History of the SEC: The Florida Gators

There’s a misconception in the college football world that other than Steve Spurrier winning the Heisman Trophy and coming back as coach to vault the program into national prominence in the 1990s, that University of Florida football doesn’t have any history.

It does … just not a lot of it favorably compares.

Otherwise, Florida’s biggest contribution to the sport, and all others, was kidney specialist Dr. Robert Cade inventing an electrolyte beverage for the football team at the request of an assistant coach. The university still receives 20 percent of Gatorade’s profits, which as of this writing was more than $280 million.

There's also the Gator persona. According to local legend, the nickname first appeared on a pendant in 1908, but Florida Times-Union columnist Laurence “Kiddo” Woltz was credited with being the first to refer to the team as Gators in print in 1911. Later on, a 12-foot alligator named Albert served as the official mascot until he died in 1970. Today, bronze statutes of the cartoonish Albert Gator and Alberta Gator costumed mascots stand across the street from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Out in front are the Heisman Trophy winners, and the Bull Gator statue can be found in front of nearby Heavener Hall.

Florida began play in 1906, a decade later than most Southeastern Conference teams, under the direction of Jack Forsythe (14-6-2), who enjoyed modest success along with his replacement G.E. Pyle (26-7-3). Joining the Southern Conference in 1922 predated by one year the arrival of the most notable figure in Florida football history, volunteer coach James Van Fleet, who was also commander of the school’s ROTC unit as a major in the Army and had earned two Silver Stars before being wounded in action during World War I. While moonlighting as football coach, the Gators had two winning seasons of 6-1-2 and 6-2-2, with two of the losses ironically coming to Army.

The program acquired its first national attention in 1923 with a 7-7 tie to powerhouse Georgia Tech, which had to rally late in the game for its score, and a stunning upset against Alabama in the season finale at Tuscaloosa. With rain turning the field into a quagmire, the Gators trailed 6-0 at halftime when Van Fleet had his best players change uniforms with the reserves, then kept the starters in the locker room until the last possible moment. Apparently the strategy worked because all-Southern back Edgar Jones scored 16 points in the second half to lead Florida’s comeback victory.

Van Fleet pulled off another tie against Georgia Tech in 1924, and a 7-7 tie against Texas as well. However, his accomplishments on the football field paled in comparison to his military career. While in command of the 8th Infantry Regiment, it spearheaded the landing of the 4th Infantry Division at Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6. He also led a division that relieved the Allies at the Battle of the Bulge, the last major offensive by the Germans in World War II. General Patton, in briefing a congressional delegation at his headquarters in Bad Tolz, Germany, stated that Van Fleet was the best of all combat generals who served under him.

When the Army announced his death at the age of 100 on September 23, 1992, the order included the following: “On April 11, 1951, he was appointed Commanding General of the Eight Army and United Nations troops in Korea. General Van Fleet drove the Chinese Army north until he was ordered to halt and to go on the defensive in order to achieve an armistice. Van Fleet, shortly after his arrival in Korea, instituted a tremendous program of retraining. In this regard, he established numerous military schools: Infantry schools, artillery schools, small unit officers schools, staff schools, and even established a war college and most important of all for leadership, a Military Academy — the ‘West Point of Korea.’ The Koreans erected a life-size bronze statue of Van Fleet in front of the military academy and refer to him as ‘The Father of the Korean Army.’”

Following Van Fleet’s departure, the Gators enjoyed an eight-win season under H.L. Sebring (1925) and two with Charles Bachman (1928 and 1929). Led by its first All-American, end Dale Van Sickel (who went on to become a Hollywood stuntman), Florida led the nation in scoring in 1928 with 336 points in nine games thanks to lopsided wins against Mercer (73-0), Sewanee (71-6) and Washington & Lee (60-6). The Gators finished 8-1, losing only the season finale to Tennessee on a wet Knoxville field, 13-12.

“The greatest all-around end I've ever seen,” Bachman said about Van Sickel.

From 1935 to 1951, Florida had only one season with a winning record, but that time period featured one of the programs best players, Forrest Ferguson. From 1939 though 1941, “Fergie” set numerous receiving records, in addition to being a collegiate state boxing champion in 1942 and won the National AAU javelin championship. He enlisted in the Army that same year and was severely wounded during the Normandy Invasion, which eventually took his life 10 years later. Florida honors his memory with the annual Fergie Ferguson Award, given to the senior who displays outstanding leadership, character, and courage.

