Gator Talk - Charter Members Of SEC Collide
Sunday, November 8, 2009 | Football
By Norm Carlson, Assistant Athletics Director/Gator Historian
When the Southeastern Conference was established in 1933, the two universities leading the charge out of the Southern Conference into the new 13-school alignment were Vanderbilt and Florida.
UF president Dr. John J. Tigert was the main advocate promoting this massive withdrawal from a league of 23 schools in order to form another much smaller alignment. Tigert, a three-sport star in football/basketball/baseball at Vanderbilt from 1900-04, no doubt enlisted the aid of some of his Commodore friends in the battle.
However, for whatever reason, once the SEC became reality Vanderbilt and Florida didn't face each other until 12 years later in 1945.
The Commodores captured that initial contest in Gainesville, 7-0, in front of a Homecoming Day crowd of 17,000. It remains the only win Vanderbilt has at Florida Field. The Gators lead the series at home, 17-1-1.
Old-timers remember the tie game in 1958, when Florida quarterback Jimmy Dunn threw a six-yard touchdown pass to end Dave Hudson with eight seconds remaining to knot the contest at 6-6. Then, Joe Hergert's PAT attempt was blocked.
That was the second-straight year that the two teams met at Florida Field. In 1957, the Gators upset a favored Vanderbilt team, 14-7, knocking it out of a bowl bid. Florida halfback Bernie Parrish, a Gainesville product who played for P.K. Yonge H.S., ran 45 and 22 yards for touchdowns in the second quarter.
In the 1960s, Coach Ray Graves had a 7-0-1 mark against the Commodores, including a 4-0 record at Florida Field. His first team in 1960 broke open a tight game on a fake field goal on fourth down. Quarterback Larry Libertore tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to halfback Don Deal and the Gators went on to win, 12-0.
In 1962, Florida trailed 7-0 in the second quarter and tallied 42 consecutive points in a 42-7 victory. Larry Dupree scored a pair of touchdowns, while Tom Shannon, Ron Stoner, Jim O'Donnell and Lindy Infante each scored once. The Larry Travis-led defense held the Commodores to 25 yards rushing on Homecoming Day.
Florida has not lost to Vanderbilt since 1988 in Nashville, and now leads the overall series, 30-9-2, a margin created primarily by Coach Steve Spurrier's 12-consecutive wins from 1990-2001.
Many Gator teams have struggled in Nashville. The 1974 Sugar Bowl outfit lost 24-10, the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl team was defeated, 31-29, and the 1988 team was soundly beaten, 24-9. The 2006 National Championship Gators hung on for a 24-19 victory behind quarterback Chris Leak.
There have been some close calls in Gainesville. The most vivid memories come from the 2005 double-overtime game and a great duel between the quarterbacks, Florida's Leak and Vanderbilt's Jay Cutler. The Gators edged the Commodores, 49-42.
Leak completed 32-of-41 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Cutler was 28-of-42 for 361 yards, four TDs, but with two interceptions.
Vanderbilt dominated the play in the closing minutes of regulation and scored on a touchdown pass from Cutler to Earl Bennett as the clock was winding down. With the momentum going their way, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see the Commodores go for two and a victory.
However, Bennett was called for a very questionable celebration penalty, forcing the PAT and overtime in the most exciting game of the series in Gainesville.
-UF-
