They were coached by
Steve Spurrier, who posted an overall win–loss record of 10–2 (.833) for his twelfth and final season before departing to the
National Football League (NFL). Spurrier led the Gators to a 56–23
Orange Bowl victory over the
Maryland Terrapins in his final game.
Sophomore quarterback
Rex Grossman threw for over 4,000 yards and was
Heisman Trophy runner-up. Grossman, wide receiver
Jabar Gaffney and defensive end
Alex Brown were consensus All-Americans. Brown's 33 sacks is still a school record for a career.[2]
Sources: 2012 Florida Football Media Guide,[2] and GatorZone.com.[4]
September 11 impact
The annual rivalry game with Tennessee scheduled for September 15, was rescheduled to the final week of the regular season as a result of the
September 11 attacks.
Brown, Ivory 2-yard run (Francis, Daniel kick failed)
ULM 6-0
1
2:53
FLA
Earnest Graham 12-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 7-6
2
14:20
FLA
Reche Caldwell 16-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 14-6
2
11:15
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 10-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 21-6
2
9:18
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 24-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 28-6
2
7:58
FLA
R. Gillespie 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 35-6
2
0:00
FLA
Jeff Chandler 29-yard field goal
FLA 38-6
3
6:21
FLA
Earnest Graham 3-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 45-6
3
0:11
FLA
Rob Roberts 3-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 52-6
4
3:23
FLA
Brendt Talcott 28-yard field goal
FLA 55-6
In the second week of play, the Gators overwhelmed the
Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks 55–6.[7] Grossman passed for 331 yards and three touchdowns, including two thrown to
Jabar Gaffney.[8]
Grossman fumbled the game's first exchange from center, and Louisiana-Monroe capitalized on the opportunity when it scored the game's first touchdown.[8] "It was just an awkward start." said Grossman.[8]
As usual, the Gators and
Tennessee Volunteers were slated to meet on the 3rd Saturday of September. However, the SEC canceled all games on the weekend following the
September 11 attacks, and all contests were rescheduled for December 1, 2001, requiring the
SEC Championship Game to be pushed back a week as well.
Reche Caldwell 20-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 14-0
1
1:54
FLA
Aaron Walker 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 21-0
2
6:37
FLA
Reche Caldwell 14-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 28-0
2
2:24
FLA
Taylor Jacobs 60-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 35-0
3
5:04
UK
Ben Troupe 16-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 42-0
4
12:02
FLA
Jeff Chandler 46-yard field goal
FLA 45-0
4
1:45
FLA
Kelvin Kight 23-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 52-0
The following week, Florida avenged last year's loss to the 21st-ranked
Mississippi State Bulldogs by shutting them out 52–0.[12] Grossman had 317 yards passing in just the first half.[13] The Gators had 640 yards of total offense on the day, the most in school history for an SEC game.[13]
Grossman passed for 393 yards and five touchdowns in total,[14] becoming the first Florida quarterback to throw for 300 yards in four straight games.[15]
Andra Davis, who missed last year's game, excelled on the defensive side of the ball from his linebacker position with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.[15]
Taylor Jacobs 13-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 7-0
1
7:29
LSU
John Corbello 44-yard field goal
FLA 7-3
1
5:19
FLA
Reche Caldwell 34-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 14-3
1
4:33
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 63-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick))
FLA 21-3
2
12:58
LSU
L. Toefield 2-yard run (John Corbello kick blocked)
FLA 21-9
2
9:48
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 7-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick failed)
FLA 27-9
3
4:20
FLA
Jeff Chandler 42-yard field goal
FLA 30-9
4
14:54
FLA
