JACKSONVILLE – You could say that Tim Tebow was back, except that he really hasn’t been anywhere. In the minds of some people, however, Florida’s senior quarterback has been in a slump, his offense has been struggling and the Gators have been teetering on their No. 1 perch.
Well, don’t fill out those Heisman ballots just yet. Tebow made a resounding statement Saturday, etching himself into the Southeastern Conference history with a record-breaking performance, and placing himself right in the middle of the race for recognition as college football’s greatest player. And, oh yes, he and his team are on their way to Atlanta as winners of the SEC East as a result of Tennessee’s 31-13 victory over South Carolina Saturday night.
Lordy, lordy, will those folks in Georgia be glad to see him go to the NFL next season. Once again, for the third time in his four years at Florida, Tebow not only beat the Dawg out of Georgia, but inflicted a double-dose of pain by breaking the rushing touchdown record of their beloved Herschel Walker.
When Tebow is gone, Bulldog diehards will be joined in celebration by fans of the other Gator rivals in Knoxville, Miami and Tallahassee, who have seen Tebow’s teams go 11-1 against them to date, with only the final Seminole match remaining.
As special as Tebow keeps telling us that his record against his rivals is, there is also another reason to treasure the 23-yard run for his 50th career touchdown: It was the dagger in the hearts of Mark Richt and his men.
Georgia was only trailing 17-10 with less than two minutes to play in the first half when Tebow took the snap, started to the right, cut back to his left, picked up blocks from Aaron Hernandez and Mike Pouncey and streaked up the middle untouched to the end zone. The 24 points were all Florida would ever need in a game the Gators finally won, 41-17. The 23 yards didn’t matter, he said, but the timing of the score did.
“I don’t know if it was the yardage – but I think it was the magnitude of the run, only being up seven, going into the half,” he said later. “We were trying to do some sort of two-minute drill to get down there. And then it’s third and three. It looked like nothing was there and I tried to go outside. I saw the (linebackers) scrape over the top, so I tried to cut back inside. And Hernandez and Mike Pouncey kicked them out. Then I was able to pretty much run Scot-free to the end zone.”
This turned out to be a fairly special day for more reasons than one, not the least of which the strong first-half performance by an offense which been targeted by critics after sluggish performances two games in a row.
In the first quarter, Tebow was spot on with a pair of touchdown passes to his off-campus roommate Riley Cooper, whose spectacular one-handed grab of the second one has his coach raving, calling it “one of the greatest” he has ever seen. His quarterback never saw the reception from his angle.
With the offense finally being rejuvenated in the first half, the Florida defense took over in the last two quarters with big-time plays from linebackers A. J. Jones and Brandon Spikes.
Tebow not only broke the Walker TD record with yet another score on the ground, but bettered the SEC standard for rushing by a quarterback in topping the mark by Matt Jones of Arkansas, with 2,610 career yards and six more games to play.
All of this seemed to fix what was broken and provided the Gators a rebirth as just the right time. The team took on a championship aura that has been the characteristic of other Meyer teams which peaked at just the right time.
“This game started us in a whole new direction,” said Tebow.
So it appears that the Good Ship Gator has its righted its course for the stretch drive. The breakout seemed to renew their confidence and take some of the pressure off that has been so oppressive. You could sense there was a sigh of relief.
“It was a hard week,” Urban Meyer said, “hard” because Tebow took it personal that he, his offensive line, his wide receivers, head coach and his offensive coordinator got called out by critics.
“I think it was a hard week because we were frustrated,” said Tebow. “We know we can play a lot better and we still have room to improve.”
He took the criticism personally, Tebow said, because “I’m emotional and a very passionate player/person. I take it on myself on the criticism of coach Addazio, the criticism with the offensive line or the receivers – a lot of that can be changed how I play, too.”
And yet there was that joy, as there always is for No. 15.
His workday done, Tebow got a chance to say goodbye in a special way in his hometown.
With about four minutes to play, Urban pulled his first team and Tebow took a bow, almost bunny hopping his way back to the bench and raising his hands is celebration to elicit cheering.
“I just saw those fans there,” said Tebow. “Right before the play they were just cheering and chanting something – I don’t even know what it was – and I was just turning around and looking at them. It was just special, seeing all your fans and how much they care. They’re there supporting you and to be able to look over and see that there aren’t many of the Red and Black there, either. That’s really special. Just sort of a thank you.”
Once the singing of the school songs was over and others fled into the locker room, Tebow had one more task to fulfill before he could depart the field: His traditional victory lap. He light-jogged his way over to the corner of the north end zone, then cut back away from the empty Georgia stands, but a group of Gators had congregated on the corner of the South stands, beckoning him to come their way. He complied. And finally, looping around in front of the other end zone, avoided the TV camera on the boom, stepping over duffel bags of the cheerleaders and around their stack of megaphones before turning toward the exit.
All that trouble just to say thanks.
“That’s why I run around the stadium, just to say ‘thank you,’” Tebow said. “Because they’re special and they do such a good job. And they really enjoy that, too.”
Gator fans really don’t know how to say thank you back, except by their showing of affection. They realize they are giving witness to something special in this Tebow Era, but perhaps only when he has taken his last snap will Gator fans really appreciate what they have been seeing over these past four seasons.
There is also a very good chance when he has played that last game as a Gator that Tebow will have more jewelry that Elizabeth Taylor. The real treasure for Tebow fans, however, will be the memories of the days like they had on Saturday.