Florida did move the ball successfully, but was unable to move the ball inside the redzone. With the swing in momentum, the Gators were again unable to score a touchdown and settled for another Hetland 40-yard field goal, pushing the Gator lead to 2714. Richardson: 176/327 (53.8%), 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 103 rushing attempts, 719 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns Kitna: 10/14 (71.4%), 181 yards, one touchdown, one. The win made the Gators No. Roster; Game Logs; Splits; More 2006 Florida Pages. The Volunteers shot out of the gate in the second half with an impressive touchdown drive capped by a one yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty, giving the Vols a 177 lead. 19 Caleb Sturgis K 5-11 192 Fr St. Augustine, Florida 20 Christopher Scott RB 6-0 205 Jr Englewood, Florida 20 Dorian Munroe S 5-11 205 Jr Miami, Florida 21 Major Wright S 6-0 200 So Miramar,. DeShawn Wynn, who was in Urban Meyer's doghouse early in Meyer's tenure at Florida, carried the ball 8 times on the drive, picking up several key first downs to keep the clock running. Check out our other College Wire all-time lineups: Alabama /Arkansas /Auburn /Clemson /Colorado /Georgia /Iowa /LSU /Michigan /Michigan State /Nebraska /North Carolina /Notre Dame /Ohio State /Oklahoma /Oregon /Penn State /Rutgers /Tennessee /Texas /Texas A&M /USC /Wisconsin. The score gave the Gators a surprising 147 lead. The victory catapulted the Gators over second ranked Michigan in the BCS standings, giving the Gators the right to play Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game.[22]. Georgia was unable to score on the following drive, but freshman Tim Tebow fumbled on Florida's 10-yard line to give Georgia a shot at drawing within seven points. The Gators took the three-point lead into the fourth quarter knowing with a win, they will have made their case to play in the BCS National Championship Game. Using the unusual "Wildcat Formation", All American tailback Darren McFadden threw a quick two-yard touchdown to fellow tailback Felix Jones. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). The Gators won their seventh SEC title by defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 3828 in SEC Championship Game on December 2, 2006,[6] then defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 4114 in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8, 2007, beginning the SEC's streak of seven consecutive national championships. The Gators took their first lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter on a Leak pass to Andre Caldwell, making it 1410. Sports, President Bush Welcomes the 2006 NCAA Football Champion Florida Gators to the White House, Gators hold football and basketball titles, "Spurrier still a crowd favorite" - St. Pete Times, September 3, 2006, http://web.archive.org/web/20060721002429/http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Rankings/PrePreSeason_NationalTitleContenders.htm, SEC East spring recap - College Football - ESPN, Broncos select Jarvis Moss, Denverpost.com, http://web.archive.org/web/20070928083725/http://www.gatorsports.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060921/GATORS01/209210352, http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=262730057, ESPN College Gameday heading to Gainesville, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-128021209611956091, Blocked field goal keeps title hopes alive, "Chance Nearly Slips Away, but Florida Makes Its Case", http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/sports/ncaafootball/03sec.html, ESPN - Florida Gators vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Play-by-Play, January 8, 2007 - NCAA College Football, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL (, Prince Hall 50 yard fumble return (Jamie Christensen kick), Kregg Lumpkin 9 yard run (Andy Bailey kick), Antwain Robinson 40 yard interception return (Jeremy Davis kick), Wondy Pierre-Louis recovered blocked punt in end zone (Chris Hetland kick), Percy Harvin 67 yard run (Chris Hetland kick), Felix Jones 29 yard pass from Cedric Washington (Jeremy Davis kick), Tim Tebow 1 yard run (Chris Hetland kick). All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. However, Arkansas came out firing in the second half. Florida. Big Ten, . Most polls had Florida listed as one of the top 10 teams entering the season. Leak threw three interceptions, all of which came with the Gators controlling the flow of the game. https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/lists/florida-football-all-time-roster-offensive-starters-and-backups/. Following the interception, the Gators continued to use unorthodox formations and plays to keep Ohio State off balance. Florida (111) won its third straight against Florida State and improved to 60 against its three main rivalsTennessee, Georgia and Florida Statein Meyer's two seasons. The Gators led 177 heading into the half. Ray McDonald also notably blocked a field goal earlier in the game. Brandon James also added a 77-yard touchdown from a punt return. A late field goal put Auburn up four points with just over 30seconds to go in the game. During the 2006 season, the Gators also celebrated two milestones in their history: the tenth anniversary of their first national football championship in 1996, and 100 years of Florida football dating to their first season in 1906. The third-ranked Gators had little trouble disposing of the 1-AA Western Carolina Catamounts 620. The Tigers scored early, taking the opening drive to the Gators' 5-yard-line before being forced to kick a field goal. The game changed for good, on the next Ohio State possession. Diving Coach. From there, the Gators offense stagnated for most of the first half. One play later, however, a Jim Tartt holding penalty in the end zone forced a safety, giving Auburn the ball back and two points. Percy Harvin was an electric player for the Gators at a few different positions on the gridiron while also a standout track and field athlete. Leak came back into the game, and continued his strong play, finding Dallas Baker again for a 21-yard touchdown pass which would eventually prove to be the game winning score. By forcing a safety in the third quarter, the Gator defense outscored the blanked Golden Knights offense. The Tigers drove deep into Gator territory on two other occasions in the fourth quarter, but the Gator defense intercepted LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell on both drives to seal the victory. Both teams traded three and outs before Florida exploded in the second quarter. Joe Haden. During the 2006 season, the Gators also celebrated two milestones in their history: the tenth anniversary of their first national football championship in 1996, and 100 years of Florida football dating to their first season in 1906.