1966 Florida Gators football | |
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Orange Bowl champion | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 11 |
Record | 9–2 (5–1 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Ed Kensler (2nd season) |
Defensive coordinator | Gene Ellenson (3rd season) |
Captain | Jerry Anderson, Bill Carr |
Home stadium | Florida Field |
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 3 Alabama + | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Georgia + | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1966 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Gators competed in the University Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In their seventh season under head coach Ray Graves, the Gators compiled an overall win–loss record of 9–2 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, placing third among the SEC's ten teams. [1] [2] Led by quarterback Steve Spurrier, the Gators outscored their opponents by a combined total of 265 to 147 and concluded their 1966 season with a 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl. The Gators were not ranked in the final AP Poll, but finished No. 11 in the final UPI Coaches Poll.
Spurrier won the 1966 Heisman Trophy and was the unanimous first-team quarterback on the 1966 All-America Team. He completed 179 of 291 passes for 2,012 yards and 16 touchdowns with eight interceptions. [3] Tailback Larry Smith was the team's leading rusher with 742 yards and nine touchdowns on 162 carries. [3] Smith was also selected as the most valuable player in the 1967 Orange Bowl after setting two Orange Bowl records with 187 rushing yards and a 94-yard touchdown run. [4] Finally, flanker Richard Trapp set a new team record with 63 catches during the 1966 season. [5]
In addition to Spurrier, center Bill Carr was the team's only other first-team All-American, receiving first-team honors from Time magazine and The Sporting News . Five Gators received first-team honors from either the Associated Press (AP) or United Press International (UPI) on the 1966 All-SEC football team. [6] Carr, Smith, Spurrier and Trapp were consensus first-team picks by both the AP and UPI, while guard Jim Benson took first-team honors from the UPI and second-team honors from the AP.
To date, this is the last season in which the Gators did not play rival Kentucky.
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 17 | Northwestern * | W 43–7 | 40,056 | |||
September 24 | Mississippi State |
| W 28–7 | 49,333 | ||
October 1 | at Vanderbilt | W 13–0 | 16,522 | |||
October 8 | at Florida State * | No. 10 | W 22–19 | 46,698 | ||
October 15 | at NC State * | No. 8 | W 17–10 | 41,378 | ||
October 22 | at LSU | No. 8 | W 28–7 | 67,500 | ||
October 29 | Auburn | No. 7 |
| W 30–27 | 60,511 | |
November 5 | vs. Georgia | No. 7 | L 10–27 | 62,820 | ||
November 12 | Tulane [n 1] |
| W 31–10 | 45,102 | ||
November 26 | Miami (FL) * | No. 9 |
| L 16–21 | 59,211 | |
January 2, 1967 | vs. No. 8 Georgia Tech * | NBC | W 27–12 | 72,426 | ||
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The 1965 Florida team compiled a 7–4 record and finished in third place in the SEC. Quarterback Steve Spurrier returned to the 1966 team, but his two leading receivers, Charles Casey (58 catches in 1965) and Barry Brown (33 catches in 1965), [10] were lost to graduation. Before the season began, head coach Ray Graves noted: "This team has to be a question mark. I don't know what type of football team we have." [11]
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The Gators opened their 1966 season on September 17, with a 43–7 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats at Florida Field. Quarterback Steve Spurrier passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns and kicked two field goals in the game. Receiver Richard Trapp caught two touchdown passes (19 and 53 yards) and Ealdsen caught another (10 yards). Back-up quarterback Harmon Wages also scored on a 25-yard run. Preston also scored on a 15-yard pass from Kay Stephenson. In all, Florida gained 506 yards of total offense, 206 rushing and 302 passing. [12]
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On September 24, Florida won its second game of the season by a 28–7 score over Mississippi State. The game was played before a record crowd of 49,333 at Florida Field. The first half ended in a 7–7 tie, but the Gators scored three touchdowns in a seven-minute span in the third quarter. Quarterback Steve Spurrier threw two touchdown passes, a 16-yard pass to Jack Coons and a 13-yard pass to end Paul Ewaldsen. Florida's other touchdowns came on runs by Larry Smith and Harmon Wages. Three of Florida's four touchdowns were set up by interceptions of passes thrown by Mississippi State quarterback Don Saget. [13]
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On October 1, Florida defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores by a 13–0 score at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee. Both Florida touchdowns were the result of passes thrown by Steve Spurrier, a 22-yarder to Jack Coons in the second quarter and a five-yarder to Larry Smith in the third quarter. [14]
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On October 8, Florida defeated Florida State Seminoles by 22–19 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. Quarterback Steve Spurrier threw two touchdown passes to Richard Trapp in the first half, but Florida State scored nine points in the third quarter to take a 19–14 lead. In the fourth quarter, Spurrier threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Larry Smith and then completed a pass to Richard Trapp for a two-point conversion to give the Gators a three-point lead. Late in the game, a Florida State receiver was ruled out of bounds when he caught a pass in the end zone; the Seminoles missed a 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired. Spurrier completed 16 of 24 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns. [15]
