Great Games: 1963 Alabama
Thursday, September 28, 2006 | Football
As part of the celebration of the 100th season of Florida football, gatorzone.com will run a series of historical features throughout the preseason and the 2006 campaign. The series will give Gator fans an appreciation and understanding of the past teams and players that helped build the Gator football program.
During preseason practice, readers can learn about ground-breaking Florida teams of the past on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the “Great Teams and Eras” series. In addition to those stories, each Friday from the beginning of preseason practice until the season's first game will feature a look at one of Florida's legendary players as part of the “Gator Greats” series.
Once the season is underway, the look back in time will continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays with “Rivalries and Series” and “Great Games” entries relevant to the week's opponent. Occasionally, additional stories will be unveiled on Wednesday of game weeks when the opportunity arises.
As the 2006 football season approaches, take some time to sit back and reflect on the teams, players and moments that all lead up to this, the 100th season of Florida Gator football.
By Norm Carlson
Florida vs. Alabama in the 1990s had been for championships. Decades ago contests between these two schools were only part of a process to determine whether the Tide would win the SEC crown, and possibly a national title as well.
In 1963 one of the most famous wins in Gator history took place on October 12 in Tuscaloosa, and it derailed the Alabama championship express for at least one season. Head Coach Ray Graves' team produced an improbable victory over the unbeaten and third-ranked team in the nation, and it is still fondly remembered as one of the biggest wins in UF history.
The victory set off celebrations all over Gainesville. There was a crowd estimated at over 8,000 at the airport to greet the team, whose charter flight had to buzz the airport to chase some unruly fans off the edge of the runway. There was a bonfire on 13th and University, and some of the wood came from furniture out of the SAE and Pike fraternity houses on the two corners which now house the Holiday Inn and a gas station.
It was that big.
The week before that contest the Gators had edged Richmond at Florida Field, 35-28, with the Spiders pitching passes at the Florida end zone in the game's closing seconds. At a social that evening, Gator assistant coach Ottis Mooney proclaimed that the Florida team was “the New York Mets of the SEC.”
That was no compliment. Those were the Met teams of “Marvelous Marv” Throneberry. They had trouble catching a fly ball.
Alabama had Joe Namath at quarterback. They had the nation's best defense. Most of all, they were the Crimson Tide and Paul (Bear) Bryant was the head coach. He had never coached a team which lost in Tuscaloosa and it was Homecoming.
Gator assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Gene Ellenson devised an excellent game plan designed to stop Namath, and the players executed it perfectly. It was a Florida team that head coach Ray Graves and his staff guided through a great week of preparation as emotion built to the kickoff.
After the pre-game dressing room talk, lineman Jack Katz smashed his helmeted-head through a blackboard and the team took the field. Coverage of the opening kickoff was so sound that the receiver, Benny Nelson, was tackled on the Alabama five-yard line. It was three-and-out for the Tide and they punted it to their 40. Bruce Bennett's punt return put the ball on the 25.
Bob (Grubby) Lyle kicked a 42-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. The first big stop came moments later when Alabama was at the Gator 34. Namath ran for nine yards on first down. Ellenson thought the Tide would go for a “home run” and played defense for the pass, forcing Namath to overthrow the receiver in the end zone. On third down linebacker Jimmy Morgan hit Mike Fracchia for a one-yard loss. On fourth-and-two several Gator defenders hit Nelson behind the line and he fumbled.
Florida was stopped at the Alabama two and eight on a pair of drives. They got the clinching score in the final quarter on a 75-yard drive with three key plays. Larry Dupree ran for 17. Quarterback Tommy Shannon threw and 18-yard pass to tight end Barry Brown, who made a great diving grab.
Then Dick Kirk cut off tackle, got a big block from end Charlie Casey and went 42 yards for the touchdown to make it 10-0. Alabama came back to score, missed a two-point play and the final score was 10-6.
Gator players carried Coach Graves off the field after the game. Joe Namath came by the team bus to congratulate the Florida players.
It was a game to remember for a lifetime if you're a Gator.
