This Time, Florida Finishes on Right Side of Rout, 52-20

By CHRIS DUFRESNE

Jan. 3, 1997 12 AM PT

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

NEW ORLEANS — A year after Nebraska handed him his hat and his playbook in Tempe and one month after Florida State handed him humble pie in Tallahassee, Steve Spurrier seized a last-minute chance for redemption--thank you, Ohio State--and stuck it to the world Thursday night.

Spurrier designed a whole mess of his “ball plays,” took them to the “ball park” and unleashed a pinball machine he calls the Florida Gators, who avenged a Nov. 30 loss to Florida State with a 52-20 victory over the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl before a crowd of 78,344 at the Superdome.

“You see why I didn’t want to play them again, don’t you?” Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said. “Too good.”

The resounding victory over No. 1 Florida State all but assured Florida its first national championship, a thought that seemed implausible just more than a month ago when the Gators surrendered their No. 1 ranking to the archrival Seminoles in a 24-21 defeat in Tallahassee.

But fate intervened . . . twice. First, Texas upset No. 3 Nebraska in the Big 12 title game, bumping the Gators back to No. 3, and then No. 2 Arizona State was defeated by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, essentially setting up the Sugar Bowl as a No 1. vs. No. 2 matchup.

Spurrier, 51, jumped on the back-door route to the title and ratified his genius as a college football coach.

“God has certainly smiled on the Gators this season,” Spurrier said. “It looked like we were out of it a month ago in Tallahassee.”

The coronation is a formality. The Associated Press poll will be revealed early today, with the CNN/USA Today coaches’ poll to follow. The Gators already had a sizable points lead on Ohio State in both polls going into the Sugar Bowl and left little margin of error with the size of their victory.

“Maybe there was a divine guidance or something,” Spurrier said. “I don’t know that we won anything yet till the votes get in. I hope we’ll win at least one of the polls. If that happens, we’ll be a happy bunch of Gators.”

A year after being humiliated, 62-24, by Nebraska in last year’s national title game in the Fiesta Bowl, Spurrier returned the punishment on his archrivals and leaves New Orleans as the anointed one, a title that will make his many detractors bristle.

Florida riddled the nation’s third-ranked defense for 474 total yards and 26 first downs, while averaging 6.2 yards per play.

Danny Wuerffel, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, completed 18 of 34 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked five times, but stood long enough in the pocket to complete the job.

“If one of those NFL teams wants to win the Super Bowl, they ought to take a look at Danny Wuerffel,” Spurrier said of his quarterback, who is not considered a high NFL draft pick. Florida led by only four points, 24-20, with 10:24 left in the third quarter before scoring 28 unanswered points.

Wuerffel rebounded in style from a three-interception performance in the Nov. 30 game.

Florida prevailed despite committing 15 penalties for 102 yards.

Anyone doubting Spurrier’s genius need only look at his game plan. A purist who held personal disdain for the shotgun formation, Spurrier built the game plan around the formation to buy more time for Wuerffel, who was sacked six times in the first game.

“We saw that we had to get in the shotgun if we had a chance to beat them,” Spurrier said.

Bowden said of Spurrier’s move: “The shotgun is probably the smartest thing Steve has done.”

The Gators also got a break when Seminoles’ star back Warrick Dunn, who rushed for 185 yards against the Gators in Tallahassee, was forced out of the game in the third quarter because of leg cramps and did not return.

“Without Warrick Dunn, you lose your sparkplug,” Bowden said. “They just beat the heck out of us.”

Dunn finished with 28 yards in nine carries.

Florida was only leading, 24-20, when Dunn left, but the game had turned on the series before, when Gator punter Robby Stevenson pinned the Seminoles at their own three-yard line with a 69-yard punt.

The Gator defense held, forcing a punt, which was returned 26 yards by Jacquez Green to the Florida State 24. Four plays later, Wuerffel hit Ike Hilliard, who finished with 150 receiving yards, on a seven-yard scoring pass to make it 31-20.

Wuerffel’s 16-yard scoring run at the end of the third quarter put Florida up 38-20 entering the fourth quarter.

Two years ago, in Tallahassee, Florida State trailed Florida by four touchdowns with 13 minutes left and rallied to tie the game, 31-31, but there would be no repeat of that miracle.

Bowden, instead, was handed his first bowl loss in 14 games and snapped his bowl winning streak at 11 games.

“We thought if we could stay close, we’d have a chance,” Bowden said. “You don’t beat them in a rout.”

Terry Jackson, who finished with 118 yards in 12 carries, scored on runs of 42 and one yard in the fourth quarter.

The teams could have quit at the half and called it a great game. Florida held a 24-17 lead that might have been more if not for an incredible 11, drive-numbing penalties. The Gators dominated play otherwise in a highlight-reel half, and took two-touchdown leads twice, 17-3, and 24-10, only to watch Florida State rally to stay close.

Florida built the lead on Wuerffel’s nine-yard scoring pass to Hilliard on its first drive. After Florida State’s Scott Bentley countered with a 43-yard field goal, Florida made it 10-3 on Bart Edmiston’s 32-yard field goal and 17-3 with 11:28 left in the half on Fred Taylor’s two-yard run.

When he had time, Wuerffel dissected the opposing secondary, but the vaunted Florida State rush still knocked him down 16 times. At one point, he appeared to have injured his shoulder. As Wuerffel tried to keep it loose on the sideline, Florida State drove 63 yards in seven plays and cut the lead to 17-10 on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Thad Busby to E.G. Green.

With momentum swinging, and Wuerffel wobbling, Florida was called for two motion penalties and faced third and 16 from its when Wuerffel proved there was nothing wrong with his arm. He lofted a 40-yard completion to Green down the left sideline to the Florida State 31. On the next play, Wuerffel hit Hilliard on a post pattern and the receiver then stopped two defenders in their tracks with a move and scored to make it 24-10.

