Gators Football Preparations Continue for Northern Colorado as Hurricane Irma Looms

The Gators football team is scheduled to play its home opener against Northern Colorado on Saturday night.

Scheduled is the key word there, as the looming danger of Hurricane Irma has put the game in question. Regardless of whether the game is or isn’t played, the team is continuing to get ready for it.

Team Preparations

It’s not the first time many of these players have been in this situation. Many remember last year’s controversy with the LSU-Florida game. The game was cancelled late in the week due to Hurricane Matthew, with Florida eventually winning the make-up game in Baton Rouge later in the season.

This time around, the players are continuing with their normal preparations.

“You’ve just got to go out there and practice everyday like you’re going to play,” said redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga. “You just go out there with the same mindset.”

His teammate on the defense, sophomore linebacker Kylan Johnson, said he believes the game will be played.

“I feel like we’re going to play,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s at 12 o’clock or whatever the normal time is, but we’re going to be ready.”

And if the game isn’t played?

Well, it’ll delay the Gators opportunity to bounce back from their loss to Michigan, and players such as Zuniga will be upset.

“We’ll be disappointed, because as a competitor, you want to compete as much as you can,” he said.

University Preparations

Irma reached a category 5 designation Tuesday morning. In addition, multiple projected paths have it going right up the State of Florida. The projected winds and rain pose a huge danger to not just the game, but the safety of all of those going to and from the game.

NOAA's #GOES16 captured this early-morning, close-up of the extremely dangerous Cat. 5 #HurricaneIrma, packing 175 mph winds, Sept. 5, 2017. pic.twitter.com/GXt9bqZWQy

— NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) September 5, 2017

The university has already started preparing for and monitoring the storm. UF is currently working with “with university and government officials to monitor the progress of Hurricane Irma and determine the impact of the storm on our events in Gainesville this weekend,” according to Steve McClain, Florida’s senior associate athletic director of communications, via FloridaGators.com.

In addition, athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a pair of tweets that UF is still hoping to play the game in Gainesville this weekend.

(1/2) Met today w/campus & city officials re:hurricane. Hope is to play game in Gainesville this weekend if possible …

— Scott Stricklin (@ScottStricklin) September 6, 2017

(2/2) … Will get updated forecast Wed. and then communicate plans to public. Thx for your patience.

— Scott Stricklin (@ScottStricklin) September 6, 2017