Gators Show Nobody’s Perfect

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Redemption was supposed to belong to No. 2 Florida State, which had waited 324 days to pay back Florida for winning the national championship at the Seminoles’ expense.

Instead it belonged to Florida quarterback Doug Johnson, who came up with a perfect throw to help spoil Florida State’s perfect season.

Johnson, who lost his starting job three weeks ago, threw a 63-yard pass to Jacquez Green to set up Fred Taylor’s fourth touchdown run of the game with 1:50 to play Saturday, giving the 10th-ranked Gators a 32-29 victory and virtually denying Florida State a shot at the national title.

“We do like to beat those guys,” Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said.

Eleven months ago, Florida (9-2) won the national title by beating Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, 52-20, the largest margin of victory over the Seminoles this decade.

“I’d rather lose 52-20 than the way we did tonight,” Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said. “We just could not contain Green and Taylor long enough.”

The Seminoles (10-1) thought they had the game decided when Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 29-25 lead, turning to the fans and mocking them with a Gator clap.

With 2:33 to play and the ball on his own 20, Johnson, who spent the entire game alternating plays with Noah Brindise, threw a perfect pass that Green caught in stride just past midfield and carried to the 18.

Taylor, who rushed for 162 yards against the nation’s best run defense, ran 17 yards to the one and bulled his way into the end zone on the next play.

“They can’t go to the national championship game if I can’t go,” Taylor said. “That was a nice way to end it in the Swamp.”

A Thad Busby pass was intercepted by Dwayne Thomas on third down, setting off a celebration that made it feel more like January than late November.

“We weren’t perfect, but our guys played their hearts out,” Spurrier said. “It’s not a terrible year, but without a championship, it’s not a great year.”

Florida is out of the hunt, thanks to two losses in a span of three games when Spurrier was trying to decide whether Johnson’s strong arm was enough to offset his mistakes.

Brindise started his third consecutive game, but Spurrier alternated them every play and got the results he’s been waiting for.

Johnson completed 13 of 25 passes for 218 yards, including his first touchdown pass since an Oct. 4 victory over Arkansas. Brindise was five for nine for 100 yards, and the Gators finished with 499 yards.

“I had somebody tell me that Florida State had all our signals,” Spurrier said. “So I said let’s eliminate the signals. It gives you a chance to coach the quarterbacks between every play.”

But with the game on the line, Spurrier needed Johnson’s arm, and the 19-year-old sophomore showed why.

“Give credit to Doug,” said Green, who had seven catches for 145 yards. “He’s the one who checked off to the hitch-and-go, and he put it right on the money.”

In a game that featured seven lead changes, Travis Minor gave the Seminoles a 26-25 lead midway through the third quarter on an 18-yard touchdown run. Minor finished with 142 yards in 21 carries.

The Gators blew a golden opportunity to take the lead when one of Spurrier’s razzle-dazzle plays fizzled early in the fourth quarter. After Johnson threw a 32-yard pass to Nafis Karim to the 16, the Gators had third and five when Travis McGriff’s double-reverse pass back to Johnson was nearly intercepted.

Collins Cooper, who missed an extra point in the first quarter, then hooked a 28-yard field-goal attempt wide left.

That appeared to be Florida’s last chance. Minor broke off a 36-yard run to the six, but the Gators held and forced Janikowski’s 20-yard field goal.

“We started to go for the touchdown at the end, but we thought if we gave up one long play, they could beat us with a kick,” Bowden said.

They got the long play, all right.

Busby completed 23 of 39 passes for 219 yards--the first time he had completed more than half of his passes against Florida. He has 3,117 yards for the season, a school record.

“It’s very disappointing, the way it ended,” Busby said. “We came down there and expected to win.”