2008 Florida Football: Tebow’s Promise, Florida’s Championship

Florida football was at the peak of its power in 2008. After Urban Meyer’s arrival in 2005 to a program that was good, but showing signs of slippage, the Gators quickly rocketed back to the top. They won the national championship in 2006. In 2007, sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy. And in 2008, led by Tebow, Florida won a second national title in three years.

BUILT TO BEAT YOU EVERY WAY

Tebow didn’t win another Heisman, but he continued to play at an exceptionally high level. His 64 percent completion rate and 9.2 yards-per-attempt were both the best in the SEC. His TD/INT ratio was a magnificent 30/4. And he ran for 673 yards. It was enough for a third-place finish in the final Heisman voting.

Percy Harvin was the focal point of a balanced group of skill position players. A dual threat, Harvin ran for 660 yards, averaging over nine yards a pop. He also caught 40 passes.

Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps both ran for 600-plus yards themselves, and Emmanuel Moody added in over 400 yards. Even more impressive is that, running behind a line anchored by All-Conference tackle Phil Trautwein, all three runners averaged over seven yards per carry.

Tebow also had threats in the passing game to go with Harvin. Louis Murphy caught 38 passes. And while tight end Aaron Hernandez had a deeply troubled future ahead of him, none of that was present in 2008, when he caught 34 passes.

This multi-faceted attack, centering around Tebow, ranked fourth in the country for scoring and they didn’t have to do it alone. The defense was also nationally elite. Brandon Spikes was an All-American linebacker and led the way. Carlos Dunlap brought pressure up front, recording 9 ½ sacks. Ahmad Black was a ballhawk in the secondary, intercepting seven passes. And a future pro, Joe Haden, was at corner. Florida’s defense also ranked fourth nationally.

Anything else? Oh yes, the Gators also had the best kick returner in the country, Brandon James. They could beat you in all three phases and weren’t going to sneak up on anybody. Preseason polls had Florida at #5 in the nation.

THE GATORS START FAST

Florida opened the season at home against Hawaii. The Rainbows had made a magical run to the Sugar Bowl a year earlier but would come back to .500 this season. The Gators blasted them 56-10.

A decisive 26-3 win over in-state rival Miami followed. After a week off, Florida went to Tennessee. The Vols won the SEC East in 2007 and had the conference’s best defensive player in safety Eric Berry. But the Gators cruised to a 30-6 win.

None of the opening three games had been against particularly outstanding teams. All would finish around .500. But compared to what a lot of power teams opened with, it was a challenging start and Florida was 3-0.

Then Ole Miss came to town.

THE PROMISE

The Gators dropped a 31-30 heartbreaker to a Rebel team that exceeded expectations and ended up in the Cotton Bowl. In the short-term, it dropped Florida to #12. In an era when the national championship was decided by simply putting the top two teams into the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) National Championship Game, the Gators were in serious trouble.

But what lives on from that game is Tebow’s postgame press conference. He apologized to Florida’s fans and vowed that no one would work harder the rest of the season then himself and his teammates.

Tebow’s words are etched in a plaque for posterity. If England has “The King’s Speech” and America has The Gettysburg Address, the University of Florida football program has The Promise.

ANSWERING THE CHALLENGE

The Gators responded to Tebow’s promise with a strong bounceback performance in Arkansas a week later, routing a shaky Razorback team 38-7. On October 11, Florida had a chance to begin the road to recovery. LSU was the defending national champion. They were ranked #4 in the polls. And they were coming to Gainesville.

Less than two minutes into the game, Tebow hit Harvin with a 70-yard touchdown strike. Before the first quarter was out, Tebow and Harvin hooked up on another TD pass. It was 17-0 after the first quarter.

In front of a prime-time ESPN audience, LSU didn’t roll over and they chipped to within 20-14 midway through the third quarter.

Then the Gators responded. Tebow’s two-yard touchdown run gave them some cushion. Demps tore off a 42-yard touchdown run. Florida was opening this game up. Spikes blew it wide open with a 52-yard Pick-6. The rout was on and the Gators led 41-14.

The final was 51-21. It was not surprising that Florida won the game at home, but the scope of the rout certainly got everyone’s attention. As did the dominance in the trenches. The Gators won rush yardage 265-80, led by 129 from Demps. Tebow played sharp football, going 14/21 for 210 yards with no mistakes. Defensive lineman Duke Lemmens added two sacks.

When the polls came out, Florida was back to #5 in the country.

BLASTING A RIVAL

After a week off to catch their breath, Florida hosted bowl-bound Kentucky and dropped a 63-5 thumping on the Wildcats. The Gators were 4-1 in the SEC, tied with Georgia for first place in the Eastern Division and a game ahead of surprising Vanderbilt.

The next big showdown was on deck—the annual rivalry game with Georgia, played, as always in neutral Jacksonville. The Dawgs were ranked eighth in the country. They had a potent offense, led by a trio of future pros—Matthew Stafford at quarterback, Knowshon Moreno running the football and A.J. Green catching it.

