2-3 .666 3-4 Skyler Thornton - So. UF Markus Manson - Fr. UF Alabama 2-2 .500 5-2 Adam Griffin - Fr. MSU Titus Brown - Fr. MSU LSU 2-2 .500 4-2 Avery Hannibal - Fr. MSU Arkansas 1-2 .333 3-3 Mississippi State 0-3 .000 1-5 Jacksonville - Mandarin Marcus Thomas - So. UF THE SEC THIS WEEK David Price - Fr. MSU OCT. 23 Alabama at Tennessee. 3:30 p.m., CBS SERIES NOTES (SEE PAGE 3 FOR COMPLETE SERIES HISTORY) Georgia at Arkansas, 7 p.m., ESPN2 nThis will be the 51st meeting between the schools as MSU joins Georgia (81), Auburn (80), Kentucky Kentucky at Auburn, 1:30 p.m. (55) Miami (52) and LSU (51) as teams that have faced UF 50 or more times Troy State at LSU, 8 p.m. Eastern Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 2 p.m. nThe two schools first met on the field in 1923 and met annually every season from 1962-1993. The yearly series was interrupted due the SEC’s divisional format, which was established in 1992, making Mississippi State one of UF’s rotating opponents. all times are ET TRACKING OPPONENTS nThe Gators held a 24-7-1 mark in the series in the games played between 1962-1993. Twenty-six series games have been held in Gainesville with UF leading 18-7-1. The Bulldogs own a 6-3 series EASTERN MICHIGAN (3-4) Bye advantage in the nine previous games held in Starkville. Last week: Win, 35-31, at Western Michigan Next week: at Bowling Green nThe last time Florida traveled to Mississippi State (Sept. 30, 2000) the Gators dropped a 47-35 at TENNESSEE (5-1) vs. Alabama decision before a record crowd (43,816) in Starkville in what was UF’s only SEC loss en route to its Last week: Win, 21-17, at Ole Miss sixth conference title since 1991. Next week: at South Carolina KENTUCKY (1-5) at Auburn WHAT’S NEW WITH THE FLORIDA SQUAD Last week: Lost, 12-7, vs. South Carolina nFlorida’s 52 points against Middle Tennessee State were a season high, eclipsing the 49 scored Next week: at Mississippi State against Eastern Michigan in the season opener. It was the most points scored by UF since defeated Florida A&M, 63-3, on Sept. 13, 2003. In addition, UF limited MTSU to 16 points as the Gators ARKANSAS (3-3) vs. Georgia improved to 14-1 when holding opponents to 20 points or less under head coach Ron Zook.