2009 Florida Gators football team

American college football season

2009 Florida Gators football
SEC Eastern Division champion
Sugar Bowl champion
SEC Championship Game, L 13–32 vs. Alabama
Sugar Bowl, W 51–24 vs. Cincinnati
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
Record13–1 (8–0 SEC)
Head coach
  • Urban Meyer (5th season)
Offensive coordinatorSteve Addazio (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread option
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Strong (7th season)
Base defense3–3–5
MVPTim Tebow
Joe Haden
CaptainBrandon James
Joey Sorrentino
Brandon Spikes
Ryan Stamper
Tim Tebow
Home stadiumBen Hill Griffin Stadium[1]
Seasons
← 2008
2010 →
2009 Southeastern Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
  • e
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 3 Florida x%   8 – 0     13 – 1  
Georgia   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Tennessee   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Kentucky   3 – 5     7 – 6  
South Carolina   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Vanderbilt   0 – 8     2 – 10  
Western Division
No. 1 Alabama x$#   8 – 0     14 – 0  
No. 17 LSU   5 – 3     9 – 4  
No. 20 Ole Miss   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Arkansas   3 – 5     8 – 5  
Auburn   3 – 5     8 – 5  
Mississippi State   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Championship: Alabama 32, Florida 13
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2009 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2009 college football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They were led by fifth-year head coach Urban Meyer, who coached the Gators to a first-place finish in the SEC East, a 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats, and an overall win–loss record of 13–1 (.929).

With senior quarterback Tim Tebow and eleven defensive starters returning, the Gators had hoped to repeat as back-to-back national champions following their BCS National Championship at the end of the 2008 season. They finished with an undefeated 12–0 regular season, their first since 1995, but the Gators' 32–13 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game derailed their national title hopes, and forced them to settle for a berth in the Sugar Bowl. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, the Gators were ranked No. 3 in both major polls.

On December 26, 2009, Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley announced that Urban Meyer would step down as the team's head coach for health and family reasons.[2] The following day, Meyer stated that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence, allowing him to resume his position as the head coach. Meyer returned to coach the Gators in spring practice in March 2010.

Pre-season

On January 11, 2009, during the national championship celebration at the University of Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow announced his intention to return for his senior season,[3] followed on January 15 by linebacker Brandon Spikes intention to return as well. With Spikes' return, the entire two-deep of the Gators defense was set to return for the 2009 season. One major loss was All-America wide receiver Percy Harvin, who opted to leave the University of Florida to enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Gators also lost offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Dan Mullen, who became the head coach at Mississippi State following Sylvester Croom's resignation. Former offensive line coach Steve Addazio was named as Mullen's replacement, with Scot Loeffler hired to take on the role of quarterback coach.

The Gators played their spring scrimmage on April 18, 2009, with the Orange winning.

Florida was voted #1 in both the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll and the AP Poll. The Gators received the highest ever percentage of preseason #1 votes in the history of the AP Poll, which began in 1950.[4][5]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 57:00 p.m.Charleston Southern*No. 1FSNW 62–390,621
September 1212:00 p.m.Troy*No. 1
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
SECNW 56–690,349
September 193:30 p.m.TennesseeNo. 1
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
CBSW 23–1390,894
September 266:00 p.m.at KentuckyNo. 1ESPN2W 41–771,011
October 108:00 p.m.at No. 4 LSUNo. 1
CBSW 13–393,129
October 172:30 pmArkansasNo. 1CBSW 23–2090,508
October 247:30 p.m.at Mississippi StateNo. 2ESPNW 29–1957,178
October 313:30 p.m.vs. GeorgiaNo. 1CBSW 41–1784,604
November 77:15 p.m.VanderbiltNo. 1
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
ESPN2W 27–390,694
November 143:30 p.m.at South CarolinaNo. 1CBSW 24–1479,297
November 2112:30 p.m.FIU*No. 1
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
PPVW 62–390,473
November 283:30 p.m.Florida State*No. 1
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL (College GameDay) (rivalry)
CBSW 37–1090,907
December 54:30 p.m.vs. No. 2 AlabamaNo. 1CBSL 13–3275,514
January 1, 20108:30 p.m.vs. No. 4 Cincinnati*No. 5FOXW 51–2465,207
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Sources: 2012 Florida Gators Football Media Guide,[6] and GatorZone.com.[7]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP1 (58)1 (56)1 (56)1 (55)1 (55)1 (54)1 (50)2 (20)1 (30)1 (38)1 (39)1 (36)1 (36)1 (46)53
Coaches1 (53)1 (56)1 (56)1 (59)1 (58)1 (57)1 (53)1 (49)1 (46)1 (50)1 (48)1 (48)1 (47)1 (53)53
HarrisNot released1 (99)1 (97)1 (99)1 (77)1 (75)1 (83)1 (82)1 (78)1 (78)1 (82)5Not released
BCSNot released11111115Not released