Both teams felt each other out early and it was scoreless late in the first quarter when Harvin’s 13-yard touchdown run broke the ice. After a Bulldog field goal, Tebow ran in from two yards out to extend the lead to 14-3 at the half.

In the second half, Florida unloaded a haymaker. Tebow ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, blowing it open to 35-3 in the third quarter. He tossed another TD pass to Harvin in the final quarter.

Tebow only put the ball in the air 13 times, but he completed 10 for 154 yards and made no mistakes. Conversely, Stafford threw three interceptions. Florida had another rout of a top conference opponent, 49-10.

THE ROAD OPENS

Now at #4 in the polls, the Gators put the finishing touches on the SEC East with a 42-14 blowout win at Vandy. Florida was definitely going to Atlanta to play for the SEC Championship.

Now, it was about getting one of those top two spots in the rankings by the end of the regular season.

Alabama was #1, and the Gators were on track to play the Tide in the conference title game, so Florida could control their destiny there. But they also trailed undefeated teams from Texas Tech and Penn State in the polls, so a little bit of outside help was still needed.

As luck would have it, on the same day Florida was blowing out Vanderbilt, Penn State was upset by Iowa. The Gators were #3 when the next polls came out and completely controlled their destiny for moving up.

FINISHING UP BUSINESS

The rest of the regular season schedule wasn’t easy. South Carolina and Florida State were each headed for winning seasons. But Florida dispatched both without a problem. They blasted the Gamecocks 56-6, and rolled the Seminoles on the road, 45-15. In between, the Gators dropped 70 points on the Citadel.

Florida’s regular season came to an end at 11-1 and they were ranked #2. A showdown with top-ranked Alabama was officially on tap for the SEC Championship Game. And the winner would go to Miami to play for the national title against Oklahoma, who had emerged out of the Big 12.

THE TIDE STAND IN THE WAY

Alabama might have been at the top of the polls, but the way Florida has surging had everyone’s attention. With Nick Saban still in just his second year in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide didn’t command the automatic respect they would in future years. Oddsmakers saw the Gators as healthy ten-point favorites.

But there was one significant piece of adversity. During the win over Florida State, Harvin suffered a high ankle sprain and hairline fracture. He might be able to come back for a national championship game, but the versatile player was out for the SEC title clash.

Tebow still got Florida off to a good start, leading a first quarter touchdown drive for the opening points. But Alabama responded, scoring the next ten points. A deep Gator drive in the second quarter died on the two-yard line and they had to settle for a tying field goal.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Tebow tossed a short touchdown pass to put Florida up by seven. The Tide responded with the next ten points. The Gators trailed 20-17 going into the fourth quarter.

Both teams were playing good defense, but Florida was getting more in the passing game. They held Alabama’s John Parker Wilson to 12/25 for 187 yards and intercepted him once. Meanwhile, Tebow went 14/22, generated 216 yards from those completions and played mistake-free.

That showed up in the fourth quarter. Demps scored the go-ahead touchdown with just over nine minutes to play. And Tebow’s third TD toss of the game sealed the 31-20 win. Florida would play for the national championship.

 A PROMISE KEPT

The Sooners had an explosive offense, led by quarterback Sam Bradford who supplanted Tebow as the Heisman Trophy winner. Oklahoma had scored 60-plus points on its last five opponents. Their only loss had come to third-ranked Texas when the Sooners were “held” to 35. It would be a firm test for the Florida defense.

Even with the last two Heisman winners on the field, both defenses came out and set the tone. The first quarter went by without a score either way. Tebow broke the ice in the second quarter with a 20-yard TD strike to Murphy. OU answered. It was 7-7 at the half.

Neither Tebow nor Bradford were particularly sharp, each throwing two interceptions. This style of game, however, worked for Florida. Oklahoma had been the equivalent of a basketball team who played at a high-octane pace all year. Florida was more comfortable in the football equivalent of a grinding halfcourt hoops game.

What’s more, the Gators also had Harvin back in the lineup, even if he was playing in pain. They were running the ball better, ultimately holding a 249-107 advantage in rush yardage.

And after both teams traded touchdowns again, and it was 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, those advantages took hold.

Harvin tore off a 52-yard run that moved Florida in position for a go-ahead field goal with just under eleven minutes to play. The tight game continued. The Gator defense continued to hold. And with three minutes to go, Tebow’s short touchdown pass sealed the deal.

The final was 24-14. Harvin, with 122 rushing yards on just nine carries, was a hero. Tebow’s legacy and that of The Promise were forever secure. Florida won their second national championship in three years.

ONE MORE RUN

Tebow was back for his senior year in 2009 and for much of the year it was more of the same. Florida went undefeated in the regular season. They met Alabama in the SEC Championship Game for a ticket to play for the national title.

But in ’09, it was Alabama’s turn. They won the rematch and continued the era of SEC Ascendancy with a national championship of their own. Florida slipped a bit in 2010, and Meyer temporarily retired before resurfacing at Ohio State.

Florida has had some good football teams in the ensuing years, but never as good as the era of the mid-to-late 2000s, when Urban, Tebow & Co. had them on top of the world.