University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

Before the 1964 football season began, a poll was taken of Southeastern Conference sportswriters, publicity men, and radio announcers, to determine which of the league ' s eleven teams faced the toughest schedule in the upcoming campaign. It was almost the unanimous decision of these experts that the Florida Gators would face the roughest list of opponents of any of the conference squads. Found on the Gator list of opponents included national powers Alabama, L.S.U., Auburn, and Mississippi State, which had all played in bowl games the previous season. Along with rival Georgia, they were the six top ranking teams in pre-season S.E.C. polls. Add to the schedule arch-rivals Florida State and Miami, another bowl team, S.M.U., one possible " breather " in South Carolina and the reason for the poll ' s results can be easily seen. youthful Gator team preparing to face the upcoming battles. Certainly a great challenge faced the How well the Gators met that challenge cannot be merely recognized simply by the fact that the team produced a winning season, the fourth in five years under the tutelage of Ray Graves. Nor, can it alone be measured by the 151 points the team produced in one of its finest offensive showings in recent years. The fact that, for a good part of the season, the Gators ranked Number 1 nationally in pass defense may also contribute to the answer. But more than anything else, the challenge to the Saturday-after-Saturday grueling schedule was met by hard work, teamwork, desire and unity, all qualities 128