Many reasons for the Gator Nation to be thankful
This football season has been a difficult one to stomach for those who love the Gators - and the basketball team has gotten off to a shaky start - but there are still plenty of things Florida fans should be thankful for this holiday season. Since it's Thanksgiving Day, now's a good time to get in the spirit and focus on the positives of Gator athletics from this year and onward.
Be thankful for a new coaching hire that will likely come sometime in December. With how badly things have gone on the field most of the time three of the past four years, the Gator Nation is ready for a new era. That's something to rally around, and the next few weeks could deliver the most excitement Florida fans have experienced in years. There's a chance Jeremy Foley can find the answer to most of or even all of Florida problems with a new hire.Be thankful for how well Will Muschamp has responded to adversity these past few weeks. He could have given up on this Florida team after a midseason firing, but Muschamp has prepared and motivated this team like he would if he were still to be the coach next season. At his dismissal press conference, Muschamp showed a level of grace, class and humility that's a rarity nowadays in this business. He even cracked a few jokes up at the podium while sporting a smile. Be thankful for the potential Florida has at the quarterback position. Under the right regime, Treon Harris or Will Grier could be groomed into an elite college-level signal-caller. The quarterback battle between both players will be an interesting one to follow throughout 2015. Be thankful for Florida's 38-20 upset over Georgia 26 days ago. It took 418 rushing yards on 60 carries to pull it off, but the Gators finally got their first win against the Bulldogs since 2010.Be thankful for Jeff Driskel's 9-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson on 4th and 7 in the first overtime period in Florida's 36-30 triple overtime win over Kentucky in September. Saying Driskel's play has been frustrating this year would be an understatement, but he did deliver the most clutch throw of his career that night to keep the Gators alive. Be thankful for Florida's 34-10 win over Vanderbilt 19 days ago. The Commodores are pretty bad, but the Gators avenged their 2013 to them in dominating fashion.Be thankful for Florida's 10-9 comeback victory at Tennessee in October under Harris' leadership in the fourth quarter. It would have been bad if Florida fell to Kentucky, Tennessee or Vanderbilt this year, but the true freshman helped the Gators avoid that. Be thankful for everything Dante Fowler Jr. has done at Florida in three seasons. He's chasing his dream after this season and will likely land as a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Even during the down years, Fowler's domination in the pass rush has been satisfying for fans to watch. Be thankful for Robinson and his future with the Gators. The sophomore's seven receiving touchdowns are the most by a Gators receiver since Riley Cooper recorded nine in 2009. Robinson also has a team-best 703 receiving yards on 43 yards and has carried a lacking receiving corps this year. Be thankful for how well Kyle Christy has bounced back from a disastrous 2013 season to Ray Guy Award consideration this year. Christy ranks fifth in the nation in yards per punt at 45.8. Be thankful for Matt Jones, Kelvin Taylor and Brandon Powell. There's a chance Jones could leave UF early and declare for the draft after the 2014 season concludes, but if that is to happen the Gators still have two talented options in Taylor and Powell for 2015. Taylor will be only a junior next season and has showcased plenty of skill in the running game in two seasons. That also goes for Powell as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Be thankful for the feel-good story that is Mike McNeely. From Publix "bagshier" to fake field goal hero, McNeely captivated the Gator Nation with that touchdown run against Georgia as well as his charm. The former walk-on will now forever have a place in the Florida football history books - and on the Internet in a picture bagging groceries that went viral. At least one player in the state of Florida is doing something right at Publix.Be thankful for the six years Andre Debose has spent at UF. He never panned out to be the second coming of Percy Harvin, but Debose has delivered some electric punt and kickoff returns during his time in Gainesville. Be thankful for what Mike Summers has done with this offensive line in his first year on the job. The group has always been thin and has battled injuries here and there, but the offensive linemen have outperformed expectations in 2014. Be thankful for right tackle Roderick Johnson and how much he has improved from last year to now. That offensive line is going to lose a lot of key pieces after this year with Max Garcia, Chaz Green, Trenton Brown and Tyler Moore leaving. Johnson brings some level of certainty to this group next season. Be thankful for how well Garcia transitioned from guard to center this year. He's been Florida's best offensive lineman in 2014, and he's also been a pleasure to interview. Everything about Garcia exemplifies a class act.Be thankful for all the talent that returns in the secondary next season, especially at cornerback. Vernon Hargreaves III will again enter the season as one of the best cornerbacks in the nation, while freshmen corners Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson both have bright futures. Duke Dawson and Keanu Neal also return some talent to the secondary. While the football team heads to a new direction after another disappointing season, Florida fans should be thankful for what the basketball team accomplished last year with a Final Four appearance and the amount of potential it has this season despite a few early losses.Be thankful for juniors Eli Carter, Dorian Finney-Smith and Michael Frazier II, who will carry the load offensively this season for the Gators. Be thankful for Chris Walker, who decided to return to school for his sophomore season instead of bolting for the 2014 NBA Draft. Walker has oodles of potential, although he hasn't put it together just yet. A player with that much talent is going to elevate his game eventually. Be thankful that Carter (foot) and Finney-Smith (hand) are back on the court. Carter avoided a potentially disastrous Lisfranc injury and missed only one game with a mid-foot sprain, while Finney-Smith sat out only two contests. Be thankful for freshmen Devin Robinson and Chris Chiozza. Robinson probably has more airballs than made field goals after four games, but the lanky, talented five-star forward will get a better grasp of the college game as time goes on. Chiozza has looked great as Florida's backup point guard and has even outperformed Kasey Hill during stretches. Be thankful for Duke transfer Alex Murphy, who will join the team after the fall semester concludes in mid-December. This Gators team needs another body on the bench, and they'll get him on the court pretty soon. Be thankful for those in the basketball program who inspire others with their unique stories of perseverance. Walk-on forward Jacob Kurtz went from being a student manager for the team to becoming Florida's quintessential hustle guy in the rotation during his senior season. Zach Hodskins, who was born without the lower half of his left arm, battled through adversity and accomplished his dream of playing college basketball for a Division I team. Please appreciate everything both of those guys have done in Gainesville. Those are some special stories. Be thankful for sophomore point guard Kasey Hill possibly turning the corner at the end of the Georgetown game. After a brutal shooting stretch through three and a half games, Hill came up big for the Gators down the stretch and made some key shots. He may finally be regaining his confidence. Be thankful for Billy Donovan. This Florida team may not be as sound or experienced as last year's squad, but I'd be surprised if Donovan doesn't have the Gators looking like a formidable group by the middle of February. That's been the trend the past few years, and that all starts from coaching. Especially with Muschamp out the door after this Saturday, be thankful the other premier program of this university has stability at the coaching position. Be thankful for the abundance of overtime games the Gators have seen in both sports this year. They may not always go in Florida's favor, but they're exciting as hell to watch. That's for sure.And also be thankful for Florida's other teams that don't receive as much attention as football and basketball. Florida softball won the Women's College World Series back in June, the gymnastics team shared a national title last season, the volleyball team just won an SEC crown and Gators soccer just reached the Elite Eight this past weekend. Florida's female athletes have shined under the radar while football and basketball dominate the landscape. 