Coach Bob Woodruff disrupted the losing ways with an 8-3 season in 1952 that resulted in an invitation to play Tulsa, fittingly the first of four early appearances for Florida in the Gator Bowl. Led by All-American tackle Charlie LaPradd and running back Rick Casares, it won 14-13. Six years later, Florida, led by quarterback Jimmy Dunn and end Dave Hudson, returned and lost to Ole Miss, 7-3.

Running back Don Goodman and quarterback Larry Libertone were featured in a 13-12 win against Baylor at the end of the 1960 season, and Florida pulled of a big upset against No. 9 Penn State, 17-7 in 1962, thanks, in part to some solid defensive play and quarterback Tom Shannon. In 1963, the upset came against No. 3 Alabama 10-6 in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide wouldn’t lose again until 1982.

Until 1965, when Florida played Missouri in the Sugar Bowl, where Spurrier as a quarterback set six bowl records and was named the game’s most outstanding player (he was 27 of 45 for 352 yards, two touchdowns and one interception), its postseason history had been limited to the Gator Bowl, with no championships and not a single 10-win season. Oh, and the Gators lost to the Tigers 20-18 in New Orleans.

Under the direction of coach Ray Graves — who wrote two books on football and was the originator of the “Monster Defense,” an alignment known for incorporating the positions now called free safety and strong safety — the Gators came back to post records of 9-2 and 9-1-1 in 1966 and 1969, respectively, due in part to a pair of impressive bowl wins.

The first was against Georgia Tech in coach Bobby Dodd’s final game, 27-12 in the Orange Bowl. The second was 14-13 over Tennessee, in, surprise, the Gator Bowl.

“Graves is one of the greatest defensive coaches of all time, and a fine gentleman,” said Dodd, who had Graves as an assistant coach for 13 seasons.

The School

Location: Gainesville, Fla.
Founded: 1853.
Enrollment: 41,487.
Nickname: Gators.
Colors: Orange and blue.
Mascot: Albert and Alberta Gator.
Stadium: Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548), also known as "The Swamp."

Graves had the Gators close to greatness, but he wasn’t the only one. Florida’s rise to the top of the conference actually began well before the 1990s, with various teams and individuals standing out along the way.

Among the first of these, of course, was Spurrier, who launched himself not only into Florida lore, but essentially won the Heisman Trophy on Oct. 29, 1966 on a play he didn’t line up at quarterback.

Undefeated and ranked seventh, Florida was tied against Auburn, facing fourth down in the closing moments. Spurrier had passed for 259 yards (and to give you an idea of how times have changed, he finished with 2,012 passing yards that season) and averaged 47 yards a punt. But instead of letting the kicker attempt the 40-yard game-winning field goal, Spurrier did it himself, clearing the crossbar by about a foot for a 30-27 victory. Graves could only smile about it afterward, and when Auburn coach, Ralph “Shug” Jordan, referred to him as “Steve Superior” it more than seemed to fit.

The following week, Florida was stifled by Vince Dooley’s tough defense at Georgia (27-10), but with Larry Smith accumulating 94 rushing yards spoiled Dodd’s sendoff.

Another standout on hand for Graves’ final two years, and former Tennessee coach Doug Dickey’s first season with the Gators in 1970, was defensive end Jack Youngblood, an All-American who went on to be twice named the National Football League’s Defensive Player of the Year.

“He added weight in an honest way,” Graves said. “This was before the days body-building became so widespread.”

Youngblood’s signature play in college came against Georgia in 1970. Leading 17-10, the Bulldogs had the ball at the 1-yard line, when Youngblood stopped a running back short of the goal line, knocked the ball loose and recovered the fumble. Florida went on to win 24-17.

Not surprisingly, the defense slipped without him in 1971, when quarterback John Reaves became college football’s all-time leader in career passing with 7,549 yards (a record that has since been more than obliterated).

Beginning in 1973, Florida enjoyed an unprecedented streak of four straight bowl appearances, though lost each game, starting with a 16-7 defeat to future Gators coach Ron Zook and Miami of Ohio in the Tangerine Bowl. That was followed by a 13-10 loss to Nebraska in a controversial Sugar Bowl in which running back Tony Green was ruled out of bounds on an apparent 26-yard touchdown run, a 13-0 shutout by Maryland in the Gator Bowl, and 37-14 pounding against Texas A&M in the Sun Bowl.

Leading that last team, in 1976, was All-American split end Wes Chandler, who gave way to another outstanding receiver, All-American Cris Collinsworth.

