A lot of injuries happen in football as a result of missed assignments, imperfect technique and just inexperience. A team that plays well is less prone to injury than a makeshift team where the most experienced players sit out. Sure injuries will still happen: football is a collision sport, but before a coach puts a team on the field, he must consider the well-being of that team. Fielding a team just to play a game could be disastrous.
That being said we are scheduled to play a bowl game against a team that would like nothing more than to take down the mighty Gators. The beavers are 9-3 with only losses against both teams in their conference championship and a 10-2 husky team. I know we will be without a lot of players who entered to portal or left for the nfl, but to limit injuries we need to play a quality game with the most experienced players remaining on our roster.
Additionally, the Gators may field the youngest team ever next year, so it would mean a lot to the program to end the year with a winning record. It may also be important for ESD.