Zook turns the Swamp into a Marsh
by Tony Basilio
On the eve of last week's UT-Florida match-up at the once-fabled Swamp, Geoff Brock, my partner on the radio for many years, told me a great story about Florida Coach Ron Zook and the infamous Faxgate. Unbeknownst to him, the conversation was way more pertinent than either of us would later realize.
Brock had a friend who worked in the Knoxville-area Kinko's organization back in the fall of '91. His buddy knew that 'Brocky Top,' as we call him, is a Vol freak, and as such, he had some information for him that he knew would flip Brock's lid. He then went on to share what became the infamous fax story of former UT assistant Jack Sells literally faxing photocopies directly out of UT's playbook to then-Gator assistant Ron Zook. Yes, that same Ron Zook who is now the reeling head coach of the once-mighty Gators. Brock was largely responsible for leaking the fax transmission story to the local press. Here's an interesting part that he didn't share with anyone in the media until now.
On the eve of UT-Florida '03, Brock shared with me how appalling the whole Faxgate was. Choking back a laugh, he went on to say that he would never forget the final page of the transmission that Sells sent to Zook featuring UT's Hail Mary play. The best part of the story, according to Brock, is what Sells scribbled on the very bottom of that page featuring the play: 'This is the play they like to run at the end of the game when they need to score.' It then said 'Good Luck!' Brock said the best part about the story is that Sells drew an exclamation point with a smiley face underneath instead of the customary point. A smiley face? Yeah, kind of like the look on Phillip Fulmer's face when Tennessee's Hail Mary just before the end of the first half was answered.
Last Saturday's fateful twist aside, it's time for Ron Zook and others in Gator Country to get some other facts. The run of the once-mighty Gators in the house formerly known as the vaunted Swamp is over. Florida Field is just that. Florida Field. Oh sure, it's still a decent home field advantage and all that, but it's no longer a factor.
Tennessee has now won in the Yesterswamp twice in a row. Both wins equally huge. Who could ever forget Tennessee's victory in December of '01? It was a formality. A coronation. A 17-point favorite, the Gators were on their way to a date with Destiny versus the Miami Hurricanes in the Rose Bowl. Tennessee's shocking win that day precipitated the demise of Steve Spurrier, who saw the writing on the wall. He got out. He knew what we know now. The edge that was the Swamp was excavated that day by a sophomore quarterback by the name of Casey Clausen. Yes, that same Casey Clausen who happens to be 2-0 lifetime at what is now called Ben Hill Griffin stadium at Florida Field. It isn't just that Tennessee won last Saturday in the Marsh. It's how they won!
Tennessee won what coaches refer to as the swing plays in the game. The decisive plays. Plays that are sometimes lucky which winning teams make. Down 3-0 going to the half, the bomb to sophomore James Banks was huge. If Tennessee goes into the half being shut out, the outcome is perhaps different. Equally large was an interception by two-way warrior Mark Jones that occurred at Tennessee's 30 early in the second quarter when Florida could have put a 10-point cushion between themselves and the Vols. Jones made a spectacular diving catch that was Charles Woodson-esque. Tennessee really didn't play well enough to have a half-time lead, but they did! In the second half, unfazed by their surroundings, the Vols continued to make big plays.
The 57-yard completion to Brett Smith which set up Tennessee's go-ahead touchdown was a complete fluke. How long was the ball in the air? What was Gator defender Gus Scott doing? Many Tennessee fans believed the hype. They thought Tennessee was going to be afraid to go into Gainesville and make plays like this. Afraid of what?
Since that glorious December afternoon in 2001, Florida has lost the last three games of consequence on its home field. Eventual national runner-up Miami hammered them last year in week two, while mediocre LSU came in on a Saturday night and beat the Gators down to the tune of 36-7. Those were painful and embarrassing losses no doubt. Nothing, however, is as painful as the reality brought by Saturday's 24-10 loss to Tennessee. You want the fax, Coach Zook? You're not going to like how this sounds, yet it Sells. It's over for you. It's over for The Swamp! Oh, and my exclamation point features a frown.
September 25, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 39
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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