February 26, 2007

Matt Hudson's Spring Trip Journal: Entry #2

There were a lot of mixed emotions flying around after our game with Florida. It is important to understand that a 12-6 win over Florida counts just as much as a 100-0 win. In the end the W is all that counts. However, for all of the players this win was bittersweet. The first 2 minutes of the game were perfectly representative of how the rest of the game played out - an endless ground ball. In a game that featured nearly 80 ground balls (no, that's not a typo), none of us felt particularly well about our performance. Unforced mistakes were made, both mentally and physically, on both sides of the ball. While I cannot speak for the Florida team, neither team looked very good.

Regardless, there was one shining moment that I think shows a lot of promise about where this team is headed. With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter and a victory for Florida still in reach, we were penalized with a non-releasable stick penalty for 3 minutes. It was at this moment, when we were backed into a corner, that we turned it on and executed on all cylinders. Even if it was only for a few minutes, it proved the inherent character of this team and its players. Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it.

Looking ahead to FSU, many of us are focused on better pre-game preparation. A large portion of the team was dehydrated before the Florida game since there was no water readily available on the 2 hour bus ride before the game. Moreover, we are trying to take it a little easier at practice so that we're not as sore and sluggish as we were at the start of the Florida game. A few viruses have been spreading around (an inconvenient cold and a nasty flu) and we are trying to quarantine those who are already sick. 

Time to hydrate!

Journal Entry #1 (Feb. 23)