In coach Charley Pell’s first bowl victory, 35-20 against Maryland in the Tangerine Bowl after the 1980 season, Collinsworth (eight catches for 166 yards) and defensive tackle David Galloway were named the offensive and defensive players of the game. It was the first in another string of four straight bowl games, and of seven overall during the 1980s when the Gators posted 76 victories.

“I want my players to think as positively as the 85-year old man who married a 25-year old woman and bought a five-bedroom house next to the elementary school,” Pell said.

Under coach Galen Hall, Florida went 9-1-1 in both 1984 and 1985, and with a 14-10 victory at Auburn was ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history, but the Gators were ineligible for postseason consideration due to National Collegiate Athletic Association sanctions.

Florida didn’t have one of its best teams in 1986, but played one of its most memorable games. The Gators were struggling at 3-4 when No. 5 Auburn came calling in Gainesville and built up a 17-0 lead in the third quarter. After bring out for a month with an injury, Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell limped on to the field and by throwing to wide receiver Ricky Nattiel, who had a separated shoulder himself, they mounted a comeback. Down 17-16 with 30 seconds remaining, the Gators went for the 2-point conversion and victory. Bell dropped back to pass, only to limp into the end zone himself when all of his receivers were covered.

One of the key players of the 1980s was two-time All-American linebacker Wilber Marshall , who was named college football’s player of the year in 1983 and went on to have an All-Pro career for the Chicago Bears.

The Program

National Championships (3): 1996, 2006 and 2008.

SEC Championships (68: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2008.

Bowl appearances: 47 (23-24).

First season: 1906.

College Football Hall of Fame (14): Carlos Alvarez, 1969-71, wide receiver, 2011; Charlie Bachman, 1928-32, coach, inducted 1978; Lomas Brown, 1981-84, offensive tackles, 2020; Wes Chandler, 1974-77, wide receiver, 2015; Doug Dickey, 1970-78, coach, 2003; Ray Graves, 1960-69, coach, 1990; Wilber Marshall, 1980-83, linebacker, 2008; Emmitt Smith, 1987-89, running back, 2006; Steve Spurrier, 1964-66, quarterback, 1986; 1990-2001, coach, 2017; Dale Van Sickel, 1927-29, end, 1975; Tim Tebow, 2006-09, quarterback, 2023; Danny Wuerffel, 1993-96, quarterback, 2013; Jack Youngblood, defensive end, 1968-70, 1992.

Note: Marcelina Huerta was terrific lineman for the Gators from 1947-49, but was inducted as a coach of other programs in 2020.

Heisman Winners (3): Steve Spurrier, quarterback, 1966; Danny Wuerffel, quarterback, 1996; Tim Tebow, quarterback, 2007.

National Honors:
Maxwell Award (outstanding player): Danny Werffel 1996; Tim Tebow 2007, 2008.
Walter Camp Award (best player): Danny Wuerffel 1996
Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback): Danny Wuerffel 1995, 1996; Tim Tebow 2007
Rimington Trophy (best cneter): Maurkice Pouncey 2009
Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back): Lawrence Wright 1996
Ray Guy Award (top punter): Chas Henry 2010
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (best senior quarterback); Danny Wuerffel 1996
Lou Groza Award (best kicker): Judd Davis 1993
John Mackey Award (top tight end): Aaron Hernandez 2009; Kyle Pitts 2020
Draddy Trophy (academic Heisman): Brad Culpepper 1991; Danny Wuerrfel 1996; Tim Tebow 2009.
Wuerffel Trophy (community service): Tim Tebow 2008.
Manning Award (best quarterback, postseason included): Tim Tebow 2008.

Consensus First-Team All-Americans (* unanimous): 1966 * Steve Spurrier, B; 1969 Carlos Alvarez, E; 1975 Sammy Green, LB; 1980 David Little, LB; 1982 Wilber Marshall, DL; 1983 Wilber Marshall, LB; 1984 Lomas Brown, OT; 1988 Louis Oliver, DB; 1989 * Emmitt Smith, RB; 1991 Brad Culpepper, DL; 1994 Kevin Carter, DL; Jack Jackson, WR; 1995 * Jason Odom, OL; 1996 Reidel Anthony, WR; Ike Hilliard, WR; Danny Wuerffel, QB;1997 Jacquez Green, WR; Fred Weary, DB; 2001 Alex Brown, DL; * Jabar Gaffney, WR; Rex Grossman, QB; Mike Pearson, OL; 2003 Keiwan Ratliff, DB; 2006 Reggie Nelson, DB; 2007 Tim Tebow, QB; 2008 Brandon James, KR/AP; * Brandon Spikes, LB; 2009 * Joe Haden, DB; Maurkice Pouncey, C; Brandon Spikes, LB; 2010 Chas Henry, P; 2015 * Vernon Hargreaves, III, DB; 2020 * Kyle Pitts, TE; 2022 O’Cyrus Torrence, OL