Aaron Walker 5-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 37-9
4
2:32
FLA
Kelvin Kight 8-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 44-9
4
0:42
LSU
Domanick Davis 1-yard run (John Corbello kick blocked)
FLA 88-15
In Baton Rouge, the Gators defeated the eighteenth-ranked
LSU Tigers 44–15.[16] Grossman threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns in just the first half, and by game's end had a school-record 464 yards.[17]
Florida finished with 632 yards of total offense.[17] LSU quarterback
Rohan Davey left the game with a hyperextended knee.[17]
"I thought he was a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy before we played them", said LSU coach
Nick Saban, "Now I'm convinced of it."[17] "I think he is a tremendous quarterback" echoed LSU safety
Ryan Clark.[17]
Reche Caldwell 20-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 13-10
4
14:55
AUB
Chris Butler 2-yard run (Damon Duval kick)
AUB 17-13
4
12:27
AUB
Damon Duval 32-yard field goal
AUB 20-13
4
12:09
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 80-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
20-20
4
0:10
AUB
Damon Duval 44-yard field goal
AUB 23-20
Coach
Tommy Tuberville's unranked
Auburn Tigers upset the top-ranked Gators 23–20. The Tigers were 21-point underdogs when they met the Gators at Jordan–Hare Stadium.[18]
Gators quarterback
Rex Grossman completed twenty-five of forty-two passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions.[19] The Gators dominated statistically, but the Tigers' bend-but-don't-break defense held the Gators rushing game to negative yardage.[18]
Tigers back-up quarterback Daniel Cobb was not so flashy, but played mistake-free football, and the game was tied at 20 late in the fourth quarter.[18] With 10 seconds left, Tigers placekicker
Damon Duval nailed a 44-yard field goal and the Tigers upset the Gators.[18][20]
Jabar Gaffney 21-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 10-3
2
7:32
UGA
Jasper Sanks 3-yard run (Billy Bennett kick)
10-10
2
0:46
FLA
Rex Grossman 1-yard run (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 17-10
4
9:12
FLA
Reche Caldwell 30-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 24-10
Florida defeated
Georgia 24–10 in the annual rivalry game,[21] overcoming four turnovers and twelve penalties.[22] Grossman passed for 407 yards.[22]Earnest Graham rushed for 131 yards.[22]
The Bulldogs missed a field goal and failed to convert three fourth downs in the second half.[22] The lone score of the second half was a 30-yard touchdown pass to
Reche Caldwell. Florida moved into a first-place tie with Tennessee.[22]
Jabar Gaffney 7-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 21-0
1
1:29
FLA
Jeff Chandler 37-yard field goal
FLA 24-0
2
12:35
FLA
Taylor Jacobs 13-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick))
FLA 31-0
2
0:07
FLA
Reche Caldwell 18-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick failed)
FLA 37-0
3
14:02
FLA
Andra Davis 25-yard interception return (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 44-0
3
10:06
FLA
Taylor Jacobs 2-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Brendt Talcott kick)
FLA 51-0
3
6:17
FLA
Willie Green 5-yard run (Brendt Talcott kick)
FLA 58-0
3
0:00
FLA
Carlos Perez 15-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Brendt Talcott kick)
FLA 65-0
4
8:31
FLA
Kirk Wells 6-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Matt Leach kick failed)
FLA 71-0
4
5:05
VAN
Benji Walker 27-yard run (Chuck Folino kick)
FLA 71-7
4
0:00
VAN
Benji Walker 2-yard run (Chuck Folino kick blocked)
FLA 71-13
At homecoming, Florida crushed the
Vanderbilt Commodores 71–13.[23] The Gators never punted, and forced five turnovers.[24] They were up 71–0 in the fourth quarter and still tossing passes, amassing 571 total yards in all.[25] Eleven Gators got receptions, and
Taylor Jacobs had a breakout game.[24]
Playing just in the first half, Grossman threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns.[24] Backup quarterback
Brock Berlin threw three more in the second.[25]
Jabar Gaffney 59-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 47-10