Game summaries

Charleston Southern

Period 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 0 3 003
#1 Gators 14 28 13762

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 5, 2009
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) (Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,621
  • Referee: Matt Moore
  • TV: Sun/FSN
Game information
1st Quarter
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps, 8-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:05. Gators 7–0.
  • FLA – Chris Rainey, 76-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 4:34. Gators 14–0.
2nd Quarter
  • FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 14:22. Gators 21–0.
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps, 23-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:39. Gators 28–0.
  • FLA – Aaron Hernandez, 28-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 7:55. Gators 35–0.
  • CSU – John Paglia 38-yard field goal, 5:37. Gators 35–3.
  • FLA – Brandon James 85-yard kickoff yard return (Jonathan Phillips kick), 5:24. Gators 42–3.
3rd Quarter
  • FLA – Justin Williams 7-yard pass from John Brantley (PAT failed), 12:39. Gators 48–3.
  • FLA – Cade Holliday 9-yard pass from John Brantley (Jonathan Phillips kick), 0:24. Gators 55–3.
4th Quarter
  • FLA – Mike Gillislee 7-yard run (Jonathan Philips kick), 9:33. Gators 62–3.
Pregame Line
  • Off

In the season opener, the Gators met the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in Gainesville. In a game that was never close, the Gators won 62–3. John Brantley threw for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Troy

Period 1 2 34Total
Trojans 3 0 306
#1 Gators 7 28 14756

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 12, 2009
  • Game time: 12:20 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) (Light rain)
  • Game attendance: 90,349
  • Referee: Tom Ritter
  • TV: SEC Network
Game information
1st Quarter
  • FLA – Deonte Thompson, 6-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 6:39. Gators 7–0.
  • TROY – Sam Glusman, 45-yard field goal, 0:51. Gators 7–3.
2nd Quarter
  • FLA – Riley Cooper, 36-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:33. Gators 14–3.
  • FLA – Tim Tebow, 4-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 8:04. Gators 21–3.
  • FLA – Deonte Thompson, 33-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 7:44. Gators 28–3.
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps, 24-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 4:03. Gators 35–3.
3rd Quarter
  • FLA – Brandon James, 32-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 12:27. Gators 42–3.
  • FLA – Chris Rainey 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 8:38. Gators 49–3.
  • TROY – Sam Glusman 42-yard field goal, 0:39. Gators 49–6.
4th Quarter
Pregame line
  • –37

The Florida Gators met the Troy Trojans in Gainesville, Florida. After a slow start, the Gators scored four times in the second quarter before cruising to a 56–6 victory.

Tennessee

Period 1 2 34Total
Volunteers 3 3 0713
#1 Gators 3 10 10023

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 19, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C) (Partly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,894
  • Referee: Penn Wagers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
  • FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 12:48. Gators 10–3.
  • TENN – Daniel Lincoln, 20-yard field goal, 5:56. Gators 10–6.
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 29-yard field goal, 0:51. Gators 13–6.
3rd Quarter
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 35-yard field goal, 9:33. Gators 16–6.
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps 7-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 0:07. Gators 23–6.
4th Quarter
Pregame line
  • –30

In what may have been the most talked about game all pre-season, the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers met in Gainesville, Florida. Most of the pre-game talk surrounded comments made by Volunteer's head coach Lane Kiffin. The game remained close until the end with the Gators holding on for a 23–13 victory.

