I seriously can't believe that no one has said Reeves to Alvarez vs. No. 1 Houston. I wasn't even born yet, but when I talk to older Gators, everyone talks about that play. In fact, when I saw Alvarez speak, he knew everyone wanted to hear about it and just went right into his recollection about it.
__________________
"Kiffin's tenure to date makes a Dumpster fire look like one of the scented vanilla offerings on the discount table at The Yankee Candle Company."
"Hey, I don't have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my wife. I love my life. And I wish you my kind of success." -Dicky Fox
i thought i would be the only one to think about this. but, imo, the greatest play in florida football history did not occur during a florida game.
it's this play right here
It just felt like Nebraska had taken control of the game and it was just a matter of whether they were going to stuff Texas or force them to punt and then drive down the field. We were going nuts watching that game as we were doing an in-house tailGATOR in Atlanta before our big game. GATOR Nation was properly amped for that SEC Championship Game.
If Texas doesn't convert, most believe Nebraska goes on to win that game and it leads to us rooting for Arizona State instead of Ohio State (fail) and then a likely Seminole victory over the Cornhuskers for their 2nd national championship. Who knows how things progress from that point forward for FLORIDA football.
Was it the greatest play ever for FLORIDA? I don't know, but if you ask me to pick one, that's always going to be one of the ones I'll be thinking of even if it did not directly involve the GATORS.
First off--there is NO "Single Greatest Play" for the Gators, other than various opinions--way too many great plays for any one single to truthfully be the greatest.
Having said that, in addition to those mentioned throughout this awesome thread--two 'significant' plays come to mind which had far reaching impacts besides the plays themselves.
1--1990 first game against Okie St.....new head coach SOS...Gainesville murders fresh on the minds of everyone adding tension beyond words. No one really knew what to expect from SOS and the distraction of the student deaths make the entire event so friggin surreal it simply can't be described. Everyone in the stands was anxious to see what the prodigal-son-come-home was going to do for the Gators. I don't recall the exact timeline of the plays, but very early I believe in the first drive, our unknown no-name QB Shane Matthews who had been 5th string back in the spring dropped back to pass and hit TE Kirk Kirkpatrick for a long TD....something none of us had been accustomed to for a long time with Emmitt being the entire show the previous 3 years. Shane went on to throw 20-29 that game, 332 passing yards hitting 10 total receivers. THAT play...IMO...set the tone for the next 12 years as we were blindsided by the brilliance of SOS and discovered what it was like to turn the SEC upside down and begin a long era of control and domination. THAT pass play to Kirkpatrick stands out to me as one of THE most significant plays in Gator history. Maybe not the greatest, but certainly one of the most important plays ever.
2--as a couple of others finally mentioned....Reave-to-Alvarez 70 yd TD pass on the 3rd play of the game. I didn't see it live, but listening to Otis Boggs do the play-by-play on the radio was one of "those moments" as a kid you will NEVER forget. THAT play launched the Super Sophs for Florida and showed the college football world that UF did indeed know how to play football down here. Florida absolutely stunned Houston 59-34 in a HUGE upset that no one ever imagined. Most importantly from a personal note--it was that play which made me a Florida Gator. Period. I swear that one single play is when I became a Florida Gator for life.
Here is a cool video I just stumbled onto a few minutes ago trying to find a video clip of the Reaves to Alvarez bomb, but instead found this(which apparently is a series I had never even heard of. Here is Carlos recalling that play---absolutely great video along with the others in this series.
It just felt like Nebraska had taken control of the game and it was just a matter of whether they were going to stuff Texas or force them to punt and then drive down the field. We were going nuts watching that game as we were doing an in-house tailGATOR in Atlanta before our big game. GATOR Nation was properly amped for that SEC Championship Game.
If Texas doesn't convert, most believe Nebraska goes on to win that game and it leads to us rooting for Arizona State instead of Ohio State (fail) and then a likely Seminole victory over the Cornhuskers for their 2nd national championship. Who knows how things progress from that point forward for FLORIDA football.
Was it the greatest play ever for FLORIDA? I don't know, but if you ask me to pick one, that's always going to be one of the ones I'll be thinking of even if it did not directly involve the GATORS.
Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS
I was standing in a Service Merchandise doing some Christmas shopping and watched it on the store TV rack - 20 at once.
