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1990 Florida Gators football team

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1990 Florida Gators football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
APNo. 13
Record9–2 (6–1 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive schemeFun and gun
Defensive coordinatorJim Bates (1st season)
Base defense4–3
CaptainChris Bromley
Ernie Mills
Godfrey Myles
Glenn Neely
Huey Richardson
Home stadiumBen Hill Griffin Stadium
Seasons
← 1989
1991 →
1990 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 13 Florida * 6 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0
No. 8 Tennessee $ 5 – 1 – 1 9 – 2 – 2
No. 21 Ole Miss 5 – 2 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
Alabama 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
No. 19 Auburn 4 – 2 – 1 8 – 3 – 1
Kentucky 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
LSU 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Georgia 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Mississippi State 1 – 6 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Vanderbilt 1 – 6 – 0 1 – 10 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • * Florida ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1990 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season marked the return of the Gators' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier to his alma mater as the new head coach of the Florida Gators football team.[1]

Spurrier's 1990 Florida Gators, while ineligible to win the SEC title or receive a bowl bid because of lingering NCAA probation,[2] nevertheless posted a best-in-the-SEC record of 6–1 and an overall record of 9–2,[3] and laid the foundation for the Gators' run of six SEC championships and a national title during the next decade.[1] They finished thirteenth in the season's final AP Poll.

Before the season

[edit]

Just before Spurrier's Gator coaching debut, the Gainesville campus was rocked by the murders committed by Danny Rolling.[4]

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.[2] 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.[2][3]

Schedule

[edit]
DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceSource
September 8Oklahoma State*
W 50–775,428[5]
September 15at AlabamaNo. 24
TBSW 17–1370,123[6]
September 22No. 1 (I-AA) Furman*No. 19
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
W 27–371,868[7]
September 29Mississippi StateNo. 17
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
TBSW 34–2172,943[8]
October 6LSUNo. 10
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
ESPNW 34–875,039[9]
October 13at No. 5 TennesseeNo. 9
ESPNL 3–4596,874[10]
October 20Akron*daggerNo. 17
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL
W 59–074,558[11]
November 3No. 4 AuburnNo. 15
  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
  • Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
ESPNW 48–775,459[12]
November 10vs. GeorgiaNo. 10
TBSW 38–781,529[13]
November 17at KentuckyNo. 6
TBSW 47–1555,140[14]
December 1at No. 8 Florida State*No. 6
ESPNL 30–4563,190[15]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[3]

Personnel

[edit]
1990 Florida Gators football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB Brady Ackerman
WR Terence Barber
OL Chris Bromley
QB Michel Cohen
OL Cal Dixon
WR Monty Duncan
WR Tre Everett
OL Brian Fisher
WR Aubrey Hill
WR Harrison Houston
OL Hesham Ismail Jr
RB Terrell Jackson
TE Greg Keller
TE Kirk Kirkpatrick
RB Kedra Malone
QB 9 Shane Matthews So
RB Willie McClendon
RB Dexter McNabb
WR Ernie Mills
QB Kyle Morris
RB Kelvin Randolph
RB Errict Rhett
OL Tony Rowell
WR Alonzo Sullivan
RB Chuck Wabbersen
OL Jim Watson
OL Mark White
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
LB Ephesians Bartley
DL Mike Brandon
DL Brad Culpepper
DB 28 Richard Fain
DL William Gaines
DB Monty Grow
DL Darren Mickell
LB Carlton Miles
DL Mark Murray
LB Jerry Odom
LB Tim Paulk
DL Huey Richardson
LB Ed Robinson
DB Del Speer
DB Jimmy Spencer
DB 2 Will White
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Arden Czyzewski
P Jason Hailey
K Ryan Ruland
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Game summaries

[edit]

Oklahoma State

[edit]
Oklahoma State Cowboys at Florida Gators
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 7 007
Gators 14 12 141050

at Ben Hill Griffith Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

Game information

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.[16]

External videos
video icon Full game (first half)
video icon Full game (second half)

At Alabama

[edit]
See also: Alabama–Florida football rivalry
No. 24 Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 24 Gators 0 0 10717
Crimson Tide 7 0 3313

at Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Game information
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,.[2] Spurrier treasured the wins against the Crimson Tide: "Those victories early – '90, '91 – really got us started there at Florida ..."[17] Alabama quarterback Gary Hollingsworth threw three interceptions to Florida safety Will White, and the Gators scored the winning touchdown on a blocked punt.[18]

External videos
video icon Game highlights

Furman

[edit]
Main article: 1990 Furman Paladins football team

Florida then beat Furman 27–3.

