Spurrier, Meyer buds now

By
Robbie Andreu
-
13
216

When Steve Spurrier wrecked Florida’s chances of going to the SEC Championship Game back in 2005, it looked like a real heated rivalry might be brewing between Spurrier, the former UF coach, and Urban Meyer, the current UF coach.

But it’s never really materialized.

Meyer said Wednesday that he and Spurrier have become friends over the past five years.

“We’re fairly good friends now, him and his wife and my wife and myself, we’re good friends and I actually lean on him quite a bit about the University of Florida when we get together,” Meyer said. “He is Florida. He was a Heisman Trophy winner here and there’s never been any attempt whatsoever to change that all over this place.

“He’s a Hall of Fame coach and a Hall of Fame player, and he’s a good guy, so there’s no issues whatsoever. He’s the reason I came here. I had such admiration for the way his team played and that’s no secret. Now he’s on the opposite sideline and other than that one hour of football a year we get along great and try to beat each other.”

Meyer hasn’t lost to Spurrier since that 2005 game. Since Jarvis Moss’ blocked field goal on the final play made Florida a winner in 2006, Meyer and the Gators have pretty much had their way with the Gamecocks.

Of course, don’t give up on a Meyer-Spurrier rivalry just yet. Saturday night’s game is for the SEC East title, so the loser probably won’t take it too well — even if the two coaches are friends now.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. Spurrier elevated the Gator Football program into the stratosphere and made UF a national elite. When he left, Gator Nation was broken hearted, because it was no secret that he was irritated with the way Foley didn;t back him during “Twisted Knee”, when Darnell Dockett, on video taped footage, twisted and sprained RB Ernest Graham’s knee in the 2001 Gator blow-out of FSU. Though there were several other factors as to why SOS left, that was one of the main ones. When SOS bolted for the NFL, he left a good recruiting class in a mess and Jeremy Foley in a lurch, which resulted in the miserable Ron Zook years. Then came Urban Meyer in 2005, and in his first year as Gator HBC, Spurrier, as South Carolina’s new HBC, knocked the Gators out of SEc East Title contention and actually helped the Georgia Bulldogs to win the East. I will admit it now, it was hard to forgive Spurrier for that one. To this day it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that he came back to coach a CFB team in the SEC East and his job is to beat us. Over the years, that feeling has abated, but it’s still there. What Spurrier did for UF is unquestionable and I love the ‘Ole Ball Coach for it, but the fact that his mission this Saturday is to once again try to knock us out of SEC East Title contention doesn’t set well with me, no matter how hard I try to process it. Heres to hoping the Gators hang 50 points on the Gamecocks this weekend and blow them out!

  4. Steve Spurrier and Gator football are one in same. He put Florida on the map as a player and a coach. Thank you coach Spurrier.

    Urban please beat Coach Spurrier’s Cocks into the ground this Saturday!

  8. Still one of the best offensive minds in college coaching, he only lacks an abundance of elite quality talent to make consistent runs at Atlanta from the SEC East. I was sorry to see him leave but harbor him no ill will as he is still a GATOR 364 days a year. I think our GATORS matching up against his teams each year is an outstanding challenge that helps set the bar for what is now expected from our program. The question is and shall hopefully be for some time: are we up to challenge THIS YEAR?

  9. Being somewhat older than your average person who posts or comments in here, I was around before Steve played for, much less coached the Gators. Upon Steve’s arrival as a coach, a metamophisis took place. We became a juggernaut in the college football ranks, and despite a few hiccups here and there, we have remained one even after his departure. We should all be forever indebted to “The Ole Ball Coach” for laying the foundation for Florida football greatness, and reading the comments in here thus far, it seems most agree with me on that.
    That said, I want to see his teeth gritted and his visor flying on a regular basis Saturday night as we light up the scoreboard en route to victory!!! GO GATORS!!!!!

  10. I certainly don’t want the Gators to lose, but there is no way I’d ever hate Spurrier for beating us.

    If having a winning, nationally contending program has you spoiled, then you don’t know what it was like before he coached at Florida. I hope it’s a great game and good luck Coach,

    Go Gators

  11. Either way, the Head Coach representing the East in the SEC Champ. game will be a Gator!
    I want the Gators to win, of course, but IF the Ole Ball Coach can beat his alma mater tonight, given the unusual and historic nature of this particular game, it would be a pill not so bitter.
    IGTBAG!
    Ciao

  13. The Ole Ball Coachbeats the “Oscar” Meyer weiner and the Orlando’s newspaper internet article never mentions Steve’s name…for shame… even Tennessee is claiming credit for Spurrier being born there… we should all be proud of OBC…