First-Team Academic All-Americans (CoSIDA): Charles Casey, E, 1965; Carlos Alvarez, WR, 1969, 1971; David Posey, KS, 1976; Wes Chandler, RB, 1977; Cris Collinsworth, WR, 1980; Brad Culpepper, DL, 1991; Michael Gilmore, DB, 1993-94; Terry Dean, QB, 1994; Danny Wuerffel, QB, 1995-96; 2007 Tim Tebow, QB; 2008 Tim Tebow, QB; 2009 Tim Tebow, QB

First-round NFL draftees: 45.

Retired Jerseys: None .. sort of. Steve Spurrier's 11 and Scot Brantley's 55 were retired in the 1970s, but Spurrier reissued them when head coach. Six players and coaches have been inducted into Florida's Ring of Honor: Emmitt Smith, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Jack Youngblood, Wilber Marshall and Tim Tebow.

All-Century Team (selected by the Gainesville Sun): Offense _ Burton Lawless, G, 1972-74; Donnie Young, G, 1993-96; Lomas Brown, T, 1981-84; Davis Williams, T, 1985-88; Jeff Mitchell, C, 1993-96; Jim Yarbrough, TE, 1966-68; Carlos Alvarez, WR, 1969-71; Wes Chandler, WR, 1974-77; Danny Wuerffel, QB, 1982-85; Neal Anderson, RB, 1982-85; Emmitt Smith, RB, 1987-89; Judd Davis, K, 1992-94; Jacquez Green, KR, 1995-97. Defense _ Jack Youngblood, DE, 1968-70; Kevin Carter, DE, 1991-94; Brad Culpepper, DT, 1989-91; Ellis Johnson, DT, 1991-94; Scott Brantley, LB, 1976-79; David Little, LB, 1977-80; Wilber Marshall, LB 1980-83; Steve Tannen, CB, 1967-69; Jarvis Williams, CB, 1984-87; Bruce Bennett, S, 1963-65; Louis Oliver, S, 1985-88; Bobby Joe Green, P, 1958-59.

The later part of the decade was highlighted by running back Emmitt Smith, who set most of the school’s rushing records (58 of them to be exact) and was named both the national Freshman of the Year in 1987 and SEC Player of the Year in 1999 before leaving after three seasons. He eventually broke Walter Payton’s career rushing record (18,355 compared to 16,726 yards), and was also the NFL’s all-time leader for rushing touchdowns (164), rushing attempts (4,409), 1,000-yard seasons (11) and postseason rushing touchdowns (19).

“What does it take to be the best?” Smith was known for saying. “Everything. And everything is up to you.”

Florida’s playbook with Smith was said to be Emmitt left, Emmitt right, Emmitt up the middle, which became a popular cheer by fans during games.

Despite Smith’s prowess, the program was soon in disarray again. Years before, legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant once said that the only thing that Florida lacked was simply having the right person in charge at the right time. He was right. That person proved to be Spurrier, who answered the call to return to Gainesville. Actually, it wasn’t the first time he heard from his alma mater. After retiring as a player, Spurrier was hired as the Gators quarterbacks coach in 1978, but let go after one season when Pell questioned his work ethic. From there, Spurrier served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech, only to see Bill Curry fire the entire staff after one season.

At the age of 35, Spurrier finally got a chance to cultivate his system at Duke, where Red Wilson made him the offensive coordinator. His first play called was a double-reverse pass, and no one benefited more than quarterback Ben Bennett, an All-American who set the NCAA record for career passing yards (9,164 yards) and had a school-record 55 touchdowns.

When Spurrier became the “Head Ball Coach,” as he would say, Duke had its first seven-win season since 1961 during his second season, and in 1989 played in a bowl game for the first time in 29 years.

Florida had numerous demons to slay, but Spurrier was brash, arrogant and unbelievably confident — and that was as a player. As an unrelenting coach, the only thing stronger than how he was beloved by the Gator faithful was the level he was despised by opponents, who would wildly celebrate after the few times they beat him (if at all). The offense was nicknamed Fun ’n Gun, which it was except for anyone trying to stop it: wide open, creative, and changed the landscape of the SEC.

