Sec football schedule
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the college football season of 2008. The team is coached by Urban Meyer and play their homes games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They are currently the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll and #2 in the Coaches Poll. After clinching the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division, the team defeated the then-#1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 31–20 in the 2008 SEC Championship Game to win the SEC title. The Gators will close their season in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game, where they will face the Oklahoma Sooners for the BCS National Championship.
Previous Season
Entering the season as defending national champions, the Gators went 9-4 in the 2007 season in spite of a prolific offense, primarily due to a defense depleted by graduation and departures to the NFL leading to the worst defense for a Florida team since 1971, closing out the year with a 41-35 loss to Michigan in the 2008 Capital One Bowl on January 1. Quarterback Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy.
In the offseason, Florida coach Urban Meyer suffered the loss of assistant coaches for the first time in his tenure. Co-recruiting coordinator and safeties coach Doc Holliday left to become an assistant at his alma mater, West Virginia, running backs coach Stan Drayton took the same job with the Tennessee Volunteers, and co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Greg Mattison joined the new coaching staff of the Baltimore Ravens.
Pre-season
Pre-season All-SEC honors
- Cornelius Ingram, TE
- Percy Harvin, WR
- Tim Tebow, QB
- Brandon Spikes, LB
- Brandon James, RS
- Phil Trautwein, OL
- Jim Tartt, OL
- Major Wright, DB
- Joe Haden, DB
- Wondy Pierre-Louis, DB
Schedule
Game notes
Hawaii
The Florida Gators came into the Hawaii game expecting a season of great success, and they didn't disappoint. They showed great improvement in their rushing game with Demps, Rainey, and James all having good performances. Brandon James also had a punt return for touchdown in the second quarter. This all led to Tim Tebow only needing to pass for 137 yards and 1 touchdown.
Miami
Florida started the game with pre-game jitters in what was one of the most anticipated game of the second week of the 2008 college football season. They struggled well through third quarter only leading 9-3, but they tore the game open in the fourth quarter with seventeen unanswered points. Even though Urban Meyer's squad was eventually able to win 26-3, it showed that the young Miami team has a strong future ahead of them.
Tennessee
Florida came into the game with a three game win streak versus the Volunteers, and they had an easy time making it four. On the first drive Florida went straight down the field for score, and then never let up. The game was highlighted by Brandon James' kick return for touchdown and various other great kick returns.
Ole Miss
Florida went into the game undefeated at 3-0 and was the only NCAA team left in Division I that had not committed a turnover; however, turnovers ironically became the Achilles' heel for the Gators in this game, as they fumbled the ball five times and turned it over three times. Never trailing Ole Miss by more than a touchdown, Florida came within an extra point of tying the game at the end of the fourth quarter. Ole Miss had different plans in mind, however, as the extra point kick was blocked, and Florida was held to 30. While the defense was able to force a punt out of Ole Miss on the next possession and get the ball back inside Ole Miss territory, Florida found itself with the choice between converting a 4th-and-1 situation or attempting a long field goal. Florida opted to go for for the first down, but QB Tim Tebow did not convert the one-yard run. The game ended as time expired during Ole Miss' ensuing possession.
Arkansas
The Gators went to Fayetteville and defeated the Hogs 38-7. Although the Gators blew out the Razorbacks, it was a defensive struggle for the first 3 quarters of the game. Tim Tebow threw his first interception in 204 pass attempts to the Razorbacks' Jerry Frankiln. Despite that, the Gators dominated the fourth quarter to defeat the Razorbacks. Redshirt freshman Chris Rainey and true freshman Jeff Demps displayed their speed on TD runs of 75 and 48 yards. Both combined for 206 rushing yards and 3 TDs.
LSU
This annual rivalry marked the 10th time in college football history that back-to-back champions played in the following regular season. The last time this occurred was in 1990 with the University of Miami and Notre Dame. The Gators scored early with a Percy Harvin touchdown on the third play of the game. Their momentum continued finishing the first quarter 17-0 after a second touchdown by Percy Harvin, which was a career first for receiving TDs in a game. With less than a minute in the first half and down 20-0, LSU put together a 60 yard drive in less than one minute scoring a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining in the half.
