The Football Blitz

Sunshine Showdown or the Battle for the Governors Cup are both titles that describe the rivalry game between Florida and Florida State and focuses primarily on the annual football games these two schools participate in.  In the early years of this rivalry, which dates back to 1958, the game was always played on Florida Field in Gainesville, the home of the Gators.  However, since 1964, the game rotates each year between Florida Field and Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.  This rivalry has produced many great games over the years.  One of the most notable games between these two is referred to as “The Greatest Game Ever Played in the Swamp”.  This game occurred in 1997 when Florida State came into Gainesville ranked #1 and Florida was ranked #10.  Florida upset the Seminoles that year with a score of 32-29.  The Gators lead the overall series 32-19-2, but since Bobby Bowden became the coach at Florida State the series is tied at 17-17-1.