The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in the sport of
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
during the
2001 college football season. The Gators competed in
Division I-A
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
(SEC), playing their home games at
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
campus.
They were coached by
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...
, who posted an overall win–loss record of 10–2 (.833) for his twelfth and final season before departing to the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Spurrier led the Gators to a 56–23
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
victory over the
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
in his final game.
Sophomore quarterback
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...
threw for over 4,000 yards and was
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
runner-up. Grossman, wide receiver
Jabar Gaffney and defensive end
Alex Brown were consensus All-Americans. Brown's 33 sacks is still a school record for a career.
[
]
Before the season
The Gators were ranked preseason No. 1.
Schedule
Sources: ''2012 Florida Football Media Guide'',
2012 Florida Football Media Guide
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 113 & 116 (2012). Retrieved September 16, 2012. and GatorZone.com.
September 11 impact
The annual rivalry game with Tennessee scheduled for September 15, was rescheduled to the final week of the regular season as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
Season summary
Marshall
The season opened at night in the Swamp on September 1 with a 49–14 triumph over quarterback Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich (born January 14, 1980) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for ten seas ...
and the Marshall Thundering Herd
The Marshall Thundering Herd is the intercollegiate athletic collection of teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in the Sun Belt Conference, which are member ...
.
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...
had a career-high in passing yards by halftime, including a 64-yard touchdown reception by Taylor Jacobs
Taylor Houser Jacobs (born May 30, 1981) is an American former college and professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the early 2000s. Jacobs played college football for the University of ...
.[
The defense also played well as Alex Brown and linebacker ]Andra Davis
Andra Raynard Davis ronounced André(born December 23, 1978) is a former American football linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida and was drafted by the ...
had two sacks each.
Louisiana–Monroe
In the second week of play, the Gators overwhelmed the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks
The Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks (ULM Warhawks) are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). ULM currently fields 15 varsity teams (six men's and nine women's) in 11 sports, and competes at the ...
55–6. Grossman passed for 331 yards and three touchdowns, including two thrown to Jabar Gaffney.[
Grossman fumbled the game's first exchange from center, and Louisiana-Monroe capitalized on the opportunity when it scored the game's first touchdown.] "It was just an awkward start." said Grossman.[
As usual, the Gators and ]Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity college athletics, intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in NCAA Division I, ...
were slated to meet on the 3rd Saturday of September. However, the SEC canceled all games on the weekend following the September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, and all contests were rescheduled for December 1, 2001, requiring the SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. The championship game pits the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regula ...
to be pushed back a week as well.
Kentucky
Florida traveled to Lexington and beat the Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
44–10. Grossman passed for 302 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gators struggled early and led just 16–3 at the half, but eventually thrashed the Wildcats with four touchdowns in the second half.
After Kentucky made a touchdown, Earnest Graham
Earnest Graham Jr. (born January 15, 1980) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida ...
sprung lose for a 50-yard touchdown run in the third period to go up 30–10.[
]
Mississippi State
The following week, Florida avenged last year's loss to the 21st-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I.
Sports sp ...
by shutting them out 52–0. Grossman had 317 yards passing in just the first half. The Gators had 640 yards of total offense on the day, the most in school history for an SEC game.
Grossman passed for 393 yards and five touchdowns in total, becoming the first Florida quarterback to throw for 300 yards in four straight games.
Andra Davis, who missed last year's game, excelled on the defensive side of the ball from his linebacker position with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.[
]
LSU
In Baton Rouge, the Gators defeated the eighteenth-ranked LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
44–15. Grossman threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns in just the first half, and by game's end had a school-record 464 yards.
Florida finished with 632 yards of total offense.[ LSU quarterback ]Rohan Davey
Rohan St. Patrick Davey (born April 14, 1978) is a Jamaican-born former American football quarterback. He won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, as the backup to Tom Brady in 2003 and 2004.
Early years
Davey attended Hialeah-M ...
left the game with a hyperextended knee.[
"I thought he was a serious candidate for the Heisman Trophy before we played them", said LSU coach ]Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
, "Now I'm convinced of it."[ "I think he is a tremendous quarterback" echoed LSU safety Ryan Clark.][
]
Auburn
Coach Tommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville ( ; born September 18, 1954) is an American retired college football coach and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Alabama since 2021. Before entering politics, Tuberville was the head football co ...
's unranked Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
upset the top-ranked Gators 23–20. The Tigers were 21-point underdogs when they met the Gators at Jordan–Hare Stadium.[Associated Press,]
Auburn stuns No. 1 Florida
, ''The Toledo Blade'', p. C4 (October 14, 2001). Retrieved August 19, 2011.
Gators quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...
completed twenty-five of forty-two passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions. The Gators dominated statistically, but the Tigers' bend-but-don't-break defense held the Gators rushing game to negative yardage.[
Tigers back-up quarterback Daniel Cobb was not so flashy, but played mistake-free football, and the game was tied at 20 late in the fourth quarter.][ With 10 seconds left, Tigers placekicker ]Damon Duval
Damon Duval (born April 3, 1980) is an American former professional placekicker and punter. Duval played college football for Auburn University, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. He played professionally for the Jacksonville Jagu ...
nailed a 44-yard field goal and the Tigers upset the Gators.[
]
Georgia
Florida defeated Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
24–10 in the annual rivalry game, overcoming four turnovers and twelve penalties. Grossman passed for 407 yards.[ ]Earnest Graham
Earnest Graham Jr. (born January 15, 1980) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida ...
rushed for 131 yards.[
The Bulldogs missed a field goal and failed to convert three fourth downs in the second half.][ The lone score of the second half was a 30-yard touchdown pass to ]Reche Caldwell
Donald Reche Caldwell Jr. ( or ; March 28, 1979 – June 6, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons in the 2000s with the San Diego Chargers, New Eng ...