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On October 15, Florida came into its fifth game ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll and defeated North Carolina State by a 17–10 score at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. The victory marked the first time since 1928 that the Gators had won the first five games of a season. [16] Early in the fourth quarter, North Carolina State kicked a field goal and led 10–3. The Gators then sustained a 74-yard drive and tied the game on a short touchdown run by Larry Smith. Shortly thereafter, linebacker Steve Heidt intercepted a pass on Florida's 23-yard line. Quarterback Steve Spurrier then led a 77-yard drive capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass to Richard Trapp. [17]
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On October 22, 1966, Florida defeated the LSU Tigers by a 28–7 score at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Gators took a 21–0 lead at halftime on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Steve Spurrier to Larry Smith, a two-yard touchdown run by Smith, and a 13-yard touchdown pass from Spurrier to Richard Trapp. Fullback Graham McKeel also scored a touchdown on a short run in the third quarter. LSU did not score until the fourth quarter. Spurrier completed 17 of 25 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the game. [18]
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On October 29, the Gators won their seventh straight game, defeating coach Shug Jordan's Auburn Tigers before a record homecoming crowd at Florida Field by a 30–27 score, trading the lead back and forth all day. [19] After Auburn fumbled the opening kickoff, [20] quarterback Steve Spurrier threw a touchdown pass to Richard Trapp on the third play of the game. On the day, Spurrier completed 27 of 40 passes for 259 yards. Touchdowns also came on short runs from backs Graham McKeel and Larry Smith. [21] Smith finished the day with 102 rushing yards on twenty-two carries, including a 53-yard run. [19]
In the fourth quarter, Spurrier scored a touchdown on a quarterback sneak after a 71-yard drive. [22] With the game tied at 27, Spurrier was engineering another late drive for the win, but was stopped at Auburn's 39-yard-line following an intentional grounding penalty. [19] The distance was outside the usual range of the Gators regular placekicker Wayne "Shade tree" Barfield, but Spurrier had kicked 40-yard field goals in practice. [23] He memorably waved off the kicker and booted the game-winning, 40-yard field goal. [22]
Most believe this play eventually netted Spurrier the Heisman . "Steve Spurrier may own the patent for thrills in football after the 1966 season. Indeed, Spurrier proved he was every bit the calm, collected candidate for the Heisman Trophy." said Pat Parrish of the All Florida News. [22]
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On November 5, the Gators lost for the first time during the 1966 season, falling to the rival Georgia Bulldogs by a 27–10 score at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida was ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll prior to the game, and dropped out of the AP top 10 after the loss. Bulldogs running back Ron Jenkins led the attack for Georgia with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. [24]
External videos | |
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Georgia game highlights, YouTube video. |
On their first possession, the Gators sustained an 86-yard scoring drive with fullback Graham McKeel scoring the touchdown. Thereafter, the Gators were limited to a field goal, as Georgia repeatedly blitzed Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier and held him to 16 of 29 passes for 133 yards. [24]
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On November 12, Florida rebounded with a 31–10 victory over the Tulane Green Wave at Florida Field. Quarterback Steve Spurrier gained 282 yards of total offense in the game, breaking the SEC career total offense record. At the end of the game, Spurrier had a three-year total of 5,082 yards, surpassing Zeke Bratkowski's prior record of 4,824 yards from 1951 to 1953. Spurrier also set a new Florida single-season record with his 15th touchdown pass of the season. The game included an 83-yard punt return in the fourth quarter by Florida's George Grandy. Running back Larry Smith rushed for 93 yards on 26 carries. [25]
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On November 26, Florida concluded its regular season with a 21–16 loss to the Miami Hurricanes at Florida Field. Miami led 21–3 at one point in the third quarter. Quarterback Steve Spurrier, playing in his last home game, led a "desperate surge" that brought the Gators to within five points. He completed ten straight passes in one stretch and threw a touchdown pass to end Paul Ewaldsen late in the third quarter. Spurrier led another long drive in the fourth quarter that was capped by a touchdown run by Larry Smith. As time ran out, the Gators had advanced the ball to the Miami 30-yard line. In all, Spurrier completed 26 of 49 passes for 224 yards. Flanker Richard Trapp caught 11 passes and set a team record with 63 receptions during the 1966 season. After the game, coach Ray Graves announced that Spurrier's number 11 jersey would be permanently retired. [5]
