This was the summer of discontent for Gators fans.
Between Aaron Hernandez being arrested for an alleged murder, Riley Cooper saying pretty terrible things and Antonio Morrison getting arrested twice, Florida has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
And things didn’t improve once camp started. At Southeastern Conference Media Days in July, coach Will Muschamp said the team was almost entirely healthy going into camp.
But by UF media day Aug. 1, quarterback Jeff Driskel had his appendix removed, running back Matt Jones contracted a “serious viral infection,” starting offensive guard Jon Halapio suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle and lineman Max Garcia injured his back.
The injury bug didn’t stop there. Within a week of camp starting, redshirt senior Andre Debose and freshman Matt Rolin suffered torn ACLs.
So let the season begin.
We can sit and discuss injuries, depth charts and projections all we want, but all the preseason hype in the world doesn’t compare to one Saturday of football.
Get out your calendars and circle some dates.
Thursday, Aug. 29 — the first day of the season. Not quite the full slate of games featured on Saturdays, but it will be a good night. North Carolina vs. South Carolina kicks off at 6 p.m. All it will take is one Jadeveon Clowney hit to get your juices fl owing.
Ole Miss at Vanderbilt starts right after, which will be a good matchup of two potential up-and-coming SEC teams.
And here’s the big one for most of you reading this column — Saturday, Aug. 31. Toledo at Florida, the first game at The Swamp in more than nine months.
The Gators’ first game isn’t exactly a marquee matchup. Toledo finished third in its division in the Mid-American Conference last season.
But even if the opening game isn’t against a top out-of-conference opponent like Oklahoma or Notre Dame, it is still plenty exciting.
It’s the start of a new season — something to make everyone excited. The streets will be packed. Bars will be crowded. Traffic will be terrible. The buzz that makes Gainesville a great place to spend a weekend will be back.
This season starts with as much optimism as any since I’ve been in Gainesville.
I arrived in Year One A.T. — that’s After Tebow. The hype surrounding John Brantley revolutionizing Florida’s passing attack died quickly, as did any hopes for a national championship.
Year Two A.T. wasn't much better, so the fan base was pretty pessimistic going into 2012.
But an 11-2 season and a Sugar Bowl appearance has people talking about Florida, and the Gators come into the season ranked No. 10 in the Coaches Poll (although that does not matter if you ask Muschamp).
But like Flavor Flav once said, don’t believe the hype.
The summer is nearly over. It’s time to play ball.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Receiver Andre Debose (4) waits in the end zone to return a kick-off during the game against Texas A&M on Saturday at Kyle Field. Debose is out for 2013 with an ACL tear.
