Posted Sep 16, 12:54 PM in Gators by Scott Conley

Yesterday, a rare and beautiful thing occured on the Division 1-A football fields. As already noted, the Gators beat Tennessee in their enormous orange house- the all-time series now stands at 19-17 Tenn, and 11-8 at Knoxville- so this in itself is not a remarkably rare event (in fact Florida has won 7 of the last 11. Also, considering that the Vols had a 10-0 record to open the series record from 1916 through 1953, I’d say we’re doing pretty good.)

No, I want to call to attention the delightful combination of a Florida win being coupled with FSU and Miami losses..

Nevermind that their own head-to-head contest- a repugnant affair whose collective sense of misplaced ownership of the national interest led them to believe they should have their game played under the exclusive lights of a Labor Day night game- was a pale shadow of their dramatic games gone by (those suspenseful thrillers unassumingly played on Saturday afternoons with the rest of us, I might add).

RICH GLICKSTEIN, MCT

These two yesterday followed up that arrogant eyesore with a gorgeous combination of a) a home loss to unranked Clemson, perhaps finishing what Troy started; and b) an absolute beatdown (31-7) to 13th-ranked Louisville, who delivered the authoritative decision behind their second string quarterback and tailback.

ED REINKE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Irrespective of the humiliating details of their losses, I realized that this particular combination of win-and-losses deserves its own moniker- a name by which the pattern may be easily recognized and referred to by those in the football community. In this interest, I hereby nominate “Sunsational Saturday”, reflecting the sense of order and right that these outcomes impart on the happy citizens of the Sunshine State and all of Gator Nation.

I am considering the effort of going back and identifying, counting and editorializing on the combined history of Sunsational Saturdays, and would require an almanac of games or similar in order to run down the information. If anybody knows of a reference that would seem fitting or useful, please let me know.

---

PS. I realize that the term has already been coined by a local public event in Montana and probably by countless saccharine church-moms, elementary school teachers and administrative assistants. Too bad. We’re using it :)

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