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Gators slip past Gamecocks to stay perfect

The Associated Press

Florida's Tim Tebow tied the SEC's career touchdown record with a 1-yard scoring run.

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By DAVID JONES

Florida Today

Published: November 14, 2009

Updated: 11/14/2009 11:49 pm

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Florida defensive lineman Justin Trattou tore a tendon off his left biceps in the Arkansas game and wasn't supposed to be back for close to a month. He missed one game.

Good thing he's a quick healer, or Florida's national title hopes might well have vanished in Saturday night's 24-14 win against South Carolina.

It was Trattou who grabbed a Stephen Garcia pass — tipped by Markihe Anderson — out of mid-air and returned it 53 yards to the South Carolina 26 on the first play of the fourth quarter. The bad left arm?

"I used it to stiff-arm a guy," he said, cracking a tiny smile.

Added Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap: "He looked like he was being chased by a dog."

The Gamecocks were at the Florida 22 at the time and about to, at worst, try a game-tying field goal. Instead, the Gators took over and dashed 26 yards on four plays, with Tim Tebow's 1-yard touchdown run giving UF a 10-point lead in what could have been a tie game.

"That should go in some book somewhere," Gators coach Urban Meyer said. "That was a historical play."

It could well end up being part of a chapter — if Florida goes on to win its third national championship in four years.

"I would have liked to have seen what would have happened at 17-all," lamented ex-Gators star player and coach Steve Spurrier.

Garcia, a former Jefferson High standout, turned away from his first receiver on the play when he didn't like the coverage and threw backside, to his left, for a play intended for wideout Moe Brown.

"That play changed the entire outcome of the game," Garcia said. "It was very, very hard for the team to regroup after that."

The 79,297 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium watched almost in stunned silence as the Gators' huge turnaround pushed their nation-leading winning streak to 20. Florida (10-0, 8-0 SEC) went unbeaten in league play for the first time since 1996. There have been 12 teams go 8-0 in league play in SEC history.

The Gators host Florida International next week before closing out the regular season against Florida State. Both are at home, as UF attempts to finish the regular season unbeaten for the first time since 1995.

Florida, however, didn't look like an unbeatable team, even if it is unbeaten. But the Gators seem to have the mojo when they need it most.

"It seems as though whenever we need a big play, all season long, someone has been there," said Riley Cooper, whose 68-yard touchdown reception opened the scoring.

Florida sprinted out of the gate but led just 17-14 at the half as the teams piled up 457 yards of offense. Cooper's team-leading sixth TD catch gave the Gators a 7-0 lead less than three minutes in. South Carolina responded with a 14-play, 84-yard drive to tie it.

Brian Maddox's 1-yard run was the first touchdown UF gave up all season in the first quarter. Caleb Sturgis hit a 32-yard field goal to put the Gators back in front and Emmanuel Moody's 17-yard touchdown run finished off a 70-yard drive to make it 17-7.

But the Gamecocks answered a second time with a long drive, going 65 yards — after Sturgis missed a 52-yard field goal wide left with 6:04 remaining in the first half — to get within 17-14. Garcia, who had a tremendous first half, completed passes of 14, 13, 20 and 3 yards before the touchdown toss to tight end Weslye Saunders in the left corner of the end zone.

Garcia completed 11 of 18 passes in the opening half for 140 yards. He finished 17 of 32 for 186 yards but was sacked six times — four times in the fourth quarter.

"He's going to be an excellent quarterback," Meyer predicted.

Florida botched a couple of superb scoring chances and it looked shaky when the third quarter ended.

"Real frustrating," Meyer said of all the missed chances.

Sturgis missed from 54 and 29 yards in the second half — making him 1-for-4 in the game.

Tebow completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards and one score. He also ran for 26 yards on 16 carries with another TD. They weren't super numbers but just enough, thanks to Trattou's bad arm holding up and the defense taking over.

"We have a team full of character and we fight till the end," Tebow said. "It might not be pretty but we just keep fighting."

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