Kentucky

Period 1 2 34Total
#1 Gators 31 0 3741
Wildcats 0 7 007

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: September 26, 2009
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Mostly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 71,011
  • Referee: Steve Shaw
  • TV: ESPN2
Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ FLA KTY
1 FLA 11:13 FG Caleb Sturgis 32 yd FG 3 3 0
FLA 7:11 TD Tim Tebow, 3 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 10 0
FLA 6:04 TD Chris Rainey, Recovers blocked punt in end zone Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 17 0
FLA 5:56 TD Tim Tebow, 2 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 24 0
FLA 0:00 TD Aaron Hernandez, 44 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 31 0
2 KTY 2:44 TD Ross Bogue 2 yd pass from Mike Hartline Lones Seiber Kick 7 31 7
3 FLA 3:45 FG Caleb Sturgis 32 yd FG 3 34 7
4 FLA 6:39 TD Riley Cooper 8 yd pass from John Brantley Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 41 7

Pregame Line: -20.5

In their first road game of the season, the Florida Gators traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to face the Wildcats. The Gators quickly took at 31–0 lead in the first quarter before going on to win 41–7. The biggest news story to come out of the game was a concussion suffered by Tim Tebow during the third quarter. Tebow spent the night in a Lexington hospital;[8] returning two weeks later for Florida's 13–3 win at LSU.

LSU

Period 1 2 34Total
#1 Gators 3 7 0313
#4 Tigers 0 3 003

at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • Date: October 10, 2009
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 93,129
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
  • None.
4th Quarter
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 32-yard field goal, 7:27. Gators 13–3.
Pregame Line
  • –10
Leading passers
Leading rushers
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps – 16 rushes, 86 yards
  • LSU – Charles Scott – 13 rushes, 53 yards
Leading receivers

Arkansas

Period 1 2 34Total
Razorbacks 0 10 3720
#1 Gators 0 3 101023

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: October 17, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 90,508
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information
1st Quarter
  • None.
2nd Quarter
  • ARK – Broderick Green, 1-yard run (Alex Tejada kick), 3:00. Razorbacks 7–0.
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 30-yard field goal, 1:40. Razorbacks 7–3.
  • ARK – Alex Tejada, 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Razorbacks 10–3.
3rd Quarter
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 51-yard field goal, 10:53. Razorbacks 10–6.
  • FLA – Deonte Thompson, 77-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 2:59. Gators 13–10.
  • ARK – Alex Tejada, 31-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 13–13.
4th Quarter
  • ARK – Greg Childs, 75-yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Alex Tejada kick), 9:40. Razorbacks 20–13.
  • FLA – Jeffery Demps, 10-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 7:27. Tied 20–20.
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis 27-yard field goal, 0:09. Gators 23–20.
Pregame line
  • –24.5

Mississippi State

Period 1 2 34Total
#2 Gators 3 10 31329
Bulldogs 3 7 3619

at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi

  • Date: October 24, 2009
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 57,178
  • Referee: Penn Wagers
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color commentator) & Erin Andrews (sideline reporter)

Pregame Line: -22

Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ FLA MSU
1 MSU 9:05 FG Derek DePasquale 43 yd FG 3 0 3
FLA 3:36 FG Caleb Sturgis 21 yd FG 3 3 3
2 FLA 13:16 TD Tim Tebow, 26 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 10 3
FLA 7:15 FG Caleb Sturgis, 21 yd FG 3 13 3
MSU 0:27 TD Johnthan Banks, 100 yd interception return Derek Depasquale Kick 7 13 10
3 MSU 9:32 FG Derek Depasquale 31 yd FG 3 13 13
FLA 5:15 FG Caleb Sturgis 27 yd FG 3 16 13
4 FLA 9:08 TD Chris Rainey 8 yd run FAILED 6 22 13
FLA 8:25 TD Dustin Doe, 23 yd interception return Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 29 13
MSU 3:51 FG Johnthan Banks, 20 yd interception return 2PT FAILED 6 29 19

Georgia

Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 0 10 7017
#1 Gators 14 10 71041