[7]. Andre Caldwell caught two touchdowns, and Ryan Williams added one more for the Gators. [17] The attendance of 90,714 was two shy of the stadium record. College Football Scores. Kristen Murslack. Chris Leak rallied the Gators to within a field goal when he found Dallas Baker for a four-yard touchdown. On their next offensive possession, the Gators were determined to put the game out of reach. After the Tigers muffed on a Gator punt a drive later, reserve freshman QB Tim Tebow scored on a QB sneak from one yard out to tie the game. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Florida's defense, which had been touted as one of the best in the SEC, lived up to their billing, stifling the Georgia offense for the entire first half. On second down and goal, from the Ohio State four-yard line, Florida ran an option play, in which Leak pitched the ball to freshman star Percy Harvin who fought his way in for a four-yard touchdown. Aaron Hernandez. We present them here for purely educational purposes. This score gave the Gators a shocking 3414 halftime lead. Florida drove to the Arkansas five yard line, when freshman sensation Tim Tebow came into the game. Florida Gators Roster | ESPN The Tide kept it close, kicking a 26-yard field goal to make it a 1-point game in the fourth quarter. Both teams were looking to end their respective SEC Championship droughts, with Florida having not won the title since 2000, and the Razorbacks losing in their previous two title game appearances. I must include my favorite Gators player of all time because he is in the argument for the greatest Gators receiver of all time. Tim Tebow was again brought into the game and powered his way off the right side for a touchdown, giving the Gators a commanding 4114 lead. Jason Odom started all four years at Florida, earning the senior team captainship in 1995 along with first-team All-SEC selections in 1994 and 1995, and a unanimous first-team All-American selection in 1995. Cooper Carlisle helped cement the offensive line from 1996 to 1999 under Spurrier, earning a national championship ring as a redshirt freshman. Men's and Women's Associate Head Coach. Bowl Game: Won BCS Championship 38-24 versus Ohio State More Team Info Tebow. Chris Leak remained extremely sharp, going four of five passing on the drive, for 44yards. Florida got very strong play from its defense and special teams, as they were able to block two punts and force an interception. 2006 Florida Gators Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com With the Gators winning the 2007 national championship in men's basketball three months later (coincidentally beating Ohio State), the University of Florida holds the distinction of being the only school to ever hold both the unshared men's basketball national championship and unshared football championship in the same academic year (2006-07) and in the same calendar year (2007). (); : As such, the official record for Alabama is 0-7 (0-6 in conference). The Gators took their first lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter on a Leak pass to Andre Caldwell, making it 1410. Florida's defense, which had been touted as one of the best in the SEC, lived up to their billing, stifling the Georgia offense for the entire first half. Get a summary of the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Florida Gators football game. The Buckeyes however, remained composed. American Football Database is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Razorbacks quarterback Casey Dick, who had struggled mightily in the past few games, threw a perfect pass to Marcus Monk who caught the pass for a 47-yard touchdown. However, Florida was unable to capitalize on the turnover, as Chris Hetland again missed a field goal. It appeared to work, as senior Chris Leak went 55 on the first drive of the game. Before the game, it was announced that star defensive lineman Marcus Thomas was kicked off the team for the remainder of the year. Like in their other 3 SEC victories, the Gators fell behind in the first half, allowing an LSU touchdown drive after a fumble on the opening drive. After being released from the program midseason, this former Gator still managed to sign on with an NFL team. 367. The win also moved the Gators into fourth place in the BCS rankings. Florida again used a variety of offensive looks to keep the Ohio State defense off balance, which also included using freshman phenom Tim Tebow as a power rusher. He did, however, kick a 22-yard field goal. In perhaps one of the most stunning decisions of the game, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel decided to go for it on fourth and 1 from his own 29. [9], Most of the starters returned from a 2005 team that went 93 and they were bolstered by a top-rated recruiting class the previous February. The Florida Gators' football roster is nothing like what Billy Napier Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. The season was the second for head coach Urban Meyer, who led the Gators to an SEC Championship, a BCS National Championship, and an overall win-loss record of 131 (.929). Leading 3414 heading into the third quarter, the Gators appeared to be conservative on offense, which resulted in a quick three and out on the first possession of the half. The Wildcats took the lead briefly with a touchdown with under two minutes to play in the half, but the Gators responded with a touchdown of their own on a DeShawn Wynn run with :26 left in the half to take a 127 lead. The game did not start well for the Gators however. The official 2006 Football Roster for the University of Colorado Buffs