I must include my favorite Gators player of all time because he is in the argument for the greatest Gators receiver of all time. The Gators threatened to take the lead midway through the fourth until a controversial Leak fumble caused by Tray Blackmon of the Tigers gave Auburn the ball. Record: 13-1 (2nd of 119) . Using their power running game, and a 13-yard scramble from Smith, the Buckeyes drove to the Gators' 18-yard line. With the swing in momentum, the Gators were again unable to score a touchdown and settled for another Chris Hetland 40-yard field goal, pushing the Gator lead to 2714. 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). Get a summary of the Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Florida Gators football game. By forcing a safety in the third quarter, the Gator defense outscored the blanked Golden Knights offense. Title. [20] With this turn of events, Florida could give themselves a strong chance to overtake No. Using the unusual "Wildcat Formation", All American tailback Darren McFadden threw a quick two-yard touchdown to fellow tailback Felix Jones. 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]. The momentum changed yet again, this time in Florida's favor. Explosive freshman Percy Harvin gave Florida a ten point lead when he bolted through the Arkansas defense for a 67-yard touchdown. Visiting Central Florida averaged just 2.6yards per play and 153 total yards in the game.[15]. 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. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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. Most notably, Aaron Hernandez was on the 2008 squad, ended up being convicted of murder during his time in the NFL and committed suicide while in prison. Soon thereafter, the Gators seemingly averted danger when they stripped the ball from the Tigers at the goal line. The Gators clinched their trip to the SEC Championship Game with a sloppy win over Vanderbilt. 24 of those snaps came against Georgia, one of the . An LSU field goal early in the fourth quarter would cut the Florida lead to 2310. ); : The win also moved the Gators into fourth place in the BCS rankings. Ten-year national championship anniversary, Postseason awards and further accomplishments, 2006 Florida Gators footballconsensus national champions, List of Green Bay Packers starting quarterbacks, List of Washington Redskins starting quarterbacks, 2006 Southeastern Conference football season, Southeastern Conference football champion seasons, 2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, http://www.gatorzone.com/football/media/2006/pdf/42.pdf, http://gatorzone.com/football/history/2006/team.pdf, "NCAA Official Stats, 2006 Toughest Schedule, Sorted on Cumulative Opposition", http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/2006/Internet/toughest%20schedule/ia_9games_cumm.pdf, Florida Gators, NCAA Football, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes - CBSSports.com, NCAA Football - Arkansas Razorbacks/Florida Gators Preview Saturday December 2, 2006 - Yahoo! On the next Florida drive, Leak found game MVP Percy Harvin on a perfectly thrown 37-yard touchdown pass. 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 quarterback Chris Leak was 19-of-29 for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Do you have a blog? Both teams traded three and outs before Florida exploded in the second quarter. The game was broadcast on ESPN Full Circle. (); : The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Over the years, there have been other players who made an indelible mark on the Gators as well despite the changes in eras. The victory did not help much in the Bowl Championship Series standings, leaving the Gators looking for assistance to get to the title game, which would come the following weekend. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The Gators responded with a field goal, their first of the season for a 33 tie at the end of the first quarter. The week prior to the game, it was announced that DT Marcus Thomas was indefinitely suspended after failing a drug test. . Leak again rallied the team, but it was freshman Tim Tebow who made a huge play when he converted a crucial fourth down inside Tennessee territory. With about 5minutes left in the 2nd quarter Auburn kicked another field goal to make the score 108. However, Ginn injured his foot celebrating the touchdown, leaving the Buckeyes without his deep threat for the rest of the game. 2006 Florida Gators Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com 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. 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. Alabama finished the season with an overall record of 6-7 (2-6 in conference) but had all victories vacated by the NCAA in 2010. 2006 Football Roster - University of Colorado Athletics The Gators trailed for nearly the entire first three quarters. Overall, the Gators finished with more points(62) than the Catamounts had yards (59). [19] The attendance of 90,714 was two shy of the stadium record. Florida Gators 2023 Spring Roster Takeaways - Sports Illustrated However, Ginn injured his foot celebrating the touchdown, leaving the Buckeyes without his deep threat for the rest of the game. Florida used a timeout to draw up a play for Tebow, who remained in the game. 2006 Florida Gators football team. According to The New York Times, 41 members of the 2008 Gators have been arrested. Find out more. Chris Leak's third pass attempt of the game was intercepted by the Golden Eagles, who scored on a 6-yard Damion Carter pass to Jeremy Young 3 plays later. Alabama had all victories vacated by the NCAA in 2010. 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. Knowing the field goal lead wouldn't be enough, the Gators came out firing on their offensive series. The Gators strengthened their lead to 178 on a Tim Tebow run. The score gave the Gators a surprising 147 lead. 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. The Gators also celebrated 100 years since the start of their football program in 1906. 2006 Florida Gators football team - Wikipedia Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Regular Season; Preseason; Postseason; Strength of Schedule; 2023 Opponents; Games . Leak rebounded to finish 21-of-30 for 248yards and 3 touchdowns. Alabama vs. Florida - College Football Game Summary - ESPN Leak found Dallas Baker on a 21-yard touchdown pass to strengthen Florida's lead, and safety Reggie Nelson picked off John Parker Wilson's pass and took it 70 yards for the score to put the game out of reach. Knowing the field goal lead wouldn't be enough, the Gators came out firing on their offensive series. Follow us@GatorsWireon Twitter and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions. However, Florida's stifling defensive line continued to put heavy pressure on Smith, forcing bad throws and incompletions, ultimately leading to a three and out. Looking Back On, and Forward To, Florida's QB Room - Sports Illustrated 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. Meyer elected to go for it, and Leak passed to Harvin, who barely made the first down. Chris Leak took a final knee on fourth down, ending his illustrious career as a Gator on top of the college football world. The Gators had their best pre-season ranking from College Football News, which listed them at No. Florida's defense continued to stifle Georgia throughout the second half, until late in the third quarter. The Gators strengthened their lead to 178 on a Tim Tebow run. Chris Leak struggled throughout the game, going 18 of 25 passing for 237 yards and one touchdown. 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. Read more about the Orange and Blue at Gators Wire. The game changed for good, on the next Ohio State possession. The Gators responded with a field goal, their first of the season for a 33 tie at the end of the first quarter. One play later, however, a Jim Tartt holding penalty in the end zone forced a safety, giving Auburn the ball back and two points. As the Gators came into their annual rivalry game with Georgia, they were heavily favored. The Gators have now won fifteen of the last eighteen against their hated rivals from Georgia. Kristen Murslack. (); : The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net.