Gators hoping to end home losing streak to FSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Dan Mullen is unbeaten against Florida State. Most of his players can’t say the same.

The eighth-ranked Gators (9-2) have dropped four straight games at home to their biggest in-state rival, a decade-old skid they hope to end Saturday night in the Swamp.

“Yeah, I heard that,” senior linebacker David Reese said. “You can’t miss Twitter. Twitter tells you everything about yourself before you know it.”

Florida’s last victory against the Seminoles in Gainesville came in Tim Tebow’s final home game in 2009, a 37-10 shellacking that turned out to be the regularseason finale for longtime FSU coach Bobby Bowden. Bowden announced his (forced) retirement three days later.

The Seminoles (6-5) have celebrated every trip to Florida Field since, winning each of those four games by at least two touchdowns.

Ending that losing streak tops the list of everything Florida has to play for on “Senior Day.”

“It would mean everything,” defensive tackle Adam Shuler said.

With a victory, the Gators would:

• Reach 10 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2009;

• Move a step closer to securing a New Year’s Six bowl, likely the Orange or Cotton bowl;

• Finish unbeaten at home for the 14th time in the last 30 years and first time since 2016.

“We’ve got to beat the heck out these boys,” linebacker Jon Greenard said. “That’s our whole mindset. It’s nothing else as far as worrying about bowl game or after the game, getting rest. Our mindset is to beat the heck out of them. They’re going to think the same thing. I hope they think the same thing. But that’s how we’re coming.”