The Gators rallied in the final minutes to stun No. 2 Florida State 32-29 and prevent the unbeaten Seminoles from playing for the national title. Doug Johnson hit Jacquez Green for a 63-yard gain that set up Fred Taylor's fourth touchdown with less than two minutes left in front of one of the wildest crowds in the history of The Swamp.
Following a 31-30 home loss to Ole Miss, Tim Tebow gave a speech at his press conference where he promised, among other things, that fans 'will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.' Properly inspired, the Gators did not lose for the remainder of the year and defeated Oklahoma in January to win their third national title.
Steve Spurrier kicked a 40-yard field goal with 2:12 remaining to give Florida a 30-27 win over Auburn and raise the Gators' record to 7-0. Spurrier completed 27 of 40 passes for 259 yards that day -- which was one week before the Heisman votes were due. The performance clinched the school's first Heisman Trophy.
The Gators smoked undefeated and top-ranked Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS national championship game, giving Urban Meyer a national title in just his second year in Gainesville. Florida led 34-14 at halftime and held the Buckeyes, led by Heisman winner Troy Smith, to just 82 yards of total offense.
Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel threw for three TDs to Ike Hilliard and ran for another as the Gators whipped rival Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl. The win avenged a 24-21 loss to FSU in late November and gave the Gators the first national title in school history.
Printer-friendly version
