No. 1 Florida stays perfect in SEC
November 15, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)—Tim Tebow tied the Southeastern Conference touchdownrecord and No. 1 Florida gained its first perfect league season in 13 years witha 24-14 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.
The Gators (10-0, 8-0) remained on track for a third national title in fouryears. They again called on their SEC-leading defense to save things againstformer coach Steve Spurrier, who looked as if he’d figured out a few cracks inFlorida’s front line.
Down 17-14, South Carolina (6-5, 3-5) drove 48 yards to the Florida 22. Butdefensive lineman Justin Trattou intercepted Stephen Garcia and brought it back53 yards. Tebow cashed in the touchdown four plays later, a 1-yard burst thatwas the 53rd of his SEC career to match LSU great Kevin Faulk.
Florida hadn’t gone undefeated in the SEC regular season since Spurrier’s1996 national champions.
This time, South Caorlina coach Spurrier could only throw off his headset infrustration at another close call against his old school.
Ahead 24-14 after Tebow’s score, Florida’s defense got after the Gamecocks.The Gators sacked Garcia four times in the fourth quarter. Joe Haden’sinterception with two minutes left sealed Florida’s 20th straight victory—andfourth in a row over its former head ball coach.
The Gators finish with two nonconference games against Florida Internationaland Florida State, then face Alabama in the SEC championship game in threeweeks. A win there and the Gators again match Spurrier’s 1996 team.
Three years ago, defensive lineman Jarvis Moss blocked a field goal thatsaved Florida’s 17-16 win over South Carolina and, eventually, brought anational championship.
Tebow ended 14 of 25 for 199 yards passing, including a 68-yard touchdownthrow to Riley Cooper.
Florida’s defense held South Carolina to 247 yards, the Gamecocks fewest infour games.
Tebow had led blowouts of Spurrier’s Gamecocks the past two years. In 2007,Tebow wrapped up the Heisman Trophy when he accounted for 424 yards and seventouchdowns in the 51-31 victory in the Gators’ last visit to Williams-BriceStadium.
Then last season, Florida handed Spurrier the most-lopsided loss of hisstellar career, 56-6.
Things looked like they might be as easy for the Gators this time, too, asthey scored on their first three series. After Tebow’s touchdown pass to Cooper,Caleb Sturgis had a 32-yard field goal and Emmanuel Moody broke two tacklesduring his 17-yard scoring run.
That’s usually more than enough for Florida’s D, second in the country atjust more than 10 points allowed a game.
But Spurrier, back in full command of the offense, found a way to makeFlorida sweat.
He called a fake punt on South Carolina’s opening series, Spencer Lanningthrowing a perfect pass to wide open D.J. Swearinger. An illegal shift penalty,though, negated the first down.
The Gamecocks tied it at 7-all with a 14-play, 84-yard drive finished byBrian Maddox’s 1-yard TD run. It was the junior’s first score in eight games.
Garcia went 5 of 5 on South Carolina’s other first-half scoring drive,hitting Weslye Saunders with a 9-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of theend zone.
Garcia gave a military salute to the South Carolina sidelines after thatscore, keeping with the theme of the day.
The Gamecocks wore black camouflage jerseys with values such as “Courage,”“Integrity,” and “Service” on the back instead of names to honor veteranshurt defending the United States. The effort was sponsored by The WoundedWarrior Project and Under Armour.
Garcia had seemingly put himself in line as one of South Carolina’s alltimeheroes when he sidestepped two Florida tacklers to pick up a first down onfourth-and-2. Two plays later, though, came Trattou’s game-turning interception.
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