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Pregame Line: -16

Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ UGA FLA
1 FLA 12:21 TD Riley Cooper, 22 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 7
FLA 3:20 TD Riley Cooper, 29 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 14
2 UGA 13:45 FG Blair Walsh 49 yd FG 3 3 14
UGA 10:40 TD Aron White, 26 yd pass from Joe Cox Blair Walsh Kick 7 10 14
FLA 4:47 FG Caleb Sturgis 56 yd FG 3 10 17
FLA 1:32 TD Tim Tebow, 23 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 10 24
3 FLA 13:30 TD Tim Tebow, 5 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 10 31
UGA 6:17 TD Michael Moore, 4 yd pass from Joe Cox Blair Walsh Kick 7 17 31
4 FLA 7:42 FG Caleb Sturgis 44 yd FG 3 17 34
FLA 6:24 TD Brandon Spikes, 5 yd interception return Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 17 41

Vanderbilt

Period 1 2 34Total
Commodores 0 0 303
#1 Gators 3 10 7727

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 7, 2009
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 90,694
  • Referee: Steve Shaw
  • TV: ESPN2

Pregame Line: -35

Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ VAN FLA
1 FLA 1:00 FG Caleb Sturgis, 27 yd FG 3 0 3
2 FLA 12:43 TD Jeffery Demps, 25 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 10
FLA 6:08 FG Caleb Sturgis 45 yd FG 3 0 13
3 VAN 8:40 FG Ryan Fowler, 32 yd FG 3 3 13
FLA 1:52 TD Tim Tebow, 1 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 3 20
4 FLA 1:32 TD David Nelson, 8 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 3 27

South Carolina

Period 1 2 34Total
#1 Gators 10 7 0724
Gamecocks 7 7 0014

at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

  • Date: November 14, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 79,297
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

Pregame Line: -17.5

Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ FLA SC
1 FLA 12:04 FG Riley Cooper, 68 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 7 0
SC 5:51 TD Brian Maddox, 1 yd run Spencer Lanning Kick 7 7 7
FLA 1:18 FG Caleb Sturgis, 32 yd FG 3 10 7
2 FLA 10:28 TD Emmanuel Moody, 17 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 17 7
SC 2:10 TD Weslye Saunders 9 yd pass from Stephen Garcia Spencer Lanning Kick 7 17 14
3 No scoring in 3rd Quarter
4 FLA 13:25 TD Tim Tebow 1 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 24 14

Florida International

Period 1 2 34Total
Golden Panthers 0 3 003
#1 Gators 14 21 141362

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 21, 2009
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 90,473
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV: PPV

Pregame Line: -45

Scoring Summary
Q Team Time Scoring Play Extra Point Score
+ FIU FLA
1 FLA 13:10 TD Brandon Spikes, 41 yd interception return Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 7
FLA 9:18 TD Tim Tebow, 55 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 14
2 FLA 13:39 TD Chris Rainey, 27 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 21
FLA 9:41 TD Chris Rainey, 22 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 28
FLA 1:38 TD Jeffery Demps, 3 yd run Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 0 35
FIU 0:29 FG Dustin Rivest 37 yd FG 3 3 35
3 FLA 13:38 TD Riley Cooper, 18 yd pass from Tim Tebow Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 3 42
FLA 4:06 TD Omarius Hines 20 yd pass from John Brantley Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 3 49
4 FLA 11:10 TD Justin Williams, 16 yd pass from John Brantley Caleb Sturgis Kick 7 3 56
FLA 2:28 TD Frankie Hammond Jr. 31 yd pass from John Brantley PAT Blocked 6 3 62

Florida State

Period 1 2 34Total
Seminoles 0 0 3710
#1 Gators 7 17 6737

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 28, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Partly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,907
  • Referee: Matt Austin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 37-yard field goal, 14:55. Gators 10–0.
  • FLA – Tim Tebow, 18-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 3:59. Gators 17–0.
  • FLA – Aaron Hernandez, 37-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:07. Gators 24–0.
3rd Quarter
  • FLA – Riley Cooper, 39-yard pass from Tim Tebow (PAT blocked), 11:27. Gators 30–0.
  • FSU – Dustin Hopkins, 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Gators 30–3.
4th Quarter
  • FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 10:18. Gators 37–3.
  • FSU – Jarmon Fortson, 9-yard pass from E. J. Manuel (Dustin Hopkins kick), 8:11. Gators 37–10.
Pregame line
  • –24.5

In the regular season finale, the Gators blew by the Seminoles 37–10. A new attendance record at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was set with 90,907 present.[9]

SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama

Period 1 2 34Total
#1 Gators 3 10 0013
#2 Crimson Tide 9 10 7632

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta

  • Date: December 5, 2009
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 75,514
  • Referee: Matt Austin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information
1st Quarter
  • ALA – Leigh Tiffin, 48-yard field goal, 10:37. Crimson Tide 3–0.
  • ALA – Mark Ingram II, 7-yard run (PAT failed), 5:33. Crimson Tide 9–0.
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 48-yard field goal, 0:28. Crimson Tide 9–3.
2nd Quarter
  • ALA – Leigh Tiffin, 34-yard field goal, 6:03. Crimson Tide 12–3.
  • FLA – David Nelson, 23-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:31. Crimson Tide 12–10.
  • ALA – Mark Ingram, 3-yard run (Leigh Tiffin kick), 3:32. Crimson Tide 19–10.
  • FLA – Caleb Sturgis 32-yard field goal, 1:18. Crimson Tide 19–13.
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
  • ALA – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (2PT attempt failed), 13:49. Crimson Tide 32–13.
Pregame Line
  • –5.0
Leading passers
Leading rushers
  • FLA – Tim Tebow – 10 rushes, 63 yards
  • ALA – Mark Ingram II – 28 rushes, 113 yards, 3 TD
Leading receivers

In a rematch of last year's SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide handed the Gators their only loss of the season. Alabama running back Mark Ingram II scored three touchdowns in the 32–13 win.

Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati

Period 1 2 34Total
#5 Gators 9 21 14751
#4 Bearcats 0 3 71424

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: January 1, 2010
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 65, 207
  • Referee: Jack Folliard (Pac-10)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman (play–by–play), Brian Billick (color commentator)

Personnel

Depth chart

(revised 12-2–09)

Defense
S
Will Hill
Dee Finley
FS
Major Wright
Josh Evans


WLB MLB SLB
⋅ Brandon Spikes ⋅
Jelani Jenkins Brandon Beal ⋅
SS
Ahmad Black
Will Hill
CB
Joe Haden
Markihe Anderson


DE NT DE
Jermaine Cunningham Jaye Howard Carlos Dunlap
William Green Justin Trattou Justin Trattou
CB
Janoris Jenkins
Wondy Pierre-Louis
Offense
WR
Riley Cooper
Justin Williams
WR
Deonte Thompson
Frankie Hammond, Jr.
LT LG C RG RT
Carl Johnson James Wilson Maurkice Pouncey Mike Pouncey Marcus Gilbert
Matt Patchan Corey Hobbs Sam Robey Maurice Hurt David Young
TE
Aaron Hernandez
Josh Postell
WR
David Nelson
Omarius Hines
QB
Tim Tebow
John Brantley
Key reserves
KR Chris Rainey
QB Jordan Reed
TB Emmanuel Moody



RB
Jeffery Demps
Chris Rainey
Special teams
PK Jonathan Phillips
PK Caleb Sturgis
P Chas Henry
P David Lerner
KR Brandon James
PR Brandon James
H Chas Henry

Roster

2009 Florida Gators roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 3 Chris Rainey – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 21 Emmanuel Moody – Redshirt Junior
  • 23 Mike Gillislee – Freshman
  • 29 Christopher Scott – Redshirt Junior
  • 37 Vincent Brown – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 44 Ean McQuay – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 48 Marquis Hannah – Redshirt Junior

Athlete

Fullbacks

  • 37 Marcus Nemeth – Freshman
  • 42 Steven Wilks – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 45 T.J. Pridemore – Redshirt Freshman
  • 48 Rick Burgess – Senior

Wide receivers

  • 3 Brandon Frazier – Redshirt Junior
  • 4 Andre Debose – Redshirt Freshman
  • 6 Deonte Thompson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 7 Justin Williams – Redshirt Junior
  • 9 Carl Moore – Senior
  • 11 Riley Cooper – Senior
  • 18 T.J. Lawrence – Redshirt Freshman
  • 22 Cade Holliday – Redshirt Senior
  • 39 Joey Sorrentino – Redshirt Senior
  • 82 Omarius Hines – Redshirt Freshman
  • 83 David Nelson – Redshirt Senior
  • 85 Frankie Hammond Jr. – Redshirt Freshman
  • 89 Stephen Alli – Freshman

