LIU Sharks Release Incredibly Sad Team Photo Ahead Of Trip To The Swamp
I think the point spread just went up by a couple touchdowns.
One of the most underrated parts of wrapping up fall camp is the team photo that comes out before your squad's first game of the season.
It's a time to see your favorite team at its healthiest and strongest it will be all season.
Some new faces will be spotted and there may even be a few number changes as you peruse the picture while your imagination goes wild.
"Is this the year we win the whole thing?"
Well, unless you are a fan of Long Island University, that is.
The Sharks, who are actually a Division I football program, released their team photo ahead of their trip to Gainesville, FL, to play the 15th-ranked Gators, and it looks like a junior varsity team masquerading as an FCS outfit.
Yikes!
I had to count by hand to make sure there were enough players in the photo to field a two-deep roster.
The Sharks apparently have a roster of players that is numbered somewhere in the low 60's, which means, with preferred walk-ons added to the mix, Florida's roster should nearly double LIU's.
And let's be honest, Billy Napier is going to need this layup, given his track record in season openers.
After dispatching Utah in his inaugural season as Gators head coach in 2022, Florida traveled to Rice Eccles Stadium to play the Utes again the following season.
That game featured a garbage-time touchdown to push the Gators' total to a robust 11 points, as well as the now infamous "two players wearing the same jersey number" gaffe that turned the game from competitive to snooze fest.
Napier and company followed that stinker with a home game against the Miami Hurricanes, a contest in which superstar freshman quarterback DJ Lagway didn't play a single snap until Graham Mertz left with a concussion and a 21-point deficit, all while Napier rotated offensive linemen every series like he was coaching a high school scrimmage rather than a home game against a hated in-state rival.
Hopefully, a glorified high school team is just what Napier needs to get that first game monkey off his back, but fans are a little hesitant to buy into that hype as well.
Oh, ye of little faith!
For what it's worth, I think the Gators will win this one by at least 13 points!
All jokes aside, considering the disparity in rosters, this one probably won't be close, regardless of who is roaming each team's respective sidelines.
Then again, I did watch an FCS team stroll into The Swamp and win a game without completing a single pass once upon a time, so never count out the little guy.
If that does indeed happen, I may need to take a little vacation to my local psych ward for a couple of months.
If you aren't a fan of reading my articles, that may be all the incentive you need to cheer for those Long Island Sharks.