Here at the alligatorSports Brand Picks Column, we're suckers for an inspirational tale, and few around UF can match that of Tim Higgins.
During the Gators' 62-0 win against Western Carolina in 2006, the 5-foot-7, walk-on senior took a handoff on the last drive of the game after students left a note on coach Urban Meyer's desk, made signs and chanted during the game, all in the hopes of getting Higgins on the field.
He was stopped for no gain, but that didn't matter. It was a 'Rudy' moment, and the perfect ending to an emotional Senior Day.
We thought that was the end of Higgins' career - his one shot at glory - but we were tricked.
After the Gators took the 2006 national title, Higgins enrolled at The Citadel, where his father, Kevin, was entering his third year as football coach. He began work on a master's degree but also suited up at wideout and finished third on the team in receiving yards to go with five touchdowns.
To be fair, Higgins didn't plan on using his fifth year of eligibility after graduating from UF, but once the NCAA changed a rule that allowed him to play at a Division 1-AA school without sitting out a year, he pounced on the opportunity.
So Gators fans, Tim Higgins duped you.
He even scored a touchdown in front of 80,000 fans during a 45-31 loss to then-No. 7 Wisconsin last season.
Higgins is back in Gainesville now, teaching history and coaching receivers at Buchholz High, and this weekend's matchup puts him in quite a tight spot.
He holds degrees from both schools, and while he proclaims he'll always be a Gator and wants UF to take home another national championship, his dad will be standing on the opposite sideline. He's so torn between the two teams that he picked a 37-37 tie, matching the number he wore for the Gators.
"I'm going to be feeling some stuff on both sides," he said. "To be honest, my dad is my dad. That's my blood, and Florida doesn't need any help in this game, so I'm going to be rooting for my dad to hang in there, get some first downs and see if they can compete."
A few first downs might be the best the Bulldogs can hope for after losing six of their last seven games, but Higgins warns that The Citadel has some dangerous players.
"There are a few kids on every 1-AA team who feel they could've played at an SEC or Big-10 school and could play in the NFL one day, and this is a chance to test themselves against the best and find out if they stack up," he said, pointing to receiver Andre Roberts as one example.
Higgins said his dad is treating this game like a bowl contest, and the players look forward to getting in front of a big crowd. But the bigger motivational challenge rests with the Gators, who he says should view the matchup as a chance to compete against themselves.
"As much as you tell kids, 'Hey, this team can play, and they have some guys that can play,' I mean, kids aren't dumb," he said. "They can see the film, and they know it's not like South Carolina was last week. I think you have to really focus on competing with yourself."
While there will never be another Tim Higgins at UF, there is one player he'd like to see get a carry on Saturday - reserve long snapper Mike Williamson.
Before you get started on your "Put in M-Dub" signs, on to the picks!
In first place with a 66-34 record is Assistant Sports Editor Evan "I had 1,000 cocks in my room" Drexler, who spent the last two weeks trying to grow stubble, pull out his teeth and degrade his vocabulary just to impress NHL hockey players, only to have his dream of covering a Tampa Bay Lighting game ripped away from him.
Back in second place with a 65-35 is Phil "Maybe I should just switch to guys" Kegler, whose backseat contained a burned CD simply labeled, "Romance." Our guess is it contains a mix of Broadway, the sound of waves crashing on rocks and Tom Brady reading from "The Vagina Monologues." We shudder to think of the crimes he has committed against nature while that disk plays.
In the middle this week with a 64-36 record is Karl "I haven't said anything remotely funny this week" Hyppolite, who decided to replace his tattered Old Navy sweater with a leather jacket Thursday night. Good thing it was a blizzard-like 60 degrees outside.
Down in fourth place with a 62-38 mark is Sports Editor Brian "I'm fairly certain my legs don't move like that" Steele, whose Facebook page cries out with a yearning, "Where have you gone, Harry Potter?"
Growing comfortable in last place with a 59-41 record is Mike "There may be an ECU shirt somewhere in Gainesville?" McCall, who drove to two Goodwills this week in search of a Pirate-related bargain. That's almost as lame as waking in the middle of the night last week, to watch "27 Dresses" in its entirety.
| ED | KH | PK | MM | BS | TH | |
| Mia-GT | MIa | Mia | Mia | GT | GT | GT |
| OreSt-Zona | OreSt | OreSt | OreSt | OreSt | Zona | OreSt |
| Mich-OSU | OSU | OSU | OSU | Mich | OSU | OSU |
| FSU-MD | FSU | FSU | FSU | FSUC | FSU | MD |
| Tenn-Vandy | Vandy | Vandy | Vandy | Tenn | Wisc | Wisc |
| Rut-USF | USF | Rut | USF | USF | Tenn | Vandy |
| Okla-TTech | Okla | Okla | TTech | Okla | Okla | Okla |
| ECU-UAB | ECU | ECU | ECU | OreSt | Cal | OreSt |
| Vandy-Kent | Vandy | Kent | ECU | ECU | ECU | ECU |
CIT-UF: ED - UF 70-0; KH - UF 50-0; MM - UF 252-5; PK - UF 100-7; BS - UF 81-3; TH - Tie, 37-37
