Two weeks after losing a season opener for the first time in 28 years, the No. 24 Florida Gators are facing the possibility of starting 0-2 for the first time since 1971.
Hurricane Irma wiped out a likely victory against Northern Colorado of the Football Championship Subdivision. But that does little to diminish the importance of Saturday's home, and Southeastern Conference opener, against 23rd-ranked Tennessee (2-0).
It's likely the most important game in coach Jim McElwain's three seasons, a chance to erase lingering feelings from that humbling loss to Michigan in the opener.
"You could look at this game as almost like a do-or-die type of game," Gators linebacker David Reese said. "It's like a real big point, a fork in the road."
Florida is 3-8 against Top 25 teams under McElwain, with six of those losses coming against three of the nation's top programs: Alabama, Florida State and Michigan. Lose to rival Tennessee for the second straight year and at home — the Volunteers haven't won in Gainesville since 2003 — and McElwain surely will start feeling some heat.
Golden Bears ride backup
Redshirt junior running back Patrick Laird, who came off the bench last week and rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns against Weber State, will make his first college start Saturday for California in a home game against Mississippi.
"He has the respect of everybody in our program, just by the way he works, the way he trains, the way he treats people, just overall who he is," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. "It's really neat to see a guy like that be rewarded. We expected him to do some really good things. "
Laird had not carried more than four times in a game before last week, when he came in after Tre Watson suffered a season-ending leg injury.