For example, in 2001 when asked if he considered running the ball instead of passing with less than 2 minutes remaining against Mississippi State, Spurrier said: “Run it out to keep the shutout? No, I didn’t think about that. We felt having 35 points at the half, we only needed 17 more to break 50.” The Gators won 52-0.

“Mississippi State was No. 1 in pass defense coming in,” he said. “They won’t be going out.”

“He was a little different,” said Tommy Tuberville, who at Ole Miss and Auburn was winless in his first four games against Spurrier until finally notching a victory in 2001 (23-20). “He was outspoken. You can be pretty much outspoken when you’re kicking everybody’s butt like he was.”

“If people like you too much, it’s probably because they’re beating you,” Spurrier said.

Under Spurrier’s direction, Florida became one of the first six schools in major college football history, and just the second in SEC history, to win 100 games during a decade (100-22-1). The Gators were the first team in the conference to win at least 10 games in six straight seasons and the third school ever to be ranked for 200 consecutive weeks. Amazingly he didn’t win a national coach of the year award, but Spurrier became the first Heisman winner to coach another Heisman winner.

“Danny Wuerffel is a better person than he is a quarterback, and he is a great, great quarterback,” Spurrier said.

To put that statement into context, Spurrier has also said numerous times that Wuerffel, who like his coach was the son of a Presbyterian minister, should be considered the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. When Wuerffel left Florida after the 1996 season he was the most efficient quarterback in NCAA history, with a career rating of 163.6. He was also also the first Heisman winner to win the Draddy Award as college football’s top scholar-athlete.

The Coaches

Jack Forsythe, 1906-08, 14-6-2; G.E. Pyle, 1909-13, 26-7-3; Charles McCoy, 1914-16, 9-10; A.L. Busser, 1917-19, 7-8; William Kline, 1920-22, 19-8-2; Gen. James Van Fleet, 1923-24, 12-3-4; H.L. Sebring, 1925-27, 17-11-2; Charles Bachman, 1928-32, 27-18-3; D.K. (Dutch) Stanley, 1933-35, 14-13-2; Josh Cody, 1936-39, 17-24-2; Tom Lieb, 1940-45, 20-26-1; Raymond (Bear) Wolf, 1946-49, 13-24-2; Bob Woodruff, 1950-59, 54-41-6; Ray Graves, 1960-69, 70-31-4; Doug Dickey, 1970-78, 58-42-2; Charley Pell, 1979-84, 33-26-2; Galen Hall, 1984-88, 37-16-1; Gary Darnell, 1989, 3-4; Steve Spurrier, 1990-2001, 122-27-1; Ron Zook, 2002-04, 23-14; Charlie Strong (interim), 2004, 0-1; Urban Meyer, 2005-10, 65-15; Will Muschamp, 2011-14, 28-21; D.J. Durkin (interim) 2014, 1-1; Jim McElwain, 2015-17, 22-12; Randy Shannon (interim) 1-3; Dan Mullen 2018-21, 34-15; Greg Knox (interim) 2012, 1-1; Billy Napier, 2022-present, 19-19.

National Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer 2003, 2008.

SEC Coach of the Year, AP: Galen Hall 1984; Steve Spurrier 1990, 1995, 1996. Coaches: Ray Graves 1960; Steve Spurrier 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996; Will Muschamp 2012; Jim McElwain 2015.

SEC Championships: Steve Spurrier 6, Urban Meyer 2.

National Championships: Urban Meyer 2, Steve Spurrier 1.

Were the Gators a college football dynasty under Spurrier? The status usually requires three national titles over a six year period, but decide for yourself:

1990 (9-2): The Spurrier coaching era at Florida kicked off with a stunning 50-7 pounding of Oklahoma State, and followed with a solid 17-13 victory at Alabama. Even though the Gators were not bowl eligible nor could claim the conference title because of NCAA sanctions (among the violations, Hall supposedly helped a player make a child support payment), they lost only to Tennessee and Florida State. In its debut season alone, the offense sent defensive coordinators scrambling, especially to recruit quality defensive backs.

1991 (10-2): For the first time in program history the Gators defeated Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee all during the same season. With the impressive wins against Alabama (35-0) and Tennessee (35-18), Florida went a perfect 7-0 in SEC play to claim its first conference championship and topped it off by avenging the previous loss to Florida State, 39-28. A 38-21 loss at Syracuse was the only blemish heading into the Sugar Bowl for its first-ever meeting against Notre Dame. It was a crazy contest with 34 points scored in the fourth quarter alone. Shane Mathews threw for 370 yards and the Gators amassed 511 yards only to see the Irish, coached by Lou Holtz, score three touchdowns in the final 5 minutes to win 39-28.