. Florida moved into a first-place tie with Tennessee.[
]
Vanderbilt
At homecoming, Florida crushed the Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's team ...
71–13. The Gators never punted, and forced five turnovers. They were up 71–0 in the fourth quarter and still tossing passes, amassing 571 total yards in all. Eleven Gators got receptions, and Taylor Jacobs
Taylor Houser Jacobs (born May 30, 1981) is an American former college and professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the early 2000s. Jacobs played college football for the University of ...
had a breakout game.[
Playing just in the first half, Grossman threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns.][ Backup quarterback ]Brock Berlin
Brock Sterling Berlin (born July 4, 1981) is an American former college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida and the University of ...
threw three more in the second.[
]
South Carolina
In Columbia, the Gators routed the fourteenth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
54–17. The game started shaky for the Gators as Lito Sheppard
Lito Decorian Sheppard (born April 8, 1981) is an American football coach and former cornerback. During his playing career, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first ...
fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to an easy Gamecock score.[ A touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney late in the first quarter started the scoring barrage.
Grossman had his ninth-consecutive 300-yard passing game, and exceeded 5,000 yards passing for his career.]
Florida State
Florida easily defeated the rival Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivis ...
37–13. However, the Gators' starting running back Earnest Graham
Earnest Graham Jr. (born January 15, 1980) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Florida ...
had been controversially injured in Florida's win and was unable the next week to play against Tennessee.
Graham and coach Spurrier accused Darnell Dockett
Darnell Maurice Dockett (born May 27, 1981) is a former American football defensive end who had a ten-season career playing for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of th ...
of deliberately twisting Graham's knee, as well as stomping on Grossman's hand. Graham even considered a lawsuit. Dockett denied these charges.
Tennessee
As the season progressed, the postponed game with Tennessee took on greater and greater importance. Each squad suffered only one close loss and entered the contest with Tennessee ranked No. 6 and Florida ranked No. 2. The winner was to represent the SEC East and face LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
in the SEC Championship. With a win in that game, the Gators or Vols were likely to receive an invitation to the Rose Bowl to face the undefeated Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
with a national title on the line. Despite the teams' identical records and much to the chagrin of the Vols, the Gators were 17-and-a-half point favorites at kickoff.
The Volunteers went on to dash the Gators' national title hopes with a 34–32 upset, ending a 30-year winless drought against Florida in Gainesville. The star of the game was Volunteer running back Travis Stephens
Travis Tremaine Stephens (born June 26, 1978) is a former American football running back. He played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2002 NF ...
, who rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries to lead the Vols' attack. Without Graham, Florida managed only 36 total yards on the ground. Gator quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...
threw 51 times for 362 yards and two touchdowns, but his pass on a potentially game-tying two-point conversion attempt with just over a minute left in the 4th quarter fell incomplete.
Orange Bowl (vs. Maryland)
Florida was invited to the Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
, where they beat Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
56–23.
Taylor Jacobs - MVP
Awards and honors
Grossman was the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
quarterback Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch (born November 16, 1978) is a former American football quarterback. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor.
Crouch played college football for the University of Nebraska. In 2001 Crouch won the Heisma ...
, in one of the trophy's closest ballots. Many feel Grossman should have won.
Both Crouch and Grossman made AP All-American.
Spurrier's resignation
In early January, Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former American football, football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often ...
said that he was resigning as Florida's head coach after 12 seasons.
Personnel
Statistics
* QB Rex Grossman: 279/423 (66.0%) for 4,144 yards (9.80 YPA) with 38 TD vs. 12 INT (2.84%)
* QB Brock Berlin: 47/79 (59.5%) for 679 yards (8.59 YPA) with 10 TD vs. 3 INT (3.80%)
* RB Earnest Graham: 141 carries for 799 yards (5.67 YPC) with 11 TD. 12 catches for 129 yards (10.75 YPC) with 0 TD.
* RB Robert Gillespie: 98 carries for 458 yards (4.67 YPC) with 2 TD. 45 catches for 474 yards (10.53 YPC) with 2 TD.
* WR Jabar Gaffney: 74 catches for 1,309 yards (17.69 YPC) with 15 TD.
* WR Reche Caldwell: 69 catches for 1,106 yards (16.03 YPC) with 10 TD.
* WR Taylor Jacobs: 48 catches for 882 yards (18.38 YPC) with 9 TD.
* K Jeff Chandler: 19 FGM and 54 XPM.
Notes
References
Bibliography
* ''2009 Southeastern Conference Football Media Guide'', Florida Year-by-Year Records, Southeastern Conference, Birmingham, Alabama, p. 60 (2009).
*
2012 Florida Football Media Guide
', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 107–116 (2012).
* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). .
* Golenbock, Peter, ''Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory'', Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). .
* Hairston, Jack, ''Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told'', Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). .
{{Florida Gators football navbox
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Florida Gators football seasons
Southeastern Conference football champion seasons
Orange Bowl champion seasons
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of ...