The 2014 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

2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season began on August 27, 2014 and ended on D ...

. The Gators competed in the

Football Bowl Subdivision 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 ...

(FBS) 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). They played their home games at

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),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 ...

. The 2014 season was the Gators' fourth and final season under head coach

Will Muschamp William Lawrence Muschamp (born August 3, 1971) is an American football coach and former player. He is the co- defensive coordinator and safeties coach at the University of Georgia. He served as head football coach at the University of Florida fr ...

. On November 16, following an overtime home loss to

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

that eliminated the Gators from the SEC East race, Muschamp was informed that he would not return as Florida's head coach in 2015, but he agreed to coach the final two games of the regular season. The Gators became bowl eligible after a win over

Eastern Kentucky Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

and dropped Muschamp's last game to

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

. Under interim coach D.J. Durkin, the Gators won the

Birmingham Bowl The Birmingham Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game played annually in Birmingham, Alabama. First held in 2006, the game is owned and operated by ESPN Events. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UA ...

against

East Carolina East Carolina University (ECU) is a public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teacher training school, East Carolina has grown from its orig ...

to finish the season 7–5. After four seasons, Muschamp compiled a 28–21 overall, 17–15 conference record

Previous season

During the

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

season, the Gators struggled to a 4–8 record (3–5 in the SEC) in the program's first losing season since

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

. The Gators also failed to qualify for a bowl game for the first time since being ineligible because of NCAA probation in

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

and lost to

Georgia Southern Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hin ...

, marking the Gators' first loss to a current Division I-AA or FCS team since

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

. Despite calls for the firing of head coach Will Muschamp, Florida

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

Jeremy Foley Jeremy N. Foley (born December 1, 1952) is an American university sports administrator and former college athlete. Foley was an award-winning athletic director for the Florida Gators Division I sports program of the University of Florida locat ...

opted to bring the coach back for his fourth year, explaining that "I think he has a strong plan, and I think he will fix this."

Pre-season

On April 12, 2014, the Gators played the Orange and Blue game, the program's annual intra-squad spring game. The result was a 23–23 tie, with the Orange team coming back to score a game-tying touchdown and extra point as time expired. The Orange team was led by quarterbacks Skyler Mornhinweg and highly recruited freshman Will Grier, and the Blue team was led by returning fourth-year junior

Jeff Driskel Jeffrey Adam Driskel (born April 23, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida, before transferring to Louisiana Tech, and was drafted by the San ...

Preseason awards

Watch Lists * Maxwell –

* Davey O'Brien – Jeff Driskel * Doak Walker –

Kelvin Taylor Kelvin Taylor (born September 28, 1993) is an American football running back for the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL. He played college football at Florida. Early years Taylor attended Glades Day School in Belle Glade, Florida. As a junior, ...

* Rimington –

Max Garcia Max Garcia (born November 9, 1991) is an American football guard who is a free agent. He was a team captain at Florida, where he was recognized as second-team all-SEC in 2014. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round, 133rd ove ...

* Outland – D. J. Humphries * Bednarik –

Vernon Hargreaves Vernon Hargreaves III (born June 3, 1995) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted 11th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft. Early years Hargr ...

* Bednarik –

Dante Fowler Dante Antwane Fowler Jr. (born August 3, 1994) is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. Fowler was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jagu ...

* Bronko Nagurski – Vernon Hargreaves * Bronko Nagurski – Dante Fowler * Jim Thorpe – Vernon Hargreaves * Walter Camp – Vernon Hargreaves * Lott Impact – Vernon Hargreaves Pre-Season All American Teams Phil Steele * 1st-team –

* 2nd-team –

* 2nd-team – Kyle Christy * 3rd-team –

* 3rd-team – Andre Debose * 3rd-team – D. J. Humphries * 4th-team –

* 4th-team – Demarcus Robinson * 4th-team – Antonio Morrison Lindy's Sports * 1st-team – Vernon Hargreaves * 1st-team – Dante Fowler * 2nd-team – Dante Fowler * 2nd-team –

Chaz Green Chaz Green (born April 8, 1992) is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida. He has also played for the New ...