4
4:28
SCAR
Ryan Brewer 3-yard pass from D. Pinkins (Daniel Weaver kick)
SCAR 47-17
4
2:28
FLA
Kirk Wells 10-yard pass from Brock Berlin (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 54-17
In Columbia, the Gators routed the fourteenth-ranked
South Carolina Gamecocks 54–17.[26] The game started shaky for the Gators as
Lito Sheppard fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to an easy Gamecock score.[27] A touchdown pass to
Jabar Gaffney late in the first quarter started the scoring barrage.[28]
Grossman had his ninth-consecutive 300-yard passing game,[29] and exceeded 5,000 yards passing for his career.[27]
P.K. Sam 5-yard pass from Chris Rix (Xavier Beitia kick)
FLA 27-13
4
8:15
FLA
Jabar Gaffney 28-yard pass from Rex Grossman (Jeff Chandler kick)
FLA 34-13
4
2:32
FLA
Jeff Chandler 18-yard field goal
FLA 37-13
Florida easily defeated the rival
Florida State Seminoles 37–13.[30] However, the Gators' starting running back
Earnest Graham had been controversially injured in Florida's win and was unable the next week to play against Tennessee.[31]
Graham and coach Spurrier accused
Darnell Dockett of deliberately twisting Graham's knee, as well as stomping on Grossman's hand.[32][33] Graham even considered a lawsuit.[34] Dockett denied these charges.[35][36]
As the season progressed, the postponed game with Tennessee took on greater and greater importance. Each squad suffered only one close loss and entered the contest with Tennessee ranked No. 6 and Florida ranked No. 2. The winner was to represent the SEC East and face
LSU in the SEC Championship. With a win in that game, the Gators or Vols were likely to receive an invitation to the
Rose Bowl to face the undefeated
Miami Hurricanes with a national title on the line.[37] Despite the teams' identical records and much to the chagrin of the Vols, the Gators were 17-and-a-half point favorites at kickoff.[38]
The Volunteers went on to dash the Gators' national title hopes with a 34–32 upset, ending a 30-year winless drought against Florida in Gainesville.[39][40] The star of the game was Volunteer running back
Travis Stephens, who rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Vols' attack. Without Graham, Florida managed only 36 total yards on the ground. Gator quarterback
Rex Grossman threw 51 times for 362 yards and two touchdowns, but his pass on a potentially game-tying two-point conversion attempt with just over a minute left in the 4th quarter fell incomplete.[n 1]
Grossman was the Heisman Trophy runner-up to
Nebraska quarterback
Eric Crouch,[44] in one of the trophy's closest ballots.[45][46] Many feel Grossman should have won.[47]
Both Crouch and Grossman made AP All-American.[48]
Spurrier's resignation
In early January,
Steve Spurrier said that he was resigning as Florida's head coach after 12 seasons.[49]
QB Rex Grossman: 279/423 (66.0%) for 4,144 yards (9.80 YPA) with 38 TD vs. 12 INT (2.84%)
QB Brock Berlin: 47/79 (59.5%) for 679 yards (8.59 YPA) with 10 TD vs. 3 INT (3.80%)
RB Earnest Graham: 141 carries for 799 yards (5.67 YPC) with 11 TD. 12 catches for 129 yards (10.75 YPC) with 0 TD.
RB Robert Gillespie: 98 carries for 458 yards (4.67 YPC) with 2 TD. 45 catches for 474 yards (10.53 YPC) with 2 TD.
WR Jabar Gaffney: 74 catches for 1,309 yards (17.69 YPC) with 15 TD.
WR Reche Caldwell: 69 catches for 1,106 yards (16.03 YPC) with 10 TD.
WR Taylor Jacobs: 48 catches for 882 yards (18.38 YPC) with 9 TD.
K Jeff Chandler: 19 FGM and 54 XPM.
Notes
^Ultimately, neither team would win any championships that season. UT was upset by LSU in the
SEC Championship Game the following Saturday and missed their opportunity to play for a second national title in four years. The Vols ended up beating
Michigan 45–17 in the
Citrus Bowl.[41]
References
^University of Florida Sports Information Department.
"Florida 2001 Media Guide"(PDF). floridagators.com. University Athletic Association, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007).
ISBN0-7948-2298-3.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002).
ISBN0-9650782-1-3.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002).
ISBN1-58261-514-4.