Tight ends

  • 80 Desmond Parks – Freshman
  • 81 Aaron Hernandez – Junior
  • 84 Christopher Coleman – Redshirt Senior
  • 87 Josh Postell – Redshirt Freshman

Offensive line

  • 50 Sam Robey – Redshirt Freshman
  • 55 Mike Pouncey – Junior
  • 56 Maurkice Pouncey – Junior
  • 57 Carl Johnson – Redshirt Junior
  • 58 Nick Alajajian – Freshman
  • 58 Christopher Guido – Freshman
  • 60 William Steinmann – Sophomore
  • 61 Gary Beemer – Redshirt Junior
  • 62 Hayden Chance – Freshamn
  • 63 Cole Gilliam – Freshman
  • 64 Kyle Koehne – Freshman
  • 66 James Wilson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 67 Jon Halapio – Freshman
  • 70 Shawn Schmieder – Redshirt Junior
  • 71 Matt Patchan – Sophomore
  • 72 Jonotthan Harrison – Freshman
  • 73 Xavier Nixon – Freshman
  • 74 Maurice Hurt – Redshirt Junior
  • 76 Marcus Gilbert – Redshirt Junior
  • 78 David Young – Redshirt Freshman
  • 79 Corey Hobbs – Redshirt Junior

Defensive line

  • 6 Jaye Howard – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 8 Carlos Dunlap – Junior
  • 34 Lerentee McCray – Sophomore
  • 44 Duke Lemmens – Junior
  • 47 Brandon Antwine – Redshirt Junior
  • 49 Jermaine Cunningham – Senior
  • 57 Samuel Johnson – Redshirt Freshman
  • 62 Lamar Abel – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 65 Glen Watson – Redshirt Freshman
  • 90 Lawrence Marsh – Redshirt Junior
  • 91 Earl Okine – Redshirt Freshman
  • 93 Kedric Johnson – Freshman
  • 94 Justin Trattou – Junior
  • 95 Gary Brown – Freshman
  • 96 William Green – Sophomore
  • 97 Edwin Herbert – Junior
  • 98 Troy Epps – Senior
  • 99 Omar Hunter – Redshirt Freshman

Linebackers

  • 16 A.J. Jones – Redshirt Junior
  • 26 Lorenzo Edwards – Junior
  • 30 Chris Pintano – Redshirt Junior
  • 32 Dustin Doe – Senior
  • 33 Scott Peek – Redshirt Freshman
  • 40 Brandon Hicks – Junior
  • 41 Ryan Stamper – Redshirt Senior
  • 43 Jelani Jenkins – Freshman
  • 46 Michael Ross – Redshirt Freshman
  • 51 Brandon Spikes – Senior
  • 52 Jon Bostic – Freshman
  • 54 Brandon Beal – Sophomore

Defensive backs

  • 23 Corey Henderson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 24 Josh Evans – Freshman
  • 34 Reginald Hopkins – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 42 Miguel Carodine – Redshirt Junior

Cornerbacks

  • 1 Janoris Jenkins – Sophomore
  • 4 Wondy Pierre-Louis – Senior
  • 5 Joe Haden – Junior
  • 14 Markihe Anderson – Senior
  • 27 Adrian Bushell – Redshirt Freshman
  • 28 Jeremy Brown – Freshman
  • 36 Moses Jenkins – Junior

Safeties

  • 10 Will Hill – Sophomore
  • 13 Dee Finley – Freshman
  • 20 Dorian Munroe – Redshirt Senior
  • 21 Major Wright – Junior
  • 35 Ahmad Black – Junior
  • 46 Cody Worton – Redshirt Junior

Punters

  • 17 Chas Henry – Junior
  • 40 David Lerner – Redshirt Freshman

Kickers

Long snappers

  • 47 John Crofoot – Freshman
  • 50 Cody Hampton – Redshirt Freshman
  • 53 Mike Williamson – Redshirt Senior
  • 58 Christopher Guido – Freshman
  • 59 John Fairbanks – Redshirt Junior

Coaching staff

2009 Florida Gators coaching staff

Head Coach: Urban Meyer

Offensive coaches

  • Assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line: Steve Addazio
  • Quarterbacks: Scot Loeffler
  • Running backs: Kenny Carter
  • Wide receivers/recruiting coordinator: Billy Gonzales
  • Tight ends: Brian White

