1990 Florida Gators football team

Before the season

Just before Spurrier's Gator coaching debut, the Gainesville campus was rocked by the murders committed by Danny Rolling.

During Spurrier's first season, he was able to build on the strong talent recruited by departing Gators coach Galen Hall, but the Gators also reaped the benefits of Spurrier's "there are no excuses for losing" mantra. Even as Spurrier's new "fun 'n' gun" offensive scheme led by quarterback Shane Matthews, wide receiver Ernie Mills and tight end Kirk Kirkpatrick was breaking team scoring and yardage records, defensive coordinator Jim Bates coached one of the best defensive squads in team history, including two first-team All-Americans, defensive end Huey Richardson and safety Will White.

Schedule

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Personnel

• Steve Spurrier
• Jim Bates

Game summaries

Oklahoma State

First quarter

• UF – Dexter McNabb 2-yard run (Arden Czyzewski kick), 13:18. Florida 7–0.
• UF – Shane Matthews 1-yard run (Arden Czyzewski kick), 3:20. Florida 14–0. Second quarter
• OSU – Curtis Mayfield 14-yard pass from Chris Smith (Cary Blanchard kick), 13:35. Florida 14–7.
• UF – Arden Czyzewski 33-yard field goal, 10:59. Florida 17–7.
• UF – Safety, Chris Smith tackled by Huey Richardson in end zone, 5:20. Florida 19–7.
• UF – Willie McClendon 1-yard run (Arden Czyzewski kick), 3:24. Florida 26–7. Third quarter
• UF – Tre Everett 50-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Arden Czyzewski kick), 7:45. Florida 33–7.
• UF – Willie McClendon 3-yard run (Arden Czyzewski kick), 3:14. Florida 40–7. Fourth quarter
• UF – Arden Czyzewski 40-yard field goal, 11:34. Florida 43–7.
• UF – Darren Mickell 14-yard interception return (Arden Czyzewski kick), 9:21. Florida 50–7. ;Top passers
• OSU – Chris Smith – 11/22, 81 yards, TD
• UF – Shane Matthews – 20/29, 332 yards, TD ;Top rushers
• OSU – Gerald Hudson – 14 rushes, 86 yards
• UF – Errict Rhett – 7 rushes, 63 yards ;Top receivers
• OSU – Curtis Mayfield – 7 receptions, 110 yards, TD
• UF – Tre Everett – 5 receptions, 123 yards, TD

Combating the gloom, the Gators opened the season with a no-huddle, 80-yard touchdown drive in six plays to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys 50–7.

At Alabama

First quarter

• UA – Craig Sanderson 15-yard pass from Gary Hollingsworth (Philip Doyle kick), 3:55. Alabama 7–0. Second quarter
• No scoring Third quarter
• UA – Philip Doyle 41-yard field goal, 11:21. Alabama 10–0.
• UF – Terence Barber 6-yard pass from Shane Matthews (Arden Czyzewski kick), 7:48. Alabama 10–7.
• UF – Arden Czyzewski 23-yard field goal, 1:28. Tie 10–10. Fourth quarter
• UF – Richard Fain recovered blocked punt in end zone (Arden Czyzewski kick), 14:45. Florida 17–10.
• UA – Philip Doyle 46-yard field goal, 7:22. Florida 17–13. In their second game, the Gators came from behind to beat Alabama, a confidence-building, 17–13 signature road win, which set the tone for the remainder of the season,. Alabama quarterback Gary Hollingsworth threw three interceptions to Florida safety Will White, and the Gators scored the winning touchdown on a blocked punt.

Furman

Main article: 1990 Furman Paladins football team

Florida then beat Furman 27–3.

Mississippi State

Main article: 1990 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team

Building on the Alabama win, the Gators had a 34–21 conference victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

LSU

Main article: 1990 LSU Tigers football team, Florida–LSU football rivalry

Next, the Gators blew out the LSU Tigers 34–8.

At No. 5 Tennessee

Main article: 1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team, Florida–Tennessee football rivalry

The Gators suffered a disappointing 3–45 road loss to the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tennessee. In yet another link between the programs, Spurrier had been a star quarterback at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee during the early 1960s. Although Knoxville is nearby, he did not seriously consider attending UT because he was an excellent passer and the Vols ran a single-wing offense at the time which featured a running quarterback. Instead, he choose to return to the state of his birth (Spurrier was born in Miami Beach), eventually becoming the Gators' first Heisman Trophy winner in 1966.

