GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ The 305 area code is popping up on UF tight end Kemore Gamble's cell phone more and more these days.
A native of Miami, Gamble routinely fields calls from South Florida, just not this many.
It's not every year Gamble's Gators and the Miami Hurricanes square off.
When the teams meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 in Orlando's Camping World Stadium, Gamble will line up on the opposite sideline from former Miami Southridge teammates Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and DJ Scaife, along with a number of players from the area he knows.
"They call mostly every day. Mostly every day," Gamble said. "I'm guessing they're scared of us."
Earlier this summer UF receiver Trevon Grimes, a former standout at Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas, had been going back and forth with former teammate Mike Harley, who plays the same position for the 'Canes.
"Now that the game is closer, I can't give him those calls no more," said Grimes, a redshirt sophomore. "I might find them in pregame, give them a little glare. Show them that we are coming out and we mean business."
A lot is at stake during the two long-time rivals' first meeting since 2013.
The Gators are ranked No. 8 in the preseason coaches' poll and hope to challenge for the SEC title. The 2019 Hurricanes will look to establish themselves again just two seasons removed from a 10-win season and in their first season under coach Manny Diaz.
"Everybody thinks they run Florida," said UF tight end Dante Lang, who grew up in Boca Raton. "It's big for us. We can actually show that we run Florida."
Add to that many players from both teams have crossed paths since their youth football days and all the ingredients are in place for an emotionally charged game to kick off the 150th season of college football.
"I think Gilbert (Frierson) called me yesterday saying, '12 days,'" Gamble said of the UM linebacker who played at Coral Gables High. "Every day he calls me to tell me that, that the game is getting closer."
Friends and family from all over the state are expected to pack a sold-out stadium to witness a new chapter in a rivalry that used to be one of the biggest in the Southeast. With no future games between the schools on the schedule, the Gators and the Hurricanes will look to make the most out of this rare opportunity.
"It means a lot," Grimes said. "Just showing we're the best in the state, best in the country, going out there dominating. There's going to be a lot of family and friends.
"We've just got to go out there and put on a show, so it's a very big game for a lot of people on the team."
