Miami football is not a challenge per Florida LB Andrew Chatfield

Florida linebacker Andrew Chatfield told reporters this week he doesn’t see the Miami football team as a challenge. He went as far as to call it just another game.

The Florida and Miami football programs will meet for the first time on the field since 2013 on August 24 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Miami won 21-16 in 2013 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Hurricanes have won seven of the last eight games against the Gators dating back to 1986.

Miami and Florida have alternated successful and disappointing seasons over the last two years.  Florida finished 4-7 in 2017. The Gators fired head coach Jim McIlwain seven games into the 2018 season with a 3-4 record.

Former Miami linebacker and head coach Randy Shannon finished the season as the season 1-3 as Florida’s interim head coach. Shannon is now the defensive coordinator at Central Florida. Shannon was 28-22 in five seasons as the Miami head coach.

Miami had an electric 10-3, 2017 season followed by a disappointing 7-6 finish in 2018. That precipitated Mark Richt’s retirement and Manny Diaz’s ascension to head coach. Diaz has built a lot of positive momentum in the Miami football program this offseason.

Florida linebacker Andrew Chatfield was very dismissive of the talent the Miami defense has on their front seven. Chatfield was a high school teammate and classmate of Miami rising sophomore defensive tackle Nesta Silvera. Chatfield’s comments are disrespectful particularly Miami’s four-year starting linebacker corps.

Chatfield spoke to Swamp247 the Florida Gators site on 247Sports. Manny Diaz will no doubt use Chatfield’s comments for bulletin board material between now and August 24.

"“Well, I don’t really see them as a challenge…I just see them as another team really, because I feel like my whole team, we face SEC teams, big-boy teams. They faced one SEC team, and they got smashed by LSU last time I checked. But it’s whatever though, it’s just another game.Yeah, but you know he’s cool, that’s family right there (Silvera)…I’ve been with him for a long time, so you know we talk smack here and there, but it’s whatever really.”"

Chatfield was talking a lot for a player who recorded one assist and a half tackle for loss in two games last season. He enters the 2019 season as a redshirt freshman. Chatfield is projected as the Gators second defensive end by Swamp 247. The Florida Staff is high on Chatfield according to Swamp247.

Video Courtesy of Swamp247

"“Chatfield is the guy the staff seems highest on potentially emerging as a major contributor on the pass rush.”"

The teams in some ways mirror each other. Both have excellent defenses and questions at quarterback and on the offensive line. The comments after the Swamp247 article were all of course slanted towards Florida.

The Gators are coming off of a better than expected first season under Dan Mullen. Mullen would be wise to reign in the comments of his players. The Florida fan base could then learn a valuable lesson from that. Things can change from year to year. The Miami football team found that out the hard way versus LSU last season.

The Hurricanes entered the game ranked eighth in the preseason rankings and as Chatfield corrected stated the Tigers smashed Miami 33-17. The game was not as close as the final score. With a new offense and new leadership under Diaz, the Hurricanes could be the underdog pulling the season-opening upset in 2019.