LSU opened the second half scoring a quick touchdown creating a 14-0 run after a 20-0 Florida run. Florida quickly responded with two touchdowns in the 3rd quarter and a Brandon Spikes interception-returned touchdown 12 seconds into the fourth quarter building a 41-14 lead. This was Spikes second interception of the game and of his career. After a failed fourth down attempt by LSU, Florida turned the ball over back to LSU on a forced fumble on Tim Tebow. LSU scored a touchdown shortly thereafter cutting the lead to 20 with 11 minutes left in regulation and followed with a failed onside kickoff. The following Florida drive resulted in a made field goal from 25 yards. After another failed fourth down attempt on the following LSU drive, Florida marched down the field and scored their 50th point of the game with a touchdown by senior running back Kestahn Moore. The following made extra point brought the Gators lead, and final score, to 51-21. This was the first time since 1996 that the Gators scored over 50 points on LSU. The Gators ended the game with over 475 yards of offense.
Kentucky
Homecoming for the Gators featuring an early match up with division rival Kentucky. The Gators entered the game with a 21 game winning streak against the Wildcats. The second longest active streak against an annual opponent in the NCAA. Second only to Tennessee's streak over Kentucky as well. The Gators opened the game strong with 28 points scored in the first quarter. The Gators' special teams blocked two punts on Kentucky's first and second drives of the game. Before the end of the first half, the Gators' special teams blocked a Wildcat field goal attempt, which was returned by the Gators' safety Major Wright to the Florida 40 yard line. The Gators first three touchdowns were all rushing plays by Tim Tebow, Brandon James, and Percy Harvin. Tim Tebow then threw for two touchdown passes. The first occurring with 3:15 left in the first to Percy Harvin and the second shortly into the second quarter to Jeff Demps. Kentucky got on the board with a field goal with 5:03 left in the half. Florida responded quickly with a 3-yard TD rush by Tim Tebow bringing the score at the half 42-3. This was his second rushing TD of the game, which tied former Florida Gator running back Emmitt Smith with a school-record 36 rushing touchdowns.
Florida opened the second half on defense with Gator DB Ahmad Black scoring a TD on an interception 9 seconds into the half. Florida's defense continued to keep Kentucky out of scoring position allowing the Gators to pile on the points. The next Florida drive consumed over eight minutes resulting in a Kestahn Moore rushing TD increasing the lead 56 to 3. After this drive, redshirt freshman John Brantley took over the reigns as QB. Three minutes into the fourth quarter, John Brantley threw a 38 yard TD pass to David Nelson. This was John Brantley's first passing touchdown as a Gator as well as David Nelson's first reception of the year. Kentucky's following drive brought them within 5 yards of a touchdown. Florida's defense forced Kentucky into a fourth down attempt. With only a couple yards to gain, Florida Gator Lorenzo Edwards forced a turnover on downs stopping Kentucky half a yard short from the first down marker. On the following drive, Florida's Bobby Kane mishandled the punt snap sending the ball out of the endzone resulting in a safety. This was the last score of the game bringing the final score to 63-5. Florida's winning streak over the Wildcats extended to 22 straight victories, tying Tennessee's record over Kentucky.
Georgia
After the infamous 2007 matchup at Jacksonville, remembered for the incident when the Georgia team rushed onto the field for celebration after the first touchdown, both the Gators and the Bulldogs entered this game with their minds set for the top of the SEC East. Florida scored seven touchdowns, finishing the game with 49 points to Georgia's 10.
Sec football schedule
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SEC Football Schedule
Get the listing of the entire 2008 South Eastern Conference College football schedule. ... About SEC 2008 Football Schedules Get the listing of the entire 2008 South Eastern ...
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Dates and Sites Subject to Change) Aug. 28 South Carolina 34, N.C. State 0 (80,616 / ESPN) Vanderbilt 34, Miami, Ohio 13 (18,398 / ESPNU) Aug. 30 Alabama 34, Clemson 10 (70,097 at ...
www.secsports.com - 2008 SEC Week-by-Week Football Schedule
The SEC has released the following football games designated for television for the 2008 season. Additional games for television will be released later.
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