1993 SEC Championship, Part II: The Game & Timeout Only a Handful Saw
Tuesday, September 4, 2018 | Football, Chris Harry
For years, it was a sore subject for Florida football fans. For some UF coaches and administrators, too. Why was it, they asked, that the Gators had to play two of the Southeastern Conference's top programs, two of their biggest rivals, on consecutive weeks late in the season every year? A handful of times over the decades, UF headed into that double-dip smack in the hunt for its elusive first league title, until to stumble against one or the other.
Or both.
Do something about it, hardcore Gators cried.
Spurrier, the coach, did do something about. He told Gators everywhere to quit whining and start winning.
So after going a combined 0-6 against Georgia and Auburn the three seasons (1987-89) before he got there, Spurrier and his first UF team smashed the Bulldogs 38-7 and the next week absolutely demolished the Tigers, ranked No. 2 in the country, 48-7, in 1990. In '91, it was more of the same: a 31-10 win at Auburn, then a 45-13 blowout of Georgia en route to that first conference championships.
In '92, for the first time since 1955, the Auburn and Georgia games were split. A homecoming date with Louisville was sandwiched in between, but the results were the same as Spurrier's first two seasons. UF beat Auburn 24-9 and (after a 31-17 defeat of Louisville) defeated Georgia 26-24.
Then came the '93 season. The Tigers and Dogs were again one after the other on the Florida schedule — and with tremendous intrigue in the run-up. The Gators, despite their woes on pass defense, went to the "Loveliest Village on the Plain" with a 5-0 record, ranked No. 4 in the nation, with a shot to go 6-0 for only the fourth time in school history (and for the first time since 1969).
The Tigers, meanwhile, had been hammered during the offseason with two years worth of NCAA probation (See Ramsey, Eric) due to deeds under former coach Pat Dye. Their penalties included scholarship reductions, a one-year television ban and a two-year bowl ban. Yet, with all this adversity, Auburn rallied around its new coach to start the season with six consecutive wins, surging to No. 18 in the rankings.
That coach?
Terry Bowden, by way of Division I-AA Samford. Energetic, optimistic, aggressive on offense — and Bobby's son.
What a pregame storyline for a game only the 85,000 packed into Jordan-Hare Stadium and a handful back in Gainesville would even see. The only live TV broadcast available — anywhere in the country — was at Florida Field, where the University Athletic Association set up a giant screen to beam the game in via closed-circuit. Cost: $10 for adults, $6 for students.
Back to history class, folks.
To the time machine we go.
Game 6
Oct. 16, 1993
Auburn 38, Florida 35
What happened: The Gators were having their way on the road. Redshirt freshman quarterback Danny Wuerffel had an early 60-yard touchdown pass to Jack Jackson and tailback Errict Rhett was zipping through gigantic holes in the Tigers' defense. UF scored the game's first 10 points and were at the Auburn 10-yard line threatening to go up by 17 — then disaster struck. Wuerffel got his signals crossed and threw underneath coverage when he was supposed to throw over it. Defensive back Calvin Jackson got the interception and returned the play 96 yards for a touchdown that sent the home crowd into a frenzy (video of the play below). After Auburn took a 14-10 lead on a touchdown run by quarterback Stan White, Florida scored the next 17 points to go up 27-14 at the half. The Tigers were undeterred, answering with 21 straight points to start the second half, with another Wuerffel interception and long return — this one 65 yards to the UF 9, by Chris Shelling — a back-breaker. UF drove to tie the game at 35-all on a 13-yard touchdown to Jack Jackson and two-point conversion throw to Willie Jackson with just under five minutes remaining. Auburn, though, went on a 12-play, 52-yard march that was keyed by a 15-yard late-hit penalty on safety Lawrence Wright after a third-and-10 incompletion. Scott Etheridge's 41-yard field goal with 1:21 left capped the Tigers' 17-point fourth quarter and proved the difference in UF's first loss of the season. As the final seconds ticked away, Bowden was carried off the field, as the crowd emptied onto it.
Numbers of note: Florida gained 560 yards in defeat. … Wuerffel passed for 386 yards, but his two picks deep in Auburn territory — and their 161 yards worth of returns — were killers. … Rhett finished with a career-high 196 yards, with 154 coming in the first half. He carried just four times in the second half and did not touch the ball on the Gators' final two drives. … White went 23 of 35 for 267 yards, a TD and no interceptions. … … Auburn did not turn the ball over. … UF fell to 5-23-1 all-time against the Tigers on the road. … The Gators dropped to 0-7 against ranked teams on the road under Spurrier.
They said it:
* "Danny got the wrong signal. That play totally changed the game." — Spurrier on Jackson's interception.
* "This is a hurt that's going to be there for a while." — Wuerffel
* "It was our game to win. We didn't capitalize on our opportunities and we weren't careful with the ball." — UF wideout Jack Jackson.
