To the Florida Gators, Jacksonville’s Hart Bridge is more than just a scenic route on the way to their annual matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Rather, the 3,844-foot bridge towering over the St. John’s River is the final checkpoint before reaching their destination: EverBank Field.
The excitement builds. And once they cross the bridge, the sights never fail to disappoint.
"You go over that bridge and then all of the sudden you see a bunch of Gator fans, a bunch of Georgia fans," redshirt senior offensive lineman Chaz Green said. "It’s crazy because you don’t see it until you get all the way over the bridge. Your heart starts pumping. You finally know it’s about that time."
But for the last three seasons, crossing the bridge has not brought the results the Gators hope for when everything is said and done.
Florida (3-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has lost the last three games against Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) by a combined score of 64-49. Each game was decided by 8 points or fewer.
"We’ve had our opportunities to get off the field defensively; we’ve had opportunities to go for a possible tie in another situation and we haven’t done it," said UF coach Will Muschamp, who played safety at UGA from 1991-1994. "Credit their team and what they’ve been able to do. We certainly had our opportunities."
The rivalry will be renewed on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and Muschamp is still seeking his first win after crossing the bridge.
The fourth-year UF head coach is 0-6 in the Florida-Georgia rivalry in Jacksonville and 0-7 in the series as a whole (the 1994 game was played in Gainesville).
If Muschamp does not come out with the win on Saturday, he would become the first Florida coach to lose at least four straight games to Georgia since Charley Pell dropped five straight to the Bulldogs from 1979-1983.
"We need to get a win, that’s the first thing," Muschamp said. "But you know again it’s one of the great rivalries in college football. … To be in a stadium that’s split 50-50, and the importance of the game to both universities is very special. So it’s obviously very important."
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Florida’s season is heading in a tailspin.
After starting off with two wins, UF has dropped three of its last four games, most recently a 42-13 defeat to a Missouri team that accrued less than 120 yards of total offense.
But unlike last season, when Florida echoed a "woe is me" mentality during its seven-game losing skid to close out a 4-8 run, this year’s roster is not letting its record get the best of it.
"We’re a hungry team and we still are," linebacker Jarrad Davis said. "I don’t feel like that’s changed at all. Last year, I feel like it was later in the season when everybody knew it was actually over. I feel like that’s when that sense of giving up came in, but I don’t feel that will ever come in this season."
But on Saturday, there will be a fresh face commanding Florida’s offense, hoping to salvage the rest of UF’s season. Gone from the starting lineup is quarterback Jeff Driskel.
Taking his place is true freshman Treon Harris, who is starting his first career game in what is Florida’s most crucial contest of the season.
Despite his youth, his teammates can see his maturity and development on the field.
"He’s definitely a calm kid," offensive lineman D.J. Humphries said. "That’s one thing I noticed about him. Coach yells at him or anything like that, he never gets rattled or nothing like that. He comes back to the line and calls the play the same way every time."
The up-tempo, fast-paced offense that was supposed to come with the entrance of offensive coordinator Kurt Roper has fallen flat as turnovers have limited the Gators’ ability to move down the field.
And with UF facing a UGA team that leads the nation in margin of turnover per game (1.86) and has given the ball up a nation-low four times, minimizing mistakes is key for the Gators.
"We have the ball security period every single day that we’ve been doing for two years now," Muschamp said. "So we changed up some things we were doing as far as that was concerned, but just continuing taking care of the football. You can’t turn it over six times and win. It’s not going to happen."
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Barring an upset victory come Saturday, Florida’s SEC East title dreams are out of reach.
Instead of worrying about what they can’t control, the Gators are playing for themselves. Their pride. Their will.
And after this week, that might be all they have to play for.
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Will Muschamp walks off the field following Florida's 42-13 loss to Missouri on Oct. 18.