If you know right where you were, that says something.
A few fond ones:
Ike's stop on a dime catch in the 1997 Sugar Bowl pounding of FSU.
Black's int vs Oklahoma
Everett's helmetless tackle vs. OSU.
Joey Kent 1995
Johnson to Quezzie 1997 FSU at The Swamp
Tebow running right the hell over LaRon Landry of LSU in 2006.
Here's a couple of good ones to remember:
Ball Couches field goal vs Auburn
K Bell comes off bench and runs to set up winning score vs. Auburn
Fred Taylor runs thru FSU defense to set up winning score.
Reeves TD pass to Alvarez
Here's a couple of good ones to remember:
Ball Couches field goal vs Auburn
K Bell comes off bench and runs to set up winning score vs. Auburn
Fred Taylor runs thru FSU defense to set up winning score.
Reeves TD pass to Alvarez
Doering's pass out of the Emory & Henry formation on the way to the closest SECCG win so far, and over Bama.
Danny'a fake injury leading to a beautiful Kresser play action pass in the same game.
THAT was a genius - er, mastermind - coached game.
It just felt like Nebraska had taken control of the game and it was just a matter of whether they were going to stuff Texas or force them to punt and then drive down the field. We were going nuts watching that game as we were doing an in-house tailGATOR in Atlanta before our big game. GATOR Nation was properly amped for that SEC Championship Game.
If Texas doesn't convert, most believe Nebraska goes on to win that game and it leads to us rooting for Arizona State instead of Ohio State (fail) and then a likely Seminole victory over the Cornhuskers for their 2nd national championship. Who knows how things progress from that point forward for FLORIDA football.
Was it the greatest play ever for FLORIDA? I don't know, but if you ask me to pick one, that's always going to be one of the ones I'll be thinking of even if it did not directly involve the GATORS.
Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS
That was the single most exciting non-Gator game I had ever seen. Nebraska looked unbeatable for a 2 year stretch, including their pounding of us in the previous years National Championship game. That play was so great.
One of my all time favorites was Richard Trapp's catch and run against Georgia in 1967. I can't even remember who the quarterback was (maybe Rentz), but Trapp ran all over the field and broke a bunch of tackles. Keith Jackson thought it was one of the best plays he had ever seen.
Percy's inside run against USCe in 08. Looked like he had a jet pack on running away from their secondary
Yeah, I was there, and that one burns in my memory. Problem was, the game was basically already over at halftime...so even though that was the first play of the half, it seems anticlimactic in retrospect.
Spikes pick 6 is what started the snowball in that game.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tablet using Gator Country
__________________
UNCovered SCUMmy ViOLatiOnS rUnning amUcK For SUre
Yeah, I was there, and that one burns in my memory. Problem was, the game was basically already over at halftime...so even though that was the first play of the half, it seems anticlimactic in retrospect.
Spikes pick 6 is what started the snowball in that game.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tablet using Gator Country
True. The game was already over. I also liked the reverse against tenn in 07, him faking inside, then cutting up the sideline. That was almost unfair
I'd say one of the top 5 play makers of all-time was Brandon James and boy do I miss him. He was quick & shifty with that first step and I can't remember us having a punt returner as explosive as him. He was a threat every time he touched the ball.
He made so many big plays. I'm not sure which was the best. The UT game punt return for a TD was my favorite. See it in this highlight reel.
One of my all time favorites was Richard Trapp's catch and run against Georgia in 1967. I can't even remember who the quarterback was (maybe Rentz), but Trapp ran all over the field and broke a bunch of tackles. Keith Jackson thought it was one of the best plays he had ever seen.
Couldn't find the clip, but here is Richard Trapp and teammate Jim Yarborough talking about it.
__________________
Learn about my daughter's Ugandan home for orphans with AIDS at www.africaourownhome.org
I'd say one of the top 5 play makers of all-time was Brandon James and boy do I miss him. He was quick & shifty with that first step and I can't remember us having a punt returner as explosive as him. He was a threat every time he touched the ball.
He made so many big plays. I'm not sure which was the best. The UT game punt return for a TD was my favorite. See it in this highlight reel.
Great stuff as usual, Jag. James was our human highlight player.
Linear Mode
