The Florida Gators were the own worst enemy Saturday afternoon during Homecoming at The Swamp — and it almost proved to be very costly in their defense of the 2008 national championship.
Caleb Sturgis, who earlier in the game badly missed a 37-yard field wide left on Florida’s first possession, atoned for the mistake and helped Florida overcome four turnovers, booting his third field goal of the game from 27 yards out with nine seconds remaining in regulation to lift top-ranked Florida to a 23-20 victory over upset-minded Arkansas.
The victory by Florida (6-0, 4-0 SEC East) likely will push some poll voters over to No. 2 Alabama’s camp but it also maintained the nation’s longest winning streak, moving it to a school-record 16. It also was the 50th at Florida for coach Urban Meyer, who reached the magic number in 59 games, tying Alabama great Frank Thomas for the fastest start ever in the SEC. Meyer, who has guided Florida to national championships in 2006 and 2008 after taking over in 2005, is now 50-9 at Florida and 89-17 in his ninth season as a head coach with previous two-year stops at Bowling Green and Utah.
“That was a great, tough win,” said Meyer. “I kindof knew this would be tough and I also got the feeling our players were fairly confident heading into it. But in most cases, if you turn the ball over four times, you usually don’t win that kind of game. This team did a good job. I think our players showed a lot of character by coming back at the end of the game.”
Trailing 10-3 at halftime, Florida easily could have hung its heads, particularly after rushing for a negative 12 yards in the first quarter and only 42 yards on 23 carries because of an unrelenting Arkansas defense that forced three first-half fumbles. Meyer was upset in the locker room at halftime, but he didn’t let his team hear it in his voice.
“You holler at immature teams when they are making mistakes,” said Meyer, who doesn’t consider this team an immature one. “You don’t holler at them, you coach.”
It helps, of course, to have 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow running things on the field at quarterback.
“Yeah, the game was really fun; once I opened up my eyes and heard everyone cheering and I saw we had won, the game was really fun,” said quarterback Tim Tebow, who threw for 255 yards and one touchdown—a 77-yard strike to Deonte Thompson in the third quarter—on 17-of-26 passing with no interceptions. Tight end Aaron Hernandez had a career-high seven receptions for 92 yards, while Tebow’s fellow senior and off-campus roommate Riley Cooper had six receptions for 58 yards, three of the catches totaling 30 yards coming on the final drive to the winning field goal by Sturgis, a sophomore from St. Augustine who earlier made a 30-yarder and a 51-yarder, a career best.
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino took his team’s last timeout of the game with 13 seconds remaining, not so much to ice Sturgis but to have some time remaining for a miracle finish. When play resumed, center John Fairbanks’ snap was perfect, Chas Henry’s hold was the same and Sturgis’ kick was true, setting off a wild celebration among the 90,508 who jammed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Homecoming weekend.
“It has been a dream come true to play for the Florida Gators,” Sturgis said. “I tried not to think about it too much. We do it a lot in practice. To be in that situation was nice.I knew the line was going to hold everyone back, the snap was going going to be perfect and I didn’t have much to worry about. Having good guys around me certainly helps.”
Tebow also gained 114 yards on 27 carries but factoring in six Arkansas sacks totaling 41 yards and another 4-yard loss at the end, finished with a team-high 69 rushing yards. Jeff Demps, who had the game-tying touchdown on a 10-yard run late in the fourth quarter, finished with 54 yards on nine carries.
The touchdown was the 123 running and passing by Tebow, one more than former Gator Heisman Trophy winner (and Tebow’s idol) Danny Wuerffel, who held the SEC record coming into the season. Tebow now has 75 career touchdown passes at Florida to go with 48 rushing touchdowns, one short of tying Georgia’s Herschel Walker for the SEC lead.
The Gators, who controlled the clock for 31:20, outgained the Razorbacks (3-3, 1-3 SEC West) 391-357, but Arkansas battled for 60 minutes and didn’t look like the same team that was last in the SEC in total defense (398.6 yards per game). That’s because Arkansas, first in the SEC in tackles for loss, had nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage, including seven times stopping Tebow, that totaled 51 yards.
The Razorbacks’ dominance of the trenches for three quarters of the game kept the Gators’ Top 10 rushing offense to just 136 yards on 46 carries. Meanwhile, Arkansas came within outrushing Florida, finishing with 133 yards on 34 carries, including an impressive 107 yards on 14 carries by Dennis Johnson and 40 yards on 10 carries by Broderick Green, who did most of the running with all-SEC running back Michael Smith sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was mentored as a freshman at Michigan by Florida’s first-year quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler before transferring to Arkansas when Rich Rodriguez brought his spread offense to Michigan from West Virginia, had almost identical numbers to Tebow. The 6-foot-7, strong-armed redshirt sophomore completed 12 of 27 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown—a 75-yarder to Greg Childs (4 catches, 135 yards) that gave Arkansas a 20-13 lead with 9:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Gators’ defense finally got its act together in the fourth quarter after that touchdown. Playing most of the game without their inspirational leader, middle linebacker Brandon Spikes (groin injury), Florida finished with four quarterback sacks and nine tackles for loss. Defensive end Jermaine Cunningham had two of the sacks and four of the tackles for loss, while Joe Haden and A.J. Jones picked up the other sacks.