* 3rd-team – D. J. Humphries * 3rd-team – Andre Debose * 3rd-team – Kyle Christy Athlon Sports * 1st-team – Vernon Hargreaves * 1st-team – Dante Fowler * 2nd-team –

Jonathan Bullard Jonathan Bullard (born October 22, 1993) is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of th ...

* 3rd-team – Kelvin Taylor * 3rd-team – Andre Debose Sporting News * 1st-team – Vernon Hargreaves * 2nd-team – Dante Fowler Media * 1st-team – Dante Fowler * 1st-team – Vernon Hargreaves III * 2nd-team – Andre Debose * 3rd-team – Chaz Green

2014 recruiting class

Team statistics

As of January 3, 2015

Schedule

Source: :The game did not kickoff until 9:50 p.m. due to inclement weather. The game was again delayed due to lightning after 10 seconds of play during which Florida returned the Idaho kickoff to the Idaho 14-yard line. The game was called as "suspended" 40 minutes after the second delay due to unsafe field conditions. The four possible resolutions were (1) resuming the game on a later date (both teams had a

bye week In sport, a bye is the preferential status of a player or team that is automatically advanced to the next round of a tournament, without having to play an opponent in an early round. In knockout (elimination) tournaments they can be granted eit ...

on October 25), (2) ending the game with a determined final score, (3) forfeiting the game, or (4) declaring a "no contest" (canceling the game). The athletic directors of both universities decided on September 3 not to reschedule the game, thus declaring it a "no contest." Florida agreed to pay Idaho its promised fee of $975,000 and the schools agreed to schedule a game for the 2018 season.

Game summaries

Eastern Michigan

This game marked the second all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Florida, with the first being in 2004 that resulted in a 49–10 Gator win.

Kentucky

This was the SEC conference opener for both teams. This was also the earliest the two teams have played since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992. Florida currently had the longest consecutive and annual active winning streak (27) in NCAA history and longest in-conference streak in

history over Kentucky, who has not beaten Florida since 1986. With this win, they extended this winning streak to 28. This game marked the first

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...

game in the Florida–Kentucky series, the first three-overtime game played by Florida, and improves Florida's all-time record in overtime games to 4–2, having won the last four overtime games.Florida–Kentucky post game notes
/ref>

Alabama

Florida and Alabama played for the fourth time in six years, with this matchup being in Tuscaloosa. This is the most-played SEC Championship game as well, with Florida leading that series 4–3. However, Florida trailed the all-time series 14–23, with the last game being played in 2011 that resulted in a 38–10 Alabama win in Gainesville.Florida–Alabama pre game notes
/ref>

Tennessee

In their third SEC game of the 2014 season, Florida squared off against their bitter rival, the

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, ...

. Both teams have met annually since 1990 and the Volunteers trail the Gators in the all-time series 19–24 (.442), and have lost 9 straight to Florida. In last year's contest in Gainesville, Florida defeated Tennessee 31–17.

LSU

Florida and LSU have been annual opponents since 1971, and forged a heated and evenly matched rivalry since. Florida leads the overall series 31–26–3. The longest winning streak in the series is held by Florida, with nine victories from 1988 to 1996. LSU's longest winning streak is four, from 1977 to 1980. Since 2001, LSU has a 3–3 record at the Swamp, while Florida is 3–3 at Tiger Stadium. Both the Gators and Tigers each won two national championships during that time period and boasted impressive home records against other opponents. In 2013, LSU beat Florida 17–6 in a defensive struggle at Tiger Stadium in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...

, the first of seven consecutive Gator losses on the year. Florida bested LSU 14–6 in the last matchup in Gainesville in 2012.

Missouri

Florida and Missouri have only played one another 3 total times (1966, 2012, and 2013), but with Missouri joining the SEC Eastern Division in 2012, the two meet annually in both Gainesville and Columbia. 2012 saw Florida squeak by Missouri and earn a share of the SEC East title with a 14–7 win in Gainesville en route to an 11–2 final record. 2013 saw Missouri embarrass Florida (holding them scoreless in the fourth quarter) 36–17 in Columbia en route to an SEC Eastern Division crown and a Cotton Bowl win.