“I can’t wait to get back to the restaurant and see the waiter who said, ‘Cheerios and Notre Dame are different: Cheerios belong in a bowl,’” Holtz said.

1992 (9-4): Early season losses at Tennessee and Mississippi State marked the only time Spurrier had a losing record with the Gators, only to be nullified by a seven-game winning streak that put Florida in the first SEC Championship Game a week after losing at Florida State, 45-24. Alabama, which went on to win the national championship, won 28-21 at Legion Field in Birmingham. Led by game MVP Errict Rhett’s 182 rushing yards, UF defeated North Carolina State 27-10 in the Gator Bowl.

1993 (11-2): Despite a narrow 38-35 loss at Auburn, in addition to a 33-21 defeat to Florida State, Florida returned to the SEC Championship Game and won a rematch with Alabama, 28-13. Against undefeated No. 3 West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl, Rhett set the school record for career rushing yards thanks to a 105-yard, three-touchdown performance. Wide receiver Willie Jackson caught nine pass from quarterback Terry Dean for 131 yards and a touchdown, and the defense gave up just 265 yards and one touchdown for a 41-7 final.

1994 (10-2-1): Florida was ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls and lived up to expectations. Spurrier won the rubber match against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, 24-23, but the rivalry with Florida State reached new heights at Doak Campbell Stadium when the Seminoles came back from a 28-3 lead late in the third quarter to pull off an amazing 31-31 tie. Florida State fans still refer to it as the Choke at the Doak, while it was essentially a loss for the Gators. The two teams met again in the Sugar Bowl, combining for 855 yards of offense. Quarterback Danny Wuerffel completed 28 of 39 passes for 449 yards, but Florida could only muster five rushing yards in the 23-13 defeat.

1995 (12-1): Florida got back at Florida State with a 35-24 victory to complete its first perfect regular season, and destroyed Arkansas 34-3 in the SEC Championship Game. But against Nebraska in the national championship Fiesta Bowl, the Gators couldn’t compensate for the physical play of the Cornhuskers, who easily won 62-24. Reidel Anthony’s 93-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter was one of the few highlights. The loss prompted Spurrier to hire Bobby Stoops, who had built the No. 1 defense at Kansas State, as defensive coordinator [Note: Stoops became Oklahoma’s head coach in 1999 and a year later won the national championship].

1996 (12-1): The season was initially highlighted by an early matchup against Tennessee, which was led by quarterback Peyton Manning. Weurrfel won the shootout 35-29, propelling the Gators to both a No. 1 ranking and an eventual 1 vs. 2 meeting against Florida State. After the Seminoles won 24-21, dropping Florida to No. 4 in the polls, Spurrier vehemently complained that FSU had gotten away with a number of late hits on Weurffel and put together a video to back up his claim. Florida State fans laughed that Spurrier was being a crybaby, but soon the joke would be on them. When Florida routed Alabama 45-30 in the SEC Championship Game, thanks to six touchdown passes by Weurffel, and Texas defeated No. 2 Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl would be yet another rematch. Ike Hilliard caught three touchdown passes, Terry Jackson ran in two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the defense limited Florida State to just 42 rushing yards. With No. 2 Arizona State losing earlier in the day to No. 4 Ohio State, Florida won its first national championship, 52-20.

“Call me arrogant, cocky, crybaby, whiner or whatever names you like. At least they’re not calling us losers any more.”
Steve Spurrier

1997 (10-2): Although Florida scored 247 points in its first five games, a 28-21 loss at LSU dashed any hopes of repeating, and a 37-17 setback to Georgia knocked the Gators out of contention for the SEC championship. Running back Fred Taylor accumulated 234 rushing yards to help lead a 21-6 victory against Penn State in the Citrus Bowl, but it was the defense, led by players like Jevon Kearse, Reggie McGrew, Mike Peterson and Johnny Rutledge, that dominated the headlines. The Nittany Loins had just 139 total yards, the lowest ever under coach Joe Paterno, and was twice stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the second quarter.

1998 (10-2): Florida stumbled at Tennessee 20-17, keeping it out of the SEC Championship Game, and again 23-12 at Florida State. Ranked No. 7, the Gators played in their first Orange Bowl since Spurrier had concluded his college career in 1967. Quarterbacks Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer combined for 308 passing yards in the 31-10 victory, giving the Gators their sixth-straight 10-win season.