Spurrier's first Gator squad was 5–0 and ranked No. 9 coming into the matchup with Johnny Majors' 3–0–2 and No. 5 Vols, marking the first time in series history that both rivals were ranked in the AP top-10 when they faced off. (It was not Spurrier's first visit to Knoxville as an opposing coach; his 1988 Duke Blue Devils had upset the Vols 31–26.)

The 1990 game began as a defensive struggle, with UT holding a slim 7–3 lead at the half. However, the Vols' Dale Carter returned the second half kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, igniting the home crowd at Neyland Stadium.

On their ensuing possession, the Gators fumbled for what would be the first of six UF turnovers in the second half. The opportunistic Vols took full advantage, turning Spurrier's homecoming (and, coincidentally, UT's homecoming game) into a dominating 45–3 rout, the largest margin of victory for either team in the series.

Akron

Main article: 1990 Akron Zips football team

Florida blanked Akron 59–0.

Auburn

Main article: 1990 Auburn Tigers football team, Auburn–Florida football rivalry

Coach Pat Dye's 1990 Auburn Tigers were the defending three-time SEC champions, had built an undefeated 6−0−1 record, and were ranked fourth in the nation in the AP Poll. Notwithstanding the fact that first-year coach Steve Spurrier's fifteenth-ranked Gators were three-point favorites,

Vs. Georgia

Main article: 1990 Georgia Bulldogs football team, Florida–Georgia football rivalry

;Georgia

• Greg Talley 6/12, 93 Yds, TD, 2 INT
• Dupree 8 Rush, 32 Yds
• Hummings 3 Rec, 33 Yds ;Florida
• Shane Matthews 26/39, 344 Yds, 3 TD
• Willie McClendon 16 Rush, 58 Yds, TD
• Kirk Kirkpatrick 8 Rec, 112 Yds

Florida's first win against Georgia since 1986, the Gators beat the Bulldogs 38–7 .

At Kentucky

Main article: 1990 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Florida beat the Kentucky Wildcats 47–15.

At No. 8 Florida State

Main article: 1990 Florida State Seminoles football team, Florida–Florida State football rivalry

First quarter

• FSU – Lawrence Dawsey 76-yard pass from Casey Weldon (Richie Andrews kick), 14:03. ''Florida St 7–0. '''Drive:'''''
• FSU – Richie Andrews 47-yard field goal, 12:57. ''Florida St 10–0. '''Drive:'''''
• FLA – Arden Czyzewski 41-yard field goal, 8:35. ''Florida St 10–3. '''Drive:'''''
• FSU - Amp Lee 8-yard pass from Casey Weldon (Richie Andrews kick), 2:36. ''Florida St 17–3. '''Drive:''''' Second quarter
• FLA – Shane Matthews 1-yard run (Arden Czyzewski kick), 5:12. ''Florida St 17–10. '''Drive:'''''
• FSU – Edgar Bennett 2-yard run (Richie Andrews kick), 1:11. ''Florida St 24–10. '''Drive:''''' Third quarter
• FSU – Edgar Bennett 2-yard run (Richie Andrews kick), 10:59. ''Florida St 31–10. '''Drive:'''''
• FLA – Ernie Mills 14-yard pass from Shane Matthews (kick blocked), 4:03. ''Florida St 31–16. '''Drive:'''''
• FSU – Amp Lee 16-yard run (Richie Andrews kick), 3:08. ''Florida St 38–16. '''Drive:''''' Fourth quarter
• FLA – Shane Matthews 1-yard run (pass good), 12:38. ''Florida St 38–24. '''Drive:'''''
• FSU – Amp Lee 2-yard run (Richie Andrews kick), 11:56. ''Florida St 45–24. '''Drive:'''''
• FLA – Kirk Kirkpatrick 9-yard pass from Shane Matthews (pass failed), 8:50. ''Florida St 45–30. '''Drive:''''' ;Top passers
• FLA – Shane Matthews – 29/48, 351 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
• FSU – Casey Weldon – 13/23, 325 yards, 2 TD ;Top rushers
• FLA – Errict Rhett – 14 rushes, 57 yards
• FSU – Amp Lee – 26 rushes, 147 yards, 2 TD ;Top receivers
• FLA – Ernie Mills – 7 receptions, 126 yards, TD
• FSU – Lawrence Dawsey – 4 receptions, 172 yards, TD

The game was dubbed by some as the "Seminole Bowl" due to Florida's postseason ban.

