Janoris Jenkins. Using the unusual "Wildcat Formation", All American tailback Darren McFadden threw a quick two-yard touchdown to fellow tailback Felix Jones. Danny Wuerffel led Florida to its first national championship and second Heisman Trophy since Steve Spurrier. Number of All-Time NFL draft picks. The Gators responded with a field goal, their first of the season for a 33 tie at the end of the first quarter. Florida. The game did not start well for the Gators however. The national championship win also gives the University of Florida the distinction of being the only school to ever hold both the men's basketball national championship and football championship simultaneously. Florida scored on their first possession of the game, moving the ball very effectively with a blend of running and passing. However, the Razorbacks came back with a touchdown of their own. Florida entered the game hoping to avenge a 313 loss in Tuscaloosa, Alabama the previous season, and end a rare three-game losing streak against a conference opponent. Troy Smith continued to have the worst game of his Buckeye career, as he was sacked for a 14-yard loss on the drive, putting Ohio State into a 3rd and 29-hole. Florida won the toss and elected to defer the option to the second half, giving Ohio State the ball first. Florida football has a rich history of success on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage stretching back to the late 1960s when head coach Ray Graves assembled one of the best all-time teams to take the field for the Gators. After a botched snap between center Steve Rissler and quarterback Chris Leak, Alabama's Prince Hall returned the fumble for their only touchdown of the game. On third down from the 5-yard line, running back Kregg Lumpkin took a draw play and fought his way for a Georgia touchdown to bring the Bulldogs to within seven points. Bowl Game: Won BCS Championship 38-24 versus Ohio State More Team Info 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). 2007 BCS National Championship Game - Wikipedia Read more about our data coverage. Smith and the Buckeyes marched back on the field, hoping to tie the game. 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. Florida quarterback Chris Leak was 19-of-29 for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Bryan Gillooly. The win made them No. The Gators used the game to give young players some playing time. But those miserable knees kept him from being drafted until the 15th round in 1972 and he never signed with Dallas, instead pursuing a law degree where he has done quite well. Chris Leak led the Gators back on the field, starting from the Ohio State 35-yard line. The decision backfired, and Chris Wells was stopped short of the first down, giving the Gators great field position. Florida's defense again came up huge in the second half, when on the first play of the half, Georgia tailback Kregg Lumpkin fumbled the ball and defensive tackle Ray McDonald recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown, giving the Gators a commanding 210 lead. I must include my favorite Gators player of all time because he is in the argument for the greatest Gators receiver of all time. Since then, three Heisman Trophies have arrived in Gainesville while . Perhaps the most impressive freshman on the day however, was Mon Williams, who rushed for 97yards on only nine carries. The fourth ranked Gators took on the eighth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2006 SEC Championship Game. On the Ohio State 7-yard line, Tim Tebow came into the game and powered his way to the Buckeye 2-yard line. Florida did move the ball successfully but was unable to move the ball inside the redzone. Kicker Chris Hetland continued to struggle, missing a 28-yard field goal. After two Tebow runs up the middle, Florida faced a third down and goal on the Ohio State one-yard line. Fifteen minutes from a national championship, the Gators were determined not to have a defensive lapse, like many had so often seen under former coach Ron Zook. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. 2006 Florida Gators Stats. Possibly the greatest offensive lineman in Gators history, Lomas Brown was the cornerstone of the Great Wall of Florida who was a standout in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Top ten college football programs ranked by all-time NFL draft picks It appeared to work, as senior Chris Leak went 55 on the first drive of the game. The Tigers' Early Doucet fumbled the second half kickoff into the end zone for a safety, which led to the long Tebow throw on the next drive. Defensive game MVP Derrick Harvey recovered the fumble and returned it for 9yards, to the Ohio State five yard line. Previous Year Next Year. (); : Still, the Gator defense managed to put Smith under heavy pressure. In many ways, you'd expect UF to be higher but then you realize that the high level of success really ramped up in the 90s through today. 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. The Tide added a field goal to take a 100 lead that held until just before the half. