One could argue that Florida vs. Miami is not a football rivalry, especially if you’re under the age of 21.

I grew up during a time when Florida played Miami every year, or at least for most of the 80s.

It was a big rivalry. In fact, there was a lot of hatred for each other.

But during the past 20 years, Florida and Miami have only played on the gridiron four times since 2004.

On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in The Swamp on ABC, the Florida-Miami rivalry resumes, but the stakes and animosity level have changed.

When Florida defeated Miami in the last meeting between the two teams in the season opener in 2019 (Florida 24, Miami 20), it was just the second win over Miami since 1986, the year before the two schools ended a series they’d played annually (except for one year during World War II) since 1938.

This will be Miami’s 22nd visit to The Swamp but first since 2008 (UF 26, UM 3).

It’s hard to believe that was 16 years ago.

The Hurricanes, who are ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll and USA Today/AFCA Coaches Poll, enter the game as a 2.5-point favorite against the unranked Gators. Florida is an underdog in a season opener in The Swamp for just the second time since 1970.

Back then the Gators were dominating the ‘Canes. Florida was 7-3 against Miami from 1970-1979 but the three losses were by a combined eight points.

However, once the 70s were over, there were only 15 meetings leading up to this year’s game.

But whether it’s a “rivalry” game or not, for the players it should be personal.

Bragging rights in the Sunshine State are on the line. It’s big for recruiting.

It’s also a huge game for Florida football coach Billy Napier, who will try and keep the Gators’ streak alive at home. Florida takes an NCAA-best, 34-game win streak in home openers into Saturday’s game (1989: Ole Miss 24, Florida 19).

It’s an opportunity to take that next step for Napier, who is 11-14 at UF but wants to return Florida to greatness. It will be a big task considering the Gators have the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, featuring eight preseason AP Top-20 opponents.

It’s also an opportunity to get a little closer to .500 in the series. The Hurricanes have two more wins, 29-27, than the Gators.

I’ll be there on Saturday. I hope it lives up to the classics I’ve witnessed in the past.

Here are my top five UF-UM games of all time that I was in attendance for (in chronological order). Note that two of the games were losses for the Gators.

1981 – Miami 21, Florida 20
A 55-yard field goal by Danny Miller with 45 seconds to play hit the left upright but bounced through to give the unranked Hurricanes a 21-20 win against the No. 17 Gators in the Orange Bowl. Backup quarterback Mark Richt replaced injured star Jim Kelly to erase a 20-11 deficit in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning 64-yard drive which started with 2:48 to play. The Gators did get a shot at winning the game, but Brian Clark’s 59-yard field goal attempt fell short as time ran out.

1982 – Florida 17, Miami 14
This game will always be about Florida fullback James Jones and “The Catch.” Florida QB Wayne Peace, a junior at the time, rolled to his right and actually overthrew Jones, who made the unbelievable, falling-backward one-handed 17-yard touchdown catch with 1:48 left (video) to beat the Hurricanes. It has to be considered one of the all-time great plays in school history. Peace started the winning drive at the Florida 39-yard line with a 27-yard completion to wide receiver, Dwayne Dixon.

1983 – Florida, 28, Miami 3
The Hurricanes turned the ball over seven times, including three interceptions by Miami QB Bernie Kosar. It was Miami’s worst loss in four years. What made this game the most significant was that Miami reeled off 11 straight wins, including a wild 31-30 victory against Nebraska in the Orange Bowl to win the 1983 national title. It made for an easy T-shirt/bumper sticker, “Florida 28, National Champions 3.”

1984 – Miami 32, Florida 20
This game, which was played in Tampa, was much closer than the final score indicated. It was the debut of the “Throwin’ Mayoan.” In his first collegiate start, freshman walk on quarterback Kerwin Bell threw a touchdown pass with 41 seconds to play to give the Gators a 20-19 lead. It would be short-lived because of Kosar’s comeback (video). Kosar led the Hurricanes to the game-winning score with a five-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Eddie Brown with seven seconds remaining. A Miami pick-6 by Tolbert Bain on the final play of the game made it a double-digit margin of victory.

2008 – Florida 26, Miami 3
Anytime you can end a losing streak to your rival, it’s a big win. The Gators entered the game with a six-game losing streak in the series. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was 21-of-35 for 256 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 13 times for 55 yards. He established a school record with 130 consecutive passes without an interception and also surpassed UF legend Steve Spurrier on Florida’s all-time total offensive yards list to move into ninth place with 5,473 total yards. The Gators lost two games later against Ole Miss, but we know what happened then after Tebow’s legendary speech. Florida (13-1) won out and defeated Oklahoma at the FedEx BCS National Championship in Miami less than four months later to win the 2008 national title.

Florida and Miami have produced some great players in this series.

I’m glad I got the chance to see wide receiver Michael Irvin and quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde, who were among the top Miami Hurricanes players of the 1980s.

For Florida, Lomas Brown was a part of “The Great Wall” and Wilber Marshall dominated from his linebacker position in the 80s, and Tebow and Brandon Spikes were two of the biggest leaders on that 2008 national championship team.

Things have changed since then, a lot.

But for me, the Hurricanes and the Gators will always be a huge game, a rivalry game.

It’s not up there with FSU or Georgia, but certainly, it’s still in my top five.

Go Gators!