Florida goes on the road next Saturday to Starkville, Miss., a venue that has troubled the Gators in the past, and plays a Mississippi State (3-4, 1-2 SEC West) team coming off a 27-6 victory over Middle Tennessee State and coached by someone Tim and the Gators are well acquainted with—former quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. Kickoff in Starkville is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be on either ESPN or ESPN2. Arkansas (3-3, 1-3 SEC West) travels again next Saturday to Oxford, Miss., to play the Ole Miss Rebels of coach Houston Nutt, their former head coach.
The Gators trailed for large chunks of the game after the teams played a scoreless first quarter, and it took a valiant effort by both sides of the football to overcome three first-half fumbles, two of them inside the Arkansas 10, and a dropped possible TD reception by Cooper, who was behind the Arkansas secondary and tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch. Florida lost a fourth fumble in the second half.
Arkansas took a 7-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Green. Sturgis kicked a 30-yarder just before halftime, but Arkansas’ Mallett connected with Childs for 46 yards to set up Tejada’s 22-yard field goal on the last play of the first half that sent the Razorbacks, last in the SEC in defense, to the locker room with a 10-3 lead.
But Tebow, who was harassed for most of the game by a very active Arkansas front four, engineered a 8-play, 29-yard scoring drive to start the second half that ended with Sturgis kicking a personal-best 51-yard field goal to cut the Razorbacks’ lead to 10-6.
Then Tebow put the Gators in front for the first time when he connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Thompson with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter. Tejada responded with a 31-yard field goal seven seconds before the third quarter ended with the score knotted at 13-13.
Mallett, who was kept under wraps for most of the day as Petrino elected to run the ball and time off the clock, connected on a third-and-17 play with Childs after he stepped away from the Florida rush and threw a laser to Childs, who had beaten Florida’s Janoris Jenkins. He then eluded several Gator tacklers before heading into the end zone, losing the football when stripped by Major Wright. But Childs got up and fell on the football before it could go out of the end zone and Arkansas was back in front, 20-13, with 9:40 to play.
Tebow, who suffered a concussion two games ago against Kentucky and engineered a 13-3 victory at Louisiana State last Saturday, then guided the Gators 68 yards in five plays with the help of running back Demps, who suddenly was able to find running room against a tiring Arkansas front. He burst for 20 yards on the first play of the drive, and later in the drive after back-to-back Arkansas penalties for pass interference and a personal foul gave Florida a first-and-goal at the Arkansas 10, Demps took a handoff from Tebow and sprinted outside and into the end zone. Sturgis’ PAT made it 20-20 with 7:27 left in regulation.
Mallett got Arkansas downfield close enough for Tejada to attempt a 38-yard field goal with 3:12 left, but the ball sailed wide left from the right hash mark, and Florida went to work from the Arkansas 31. Tebow was 3-for-5 on the drive, all to Cooper for 30 yards, the last a 12-yarder on third-and-10 at the Arkansas 40. Cooper also made a big play when he broke up what could have been an interception in the end zone one play before the reception.
Tebow then ran five straight times for 18 yards to set up Sturgis’ game-winner, and Florida then survived Arkansas’ attempt to lateral itself down the field after Mallett completed a 14-yard pass to Jarius Wright, who then lateraled the ball to Greg Childs, who lateraled the ball to Ronnie Wingo Jr. who lateraled it back to Wright just before Jermaine Cunningham appeared and put him to the turf at the Florida 48 as the clock ticked to 0:00, ending Arkansas’ bid for the biggest upset of the football season.
Instead, the Gators’ championship hopes remained alive.
HOW THEY SCORED
No. 1 FLORIDA 23, ARKANSAS 20
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, Gainesville
Scoring by quarters 1 2 3 4—Final
Arkansas Razorbacks 0 10 3 7–20
Florida Gators 0 3 10 10–23
FIRST QUARTER
There was no scoring.
SECOND QUARTER
ARK—Broderick Green 1 run (Alex Tejada kick out of Austin Tucker hold is good) at 14:57. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 2 first downs, 3:26 time elapsed after Jake Bequette stripped Tim Tebow of the football and Zach Stadther recovered at the Florida 31. Key plays: Green ran for 31 yards on the drive on six carries. He had a big 15-yard carry on third-and-16 play and QB Ryan Mallett just managed to get the first down on a fourth-down sneak. Score: Arkansas 7, Florida 0.
