The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida, campus. They were led by fourth-year head coach Urban Meyer.
After clinching the SEC East, the Gators defeated then top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 31–20 in the SEC Championship Game to win their eighth conference title. They capped their season by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS National Championship Game 24–14. The Gators finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. Of the team's 120-player roster, 30 members went on to have stints in the NFL. Bleacher Report has often named the 2008 Florida Gators as one of the greatest college football teams of all time.
Before the season In the offseason, Florida coach Urban Meyer suffered the loss of assistant coaches for the first time in his tenure. Co-recruiting coordinator and safeties coach Doc Holliday left to become an assistant at his alma mater, West Virginia, running backs coach Stan Drayton took the same job with the Tennessee Volunteers, and co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Greg Mattison joined the coaching staff of the Baltimore Ravens.
Schedule
Sources: 2012 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, 2012 Florida Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 114 & 116 (2012). Retrieved September 16, 2012. GatorZone.comGatorZone.com, Football, History, Florida Football 2008 . Retrieved November 25, 2011.
Rankings
Game summaries
Hawaii
The Florida Gators opened the season against the Hawaii Warriors, led by head coach Greg McMackin. This was the first meeting between the two teams, but the two programs had become familiar with one another at the end of the 2007 college football regular season. 2007 Florida starting quarterback Tim Tebow and 2007 Hawaii starting quarterback Colt Brennan were both finalists for the Heisman Trophy where the two met in New York for the award ceremony. In the time leading up to the award presentation, the then-Hawaii head coach June Jones made comments regarding Tim Tebow and how he would fare against his own quarterback Colt Brennan in their respective offensive systems, referring to Tebow as a "system quarterback." His comments "infuriated Gators fans, who expressed their displeasure in Internet chat rooms and blogs." At the conclusion of the 2007–2008 bowl season, June Jones left Hawaii to become the head coach of SMU, leaving the opening game against Hawaii without Brennan or Jones.
The game opened with the 10th highest attendance in school history with 90,575. Both teams struggled in the first quarter on offense with neither team being able to put points on the board. The second quarter featured scores by the Gators on offense, defense, and special teams. This was the first time the Gators scored in all three facets of the game since beating the Tennessee Volunteers 59–20 in the 2007 season. The first touchdown of the season came off of a Brandon James 1-yard touchdown run capping an 80-yard drive that took only 10 plays. Less than one minute later, Florida safety Major Wright picked off a pass and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown. After a defensive stop by the Gators on the ensuing Warriors' drive, special teams standout Brandon James returned a punt for a touchdown. This was his third punt return for a touchdown in his career. The final score of the half by the Gators was a 33-yard rushing touchdown by redshirt freshman Chris Rainey with 3:00 left in the first half. This drive only took two plays in 22 seconds.
The second half was a mirror image of the first half for the Gators. Another 28 points was scored in the third quarter beginning with a 62-yard rushing touchdown by true freshman Jeffery Demps. The next Gator offensive possession featured the first touchdown pass of the season by Heisman-winner Tim Tebow. Tim Tebow and Louis Murphy connected on a 48-yard pass on the second play of the drive to score a touchdown only 38 seconds after having initiating the drive. Near the end of the 3rd quarter, sophomore quarterback Cam Newton stood in for Tim Tebow and put together a drive capped off with a 1-yard QB rushing TD. The final score the Gators put on the board was an interception returned for a touchdown by Gator safety Ahmad Black in his first career game as a Gator. Entering into the fourth quarter, Florida led 56–0. Hawaii was able to put 10 points on the board ending the game with a score of 56–10. Hawaii used three quarterbacks, all of whom threw for interceptions. The Gators' offense finished with 406 total yards; 255 of those coming on the ground. This was the first game since the 2006 season where Tim Tebow did not have at least two touchdowns in a game. In the previous season, he had at least one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown in all 13 games (14 game streak dating to 2007 BCS National Championship Game). The Gators' defense forced six Hawaii turnovers and held Hawaii's offense to only 241 yards.
Miami
The Florida Gators took on the Miami Hurricanes for the first time since the 2004 Peach Bowl where the Gators lost to Miami 27–10. This game is also the first regular season meeting between the two teams since 2003 where the then #18 Gators nearly upset the #3 Miami Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl. The last time the Gators defeated the Hurricanes was in 1985 where the Gators defeated Miami in Miami with a score of 35–23. Miami entered this game with a six-game winning streak and came in leading the series 28–25. The winner of this game receives the War Canoe Trophy. An attendance record was set with this game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with 90,833.
