While many Florida fans have remained in a funk all week over the crushing loss to the Vols last Saturday, the Gator players and coaches seem to have done a good job of letting it go and focusing on getting ready for Vanderbilt.
I don't anticipate a Gator letdown or hangover Saturday in Nashville. The players seem too excited about the opportunity to get back on the field for that too happen.
I do see this being a tough game for the Gators, and not an easy win by any means. The Commodores seem to usually hang in there with Florida at home and make things interesting going into the second half. I can see that happening again Saturday.
The two biggest areas of concern for the Gators heading into this game are the offensive line and special teams (not the actual kicking part of it).
The offensive line was awful in the second half in the loss to UT. There was no push in the running game and no protection for Austin Appleby (and the play-calling was pretty weak as well). As a result, the Gators had a bunch of three-and-outs and the defense was on the field way too long in those steamy conditions and the game got out of hand. The defense played way more plays than they did in previous games and it exposed the Gators' lack of depth in the secondary, especially at cornerback.
The offensive line has to play better and the offense has to sustain drives. If that happens, the defense will remain fresh and play more like it did in the first three games of the season.
On special teams, the Gators have been a huge disappointment. They've made nothing happen in the return game. They haven't blocked a kick in forever. And in the UT game, the usually reliable Antonio Callaway had a personal meltdown returning punts, and the punt coverage was weak and helped the Vols win the battle of field position in a big way.
So, the keys for this game are: play better on the offensive line and in special teams, pick up the road win and get this season back on track.
Prediction: Florida 21, Vanderbilt 10
Sent From Shane's iPhone
Go Gators! & Skål Vikes!
ALPCA #8756
Europlate #1045
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
O'Sullivan's new deal ($1.25 mil/yr) will make him highest paid coach in college baseball ahead of L'ville's Dan McDonnell ($1.06 mil/yr).
He signed it today.
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS Real Estate Services 305 B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Office: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 barryo@realtracs.com
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
O'Sullivan's new deal ($1.25 mil/yr) will make him highest paid coach in college baseball ahead of L'ville's Dan McDonnell ($1.06 mil/yr).
He signed it today.
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS Real Estate Services 305 B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Office: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 barryo@realtracs.com
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
O'Sullivan's new deal ($1.25 mil/yr) will make him highest paid coach in college baseball ahead of L'ville's Dan McDonnell ($1.06 mil/yr).
He signed it today.
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS Real Estate Services 305 B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Office: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 barryo@realtracs.com
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
O'Sullivan's new deal ($1.25 mil/yr) will make him highest paid coach in college baseball ahead of L'ville's Dan McDonnell ($1.06 mil/yr).
He signed it today.
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI
Real Estate Broker
PARKS Real Estate Services
305 B Indian Lake Blvd
Suite 220
Hendersonville TN 37075
Office: 615-826-4040
Mobile: 615-972-4239
barryo@realtracs.com
--
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
---
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Fueled by their loss to Nebraska in the 1995 title game, the Gators rolled to the university's first national title in 1996
Stories and player bios by Pat Dooley
The start of the special season wasn't in the summer of 1996 or with the opener against Southwestern Louisiana or on a rainy day in Knoxville, Tenn.
The start came right after the end of the 1995 season, on the plane ride home from Tempe, Ariz., where the in-flight meals were humiliation and regret.
"It all started on that plane," said linebacker Johnny Rutledge. "We knew we had enough coming back. We had a good core and now we knew what it took.
"We knew what it took to be a champion."
Florida had just been hammered by Nebraska in the national title game 62-24 by a Nebraska team that is — at worst — in the argument for the best team in the history of college football.
"I remember the bus ride to the airport," said linebacker James Bates. "We were all miserable. We were almost disgusted with ourselves.
"We knew we could be 10 times better and still not make it to the championship game. So we decided we are going to control what we can control."
The Gators had seen an unbeaten season limp home from the desert, a loss so devastating it left the team's head coach in a state of shock.
Meeting with reporters the morning after the Fiesta Bowl, Steve Spurrier looked like a man who had just put his dog down.
But by the time the charter flight landed in Gainesville, the players were ready to get started. That Nebraska game was more than just a beatdown. It had taught Spurrier a lesson.
