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SPORTS
Chuck Landon: Florida rivalry will be renewed Friday night
Two words.
That's all I need to describe the impending battle between Marshall cornerback D.J. Wingate and University of Cincinnati game-breaking wide receiver Mardy Gilyard.
Yep, just seven little syllables.
"Rivalry Interrupted."
That's precisely what Wingate vs. Gilyard is.
A rivalry that began near Daytona Beach, Fla., in Flagler County will resume at 8 p.m. Friday when Marshall (3-2) hosts Cincinnati (3-1) in a game nationally televised by ESPN from Edwards Stadium.
"It's going to be fun," said Wingate, 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore. "I'm really excited. I want a chance to see him after the game and congratulate him no matter what happens.
"It's going to be real good to play against a hometown rival. ... again."
Well put. Again is indeed the key word in this "Rivalry Interrupted."
"Me and Mardy are real good friends," continued Wingate, who starred at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach. "We are track friends and football friends.
"He played at Flagler Palm Coast (Bunnell, Fla.). ... one of our rival schools down the street. He's a real good athlete. He always had great hands and nice speed.
"We played his team every year."
And when Wingate and Gilyard weren't on football fields, they were competing in track and field venues.
"He was a 300-meter hurdle guy, 100-meter hurdle guy. ... could fly," said Wingate of the 6-1, 180-pound Gilyard. "He is very fast."
So, who is faster, D.J.? You or him?
"I never got to run against Mardy," said Wingate with a grin. "He's a couple of years older than me. But I saw him around a lot. ... a lot of races, a lot of track meets.
"He was real talented. He was pretty good."
Still is.
In fact, Gilyard is one of the surprise stories in the Big East Conference.
After being a part-time player last season, Gilyard has exploded with 26 catches for 435 yards (16.7 per catch) and five touchdown receptions with a long of 67 yards.
He is ranked No. 7 in the country in receiving yardage with 108.8 per game.
Besides all that, the junior speedster is the nation's No. 1 kickoff returner averaging 36.3 per return including a 97-yard touchdown.
And none of that surprises Wingate.
"He's doing his thing," said Wingate. "He's much improved. He was really good in high school at running routes and he always had sure hands. ... very sure hands.
"But, now, I look at him and I can tell he really has been working hard. I'm real excited to play against him.
"He has exploded this season. I would never doubt his speed. I've seen it since we were growing up, coming through high school.
"So, I know his speed very well."
Well enough not to get burned by it Friday night? Wingate certainly hopes so. But even if that happens, there won't be any hard feelings.
Not in this "Rivalry Interrupted."
"I saw him play last year," said Wingate, referring to MU's 40-14 loss to UC. "I didn't get to play too much last year. But I saw what he could do.
"I saw that he was still talented, still humble, still a nice guy."
Most of all, Wingate saw that this old school rivalry was still the same. ... still very, very friendly.
"Oh, yeah," said Wingate. "It has always been a friendly rivalry. That's how it was in high school and that's how it's always going to be.
"It will be a nice game."
And I can sum that up in another two words.
Rivalry resumed.
Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.