Defensive coaches

[10]

Statistics

Team

Gators Opponents
Scoring 502 174
Points per game 35.9 12.4
First Downs 314 208
Rushing 158 84
Passing 142 103
Penalty 14 21
Total Offense 6410 3536
Avg per play 7.0 4.2
Avg per game 457.9 252.6
Fumbles–Lost 17–11 19–3
Penalties–Yards 95–735 78–638
Avg per game 52.5 45.6
Gators Opponents
Punts–Yards 34–1,476 81–3,253
Avg per punt 43.4 40.2
Time of Possession/Game 30:45 29:15
3rd Down Conversions 87/177 58/194
4th Down Conversions 11/17 11/22
Touchdowns scored 63 18
Field Goals–Attempts 22–31 17–21
PAT–Attempts 58–63 15–16
Total Attendance 634,446 300,615
Games/Avg per Game 7/90,635 7/75,131

Scores by quarter

Period 1 2 34Total
Opponents 25 63 2227137
Gators 112 164 8791454

Offense

Rushing

Name CAR YDS YPC Long TD
Tebow 217 910 4.2 55 14
Demps 99 745 7.5 62 7
Rainey 89 575 6.5 76 5
Moody 58 378 6.5 32 3
Gillislee 31 267 8.6 52 1
James 20 109 5.4 25 0
Brantley 13 67 5.2 23 0
Scott 9 26 2.9 13 0
Hernandez 1 16 16.0 16 0
Cooper 1 14 14.0 14 0
Blaylock 4 6 1.5 9 0
Brown 3 1 0.3 2 0
Thompson 1 -2 -2.0 0 0
Total 555 3,105 5.6 76 30
Opponents 449 1,397 3.1 42 6

Passing

Name GP-GS Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yds TD
Tebow 14–14 213-314-5 67.8% 2,895 21
Brantley 7–0 36–48–0 75% 410 7
Cooper 14–0 0-1-0 0% 0 0
Total 249-364-5 68.4% 3,305 28
Opponents 208-396-20 52.5% 2,139 10

Receiving

Name REC YDS YPR Long TD
Hernandez 68 850 12.5 64 5
Cooper 51 961 18.8 80 9
Nelson 25 291 11.6 30 2
Thompson 24 343 14.3 77 4
James 24 215 9.0 32 1
Hines 14 172 12.3 25 1
Rainey 10 161 16.1 33 1
Demps 8 52 6.5 11 0
Moody 8 45 5.6 18 0
Holliday 6 102 17.0 33 1
Williams 6 50 8.3 16 2
Hammond 4 57 14.2 31 1
Gillislee 1 6 6.0 6 1
Total 249 3,305 13.3 80 28
Opponents 208 2,139 10.3 75 10

Players drafted into the NFL

Round Pick Player Position NFL club
1 7 Joe Haden CB Cleveland Browns
1 18 Maurkice Pouncey C Pittsburgh Steelers
1 25 Tim Tebow QB Denver Broncos
2 53 Jermaine Cunningham DE New England Patriots
2 54 Carlos Dunlap DE Cincinnati Bengals
2 62 Brandon Spikes LB New England Patriots
3 75 Major Wright S Chicago Bears
4 113 Aaron Hernandez TE New England Patriots
5 159 Riley Cooper WR Philadelphia Eagles

References

  1. ^ University of Florida Sports Information Department. "Florida 2009 Media Guide" (PDF). floridagators.com. University Athletic Association, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "UF's Urban Meyer Steps Down as Head Football Coach". Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  3. ^ "Tebow wants to do it all over again". ESPN.com. January 11, 2009. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  4. ^ Gators are No. 1 in AP preseason Top 25 poll
  5. ^ "Gators shrug off top ranking in preseason coaches' poll". Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
  6. ^ 2012 Florida Football Media Guide Archived 2013-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 114 & 116 (2012). Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  7. ^ GatorZone.com, Football, History, Florida Football 2009 Archived 2012-05-02 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  8. ^ "Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow taken to hospital after hard sack". ESPN.
  9. ^ "Gatorzone.com: No. 1 Florida Defeats FSU, 37–10, on Senior Day". Archived from the original on December 2, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  10. ^ "2009 University of Florida Football Roster and Coaches". Archived from the original on July 5, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
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