Florida football: Gators vs Heismans
By Nick Knudsen
Florida football is home to three Heisman Trophy winners (Spurrier 1966, Wuerffel 1996, and Tebow 2007). Heisman winners can put a program on the map nationally (Spurrier), bring home a school’s first national title (Wuerffel), or add to the legend of an individual player (Tebow).
Heisman seasons are a strong indicator of success, so how have the Gators fared against the competition during their opponents’ Heisman seasons?
Some quick Heisman Trophy background:
- First Heisman Trophy was awarded in 1935 to RB Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.
- Last December, Kyler Murray of Oklahoma was awarded the 84th Heisman Trophy.
- Ohio State’s Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman, took home the award in 1974 and 1975 meaning there have been 83 total Heisman Trophy-winning players.
The Florida Gators have played against 14 of these 83 Heisman winners, however, 10 of these matchups have occurred since 1982.
- UF has faced six Heisman Trophy Running Backs (RB/HB) and eight Quarterbacks (QB)
- Breakdown:
- By school:
- 3 – Florida State
- 2 – Georgia
- 2 – Alabama
- 2 – Auburn
- 1 – LSU
- 1 – Miami
- 1 – Ohio State
- 1 – Oklahoma
- 1 – Texas A&M
- By conference:
- 8 – SEC
- 3 – ACC
- 1 – Independent (Miami in 1986)
- 1 – Big Ten
- 1 – Big XII
- By school:
Warning: There are some ugly results to start, but the Gators have won three of their last five games against a Heisman winning opponent, so stick with me.
1942 – Lost 75-0 vs Georgia (Jacksonville, FL) – HB Frank Sinkwich
HB Frank Sinkwich accounted for 4 TDs on the day (2 passing and 2 rushing). The war-depleted Florida football roster managed to completed only 6 passes while throwing 7 INTs.
75 points? Rough start for the Gators against Heisman Trophy winners.
Nothing to see here, folks. Moving along.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 0-1
1959 – Lost 9-0 vs LSU (Gainesville, FL) – HB Billy Cannon
The defending national champions (1958 UPI Coaches Poll) rolled into Gainesville at 5-0 and narrowly escaped a scrappy Gators squad that held eventual Heisman winner Billy Cannon to 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
"“Even in defeat, Florida was impressive in its play against LSU. The Gators threatened twice in the final quarter, reaching the LSU 9 and later the 4 but couldn’t become the first to make a touchdown on the national champs this season.” Fort Lauderdale NewsMonday, October 26, 1959"
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 0-2
1971 – Lost 40-7 at Auburn (Auburn, AL) – QB Pat Sullivan
Five years after Steve Spurrier secured the 1966 Heisman Trophy by kicking a field goal to defeat the Tigers, Florida football ran into a red hot Auburn team quarterbacked by Heisman winner, Pat Sullivan.
Sullivan accounted for 4 TDs on the day going 15-30 passing for 241 yards with 2 TDs. The senior signal caller added 38 yards rushing in 11 attempts for 2 TDs.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 0-3
1982 – Lost 44-0 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, FL) – RB Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker capped his collegiate career against the Gators with 219 yards rushing on 35 carries as the #3 Bulldogs rolled a Gators team that was ranked 20th heading into the game.
It was at this point of my research that I started to regret diving into this topic and I want to assure Florida football fans that no further glorification of Georgia football will occur from this point forward.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 0-4
1985 – Won 14-10 at Auburn (Auburn, AL) – RB Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson was kept in check for most of his career games against Florida:
- 1982 – 23 yards rushing
- 1983 – 123 yards rush
- 1984 – 16 yards rushing
Florida football finally broke through against an eventual Heisman winner when the #2 ranked Gators traveled to Auburn and knocked off Bo and the #6 Tigers, 14-10. The win pushed Florida to 7-0-1 on the season.
UF’s defense shut down Bo, holding the Heisman winner to 48 yards on 16 carries causing him to sit out most of the second half with a bruised thigh.
"“They played excellent this afternoon. Their defense is definitely within the top two in the nation.”Bo JacksonFlorida TodaySunday, November 3, 1985"
Florida football FB John L. Williams took a shot at Jackson for sitting after the game.
