As Florida football gears up for their highly anticipated matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, Gators sophomore inside linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard reflects on one of the biggest rivalries in college football.
Howard remembers the impact of Brandon Spikes‘ iconic hit on running back Knowshon Moreno during the Gators’ matchup with Georgia back in 2008.
“Oh yeah. I mean, you see that everywhere,” Howard said about the hit during Wednesday’s press conference. “But, I mean, I’ve definitely seen it a couple of times.”
Spikes has been around the team, sharing his insight and giving advice to the players.
“I mean, it’s phenomenal,” Howard said about Spikes’ impact. “I mean, having a linebacker great that played here, he understands what we go through. I mean, his insight has, I mean, tremendously boosted everybody in the linebackers room.”
There’s no question that the storied rivalry between the Gators and Bulldogs is a focal point for the team, serving as a source of motivation throughout the week.
Howard emphasized the importance of understanding rivalries from the moment new players joined the Florida football program.
“I mean, it’s been motivation throughout practice and throughout the week and, you know, rivalries and everything like that,” Howard said about the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
“We had this thing called rivalry 101, where we talked about rivalries with transfers and freshmen when we first got here. So we learned about it earlier, when we first got here. But no, it’s a big game, and we know it’s a rivalry game.”
Howard mentioned that his family will be at the game on Saturday.
“My mom, my pops, my brother,” Howard said. “I got my siblings, so I’m going to have the whole family there.”
Howard, previously at South Carolina, transferred to Florida this past offseason and has logged 33 total tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries this season.
How to watch Florida vs. Georgia
The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.
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