"That was when I started thinking about the shotgun," he said. "I could see that if you had the right blitz on up the middle, a quarterback under center had no chance. He had a chance in the shotgun."
The new weapon stayed under a figurative tarp until the final game of the season. When it was released, it destroyed Florida State.
"The shotgun was a game-changer for me," said quarterback Danny Wuerffel. "They had guys who we couldn't block. That gave me a few seconds to get the passes away.
"I remember people saying their pass rush would be even faster on turf, so I knew well something is going to give."
FSU's defense gave. Florida piled up 52 points. The celebrations started at the Louisiana Superdome and finished up on Bourbon Street.
"My lasting memory is looking around at the end of the game at all the guys and seeing the excitement in a group that had worked so hard for this," said defensive back Tony George. "This is what we fought for. Being able to enjoy it with so many guys. There were tears streaming down my face."
It was 20 years ago that Florida put together the most special season ever, winning its first national title and beating their hated rivals in the process.
The Sun wanted to know what all of the guys who played in that game are doing now. That was no easy task simply because a 52-20 blowout means a lot of players were inserted into the game late.
"We kind of emptied the bench out there at the end," Spurrier said.
Still, we found them all. All 65 of them.
Thanks to the help of several players who encouraged former teammates to reach out to The Sun and Bill Feinberg of the Florida Players Network, we offer a "Where are They Now?" on the 1996 national champs. There was no participation list back then, so the only way to see who played was to watch the game several times and pick out the numbers.
Hopefully, we didn't miss anyone.
But first, the game.
Let's start at the beginning.
It really all started when defensive coordinator Bobby Pruitt left for Marshall and Spurrier hired Bobby Stoops. The new coordinator implemented an attack-style defense that gave Spurrier plenty of chances to run some ball plays.
"He allowed us to play at our speed," Rutledge said. "When he came in we went from really good to having a chance to be great."
Florida dispatched its first two opponents, then went to Knoxville, Tenn., for a game with Super Bowl-like hype. The Gators jumped out to a 35-0 lead and held on to win 35-29.
With a half-filled Neyland Stadium for most of the second half, linebacker James Bates offered this explanation after the game:
"I don't know where all those Tennessee fans went. Maybe the Jeff Foxworthy Show was on."
From there, Florida went on a rampage through the SEC. In the next five games, the Gators outscored their opponents 261-37. The fewest number of points they scored in a home game that year? The 51 they scored in a rout of Auburn.
"We could score some points in The Swamp," Spurrier said.
With SEC carnage discarded to the side of the road, UF went to Tallahassee to face FSU in a battle between the top two teams in America. The Seminoles pass rush, a called-back touchdown and kicking game issues allowed FSU to win 24-21.
"We felt like we blew that game in Tallahassee," said wide receiver Reidel Anthony.
Spurrier had complained loudly about Florida State's hits on Wuerffel. FSU coach Bobby Bowden said that his team hit "until the echo of the whistle."
This was not a rivalry between friends. Little did either coach know, but they would meet again sooner than expected.
And that Spurrier would have a new twist.
"I remember that Monday afternoon after the first FSU game when we came in," said guard Corey Yarbrough, "and Coach Spurrier said, 'Fellas, we're going to the shotgun.' "
To make the game a national title opportunity for UF, some things had to happen.
First, Texas stunned Nebraska in the Big 12 title game, converting a fourth down on a bootleg play.
"It was so loud in the hotel because guys were out in the hallway banging on their doors," said defensive lineman Cameron Davis.
When Florida beat Alabama in an offensive thriller 45-30 to win the SEC title, the rematch was set. And when Ohio State surprised unbeaten Arizona State on the night of Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl, the Florida-FSU game the next night was suddenly a national championship game.
"We were out of it,' Wuerffel said. "The way it unfolded, we were the happiest, hungriest team ever."
The Sugar Bowl started with a bang, FSU hit a 65-yard pass to Andre Cooper against UF cornerback Fred Weary.
"I wasn't used to the hashmarks in a pro stadium," Weary recalled. "They threw me off. But they didn't get me the rest of the game."