UF—FG Caleb Sturgis 30 good (out of Chas Henry hold) at 1:40. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 1 first down, 1:46 time elapsed following short punt by Dylan Breeding and 12-yard return by Brandon James. Key plays: Tebow rushed for 16 yards on the first play of the drive, gained another 4 yards, but then gained 0 on second down and threw incomplete on third-and-6 from the Arkansas 13. Score: Arkansas 7, Florida 3.
ARK—FG Tejada 22 good (out of Tucker hold) at 0:00. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2 first downs, 1:40 time elapsed following Florida kickoff. Key plays: Mallett hit Greg Childs on 46-yard pass on first play of drive to the Florida 21; on third-and-goal at the Florida 5, Mallett scrambled but was stopped by Joe Haden with 0:03 left and Arkansas took a timeout to set up the field goal. Score: Arkansas 10, Florida 3.
THIRD QUARTER
UF—FG Sturgis 51 good (out of Henry hold) at 10:53. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 2 first downs, 4:07 time elapsed following second-half kickoff return of 20 yards by Brandon James and 15-yard personal foul on Arkansas. Key plays: Tebow connected with David Nelson for 13 yards for a first down and with Aaron Hernandez on passes of 13 and 20 yards. But on third-and-9 Tebow was sacked by Arkansas’ DeQuinta Jones. Score: Arkansas 10, Florida 6.
UF—Deonte Thompson 77 pass from Tim Tebow (Sturgis kick out of Henry hold is good) at 2:59. Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 1 first down, 0:11 time elapsed following Tejada’s 40-yard missed field goal. Key plays: On the touchdown play, Tebow faked a dive, the Arkansas safety bit and Thompson Score: Florida 13, Arkansas 10.
ARK—FG Tejada 31 good (out of Tucker hold) at 0:07. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:52 time elapsed following Florida kickoff. Key plays: Dennis Johnson carried for runs of 25 and 18 yards to the Florida 14. Score: Arkansas 13, Florida 13.
FOURTH QUARTER
ARK—Greg Childs 75 pass from Ryan Mallett (Tejada kick good out of Tucker hold) at 9:40. Drive: Key plays: On third-and-6 from Arkansas 17, Mallett hit a wide-open Dennis Johnson for 15 yards and a first down, Arkansas’ first third-down conversion of the game after starting 0-for-10. Then After being sacked, on third-and-17 play from his 25, Mallett stood in the pocket and got good protection before scrambling forward and throwing a cross-field dart to Childs, who had gotten behind Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Childs then eluded several tackle attempts before heading back to end zone, where Major Wright stripped him of the ball. The ball ended up in the corner of the end zone and Childs was able to scurry after it and recover it. Score: Arkansas 20, Florida 13.
UF—Jeff Demps 10 run (Sturgis kick out of Henry hold good) at 7:27. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 3 first downs, 2:13 time elapsed following Arkansas kickoff. Key plays: Demps started the drive with a 20-yard run around left end; Tebow picked up a first down with a 9-yard carry on second-and-8 from Arkansas 45; Pass interference call on Arkansas in the end zone; Personal foul on Arkansas after James gained 1, giving Florida a first-and-goal at the Arkansas 10; Tebow handed off to Demps, who used his track speed to get outside and to the far pylon. Score: Florida 20, Arkansas 20.
UF–FG Sturgis 27 (out of Henry hold) at 0:07. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 5 first downs, 2:59 time elapsed after missed field goal. Key plays: Demps gained 12 yards on the first play; Tebow connected with Riley Cooper three times on the drive for 30 yards, the last time for 12 yards on a third-and-10 from the Arkansas 40; Tebow then ran five times for 18 yards to set up Sturgis in the middle of the field for his game-winning field goal. Score: Florida 23, Arkansas 20.
GAME SUMMARY
Attendance: 90,508.
Officials: Marc Curles, referee; Ronnie Jones, umpire; W. Randall Kizer, head linesman; Michael Shirey, line judge; Michael Watson, back judge; Greg Thomas, field judge; Jesse Dupuy, side judge; Robert Rougeou, replay official.
Weather: Sunny, no chance of precipitation, scattered clouds, temperature 64 and falling during game. Winds from the WNW at 13 miles per hour.
Coin toss: Arkansas wins toss, elects to receive; Florida kicks off, defending north end zone.
Records: Arkansas 3-3, 1-3 SEC West; Florida 6-0, 4-0 SEC East.
Next game: Arkansas at Mississippi, Saturday, Oct. 24 at 12:21 p.m. (SEC Network); Florida at Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2).
For game statistics, click below:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=292900057