* "All I can say is this is a big day for Auburn. A big day for our team, our program, our fans. I wanted so much for these players to feel the good part of college football. They hadn't felt this in a while." — Bowden
* "I didn't know I had that many yards. I felt I could have carried 10 or 15 more times, but they never called for me." — Rhett
* "Even though we can't go to the postseason, we're not going to get down. It's still our pride on the line. Hopefully, we can put Auburn back on the map." — Tigers tailback James Bostic, who ran through the arms of linebacker Dexter Daniels, who had him trapped in the backfield, for a fourth-and-goal, 4-yard touchdown run that gave his team a 28-27 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Upshot: Even with the loss, the Gators still controlled their destiny in the race for the SEC East Division title. But to maintain that lead, they'd have to avoid going 0-2 in the Auburn-Georgia doubleheader. Also noteworthy: Auburn went on to finish the season 11-0 (though ineligible to play in the SEC title game) and finished ranked fourth in the nation.
Game 7
Oct. 30, 1993
Florida 33, Georgia 26
What happened: With five seconds to play at a rainy, mucky Gator Bowl quagmire, the Bulldogs looked like they'd scored a touchdown to put them an extra point from tying the game. But wait! A whistle had blown just before the start of the play. Officials ruled that UF cornerback Anthone Lott, the redshirt freshman who had struggled mightily in coverage during the season, called a timeout just before the ball was snapped. Eric Zeier's apparent 13-yard touchdown to Jerry Jerman was nullified, much to the irate Bulldogs' dismay, and the Gators got a reprieve. After several minutes of confusion, play resumed and out of the stoppage Zeier lofted a fade — on Lott, seemingly always in the secondary's cross hairs that season — for the corner that Hason Graham came down with out of bounds, as time expired. Game over, right? Nope. Lott (of course) was called for interference. Since a game cannot end on a defensive penalty, Georgia was allowed one last play from the UF 2 with no time on the clock. This time, UGA had a man open slanting right-to-left in the end zone, but Zeier's 65th pass of the day was thrown behind Jeff Thomas, as Bulldogs galore collapsed to the field in anguish, while Lott and the Gators escaped with a fourth straight victory in the series. Fourth-year junior Terry Dean replaced an ineffective Wuerffel (3-for-9, 37 yards, 1 interception) early and finished eight of 12 for 105 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to Harrison Houston that put UF up for good late in the first half. The day, though, belonged to Rhett, who carried a career-high and school-record 41 times in the slosh for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
Note: Fast forward to the 4-minute mark in the below highlights video to relive the controversial ending that even had the announcers befuddled.
Numbers of note: UF threw just 21 passes, the fewest of the Spurrier era. … Zeier hit 36 of 65 throws (both single-game UGA records) for 386 yards and two touchdowns. … Florida had a 21-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 10 minutes, 57 seconds and ended with a 1-yard scoring run by Rhett. The march helped UF dominate time of possession at 35 minutes, 45 seconds.
They said it:
* "Anthone called that timeout. We didn't get lined up correctly and I think the bench was hollering and he was able to see it. I was just over there hoping someone had called one. It seemed like, right there, at the end, we were just meant to win." — Spurrier
* "We thought we had scored, but then again, Florida's defenders may have stopped because they heard a whistle. It's unfortunate that a game that was played as well as this one came down to something as controversial as that." — Georgia coach Ray Goff.
* "We took over the game in the third quarter. They tried to finesse us and we said, 'Hey, that isn't going to happen.' " — UF senior offensive guard Jim Watson.
* "We were out there so long, I thought they'd stopped the clock or something," — Florida offensive tackle Reggie Green on the 10-plus-minute, 21-play drive.
* "I'd hit rock bottom, the low point of my life. I really didn't think I'd get another chance like this." — Dean, benched after his four interceptions in Week 2 at Kentucky, on his battlefield promotion.
* "I thought we got the ball off." — Zeier
* "They definitely made a mistake. They made a big mistake. With five seconds left, you can't just be calling a timeout. This is their fault, I believe that." — Georgia linebacker Mitch Davis, after beasting UF for 13 tackles, two sacks, an interception and pass deflection, calling out the officials.
Upshot: The Gators were through the toughest part of their regular-season schedule (save one very big non-conference game), still sat atop the SEC East Division standings with a 6-1 overall record and 5-1 conference mark, and now had to finish strong in November to hit the big goals they'd set in the preseason.
Coming Wednesday:
Part III — The Home Stretch (and Charlie Ward)
Florida Football | Sean Kelley, Coach Sumrall, Coach Spurrier, and Coach Meyer
Friday, December 12
Florida Football | Head Coach Jon Sumrall Sits Down with Gator Greats Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer
Friday, December 12
Florida Football | Urban Meyer & Nick Saban Interview | 2025 NFF Annual Awards Dinner
Wednesday, December 10
Coach Meyer and Coach Saban - Hall of Fame 12-09-25
Wednesday, December 10
