No. 14 UF?s matchup with Florida Atlantic on Saturday won?t be the most important game of the day for the Gators.
Instead, the games with the biggest impact on UF?s season will take place in Athens, Ga., and Knoxville, Tenn., where the two teams ahead of the Gators (7-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) in the race for the SEC East will play.
Georgia (5-2 SEC) will host Kentucky at 12:30 p.m., and Tennessee (4-2 SEC) will welcome in-state foe Vanderbilt for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
UF needs both the Bulldogs and Volunteers to lose a conference game, and if Georgia is successful this weekend, the Gators? dreams of returning to the SEC Championship Game will be crushed.
The magnitude of these games is almost enough to overshadow UF?s game against FAU.
BThere are some big games going on for us with Georgia and Tennessee,C receiver Andre Caldwell said. BWe need them to lose, but every game we go into, we?re playing to win and blow a team out. You may not think it?s a big game, but it is to us.C
The Owls (5-4, 4-1 Sun Belt) are locked in a battle for the Sun Belt title with Troy, whom UF defeated 59-31 in its second game of the season.
The Gators are heavily favored in the game, but they aren?t overlooking FAU. The Owls are comparable to the Trojans, who outscored UF 24-10 in the second half.
BI always look at the talent level,C UF coach Urban Meyer said. BAnd this team has excellent talent on defense. I compare them a lot to Troy.C
Meyer isn?t worried that his team will take FAU lightly.
BThe film doesn?t lie, that?s the thing," he said. "We?re playing a really good team that is competing for a conference championship. I think our guys are just game to game trying to get better, and they?re facing a good team.C
Since the Georgia and Tennessee games will be underway during the Gators? game, there will be some considerable scoreboard-watching from the UF sideline.
BI?ll probably be peeking up there to look and see what?s going on,C Caldwell said. BBut I?ve got to focus on what I have to do.C
Caldwell is expected to make up for the absence of star wideout Percy Harvin for the second straight game.
Harvin did not practice this week, and spent several days receiving IV treatments in an infirmary.
Without Harvin in the lineup, the Gators will have to diverge from the usual plan on offense.
BIt?ll probably be a lot of what you saw at South Carolina - getting the ball to me a lot more and using some of our other weapons to take up the slack,C Caldwell said.
Caldwell has set career highs in catches in each of the last two games, with nine against Vanderbilt and 11 against the Gamecocks. If he duplicates that success Saturday, he can break Carlos Alvarez?s all-time receptions mark at UF with nine catches.
Having Harvin out could help Caldwell break the record, but it?s a trade he isn?t happy to make.
BI?m never excited when [Harvin] isn?t in there,C Caldwell said. BHe takes a lot of stress and a lot of pressure off of me.C