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On January 2, 1967, Florida defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a 27–12 score in the 33rd Orange Bowl game. Florida tailback Larry Smith carried the ball 23 times for 187 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown run in the third quarter while struggling to keep his pants up. He set Orange Bowl records for the most rushing yards in a game and for the longest run from scrimmage, and was selected as the game's most valuable player. Fullback Graham McKeel also scored two touchdowns, and the Florida defense intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble. Quarterback Steve Spurrier saw limited action due to a sore throwing arm, but still completed 14 of 30 passes for 160 yards. Backup quarterback Harmon Wages threw a touchdown pass to end Jack Coons. Florida coach Ray Graves called the game "the sweetest victory of my coaching career." [4]
1966 Florida Gators roster | ||||||||
Quarterbacks
Halfbacks
Fullbacks Tight ends
Wide receivers/Flankers
| Tackles Guards
Centers Defensive ends | Defensive tackles/guards
Linebackers Defensive backs | Unlisted |
Roster notes
In the post-season award season, Florida quarterback Steve Spurrier received numerous awards, including the following:
Florida center Bill Carr was the team's other first-team All-American, receiving first-team honors from Time magazine and The Sporting News. Five Gators received first-team All-SEC honors from either the AP or UPI on the 1966 All-SEC football team. Spurrier, Carr, running back Larry Smith, and flanker Richard Trapp were consensus first-team picks by both the AP and UPI, while guard Jim Benson took first-team honors from UPI and second-team honors from the AP. [6] [35]
Ten players from the 1966 Florida team were either drafted to play or actually played in the National Football League (NFL). Four players were drafted into the league in the subsequent 1967 NFL/AFL draft. They are:
The Florida–Georgia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the University of Florida Gators and the University of Georgia Bulldogs, both members of the Southeastern Conference. The programs first met in 1904 or 1915 and have played every season since 1926 except for a war-time interruption in 1943. It is one of the most prominent rivalry games in college football, and it has been held in Jacksonville, Florida since 1933, with only two exceptions, making it one of the few remaining neutral-site rivalries in college football. The game attracts huge crowds to Jacksonville, and the associated tailgating and other events earned it the nickname of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party", although that name is no longer officially used.
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nickname, "the Head Ball Coach". He played college football as a quarterback for the Florida Gators, where he won the 1966 Heisman Trophy. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft, and he spent a decade playing in the National Football League (NFL) mainly as a backup quarterback and punter. Spurrier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986.
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The season was the second for head coach Urban Meyer, who led the Gators to an SEC Championship, a BCS National Championship, and an overall win–loss record of 13–1 (.929). Their one loss coming from an upset by the Auburn Tigers.
The Florida–Florida State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the teams of the two oldest public universities of the U.S. state of Florida: the University of Florida (UF) Gators and Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles. Both universities participate in a range of intercollegiate sports, and for the last several years, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has sponsored a "Sunshine Showdown" promotion that tallies the total number of wins for each school in head-to-head sports competition. However, the annual football game between the Gators and Seminoles has consistently been the most intense and notable competition between the in-state rivals.
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), playing their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.
The Florida–Tennessee football rivalry, also called the Third Saturday in September, is an American college football rivalry between the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida and Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee, who first met on the football field in 1916. The Gators and Vols have competed in the same athletic conference since Florida joined the now-defunct Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1910, and the schools were founding members of the Southeastern Conference in 1932. Despite this long conference association, a true rivalry did not develop until the early 1990s due to the infrequency of earlier meetings; in the first seventy-six years (1916–91) of the series, the two teams met just twenty-one times. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) expanded to twelve universities and split into two divisions in 1992. Florida and Tennessee were placed in the SEC's East Division and have met on a home-and-home basis every season since. Their rivalry quickly blossomed in intensity and importance in the 1990s and early 2000s as both programs regularly fielded national championship contending teams under coaches Phil Fulmer of Tennessee and Steve Spurrier at Florida.
