Throw out the record book? Florida, FSU fans would be okay with that

It never fails.

Entering the week of a rivalry game, both coaches will offer variations on this theme: you can throw out the record book.

To which University of Florida and Florida State fans might be tempted to respond: “Could you?”

Only one other time have these two programs entered their game against each other mired in such futility. Both teams are 4-6 going into Saturday’s game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and last week was only the second time this season they both won on the same day, the Gators beating Alabama-Birmingham 36-7 and the Seminoles beating Delaware State 77-6.

The Gators won’t be bowl-eligible this season, mainly because a game against Northern Colorado was canceled because of Hurricane Irma and wasn’t re-scheduled. The Seminoles need to win on Saturday, then beat Louisiana-Monroe next week to get to 6-6 and qualify for a bowl.

Florida State rescheduled that game, also canceled because of Irma, for the express purpose of trying to extend its streak of bowl-eligible season to 36 games, which would be an NCAA record. The Seminoles are currently tied with Nebraska for the longest streak in history, but the Cornhuskers’ run ended in 2003.

The last time UF and FSU failed to reach a bowl in the same season was 1978. The only other time both teams had losing records at the time of their meeting was in 1959, the second year of the series. Florida was 3-4-1 and FSU was 3-5.

The main problem for both teams has been offense. They are each outside the top 100 in the nation in total offense and the Seminoles needed to play perhaps the worst team in the MEAC last week to get its national scoring average above the top-100, and is 97th at 24.0 points per game.

The Gators are 108th at 22.1 points per game. This is the first time both teams have averaged less than four touchdowns per game since 1981, when Florida averaged 25.3 points and FSU 21.8.

Since then, there have been 18 times when both teams averaged 30 or more points in a season and in 1995, both averaged more than 40.

The reasons are also similar. The Gators and ‘Noles both have freshman quarterbacks who have struggled, injuries at wide receiver and running back and inconsistent offensive lines.

However, one player who lived most of his life outside the Florida-FSU bubble believes this season is an aberration.

“Both of our seasons could have gone either way,” said UF linebacker David Reese, a Detroit native. “I feel like these two programs probably will never have a year like this, every again.”

But the time is now. So what’s to play for?

Theoretically, a rivalry game involves bragging rights for the next 364 days. Since both teams recruit from Florida, high school teammates, neighborhood friends or familiar rivals have often gone one way to Gainesville or the other way to Tallahassee.

Regardless of what’s happened before Saturday, the benefits of getting a hated rival are visceral, and real.

“This is a rivalry game … this is a state game,” said UF interim coach Randy Shannon. “These teams always challenge each other no matter what. No matter what the record is and what the talent level is on both sides of the football, it’s going to be a very hard, physical game.”

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said there’s been enough history established in the rivalry to transcend whatever each team’s status when the game kicks off.

“One of the all-time great rivalries in college football,” Fisher said. “Very blessed to be a part of it. [We] have to go play a complete game down at one of the toughest places to play in college football.”

And despite the fact that this will be the Gators’ final game, and FSU, if it loses, will only have a meaningless non-conference game left, both teams will have benefits from a victory.

It’s just hard to find them:

• Players on both sides will be trying to put good things on film, either for the NFL or the next coach — and both teams might have new coaches next season. That’s certain for the Gators, who are in the process of trying to lure Chip Kelly to Gainesville, and FSU fans are waiting, as usual, on whether Fisher will bolt for a suitor such as Texas A&M.

• FSU is trying to record a .500 season or better for the 41st season in a row.

• The Seminoles are trying to beat Florida for the seventh time in eight years under Fisher, and win for the fifth time in a row for the first time ever. FSU has four streaks of four unbeaten seasons in a row against the Gators, the last four, 1992-1994, 1987-1990 and 1977-1980.