A week after having their national championship hopes seemingly vanish, fourth-ranked Florida defeats No. 11 Alabama 45-30 in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game before 74,132 fans and an ABC national television audience. Florida's win, coupled with Texas' 37-27 upset over Nebraska earlier in the day in the Big 12 Championship Game, puts the Gators back in the national championship hunt with a rematch against Florida State in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 2nd.
The SEC title is Florida's fifth since 1991 (1991, 1993-96) and fourth consecutive crown, the second best achievement in league history (Alabama won five straight SEC crowns from 1971-75).
Playing in his final regular-season game against the nation's No. 1 rated pass defense, senior quarterback Danny Wuerffel completes 20-of-35 passes for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Wuerffel's six touchdown passes, which was one more than the Alabama pass defense had surrendered all year in 11 games, ties his SEC record for most TD passes in a league game.
Reidel Anthony catches 11 of Wuerffel's passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns. Anthony, who finished with a nation's best and SEC-record setting 18 TD grabs on the year, hauls in TD passes in the second, third and fourth quarter.
Overall, the Gator offense tallies 470 yards in total offense against an Alabama defensive unit that ranked first in the SEC and sixth in the nation allowing just 236 yards per game coming into the game.
After the Gators fall behind seven-plus minutes into the game, Florida reels off 24 straight points to build a 17-point cushion nearing the end of the half. A Michael Vaughn touchdown pass from Fred Kitchens with 29 seconds left in the half, coupled with a five-yard run by Dennis Riddle after a blocked UF punt early in the third quarter, cuts the UF lead to three at 24-21.
The two teams score three touchdowns in the next 2:05, with UF stealing any Tide momentum with a 85-pass from Wuerffel to a streaking Jacquez Green to give the Gators a 38-28 lead. Anthony then adds his third TD catch of the day on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Florida an insurmountable 17-point lead.
Other Game Notes:
Florida has now won 22 consecutive SEC games, the third-longest streak in league history.
Florida's 45 points sets an SEC and UF school record as the Gators finish the regular-season with 559 points.
UF finished the regular-season with a nation's best 76 touchdowns on the year and also led the nation with 42 TD passes. .
Wuerffel finished his career as the most efficient passer in NCAA Division IA history (163.56)...His 10,875 yards rank fourth all-time (second in SEC) and his 114 Tds rank second all-time.
Florida's SEC football title is the fourth league crown for Florida this season (women's cross country, volleyball, soccer) in five fall sports.
The 45 points scored vs. the Tide is the most versus an Alabama team since 1970.
Steve Spurrier joins Bear Bryant as the only coaches in SEC history to win four consecutive league championships.
Spurrier's five outright SEC titles is third best total in league history.
