Florida, Florida State Got Chippy Ahead Of the Sunshine Showdown

There is nothing like pregame drama between the Gators and Seminoles.

Things got a little chippy in the Swamp on Saturday ahead of the Sunshine Showdown. 

Nearly 30 minutes before kickoff, players from both Florida and Florida State met face to face near the Seminoles sideline. It has not been reported who started the confrontation between the rivals.

The tense moment between the two programs was brief, as officials separated players to their designated end zones at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium before things escalated. 

You can’t tell well here, but there were some pregame, uh, festivities between #Gators and #FSU pic.twitter.com/d4kuWOlpW1

— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) November 27, 2021

Florida (5-6, 2-6 in SEC) will look to earn its sixth win of the season for bowl eligibility under interim football coach Greg Knox, who stepped in for the Gators after the program parted ways with Dan Mullen on Nov. 21 following the 24-23 loss to Missouri last Saturday. 

The Gators entered Saturday's game as winners of the last two matchups in the rivalry. Each of the last five games in the rivalry have been won by an average of 16 points. Since 2007, the only game that has been decided by single digits point margin was in 2014 when the Seminoles defeated the Gators, 24-19, in Tallahassee. Prior to 2018, Florida State had won five consecutive games against Florida.

However, Florida State (5-6) won five of its last seven games entering its matchup against Florida, the Seminoles' most wins over a seven-game stretch since FSU's 2017 season. 

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