Florida held thanks to a fourth-down stop by linebacker Mike Peterson, then unleashed the shotgun. Wuerffel threw for three touchdowns, including the signature play of the game to Ike Hilliard. Hilliard caught a deep throw in mid-air, planted his foot as two FSU defenders flew by and walked into the end zone.
"It was a 97 route, just a simple slant," Hilliard said. "I felt (James) Colzie behind me and the linebacker just flashed in my face. I kind of created it in midair.
"It was just instinctive."
Florida rolled offensively and shut FSU down defensively despite losing Bates, the starting middle linebacker, to a concussion at halftime.
"I knew I wasn't right because I didn't know anything about football," Bates said. "I couldn't remember how to play the game. It was so frustrating. I was really confused."
The clincher was a 42-yard touchdown run by Terry Jackson, which he punctuated with a dive into the end zone.
"Once that touchdown happened we knew that was it," Jackson said. "You could actually breathe."
And so, the celebrations started. In some ways, they haven't stopped. The players, well, let them tell you how they felt.
Teako Brown: "The game was a formality. It was revenge, pure and simple. Not just for Florida State but for Nebraska the year before. We watched Nebraska celebrate. We kind of bottled that moment."
Tony George: "I think about it every day. If I'm having a bad day, I think about that game and it pushes me through."
Ryan Kalich: "They had more athletes than we had, more NFL guys. They had better players, but we were better coached."
Lawrence Wright: "We could have beat them worse than that. They didn't want to face us a second time. It was like that all season, everybody's face had fear in it."
It was late in the game when everyone knew it was over and Spurrier sidled up next to Bates.
"Coach came up to me and said, 'When we win this thing get some of your buddies and lift me up on your shoulders," Bates said. "But I was concussed. I forgot. And after the game he asked me why I didn't do it."
Instead, they posed on the field with the scoreboard in the background.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
From:gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatortalk@googlegroups.com]On Behalf OfShane Ford Sent:Wednesday, September 28, 2016 10:55 AM To:'Steve McKibben' via GatorTalk Subject:[gatortalk] McElwain: SEC overturns Powell's first-half suspension
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida receiver Brandon Powell won't face a suspension for the Vanderbilt game following an ejection against Tennessee for "throwing a punch."
In the second half, Powell lightly threw his arm out in the air and Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden flopped as if he'd been shot (you can watch the clip above). Refs ejected Powell, which would typically cause him to be suspended from the first half of the following game.
But coach Jim McElwain said he won't be suspended against Vanderbilt this weekend after the SEC office reviewed the call.
"We've received word that he'll go," McElwain said. "Nothing from there, so he was full go from Monday afternoon on."
Powell, a junior, has recorded 15 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
Sent From Shane's iPhone
Go Gators! & Skål Vikes!
ALPCA #8756
Europlate #1045
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Hear, hear! I didn't know either. Found this below on Grammerly.
The phrase hear, hear seems to have come into existence as an abbreviation of the phrase hear him, hear him, which was well-established in Parliament in the late seventeenth century. The UK Parliament prides itself on its lively debates, and saying "hear him, hear him" was a way to draw attention to what a person was saying. And in case you were wondering, there was no "hear her, hear her" variation—the first female MP was elected in the twentieth century. Sometime during the eighteenth century hear him, hear him acquired its short form, hear, hear, and that form is still used today.
From:gatortalk@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatortalk@googlegroups.com]On Behalf OfShane Ford Sent:Wednesday, September 28, 2016 10:55 AM To:'Steve McKibben' via GatorTalk Subject:[gatortalk] McElwain: SEC overturns Powell's first-half suspension
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida receiver Brandon Powell won't face a suspension for the Vanderbilt game following an ejection against Tennessee for "throwing a punch."
In the second half, Powell lightly threw his arm out in the air and Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden flopped as if he'd been shot (you can watch the clip above). Refs ejected Powell, which would typically cause him to be suspended from the first half of the following game.
But coach Jim McElwain said he won't be suspended against Vanderbilt this weekend after the SEC office reviewed the call.
"We've received word that he'll go," McElwain said. "Nothing from there, so he was full go from Monday afternoon on."
Powell, a junior, has recorded 15 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
Sent From Shane's iPhone
Go Gators! & Skål Vikes!
ALPCA #8756
Europlate #1045
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email togatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visithttps://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
