GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Twenty years ago, the
Southeastern Conference blew up its brand, expanding by two teams,
splitting into two divisions and adding a controversial (but wildly
popular) championship game that pitted East vs.West at season's end.
In two decades, the Gators have had some wild, wild West runs that no longtime Florida fans could forget.
To understand just how whacky the West has been, let's go back to 1993.
That was the year the Gators went to Louisiana State and bombarded
the Tigers 58-3, handing the hosts the worst margin of defeat in the
program's 118-year history. More perspective: Only 60,000 were in "Death
Valley" that night -- and that number was considerably lower (as in a
few thousand Florida fans) when the final gun sounded.
"This is a very embarrassing evening for everyone associated with LSU," Coach Curley Hallman said after the game.
A sign was left in the empty stands that night.
Fire Curley Early!
That '93 Tigers team was shut out by Texas A&M, lost at Kentucky,
beat Alabama on the road and ended a 5-6 season getting drubbed at
home by Arkansas. Obviously, things have changed in Baton Rouge.
So in honor of this weekend's monster showdown between No. 4 LSU
(5-0, 1-0) and No. 10 UF (4-0, 3-0) at sold-out Florida Field, we're
looking back at some milestone moments of Florida's run-ins with SEC
West rivals.
