Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Unable to land the state's flagship football program the game's first 16 years of existence in Tampa, the Outback Bowl got the Florida Gators for the third time in four seasons in 2005. This UF team, however, was different than the dysfunctional game-day bunch from the '02 and '03 seasons. 

Ron Zook was gone.
 

This was Urban Meyer's first team. 

For the four-year seniors, such as offensive tackle Mike Degory, wide receiver Chad Jackson and linebacker Jeremy Mincey, it was their third time in the game and, to a man, the upperclassmen were committed to making this time different than the previous two; make that the previous three, actually. The Gators had lost to Miami in 2004 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl with defensive coordinator Charlie Strong acting as interim head coach following the firing of Zook, so members of that '06 graduating class were in danger of going out winless in postseason play.

So back to Tampa they went.  

And just like two years before, the Hawkeyes — who pounded the Gators 37-17 in 2004 — were waiting. 

To the time machine we go. 



IN THE HEADLINES 

 

* President Bush strongly defended his domestic spying program, calling it legal as well as vital to thwarting terrorist attacks, and contended a leak making it public had caused "great harm to the nation." 

* Hybrid cars figured to be a good bet for tax breaks in 2006. The new year was to bring more savings for buyers of at least 13 gas-electric vehicles, wth those showing the most improvement in fuel efficiency securing bigger tax breaks for their new owners. The breaks would come in tax credits and range from $3,150 for buyers of the Toyota Prize to $250 for Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck. 

* In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin's push to revive Russian's global clout reached a symbolic milestone when Moscow assumed the rotating presidency of the Group of Eight industrial nations. It was a position some critics said Putin did not deserve because of his government's rollback on freedoms in Russia. 

* Tom Jones, the big-voiced singer from Wales was among the new Knights of the Realm in the New Year list of honors announced. Jones, 65, joined a group of previous pop-rock knights, including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Mick Jagger, Sir Elton John and Sir George Martin. 


 

IN THE THEATERS

* "Brokeback Mountain" — starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams

* "King Kong" — starring Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and Jack Black 

* "Munich" — starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush


 

ON THE TUBE

* "Grey's Anatomy" — starring Katherine Heigl, Patrick Demsey and Sandra Oh 

* "Desperate Housewives" — starring Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria 

* "House" — starring Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard and Lisa Edelstien 



ON THE RADIO

(Billboard's Top 3 songs of 2005)
 
* "We Belong Together" — by Mariah Carey 

* "Hollaback Girl" — by Gwen Stefani 

* "Let Me Love You" — by Mario 



THE SETUP 

UF's two previous Outback Bowl teams had limped into the game following losses to rival Florida State. In '02, the Gators were whacked 31-14 at Tallahassee and in '03 lost at home to the Seminoles on a 52-yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds left. That one included an ugly fight between the two teams at midfield after the game. 

Under Meyer, though, the Gators showed some poise and maturity at season's end, even after a gut-punch 30-22 loss at South Carolina — to first-year Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, no less— ruined UF's chances to win the Southeastern Conference East Division. Two weeks later, though, the Gators trampled FSU 34-7 at home and gladly accepted the Outback invite, with Meyer proclaiming the program was moving in the right direction. 

A win in January would validate that. 

Known for their blue-collar style of play, the Hawkeyes came armed with a 1,300-yard rusher in Albert Young, but also equipped with a very good quarterback in Drew Tate, who passed for nearly 2,500 yards, 19 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Iowa also had a fine defense, anchored by senior future first-round pick Chad Greenway at linebacker. Iowa suffered a couple tough midseason losses to Michigan and Northwestern, but rallied for big late wins at Wisconsin and home against rival Iowa State in the regular-season finale to gain a school-record fourth straight bowl invite. 

The Gators had junior quarterback Chris Leak, some good offensive weapons and one of the better defenses in the SEC. What they didn't have was any recent postseason success to lean on. 

Florida (8-3) was ranked 16th, while Iowa (8-3) was 25th.  



THE GAME 

Leak threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, both to Dallas Baker, who finished with 10 catches for 147 yards, as the Gators took a big lead on the Hawkeyes and held on for a 31-24 win. 

The victory gave Meyer and the Gators nine wins, matching the upstart UF coach with Spurrier for most by a Gators coach in his first season. 

Defensive back Vernell Brown Jr., who two years earlier threw a memorable — and infamous — interception on a ludicrous double-reverse pass call in the final minute against Michigan, picked off a pass and returned it 60 yards for a TD to push UF up 17-0. Just two months earlier, Brown suffered a broken leg in a over Vanderbilt, but recovered in time to play his final game in a UF uniform — and go out with a bang. 



The Gators scored on the game's sixth play when Tremaine McCollum returned a blocked punt six yards  just two minutes in to help jumpstart what would be a 24-7 first-half lead that put the Hawkeyes in a big hole.

Worth noting: UF allowed a blocked punt TD two years earlier against Iowa. 

Also worth noting: Meyer called for a fake punt on a fourth-and-1 from the Florida 19 in the fourth quarter. Fullback Billy Latsko got the direct snap and rushed for the first down to set in motion the Gators' lone TD drive of the second half. It turned to be the difference. 

Tate completed 32 of 55 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He rallied his team from a 31-7 deficit in the fourth quarter with TD throws of four and 14 yards to Ed Hinkel and then moved Iowa into position for a 45-yard field goal to pull the Hawkeyes within a touchdown with 1:24 remaining.

Iowa recovered the ensuing onsides kick attempt, but Greenway was called for being offsides, nullifying the play. The Hawkeyes protested the whistle vehemently. Florida retained possession on the re-kick and ran out the clock. 

The win was UF's first in a bowl since smashing Maryland 56-23 in Orange Bowl on Jan. 2, 2002 in what turned out to be Spurrier's final game as Gators coach. 



THE QUOTES 

 

* "What I learned about Gator football this season is that if we get this thing cranked up and going it's the best place in America." — Meyer 

* "I didn't think he was offsides, but I'm biased." — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on the controversial ending. 

* "Y'all do the write-ups about the refs." — Hawkeyes defensive back Antwan Allen 

* "It hurts a lot. The last play of my college career, to end like that, its not going to be easy to deal with." — Greenway 

* "I guess you can call it coming full circle, but really I forgot about that [other Outback] play two or three years ago. I play for the future now." — Brown 

* "I covered my eyes, man. There were a lot of guys who wouldn't make that call." — Baker on Meyer's fourth-down fourth-quarter gamble.




EPILOGUE 

By winning at least nine games for the first time since the 2001 season, Florida (9-3) reached No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll and 16th in the USA Today/Coaches poll. Iowa fell to 8-4 and was dumped out of both polls with the loss. Of course, the Gators used the late-season momentum for far bigger things the following year.