But the Seminoles answered with a 66-yard, five play drive late in the half, with Dunn scoring on a 12-yard run with 1:17 left to cut the lead to seven.

Hilliard had 131 receiving yards in the half, Wuerffel threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Florida, it turned out, was just warming up.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SUGAR BOWL

FLORIDA 52, FLORIDA STATE 20 *--*

Florida 10 14 14 14 -- 52 Florida St. 3 14 3 0 -- 20

*--*

FIRST QUARTER

Florida 7, Florida St. 0

Hilliard, 9-yard pass from Wuerffel at 6:12. 77-yard drive, 9 plays. Key gains--Y. Green, 29, pass from Wuerffel; Hilliard, 27, 17, passes from Wuerffel. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Florida 7, Florida St. 3

Bentley, 43-yard field goal at 8:11. 55-yard drive, 8 plays to the Florida 26. Key gain--E. Green, 34, pass from Busby.

Florida 10, Florida St. 3

Edmiston, 32-yard field goal at 12:16. 11-yard drive, 5 plays to the Florida St. 15. Key play--Mobley, 16-yard pass from Wuerffel on first and 15.

SECOND QUARTER

Florida 17, Florida St. 3

Taylor, 2-yard run an 13:32. 73-yard drive, 4 plays. Key gains--Hilliard, 47, pass from Wuerffel; 13-yard roughing the passer penalty on Crawford; Taylor,11, pass from Wuerffel. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Florida 17, Florida St. 10

E. Green, 29-yard pass from Busby at 7:22. 63-yard drive, 7 plays. Key play--Messam, 23-yard pass from Busby on third-and-10. PAT--Bentley (kick).

Florida 24, Florida St. 10

Hilliard, 31-yard pass from Wuerffel at 9:32. 65-yard drive, 4 plays. Key play--J. Green, 40-yard pass from Wuerffel on third-and-16. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Florida 24, Florida St. 17

Dunn, 12-yard run at 14:20. 66-yard drive, 5 plays. Key gains--E. Green, 23, pass from Busby; 15-yard pass interference on Weary. Key play--Cooper, 12-yard pass from Busby on third-and-six. PAT--Bentley (kick).

THIRD QUARTER

Florida 24, Florida St. 20

Bentley, 45-yard field goal at 4:36. 30-yard drive, 6 plays to the Florida 28. Key gains--Dunn, 12, pass from Busby; 10-yard pass interference on Lott.

Florida 31, Florida St. 20

Hilliard, 7-yard pass from Wuerffel at 9:17. 24-yard drive, 4 plays. Key gain--Taylor 17 run PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Florida 38, Florida St. 20

Wuerffel, 16-yard run at 14:47. 24-yard drive, 4 plays. Key gain--Taylor, 17, run. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

FOURTH QUARTER

Florida 45, Florida St. 20

Jackson, 42-yard run at 8:52. 62-yard drive, 5 plays. Key gain--Hilliard, 11, pass from Wuerffel. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Florida 52, Florida St. 20

Jackson, 1-yard run at 2:12. 70-yard drive, 10 plays. Key gains--Taylor 18, 11, runs. Key play--Two Florida St. personal fouls on third and nine. PAT--Edmiston (kick).

Field goals missed--Bentley, Florida St. (45).

Attendance--78,344.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

*--*

Florida TCB NYG Avg. TD Jackson 12 118 9.83 2 Taylor 18 60 3.33 0 Schotnhmr 1 0 0.00 0 McCaslim 2 -2 -1.0 0 Wuerffel 6 -10 -1.6 0 Totals 43 168 3.90 1

*--*

Florida St. TCB NYG Avg. TD Dunn 9 28 3.11. 1 Warrick 1 12 12.0 0 PWilliams 2 7 3.50 0 Feafter 2 1 0.50 0 Busby 7 -6 -0.6 0 Totals 21 42 2.0 1

*--*

Passing *--*

Florida PA PC PI Yd TD Wuerffel 34 18 1 304 3

*--*

Florida St. PA PC PI Yd TD Busby 41 17 1 271 1 Kendra 1 0 1 0 0 Totals 42 17 2 271 1

*--*

Receiving *--*

Florida No. Yd. TD Hilliard 7 150 3 JGreen 5 79 0 Anthony 4 50 0 Mobley 1 16 0 Taylor 1 11 0 Totals 18 304 3

*--*

Florida St. No. Yd. TD Messam 5 48 0 Cooper 4 82 0 EGreen 3 86 1 Pearsall 1 25 0 Dunn 1 12 0 Abdullah 1 10 0 Warrick 1 7 0 PWilliams 1 1 0 Totals 17 271 1

*--*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TEAM STATISTICS *--*

Florida Florida St. 29 First downs 13 43-168 Rushes-yards 21-42 306 Net yards passing 271 18-34-1 Passes 17-42-2 2-7 Int.-yd. ret. 1-24 77-474 Plays-net yd. 63-313 7-48.1 Punts-average 8-46.4 6-69 Punts ret.-yd. 5-74 4-93 Kickoffs ret.-yd. 8-152 1-0 Fumbles-lost 0-0 15-102 Penalties-yards 14-115 36:27 Time of possession 23:33

*--*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Bowls at a Glance

SUGAR (Jan. 2)

Florida 52, Florida St. 20

ROSE (Jan. 1)

Ohio St. 20, Arizona St. 17

COTTON (Jan. 1)

Brigham Young 19, Kansas St. 15

FIESTA (Jan. 1)

Penn St. 38, Texas 15

CITRUS (Jan. 1)