"“If it would have been me, I would have been in there. In a big game like this, you have to play with pain.”John L. WilliamsFlorida TodaySunday, November 3, 1985"
Top-ranked Iowa fell in Columbus against Earl Bruce and the Buckeyes on the same day meaning the victory at Auburn secured the Florida football program its first ever #1 ranking in the AP Poll.
1985 AP College Football Poll – Week 11 – November 5, 1985
- Florida (7-0-1)
- Penn State (8-0)
- Nebraska (7-1)
- Ohio State (7-1)
- Air Force (9-0)
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 1-4
1986 – Lost 23-15 vs Miami (Gainesville, FL) – QB Vinny Testaverde
Miami’s first Heisman Trophy winner, QB Vinny Testadverde, led the Hurricanes to the win but struggled in his final appearance against the Gators.
Florida’s defense put on a strong performance against the long-time NFL starter, holding Testadverde to 12-25 passing for 163 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs on the day.
The Gators secured 2 picks in the first half and took a 9-7 lead into the locker room.
Testadverde overthrew two end zone shots in the third quarter, but the Canes had to settle for a field goal to put Miami up 16-9 going into the fourth.
The UF defense continued to hold, but a fourth-quarter fumble on a punt return by Florida football WR Ricky “The Rocket” Nattiel sealed the Gators’ fate on this afternoon as Miami recovered inside the Florida 20 yard line.
Despite his struggles on the day, Testadverde finished Florida off with a well-timed 15 yard TD throw to a diving future NFL Hall of Famer, WR Michael Irvin to give Miami a 23-9 lead.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 1-5
1993 – Lost 33-21 vs Florida State (Gainesville, FL) – QB Charlie Ward
QB Charlie Ward, Florida State’s first of three Heisman quarterbacks, entered into The Swamp in 1993 facing a high-pressure situation.
The 1993 Noles won by an average score of 44-8 leading up the matchup in Gainesville. FSU entered the last game of the season once defeated after a 31-24 loss just two weeks earlier in a #1 vs. #2 showdown against Notre Dame in South Bend. The Irish fell a week later to Boston College to hand the AP Poll #1 ranking back to the Seminoles.
Steve Spurrier and the #5 Gators had clinched the SEC East title and, at this moment in time, held a 23-0 record at The Swamp during the early stretch of his tenure.
Ward turned in steady first-half performance going 25-35 passing for 220 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT while leading Florida State to a 13-7 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Ward spun away from an open defender and laced a 20-yard pass over the middle to RB Warrick Dunn, who then scampered another 20 yards after the catch down to the 8-yard line. FSU put it in the end zone to take a 20-7 lead.
Following a Florida football turnover later in the third quarter, Ward hit two passes to put FSU up 27-7.
The 1993 Heisman winner would finish the game with a career-high 38-53 passing, 446 yards, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs.
Not relevant to this article, but interesting fact: Ward punted for FSU during his freshman season in 1989 putting up a 37.1-yard average over 35 punts. Here is a series where he runs, passes, and punts.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 1-6
2000 – Lost 30-7 at Florida State (Tallahassee, FL) – Chris Weinke
SEC East champion #4 Florida (9-1) traveled to Doak Campbell to take on an old man and the #3 ranked Seminoles.
Weinke led Noles to a TD on their first drive after a near interception by Florida football CB Bennie Alexander the play before.
Gators QB Jesse Palmer led the Gators down the field on the next drive to knot it up at 7-7.
On FSU’s second drive, Weinke completed a 42-yard pass to WR Atres Bell and a 34 yard TD pass to WR Snoop Minnis. This gave the Noles a 14-7 lead and gave their suffocating defense a lead they would not surrender.
Florida’s defense did manage to pick off two passes on the day, but overall, Weinke carved up the Gators, going 23-44 passing for 353 yards and 3 TDs.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 1-7
2006 – Won 41-14 vs. Ohio State (Glendale, AZ) – QB Troy Smith
Troy Smith locked up the Heisman the second the #1 ranked Buckeyes completed an unbeaten season with a 42-39 victory in The Game against #2 ranked Michigan.
Several dominoes fell in Florida football’s favor as Urban Meyer’s second team won the SEC and secured the #2 ranking in the final BCS standings.
