Interim head coach D.J. Durkin attended a Birmingham Bowl press conference Thursday. (File graphic)
Article by By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The mission for Gators interim head coach D.J. Durkin since the departure of Will Muschamp and arrival of Jim McElwain has been to maintain normalcy.
Easier said than done when the former head coach has left the building, the new head coach has barely been in the building while on the road recruiting, and the current assistants are wondering what's next.
As if that's not enough, the players are in the middle of finals and the holiday break is near.
Normalcy isn't what it usually is but at Thursday's Birmingham Bowl press conference with East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill, Durkin said the Gators are staying the course with the Jan. 3 matchup against the Pirates on the horizon.
"We had practice this morning before we headed out, and our guys had great energy and enthusiasm and they are ready to go,'' Durkin (photo, right) said. "There’s a lot of change and a lot going on at our place right now, but the best thing for our guys is to get back on the football field. They really enjoy one another, playing with one another, so they are looking forward to another opportunity."
The Gators (6-5) face an East Carolina (8-4) offense that ranks second in the FBS in passing with an average of 367.2 yards per game. Senior quarterback Shane Carden threw for 4,309 yards and 28 touchdowns and led the Pirates to a win against Virginia Tech -- the only team to beat Ohio State this season -- and a 70-41 rout of North Carolina on back-to-back weekends in September.
Florida's defensive coordinator the past two seasons under Muschamp, Durkin is well aware of the East Carolina's offensive firepower.
"Our guys know the challenge we have ahead of us,'' Durkin said. "Everyone keeps mentioning all the stats and numbers, which are very impressive and eye opening. The most important thing to me, when you turn on the film, is that they have a group of guys who play the game the right way. They play really hard and with great energy. They have great enthusiasm, and you can tell they take great pride in what is going on."
Durkin wants the Gators to do the same, something Muschamp stressed to the players prior to his departure. With McElwain on board and in full evaluation mode, the returning players have a lot to play for heading into next season.
After not making a bowl game last season, the Birmingham Bowl will be the first postseason game for the majority of Florida's underclassmen. Meanwhile, East Carolina is making its third consecutive bowl trip and is coming off a 32-30 loss to UCF in the regular-season finale.
In his fifth season, McNeill said facing the Gators' defense would be a stiff test for his team.
"We know we’re playing a great team," McNeill said. "D.J. has done a great job there, and I’m not saying that because he’s sitting here. He’s been in it and been at some top places and done a great job on defense as well as running the team.
"That’s one of the hardest positions [interim coach] to be in, and I was in that position at Texas Tech at the Alamo Bowl."
The game will be Durkin's first as a head coach. However, it won't be his first at Legion Field. As a freshman at Bowling Green in 1996, the Falcons traveled to Birmingham to face Alabama in the season opener. The Crimson Tide won 21-7.
Durkin seeks a different outcome this time as the Gators try to clinch a winning season with a victory.
Between now and Jan. 3, he'll try to maintain normalcy as much as possible.
“Change is always a difficult thing, but it is a part of life – not just football, but a part of life," Durkin said. "Our guys are going through the process and responding well to it. I told the team that life does not stop for anyone. You have to keep going, and our guys understand that. We had a great practice earlier today, and they are going to be ready to go.”
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