“We didn’t play up to our potential last year,” Spurrier declared. “We only scored 50 points once and only one team accused us of running up the score.”

1999 (9-4): Florida squeaked by Tennessee 23-21, but was upset 40-39 in overtime by Alabama, led by running back Shaun Alexander. The two teams met again in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, but this time the outcome was decided relatively early, with the Crimson Tide victorious again, 34-7. Although Taylor had 156 yards on 11 carries in the Citrus Bowl, Michigan State pulled out a 37-34 victory on a last-second field goal.

2000 (10-3): A 27-23 victory at Tennessee had the Gators off to a promising start, until they stumbled 47-35 at Mississippi State. Florida rebounded against LSU (41-9) and Auburn (38-7) before completing the sweep of its own division to return to the SEC Championship Game, where it defeated Auburn again 28-6. Despite 136 rushing yards from running back Earnest Graham, Florida lost to Miami in the Sugar Bowl, 37-20, the first meeting between the schools since 1987.

2001 (10-2): Florida was again No. 1 in the preseason polls, with a narrow defeat at Auburn, 23-20, interrupting an otherwise dominating season. Florida was still in the running to play for the national championship until December 1, when it lost the rescheduled game against No. 5 Tennessee, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks, 34-32. Just like when he was a player, Spurrier’s coaching finale with Florida was at the Orange Bowl. With 659 total yards and 456 passing yards, both bowl records, the Gators dominated Maryland 56-23 for a No. 3 final ranking. On January 4, 2002, Spurrier resigned and went on to become the head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins.

“I simply believe that 12 years as head coach at a major university in the SEC is long enough,” Spurrier said in his release.

The Records

Rushing yards, game: 316, Emmitt Smith vs. New Mexico, Oct. 21, 1989 (31 carries).
Rushing yards, season: 1,599, Emmitt Smith, 1989 (284 carries).
Rushing yards, career: 4,163, Errict Rhett, 1989-93 (873 carries).

Passing yards, game: 482, TIm Tebow vs. Cincinnati, Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 2010 (31 of 35).
Passing yards, season: 4,283, Kyle Trask, 2020 (301 of 437).
Passing yards, career: 11,213, Chris Leak, 2003-06 (895 of 1,485).

Receiving yards, game: 246, Taylor Jacobs vs. UAB, Aug. 31, 2002 (eight receptions)
Receiving yards, season: 1,357, Travis McGriff, 1998 (70 receptions).
Receiving yards, career: 2,563, Carlos Alvarez, 1969-71 (172 receptions).

Points, game: 24, seven players tied.
Points, season: 110, Reidel Anthony, 1996 (18 touchdowns, one 2-point conversion); Tommy Durrance, 1969 (18 touchdowns, one 2-point conversion).
Points, career: 368, Jeff Chandler, 1997-2001 (67 field goals, 16 PATs).

The immediate post-Spurrier years were a bit of a disappointment to Gators fans, who had come to expect championships. Under Zook, Florida reached the 2002 and 2003 Outback Bowls, only to lose 38-30 to Michigan and 37-14 to Iowa, in posting eight-win seasons. In 2004, Zook was fired after a stunning upset at Mississippi State, with Urban Meyer lured away from Utah at the conclusion of the season, in the process spurning Notre Dame. The innovator of the spread-option offense had accumulated an impressive 39-8 record in just four seasons as a head coach, and appeared poised to return the offensive bite to the program.

Again the question was asked, did college football have a dynasty in Gainesville? At minimum, Meyer had the Gators on the verge of one.

After winning his first four games in 2005, including 16-7 against No. 5 Tennessee, Meyer and the Gators stumbled at Alabama, 31-3, in what some Crimson Tide fans still say was the loudest game ever played at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The 9-3 finish, though, and a monster recruiting class that included wide receiver Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes, safety Major Wright and quarterback Tim Tebow, set the Gators up as a team to beat in 2006.

Florida nearly ran the table, the only loss coming off a big win against LSU when the Gators had to visit No. 11 Auburn. It bested No. 8 Arkansas in the SEC Championship Game, 38-28, and then squared off against No. 1 Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game. Fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy, Troy Smith competed just four passes and converted only one third down against the Gators, while Chris Leak threw for 213 yards to help lead the 41-14 rout. In the process, Florida became the first Division I school to capture the football and men's basketball national titles during the same academic year.

