Florida vs Florida State 1997 Sugar Bowl game rewind

Perhaps to FSU’s defense (contain your laughter), Dunn didn’t get the ball much in the first half because he was fighting leg cramps.

And after a carry in the third quarter, Dunn would leave the game for good.

With FSU’s only other offensive play call being have Busbey run around for ten seconds in hope that someone would become open, Florida’s defense went to work.

After a FSU field goal made it 24-20, the Seminoles didn’t contribute to the scoreboard the rest of the game.

Green had a punt return for Florida that set the Gators up at the FSU 24.

Hillard made it 31-20 when he outmuscled FSU on a basic slant route.

Busbey kept throwing and the football kept hitting the turf.

Then Florida’s run game started to contribute.

And the Gators broke FSU for good when Wuerffel scrambled 16 yards to make it 38-20.

Busbey still kept throwing and the football still kept hitting the turf.

Terry Jackson broke through for a 42-yard touchdown run while Busbey kept throwing and the football kept hitting the turf.

Jackson added one more from a yard out to give us our final score of 52-20.

The following morning it was made official that Florida was the 1996 national champion.

Florida won the Sugar Bowl because they adjusted and FSU didn’t.

FSU had zero answer for Hillard and it was one of the greatest performances put on by a Florida receiver in Gators’ history.

Wuerffel won the MVP award for the Sugar Bowl, but Hillard arguably should have won it. Hillard finished with 150 yards receiving and made life miserable for the FSU secondary.

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