Mississippi State

[edit]
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

[edit]
Main articles: 1990 LSU Tigers football team and Florida–LSU football rivalry

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

At No. 5 Tennessee

[edit]
Main articles: 1990 Tennessee Volunteers football team and 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.[19] Instead, he choose to return to the state of his birth (Spurrier was born in Miami Beach[20]), 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.[21])

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.[22]

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.[23]

Akron

[edit]
Main article: 1990 Akron Zips football team

Florida blanked Akron 59–0.

Auburn

[edit]
Main articles: 1990 Auburn Tigers football team and Auburn–Florida football rivalry
1 234Total
No. 4 Tigers 7 000 7
• No. 15 Gators 7 2777 48
Scoring summary
Q1FLAMcNabb 1 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 7–0
Q1AUBCasey 55 yard pass from White (Von Wyl kick)Tie 7–7
Q2FLAMcClendon 1 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 14–7
Q2FLACzyzewski 42 yard field goalFLA 17–7
Q2FLAMcClendon 3 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 24–7
Q2FLARhett 29 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 31–7
Q2FLACzyzewski 42 yard field goalFLA 34–7
Q3FLAMcClendon 1 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 41–7
Q4FLARhett 4 yard run (Czyzewski kick)FLA 48–7

[24]

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.[25] Notwithstanding the fact that first-year coach Steve Spurrier's fifteenth-ranked Gators were three-point favorites,[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.[26]

Vs. Georgia

[edit]
Main articles: 1990 Georgia Bulldogs football team and Florida–Georgia football rivalry
World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 7 0 007
No. 10 Gators 14 10 14038

at Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 10
  • Game attendance: 81,529
  • Gainesville Sun
Game information

Florida's first win against Georgia since 1986, the Gators beat the Bulldogs 38–7 .[27]

At Kentucky

[edit]
Main article: 1990 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Florida beat the Kentucky Wildcats 47–15.

At No. 8 Florida State

[edit]
Main articles: 1990 Florida State Seminoles football team and Florida–Florida State football rivalry
No. 6 Florida Gators at No. 8 Florida State Seminoles
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 6 Gators 3 7 61430
No. 8 Seminoles 17 7 14745

at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida

  • Date: December 1, 1990
  • Game weather: Clear
  • Game attendance: 63,190
  • Recap/Box Score
Game information

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

Postseason

[edit]

Matthews finished the season with 2,952 passing yards and twenty-three touchdowns—then the most passing yards in Gators history.[2] He was SEC Player of the Year.[28]

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.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Norm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, pp. 104–126 (2007).
  2. ^ a b c d e Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault, pp. 105–109.
  3. ^ a b c 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 112–113 (2015). Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  4. ^ Pat Dooley. "When UF's Summer of Steve collided with terror".
  5. ^ "Gators' 50–7 crushing of Pokes a wonder". Tulsa World. September 9, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Gatorball rally humbles Tide". The Tampa Tribune. September 16, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Win brings no joy to Gators". The Miami Herald. September 23, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Gators have way with Bulldogs". The Pensacola News-Journal. September 30, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Florida dominates LSU 34–8 to stay unbeaten". Tallahassee Democrat. October 7, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Volunteers explode past Gators, 45–3". The Greenville News. October 14, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Akron U's pain goes far beyond its 59–0 defeat". The Akron Beacon Journal. October 21, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Florida whips Auburn 48–7". The Courier-Journal. November 4, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Florida destroys Dogs 38–7". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. November 11, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Matthews passes for 4 TDs in Florida's romp". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 18, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "No. 8 Florida St. rips No. 6 Florida". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 2, 1990. Retrieved November 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Spurrier Debut a Doozy: 50-7." Gainesville Sun. King, Bill. 1990 Sept 9.
  17. ^ "Steve Spurrier says early '90s wins over Alabama 'got us started there at Florida'". AL.com.
  18. ^ "Loaded For Bear", S. Looney, Douglas. Sports Illustrated, September 24, 1990
  19. ^ “The Spurrier Sweepstakes” – The Lakeland Ledger, Nov. 12, 1996
  20. ^ Spurrier bio, St. Pete Times
  21. ^ "Duke Game by Game Results". Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  22. ^ “Gators Seeking Special Play from Special Teams” – The Gainesville Sun, October 11, 1991
  23. ^ "Tennessee Domination Was Total", The Gainesville Sun, October 14, 1990
  24. ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1990 Nov 4. Retrieved 2018-Nov-25.
  25. ^ a b Associated Press, "College Football: South; Auburn Routed for First Loss," The New York Times (November 4, 1990). Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  26. ^ Gregg Dewalt, "Gators maul Tigers," Times Daily, pp. 1B & 6B (November 4, 1990). Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  27. ^ "Gators Pound 'Dawgs, 38-7." King, Bill. Gainesville Sun. 1990 Nov 11.
  28. ^ "SEC Player of the Year Winners". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
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