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. (); : All Rights Reserved. The Gator defense, however, remained their brilliant play, in suffocating Troy Smith and pressuring him relentlessly and forcing him into bad decisions. All Gators has included the number designations for each new piece and Cahron Rackley below. The Tide kept it close, kicking a 26-yard field goal to make it a 1-point game in the fourth quarter. [15], at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, Florida, Florida went with a throwback uniform style for the game, wearing uniforms from the mid-1960s as a part of the 100-year celebration of Florida Football. The Florida Gators ended their season with a stunning 4114 upset of the number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, giving them the school's second national championship in ten years. 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. In desperation, Florida responded on the last play of the game with a failed hook and lateral play, which Auburn's defense was able to pick up and return for a score as time expired.[20]. 2006 Florida Gators football team - American Football Database Record: 13-1 (2nd of 119) (Schedule & Results), Bowl Game: Won BCS Championship 41-14 versus Ohio State, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 6:49AM. Punt returner Reggie Fish muffed the punt after trying to field it over his shoulder; the ball was recovered in the endzone by freshman Wondy Pierre-Louis, giving the Gators a 2421 lead.[23]. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Leak rebounded to finish 21-of-30 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Gators also scored right before halftime on Tebow's first touchdown pass, where he faked a leap over the pile and threw the ball to a falling Tate Casey. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Starting QB Chris Leak, despite going 17-of-26 passing, was held without a touchdown for the first time this season. Even with this swing of momentum, the Gators were unable to capitalize and elected to punt from midfield. The Gators quickly jumped out to a 60 lead on a trick play that led to a Chris Leak pass to Jemalle Cornelius for a touchdown just over two minutes into the game. 2006 Football Roster - Florida Gators Tailback Antonio Pittman weaved through the Gators' defense on the next play, for an 18-yard touchdown run, pulling the Buckeyes to within a touchdown. Record: 13-1 (2nd of 119) . Florida got very strong play from its defense and special teams, as they were able to block two punts and force an interception. Foster Marshall, Jr./Florida Times-Union. The following drive, Junior quarterback Erik Ainge threw an interception to Reggie Nelson to seal a Gator victory. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Despite giving up four turnovers and forcing none, the Gators easily beat the spread for the second time this season. Freshman Tim Tebow continued his strong season, rushing for a 13-yard touchdown which proved to be the game winning score. Will Hill. The Narrative. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. All rights reserved. On third down, following a sack, the Gators blitzed, hit Smith as he threw the ball, and cornerback Reggie Lewis intercepted the pass. Under extreme pressure yet again, Troy Smith attempted to scramble outside of the pocket, but was caught by defensive end and special teams hero Jarvis Moss, who stripped Smith of the football. Chris Leak rallied the Gators to within a field goal when he found Dallas Baker for a four-yard touchdown. 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. However, Florida was unable to capitalize on the turnover, as Chris Hetland again missed a field goal. There has been a critical error on this website. The score gave the Gators a surprising 147 lead. Schedule and Results. The decision backfired, and Wells was stopped short of the first down, giving the Gators great field position. Florida used a timeout to draw up a play for Tebow, who remained in the game. This page was last edited on 8 March 2023, at 00:50. 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. Coach Urban Meyer decided to run a fake punt on his own 15-yard line, which proved to be a good call, as receiver Jemalle Cornelius scampered for a 16-yard gain. 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. Do you have a sports website? Just a handful of players from the 2008 team that went on to play in the NFL. Led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, the Buckeye offense was widely considered to be the best offense in college football. 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. 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. From there, the Gators offense stagnated for most of the first half. The second half of the game was more of a defensive struggle for both teams, but the Gators scored two more touchdowns (and made both PATs) to make the final score 267. On the following Arkansas offensive series, the momentum of the game appeared to change yet again, when receiver Cedric Washington threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jones on another trick play. Florida won the toss and elected to defer the option to the second half, giving Ohio State the ball first. 2006 Florida Gators football team - Wikipedia