Postseason

Matthews finished the season with 2,952 passing yards and twenty-three touchdowns—then the most passing yards in Gators history.

Before Spurrier returned to Gainesville, the Gators had never won an officially sanctioned Southeastern Conference (SEC) or national football championship (Florida's first SEC championship was in 1984, but was retroactively vacated by the SEC for infractions incurred by former head coach Charley Pell). Before Spurrier resigned to seek a coaching position in the National Football League in January 2002, the Gators would win six SEC titles, play for two national championships, and win one in 1996.

References

References

1. Norm Carlson, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 104–126 (2007).
2. Pat Dooley. "When UF's Summer of Steve collided with terror".
3. Carlson, ''University of Florida Football Vault'', pp. 105–109.
4. link. (2015-12-08 '', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 112–113 (2015). Retrieved August 14, 2015.)
5. (September 9, 1990). "Gators' 50–7 crushing of Pokes a wonder". Tulsa World.
6. (September 16, 1990). "Gatorball rally humbles Tide". The Tampa Tribune.
7. (September 23, 1990). "Win brings no joy to Gators". The Miami Herald.
8. (September 30, 1990). "Gators have way with Bulldogs". The Pensacola News-Journal.
9. (October 7, 1990). "Florida dominates LSU 34–8 to stay unbeaten". Tallahassee Democrat.
10. (October 14, 1990). "Volunteers explode past Gators, 45–3". The Greenville News.
11. (October 21, 1990). "Akron U's pain goes far beyond its 59–0 defeat". The Akron Beacon Journal.
12. (November 4, 1990). "Florida whips Auburn 48–7". The Courier-Journal.
13. (November 11, 1990). "Florida destroys Dogs 38–7". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
14. (November 18, 1990). "Matthews passes for 4 TDs in Florida's romp". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
15. (December 2, 1990). "No. 8 Florida St. rips No. 6 Florida". The Knoxville News-Sentinel.
16. "Spurrier Debut a Doozy: 50-7." Gainesville Sun. King, Bill. 1990 Sept 9.
17. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121026105818/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136380/1/index.htm "Loaded For Bear"], S. Looney, Douglas. ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', September 24, 1990
18. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bpksAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l_wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4035,359752&dq=spurrier+science-hill+tennessee+graves+florida+recruit&hl=en “The Spurrier Sweepstakes” – The Lakeland Ledger, Nov. 12, 1996]
19. [http://www.sptimes.com/2002/01/05/news_pf/Sports/Spurrier_s_bio.shtml Spurrier bio, St. Pete Times]
20. "Duke Game by Game Results".
21. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ffQRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5197,3490029&dq=spurrier+kickoff+45-3&hl=en “Gators Seeking Special Play from Special Teams” – The Gainesville Sun, October 11, 1991]
22. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rQASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2537,5349393&dq=45-3+spurrier+majors&hl=en "Tennessee Domination Was Total", The Gainesville Sun, October 14, 1990]
23. Eugene Register-Guard. 1990 Nov 4. Retrieved 2018-Nov-25.
24. Associated Press, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/04/sports/college-football-south-auburn-routed-for-first-loss.html College Football: South; Auburn Routed for First Loss]," ''The New York Times'' (November 4, 1990). Retrieved August 16, 2011.
25. Dye had been publicly dismissive of Spurrier's pass-oriented offense before the game. The Gators and Tigers were tied 7–7 after the first quarter, but Spurrier's Gators exploded for twenty-seven points in the second quarter, resulting in a 34–7 halftime lead and a 48–7 victory for the Gators, which was the Gators' biggest margin of victory in the series, and the worst loss of Dye's career.Gregg Dewalt, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=20seAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IscEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4418,464251&dq=auburn+florida+football&hl=en Gators maul Tigers]," ''Times Daily'', pp. 1B & 6B (November 4, 1990). Retrieved August 16, 2011.
26. "Gators Pound 'Dawgs, 38-7." King, Bill. Gainesville Sun. 1990 Nov 11.