Florida football’s original Southeastern Conference championship team will be inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this weekend when the Gators host the Kentucky Wildcats for this year’s homecoming game.
“We are excited to welcome the 1984 Gators football team back to campus for the Kentucky game and homecoming weekend,” UF athletic director Scott Stricklin offered before the start of the 2024 season.
“It will be a wonderful opportunity to recognize them for their special accomplishments while allowing them the opportunity to reconnect with their teammates and friends.”
Of course, long-time fans of the Orange and Blue will recall that the 1984 squad went 9-1-1 that fall with a season-opening loss to the Miami Hurricanes in Tampa along with a tie in Week 2 with the LSU Tigers at home. Florida then ran off nine-straight victories including five total wins against Southeastern Conference foes.
The season was anything but smooth sailing, however, with head coach [autotag]Charlie Pell[/autotag] dismissed after the first three games as NCAA violations swirled around his program. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Galen Hall[/autotag], who was not implicated in the scandal, took the reins as the interim skipper and went 8-0 to finish the campaign.
Six months after beating Kentucky for that fifth SEC win in six tries, the league voted to strip the conference title due to the NCAA violations committed under Pell. Suffice it to say, this remains an open wound for both the Gator Nation and the players at the time.
The 1984 team may have been the best
Many, in fact, believe that squad stands alongside the best ever in Gainesville, including wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Nattiel[/autotag].
“I can compare that team to any team that has played at Florida, and there have been some good ones, no question,” Nattiel said. “There was a lot of NFL talent on that team. I’m being biased, but at the same time, I’m being realistic — that team is one of the best teams to ever play at the University of Florida on sheer talent alone.”
Offensive lineman Billy Hinson also added to the lore of the special season.
“The term ‘wait till next year’ started with us. It started with the Gators,” Hinson offered. “We had a lot of talent on that team, but what was missing was that intangible, that connectedness, and it all came together in that Kentucky game when we knew our backs were against the wall and this was our chance to win.”
However, that was a long time ago — 40 years, in fact — and many people are oblivious to what that Florida team accomplished in the mid-80s.
“I think a lot of that history has been forgotten. We were undefeated in the SEC. Through the probation and all the allegations that were happening at the time, it was just a wonderful experience for our team. A lot of things transpired after that, but at that time, that Kentucky game was definitely the highlight of our career.”
Coming up for the Gators
The Gators host the Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this year’s homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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