With Tebow stepping in at starting quarterback, and becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman, the Gators looked like they were just getting started, only to run square into a brutal stretch in which it took three losses in four games including at No. 1 LSU. It took until 2008, and another loss, for everything to finally come together.

It happened against Ole Miss, which was 2-2 and had taken losses to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt under first-year head coach Houston Nutt. What was expected to be a blowout turned into a back-and-forth affair. The 31-30 home loss featured a blocked extra point and Tebow getting stuffed on fourth-and-1 with the game on the line in the final minute.

During his postgame press conference, a teary Tebow made what was dubbed "The Promise," which turned out to be prophetic: "To the fans and everybody in Gator Nation, I'm sorry, extremely sorry. I promise you one thing, a lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season, and you will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season, and you will never see a team play harder that we will the rest of the season. God bless."

Playing like it was on a mission, Florida destroyed its next eight opponents while scoring an average of 51.8 points. Facing Alabama during year two of Nick Saban, it pulled away in the second half for the 31-20 victory, and then toped No. 1 Oklahoma and Heisman winner Sam Bradford in the BCS Championship Game, 24-14. Amazingly, it was the first meeting between the two programs, and the Sooners were coached by former Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops.

Tebow and Florida kept winning in 2009, finishing the regular season unbeaten, and the quarterback needing just a win in the SEC Championship Game to possibly become the second player in history to win a second Heisman. However, Alabama and Nick Saban had spent the offseason working on Florida in hopes or a rematch in Atlanta, and instead Mark Ingram Jr. ended up securing the first Heisman in Crimson Tide history with the 32-13 victory. Meyer was hospitalized with chest pains after the loss.

Roughly a year later, Meyer stepped down at Florida's head coach due to health issues and family concerns. He was 46.

"There's not a perfect time; however, this is probably about as good a time you can have," Meyer said.

In 2012, Meyer came back to college football at Ohio State (through 2018), and won another national title. He also coached the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, but was fired after going 2-11 during a turbulent season. Meanwhile, through the 2024-25 season no Florida head coach since Meyer had made it through four full seasons in Gainesville.

This is the 13th part of an extended series about the history of SEC football. Some of the material was used in the book "Where Football is King," by Christopher Walsh. For more, check out Florida Gators On SI.

Passion, Tradition and Pride: Why the SEC says 'It Just Means More'
Conference of Champions? SEC Covets Title, Reputation
The History of the Southeastern Conference

Alabama Crimson Tide
Auburn Tigers
Georgia Bulldogs
LSU Tigers
Ole Miss Rebels
South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas Longhorns
Vanderbilt Commodores

Three things that stand out about Florida football:

1. Brothers (and sisters) in arms:

Former Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith leads the "Mr. Two Bits" Cheer at The Swamp. — Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Former Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith performs as honorary “Mr. Two-Bits” before a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The popular mascots, each player touching the massive gator head in the middle of the central rotunda before each game, and the fans spreading their arms out and snapping them shut like a gator’s month are all Florida trademarks. But the program’s finest tradition is when all fans sway arm-in-arm and sing “We are the Boys from Old Florida” prior to the start of the fourth quarter. Second place goes to "Mr. Two Bits," who for 60-plus years was George Edmondson Jr. and is now an honorary individual/celebrity, who led the home crowd in a cheer before kickoff: “Two-bits, four-bits, six-bits, a dollar … all for the Gators, get up and holler!”

2. The Swamp

Florida Gators The Swamp — Sep 3, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; a general view of fans at the The Swamp during the second half between the Florida Gators and Utah Utes at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The nickname was given to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium by none other than Steve Spurrier, who said “only Gators can survive a trip to the swamp.” Easily one of the loudest stadiums in the country, with a capacity of 88,000-plus, Florida was 70-5 there under his direction.

3. World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

Georgia celebrates win against Florida in 2021 World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party rivalry game. — Georgia's mascot Hairy Dawg celebrates in the stands with fans in Jacksonville, Fla., after the Bulldog's victory over Florida in the annual neutral-site rivalry game that used to be known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Georgia won the 2021 game 34-7. | Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Until 1993, the annual showdown with Georgia was a moving annual “party” with stops in Athens, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Macon, Savannah and Tampa before the schools settled on keeping it at the neutral site of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission created a Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame in 1995. You can probably figure out the meaning of the name all on your own, which is no longer used by the schools. Since 2009, the student governments have called it War for the Oar, as the winning team takes home the Okefenokee Oar Trophy, but they're pretty much the only ones.