When the Gators line up for Saturday’s Outback Bowl, they will see an opponent that took a similar route to this game.
Florida and Penn State opened the year with high expectations - the Gators were No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and the SEC media picked them second in the conference; Penn State was coming off an 11-2 season in 2009 and this season reached No. 18 after Week 1 .
But both teams meandered through mediocre 7-5 campaigns and meet at Raymond James Stadium unranked. Riding their cache of impressive history and popularity, both landed a spot in the Outback Bowl ahead of several others from their respective conferences that had better seasons.
The biggest difference between the programs? Gators coach Urban Meyer, 46, is retiring, while Penn State’s Joe Paterno, 84, is gearing up for the 2011 season and beyond.
“I’m different than Urban,” Paterno said with Meyer sitting next to him. “I got people who are calling up saying, ‘When the hell are you getting out?’ I’ve got a little different slant on the thing.”
Aside from Florida’s imminent coaching change, which takes effect when Meyer hands the program to Will Muschamp after the game, the teams look alike.
Both were below average offensively and decent on defense.
Penn State was No. 68 in the country in total offense this year, 11 spots ahead of Florida.
The Gators were ninth in fewest yards allowed at 302.9 per game; Penn State was 45th. Both are top-25 against the pass.
Florida’s run defense was fifth in the SEC, but struggled against some of the conference’s top running backs. Penn State senior Evan Royster, who is on the brink of his third straight 1,000-yard season, believes the Nittany Lions can beat Florida on the ground.
“We see some holes in their front seven,” he said. “If we can control the line of scrimmage, we can control the game.”
Penn State went 7-0 when it rushed for at least 130 yards in a game this season, including victories over Michigan and Northwestern. In the Gators’ five losses, they allowed an average of 178.8 rushing yards per game.
Sophomore quarterback Matt McGloin took over the Nittany Lions’ offense late in the season and they went 2-2 in his starts.
In six games, McGloin completed 58 percent of his passes, threw for 1,337 yards, connected on 13 touchdown passes and was intercepted four times. In consecutive wins over Michigan and Northwestern, McGloin totaled 475 passing yards, five touchdown passes and a rushing score.
“If McGloin keeps playing at a high level like he has been, I think we’ll be able to put up some points,” right guard Stefen Wisniewski said.
As ineffective as the Florida offense has been at times, it presents a unique challenge for Penn State. Running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are faster than most ball-carriers the Nittany Lions have seen this year.
Demps, who was limited most of the regular season with a sprain and a stress reaction in his left foot, said he feels healthier and expects to play.
The Gators plan to continue with a three-quarterback rotation and a no-huddle offense, and it is difficult to anticipate other innovations Meyer might have added during the five weeks since Florida’s last game.
“If we were playing them just in a week’s time, we’d have a better idea what they can do,” Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. “They’ve had a month off, so I’m sure they’ve progressed each quarterback to do more things. How far they can expand their package - who knows with this amount of time off?”