Georgia

In one of only two SEC neutral site games, the Florida–Georgia rivalry is one of the most storied in SEC football. Held in Jacksonville, Florida since 1933 (minus 1994 and 1995) the rivalry attracts huge crowds to Jacksonville, and the associated tailgating and other events earned it the nickname of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." The designated home team alternates from year to year, with ticket distribution split evenly between the fans of the two teams. Georgia holds the overall series lead 49–40–2, and currently is riding a 3-game winning streak heading into this year's matchup. Current Florida head coach

(a former Georgia standout) is 0–7 in the rivalry, losing 4 games as a Georgia player and the last 3 games as Florida head coach. Due to much fan criticism and pressure, Coach Muschamp decided that Treon Harris, the much anticipated freshman, would replace Junior quarterback Jeff Driskel for his first start as a Gator vs the Bulldogs.

Vanderbilt

In one of the more lopsided series in the SEC, Florida travels to Vanderbilt following a rare loss to the Commodores in Gainesville 17–34 in 2013. The win for the Commodores at Florida was the first since 1945. The Commodores snapped a 22-game losing streak to the Gators, and was just the Commodores' 10th win in 47 meetings against the Gators and their first in the series since 1988. Florida leads the overall series with Vanderbilt 35–10–2, and defeated Vanderbilt on their last visit to Nashville in 2012 by a score of 31–17.

South Carolina

Florida and South Carolina have been divisional rivals since 1992, and the Gators holds a dominating 24–7–3 series lead against the Gamecocks. However, the series has been far more evenly matched since the arrival of former Gators

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 ...

winning quarterback and former head coach

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 ...

as South Carolina Head Coach in 2005. Previously, South Carolina had not defeated Florida since joining the SEC in 1992 before Spurrier's arrival, but has been only a slim 5–4 Florida advantage since. 2013 found Florida narrowly lose 14–19 to South Carolina late in the 4th quarter in a night time match-up at

Williams–Brice Stadium Williams–Brice Stadium is the home football stadium for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the college football team representing the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. It is currently the 16th largest on-campus college footb ...

in Columbia. During their last visit to Gainesville, South Carolina was dominated on both sides of the ball in a 44–11 Gators rout. This will be the final

game of the season for both teams. After the game Coach Muschamp was fired and DJ Durkin became the interim coach for the rest of the season.

Eastern Kentucky

Florida closes out the 2014 home season and celebrates Senior Day against FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky. Gators coach Will Muschamp was Eastern Kentucky's secondary coach in 1999 in his second season as a full-time assistant coach. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Florida State

In one of the most intense, heated, and emotional rivalries in all of college football, Florida and Florida State ended each of their respective regular seasons against one another in Tallahassee on FSU Senior Day. 2013 found both teams on opposite sides of the coin. FSU went on to an undefeated 14–0 season and were crowned BCS National Champions, while

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 ...

limped to a 4–8 record that included a seven-game losing skid to end the season. Florida holds a 34–22–2 advantage in the series, a 7–3 record since 2004, and has a 4–1 record at Florida State since 2004. Florida State won the most recent match up 37–7 behind eventual Heisman Trophy winner

Jameis Winston Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January 6, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, where he became the youngest player to win the He ...

in Gainesville, while Florida held serve in 2012 by defeating Florida State in

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

37–26 behind senior running back

Mike Gillislee Michael B. Gillislee Jr. (born November 1, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Early years G ...

East Carolina

This was only the second meeting between the schools. Their previous meeting came in 1983, a 24-17 Gator victory. The teams faced each other again in Florida's second game of the 2015 season.

Personnel

Following the low offensive production of the

season, head coach

released offensive coordinator Brent Pease and offensive line coach Tim Davis. Muschamp replaced Pease with Kurt Roper, who led the

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

to their 1st 10-win season, the ACC title game, and the Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2013. Muschamp also replaced Davis with Mike Summers, and hired Coleman Hutzler as the new special teams coach.

Roster

Coaching staff

Postseason awards and further accomplishments

Coaches All-SEC

All-SEC First Team: -

(CB) All-SEC Second Team: - Antonio Morrison (LB) Freshman All-SEC Team: - Treon Harris (QB) - Jalen Tabor (CB)

AP All-America

* All-America Second Team: Vernon Hargreaves III

Players drafted into the NFL

References

{{Florida Gators football navbox

Florida Gators football seasons Birmingham 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 ...