The underdog Gators stunned the nation and the defense put on a stifling performance in Smith’s final game as a Buckeye.
Smith went 4-14 on the day with only 35 yards passing with 0 TD and 1 INT as the Heisman winner was harassed by Florida defenders DE Derrick Harvey (3 sacks), DE Jarvis Moss (2 sacks), and LB Brandon Siler (1 sack).
A Heisman winner brought UF its first national title in 1996. A decade later, dominating a Heisman winner brought the school its second national title.
LB Earl Everett’s helmet-free tackle in the third quarter on Smith effectively sums up Florida’s defensive performance in this game.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 2-7
2008 – Won 24-14 vs. Oklahoma (Miami, FL) – QB Sam Bradford
A year after Tebow won the trophy in 2007, Heisman winner Sam Bradford led the Oklahoma offense to a then NCAA record 716 points during the 2008 season. In the 13 games leading up to their national championship collision with the Gators, OU lit up scoreboards en route to a 12-1 record:
- 35 points or more in every game
- Over:
- 40 points in 11 games
- 50 points in 9 games
- 60 points in 5 games (the last five games leading up to the national title game)
All impressive, but it should be noted that Tebow secured 309 first place Heisman votes while Bradford received 300 first place Heisman votes. Colt McCoy served as Tebow’s Ross Perot in the vote.
With back-to-back Heisman quarterbacks taking the field, most expected a shootout instead of the defensive struggle that ensued.
Florida Gators
Florida struck first to take an early 7-0 lead, Bradford responded with a TD pass to tie it up 7-7, and, after a Tebow INT, Bradford led the Sooners deep into Florida territory but the Florida defense held on the first of two goal-line stands in the first half.
Bradford threw a tipped pick to S Major Wright at the goal line with seconds remaining in the second quarter allowing the Gators to preserve a 7-7 score going into the locker room.
Florida football shut out Bradford in the third quarter, but OU hit on a TD pass to TE Jermaine Gresham early in the fourth to bring the game back to 14-14.
Tebow led a deep drive into Sooners territory that results in a field goal to put Florida ahead 17-14.
S Ahmad Black picked off Bradford after ripping the ball from the hands of WR Juaquin Inglesias with about 10 minutes remaining which set up a clutch 11 play, 76-yard drive that resulted in a Tebow jump pass TD to WR David Nelson after chewing up nearly seven minutes of clock.
Bradford finished 26-41 passing with 256 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs.
Florida’s third Heisman winner takes down a fellow Heisman winner for the third national title in school history.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 3-7
2009 – Lost 26-21 vs. Alabama (Atlanta, GA) – RB Mark Ingram
Mark Ingram locked up in his Heisman against the Gators with his eighth 100 yard rushing performance on the season.
Ingram’s performance was the first crack in the foundation of the Urban Meyer era at Florida and a new dynasty was born.
Tears were shed. It was a sad day.
I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 3-8
2012 – Won 20-17 vs. Texas A&M (College Station, TX) – QB Johnny Manziel
Texas A&M’s season opener was postponed due to a hurricane meaning Freshman QB Johnny Manziel would have to make his first start in the Aggies’ SEC debut against Florida at Kyle Field.
Will Muschamp’s defense struggled with the young QB in the first half, but settled in down the stretch to help the Gators steal a 20-17 victory in College Station.
The full-on Johnny Football persona had yet to take hold as Florida held Manziel to his lowest passing output of the season: 23-30 for 173 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT to go along with 17 rushes for 60 yards and 1 TD.
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 4-8
2013 – Lost 37-7 vs. Florida State (Gainesville, FL) – QB Jameis Winston
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 4-9
2015 – Lost 29-15 vs. Alabama (Atlanta, GA) – RB Derrick Henry
The Gators faced a vintage Derrick Henry in the first of two uncompetitive SEC Championship game appearances against Alabama during the McElwain era.
The Yulee (FL) High School graduate carried the ball 44 times for 189 yards and 1 TD as the Tide rolled to an easy victory.
Next. Spurrier hopes Florida-Georgia rivalry game stays in Jacksonville. dark
Gators All-Time Record vs. Heismans: 4-10