Gators Insist They Are In The Hunt For National Championship

GAINESVILLE -- Five days have passed since Florida`s 19-6 destruction of Louisiana State, five days to ponder the meaning of that victory, to temper the giddiness that immediately followed.

``The national championship is out there,`` senior defensive tackle Trace Armstrong said Saturday from the Gators` locker room. ``We have as good a chance as anybody else.``

With five days of introspection, one might think Armstrong has had a change of heart. After all, the No. 14 Gators were 6-6 last year and the victory last week against LSU was the first big win of the year for Florida (5-0, 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference).

But Armstrong remains adamant. These Gators are good.

``A lot of people have asked me about that,`` Armstrong said. ``But what am I supposed to think? `Oh, well, we`ll probably lose to Georgia and Florida State.` No, we think we`re going to win every game. Am I supposed to think we`re going to lose? I wouldn`t be out there if I didn`t expect to win the national championship.``

Armstrong is one of a handful of Gators saying out loud what is in the backs of all the players` minds. But coach Galen Hall isn`t about to raise the expectations of fans and alumni.

``I said at the start of the year we`re a year away from coming close to where we were in `84 and `85, and that`s what I still believe,`` Hall said of his first two seasons at Florida, years in which the Gators went 9-1-1. ``We had our maximum number of scholarships, and some great players those years. That `84 team was the second-best college football team I`ve ever seen.

``This year we`ve got good young players playing with great intensity. But I`ve said our big years will be Emmitt Smith`s junior and senior years. I don`t see any comparison between (`84 and `85) and this year, not at all.``

Hall said Florida is still four steps away from that 1984 team, at least through the first five games:

First, the Gator offense has not scored a lot of points against Division I-A competition. A blocked punt and a kickoff return set up 10 of Florida`s 27 points against Mississippi. The Gators had just 17 points against Mississippi State and 19 against LSU, seven scored by the defense.

As in 1984, Florida is led by a redshirt freshman quarterback. But Kyle Morris hasn`t shown the consistency Kerwin Bell did that year, although Hall expects Morris to improve with every game. Without receiver Stacey Simmons, lost for the season to a knee injury, Morris doesn`t have a deep threat as Bell had with Ricky Nattiel.

``We`ll get some touchdowns,`` Hall said. ``We`ve hurt ourselves, not being able to finish off those long drives. But we`re moving the ball.``

Second, Florida still hasn`t recovered completely from the probation that crippled recruiting during Hall`s first two seasons. Lack of depth could hurt the Gators late this season, as it did in 1986 and `87.

The Gators played with fewer than 75 scholarship players the last two years (20 fewer than the NCAA maximum) and paid for it, finishing 6-5 and 6-6. This year, Florida has 85 scholarship players, 55 of them either freshmen or sophomores.

Injuries are starting to catch up with Florida. Two tight ends and Simmons have been lost for the season. Nagging problems have further depleted the tight end corps, the offensive line and the defensive secondary. And should Smith be lost for any period of time, the Gators` offense might wither and die.

``Injuries are still a major concern,`` Hall said. ``We can`t afford to lose too many players in any spot.``

Third, Florida doesn`t have a punter. Fernando Acosta-Rua and Hank Rone have averaged under 33 yards per punt and Hall doesn`t know what to do about it. Last year`s punter, backup quarterback Herbert Perry is waiting for the call.

``I`d rather have Acosta-Rua or Rone come through,`` Hall said. ``I don`t know how long I`m going to wait for it.``

Finally, the Gators have the most difficult part of their schedule ahead.

``People are definitely dwelling too much on that one game,`` Smith said. ``We`ve got six tough games to go and we`re going to have to take them all one at a time.``

Florida had four relatively easy games before playing LSU. Now the Gators have to finish the season, beginning with Memphis State Saturday at Florida Field, and ending with Vanderbilt, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and Florida State.

``The players have got to be very intelligent, this week especially,`` Hall said. ``The media will start the hype, boosting us as a great football team. We`ve got to be ready to handle all the good stuff that`s going to come to us.``

Hall`s cautious outlook isn`t going to stop Gator fans from planning victory parties after the Florida State game, or making New Year`s reservations for New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl.

And the Gator seniors view this year as now or never, their final chance at an SEC championship, national glory and a victory against No. 1 Miami, the team they want in the Sugar Bowl.

``Everybody`s talking about next year and the year after,`` said senior middle guard Jeff Roth. ``I told everybody I could, `this is my year, I can`t afford to be a year away.` I want to be good now.``