The Hurricanes received the ball to start the game with Florida deferring to the second half. Florida's defense held Miami to one net yard on their opening drive and forced a quick three and out. The resulting punt netted only 14 yards giving Florida excellent field position at the Miami 35-yard line. The Gators, led by quarterback Tim Tebow, put together a 5 play drive ending in a touchdown pass to TE Aaron Hernandez that only took 1:44 off the clock. Although the tempo the Gators set on their first offensive possession was quick, they were unable to score again in the first half on offense; having to punt on all four of their following first half possessions. Miami was able to put together a 42-yard drive with 16 plays consuming 8:42 of the second quarter resulting in a made 50-yard field goal. This would end up being the only points of the game Miami scored as well as the closest the Florida defense would allow Miami to get to the end zone. Florida's special teams was able to block a Miami punt attempt resulting in a safety as the ball went out of bounds with 47 seconds left in the half. This brought the halftime score to 9–3.
The Gators received the ball in the second half and were unable to score on their opening drive. Offensive woes continued for both sides as neither team was able to score points. By the end of the third quarter, Florida's defense forced five Miami punts and allowed only one field goal. The fourth quarter had the Gators offense scoring 17 total points. A drive starting near the end of the 3rd quarter went 86 yards down the field and ended with a fourth quarter 2-yard rushing touchdown by Percy Harvin. After Florida's defense stopping Miami once again, Florida's offense was able to put together another long scoring drive; this one a 95-yard drive taking only 1:34 ending on a 19-yard Tim Tebow touchdown pass to Louis Murphy. The Gator defense forced three fourth quarter Miami punts, 8 total for the game, with the final score coming off of a made field goal by the Gators, bringing the final score 26–3. Florida's offense was only able to rush for 89 yards and pass for 256. Neither team had turnovers, but the Gators' defense held Miami to 140 total yards (79 passing, 61 rushing) and kept Miami out of the red zone the entire game.
Tennessee
Florida entered the game with a three-game winning streak started during Florida head coach Urban Meyer's first season at Florida. Tennessee led the series 19–18 all-time against the Gators dating back to 1916. Coming off of an SEC East title the previous season, Tennessee opened SEC play against the Gators after having lost early to UCLA out of conference on the road. The Gators and Volunteers last met in the Swamp in 2007 where the Gators won 59–20. The previous time the two met at Neyland Stadium, the Gators were able to win by a slim one point and then went on to win the BCS National Championship. The Volunteers would be the first of four regular season teams the Gators faced that were coached by a championship-winning head coach (the other three being Les Miles of LSU, Steve Spurrier of South Carolina, and Bobby Bowden of FSU).
The Gators started the game on offense at the Tennessee 44-yard line and quickly started where they left off the last time they played the Volunteers. The first possession of the game resulted in a 44-yard drive capped off with a Tim Tebow touchdown off a jump pass to TE Aaron Hernandez. Florida's defense helped get the ball back on offense when true freshman Gator CB Janoris Jenkin's forced a fumble on Tennessee's Montario Hardesty. Florida responded with a 39-yard field goal. After another failed drive for Tennessee on offense, the Volunteers punted the ball to Florida punt returner Brandon James who returned it for a touchdown. This was James' fourth punt-return for a touchdown of his career, tying the school record held by Jacquez Green. The Volunteers had their second fumble, which was recovered by Gators defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap, and led to another Florida field goal extending the lead to 20–0. Tennessee was able to drive the ball down into Florida territory—as close as the one-yard line. However, Florida's true freshman cornerback Janoris Jenkins intercepted a pass preventing any Tennessee points and shut out Tennessee in the first half.
Tennessee received the ball to start the second half and quickly went three and out giving the ball back to Tim Tebow and the Gators' offense. The Gators' offense was able to put together a 47-yard drive finishing with a 15-yard Tim Tebow touchdown pass to WR Percy Harvin extending the lead to 27–0. Tennessee was able to get points on the board on the following drive. A 63-yard Tennessee drive ending with a Jonathan Crompton 1-yard TD run. The attempted 2-point conversion failed cutting Florida's lead to 21. In response, the Gators were able to take 4:49 off the clock and extend their lead with a Jonathan Phillps field goal, bringing the final score to 30–6. The Gators defense held Tennessee to only nine possessions on offense. Three of those ended with turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 interception), four ending with punts, one with a turnover on downs, and one touchdown. Although the Volunteers were able to account for more yards on offense (258 vs 243), the Gators won the turnover margin 3–0.
Ole Miss