The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1996 season was the team's seventh under head coach Steve Spurrier. The Gators competed in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.
The 1961 Florida Gators football team was an American football team that represented the University of Florida as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1961 college football season. In their second year under head coach Ray Graves, the Gators compiled a 4–5–1 record, finished in sixth place in the SEC, and outscored opponents by a total of 146 to 97.
The 1964 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. The season was the fifth for Ray Graves as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Graves' 1964 Florida Gators posted an overall record of 7–3 and a 4–2 Southeastern Conference (SEC) record, tying for second among the eleven SEC teams.
The 1990 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season marked the return of the Gators' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier to his alma mater as the new head coach of the Florida Gators football team.
The 1993 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was the fourth for Steve Spurrier as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. The Gators compiled a 10–2 overall record.
The 1995 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. The 1995 season was the Florida Gators' sixth year under head coach Steve Spurrier and was one of the most successful in school history, as the Gators finished the regular season unbeaten and untied for the first time.
The 1966 Sugar Bowl was the 32nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 1. As a part of the 1965–66 bowl game season, it matched the sixth-ranked Missouri Tigers of the Big Eight Conference and the unranked Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Missouri was slightly favored and won 20–18.
The 1964 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 70th overall and 31st season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Bear Bryant, in his seventh year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished the season with ten wins and one loss, as SEC champions and with a loss to Texas in the Orange Bowl. As the major wire services at that time awarded their national champions prior to the bowl season, Alabama was also recognized as national champions by the AP and UPI before their loss to Texas. After the bowl games, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) named the undefeated Arkansas Razorbacks as the national champions.
The Florida–LSU football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida and LSU Tigers football team of Louisiana State University. Although both universities were founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in December 1932, the Gators and Tigers did not meet on the gridiron until 1937, and have been annual opponents only since 1971. When the SEC instituted divisional play in 1992, Florida was placed in the SEC Eastern Division and LSU in the Western Division, and Florida and LSU were selected as permanent cross-division rivals. The Gators and Tigers have combined to win five national championships and eleven SEC titles over the past two decades.
The Auburn–Florida football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University and Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida which was first played in 1912. The schools have been members of the same athletic conference for over a century and were founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) when it was established in 1933. The contest was an annual tradition from 1945 until 2002, when the SEC expanded and the rivalry became part of a rotation of other conference games. Since then, the teams have met only four times.
The Florida–Kentucky rivalry is a college sports rivalry between the University of Florida Gators and the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The rivalry between these schools, both founding members of the Southeastern Conference, has existed since before the conference's founding. Both teams are historic basketball rivals, both winning multiple national championships and conference championships over the past 100 years. In recent years, the football rivalry between Kentucky and Florida has escalated due to Kentucky breaking a streak of 31 consecutive years where the Florida Gators had beaten them. Despite the lopsidedness of the football series, Kentucky has won four of the last six games between the two.
Charles A. Casey is a former American football player. He played at the end position at the University of Florida. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1965 and set Florida single-season records for receptions (58), receiving yards (809), and receiving touchdowns (8). At the end of his collegiate career, he was the leading receiver in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history with career totals of 114 receptions and 1,612 receiving yards.
The 1967 Orange Bowl was the 33rd edition of college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Monday, January 2. The final game of the 1966–67 bowl season, it matched the eighth-ranked independent Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Florida Gators of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). A slight underdog, Florida won 27–12.
The history of Florida Gators football began in 1906, when the newly established "University of the State of Florida" fielded a football team during its first full academic year of existence. The school's name was shortened to the University of Florida in 1908, and the football team gained the nickname "Gators" in 1911. The program started small, usually playing six to eight games per season against small colleges and local athletic club teams in north Florida and south Georgia. The Orange and Blue developed early rivalries with the Stetson Hatters from nearby Deland and Mercer Bears from Macon. During the 1910s, Florida began playing a wider range of opponents from more established football programs across the southeastern United States and faced off against several future rivals - such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Auburn - for the first time.