gators escape oxford
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:03 pm
OXFORD, Miss. -- Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow did what needed to be done. And a little more.
Tebow rushed 27 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns and completed 20 of 34 passes for 261 yards and two scores to lead third-ranked Florida past Ole Miss, 30-24, Saturday in front of 55,032 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Sophomore wide receiver Percy Harvin caught a career-high 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Urban Meyer said 27 carries was too much for Tebow and that 10 rushes would be an ideal number. The Gators relied on him throughout the game, especially when Ole Miss cut the lead to three points in the second half.
Tebow's rushing yardage broke Florida's single-game mark for a quarterback, which was held by Larry Rentz, who had 109 yards against Tulane in 1967. He's the first Florida quarterback to eclipse 100 yards since Terry LeCount had 108 against Georgia in 1977.
"That's a crutch," Meyer said. "When it's tough, let's give it to the horse and let him go. Twenty-seven carries, that's far too many."
Said Tebow: "We were just trying to get out of there with a victory. I wasn't thinking about how many carries I had. Just trying to manage the offense and win the game."
With 2:47 remaining in the third, senior quarterback Seth Adams hit sophomore wide receiver Shay Hodge for a 19-yard touchdown to cut Florida's lead to 27-16. Senior safety Kyle Jackson, who retained his starting spot even though freshman Major Wright also played a lot, was beaten on the play. Hodge finished with a team-high seven catches for 81 yards and a score.
The Rebels, who were coming off a 31-17 loss at Vanderbilt, made it more interesting when Adams hit junior Mike Wallace for a 77-yard touchdown with seven seconds left in the third to make it 27-24. It was Wallace's only catch. He entered the game with a team-high 15 catches. Freshman cornerback Joe Haden was beaten on that play.
Florida's final scoring drive was almost all Tebow, who has scored multiple rushing touchdowns in each of the last three games and has thrown for more than one score in all four. On Florida's fourth quarter scoring drive, Tebow rushed six times.
Harvin and junior running back Kestahn Moore, who finished with 62 yards on 11 carries, also gained yards in that series. Moore finished with two catches for 18 yards. The drive ended with senior Joey Ijjas kicking a 25-yard field goal with 4:59 left for the final margin. Meyer said Ijjas is battling a quadriceps injury.
Ole Miss (1-3, 0-2 SEC) could not muster a game-winning drive. On fourth down, the Rebels attempted a fake punt - Meyer said he was not surprised by the call - and Ole Miss fell three yards short. Florida took over and kept it in Tebow's hands. On first down from the 41, he gained nine. Then six. Then three. Then four. Then three, again, and the game was over. Facing Tebow was no picnic.
"It's frustrating for a defense even though we have played a lot of teams like that this year," junior defensive back Dustin Mouzon said. "I have to commend Tim Tebow because he is like a brick wall. I came up to hit him and I kind of got hurt."
Florida, on its first road trip this season, committed 14 penalties for 127 yards. Senior kicker Joshua Shene put Ole Miss ahead, 3-0, with 5:02 left in the first quarter when he hit a 40-yard field goal. Ijjas badly missed a 42-yard field goal on Florida's first drive after sophomore Brandon James returned the openng kick 55 yards down to Ole Miss' 32-yard line. Shene also had field goals of 32 and 22 yards.
Tebow hit Harvin on a screen pass and Harvin went 19 yards for Florida's opening score with 14:52 left in the first half for a 7-3 lead. With 7:08 remaining, Tebow scored on a 9-yard run to put the Gators (4-0, 2-0) ahead 14-6. Florida started that series on its 2.
Tebow's 6-yard run with 10:05 left in the third made it 21-6. He hit junior wide receiver Louis Murphy on a 37-yard touchdown strike at 5:17 to put Florida up, 27-6. Murphy had two catches for 57 yards and a score.
Junior Cornelius Ingram caught two passes for 41 yards and Florida racked up 507 total yards. Harvin is the first Florida player to have double-digit receptions since Dallas Baker had 10 in the 2006 Outback Bowl.
Ole Miss senior running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who averaged 123.7 yards per game, finished with 37 yards on 11 carries. Adams completed 18 of 31 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His status was in question after spraining his shoulder last week. Senior safety Tony Joiner picked him off the possession before Ijjas' field goal. The win marks Florida's first in its last four tries in the state of Mississippi.
"I'm 100 percent confident with the ball in Tebow's hands," Murphy said.
Said Meyer: "I'm anxious to get on the plane and get the hell out of here."
Tebow rushed 27 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns and completed 20 of 34 passes for 261 yards and two scores to lead third-ranked Florida past Ole Miss, 30-24, Saturday in front of 55,032 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Sophomore wide receiver Percy Harvin caught a career-high 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Coach Urban Meyer said 27 carries was too much for Tebow and that 10 rushes would be an ideal number. The Gators relied on him throughout the game, especially when Ole Miss cut the lead to three points in the second half.
Tebow's rushing yardage broke Florida's single-game mark for a quarterback, which was held by Larry Rentz, who had 109 yards against Tulane in 1967. He's the first Florida quarterback to eclipse 100 yards since Terry LeCount had 108 against Georgia in 1977.
"That's a crutch," Meyer said. "When it's tough, let's give it to the horse and let him go. Twenty-seven carries, that's far too many."
Said Tebow: "We were just trying to get out of there with a victory. I wasn't thinking about how many carries I had. Just trying to manage the offense and win the game."
With 2:47 remaining in the third, senior quarterback Seth Adams hit sophomore wide receiver Shay Hodge for a 19-yard touchdown to cut Florida's lead to 27-16. Senior safety Kyle Jackson, who retained his starting spot even though freshman Major Wright also played a lot, was beaten on the play. Hodge finished with a team-high seven catches for 81 yards and a score.
The Rebels, who were coming off a 31-17 loss at Vanderbilt, made it more interesting when Adams hit junior Mike Wallace for a 77-yard touchdown with seven seconds left in the third to make it 27-24. It was Wallace's only catch. He entered the game with a team-high 15 catches. Freshman cornerback Joe Haden was beaten on that play.
Florida's final scoring drive was almost all Tebow, who has scored multiple rushing touchdowns in each of the last three games and has thrown for more than one score in all four. On Florida's fourth quarter scoring drive, Tebow rushed six times.
Harvin and junior running back Kestahn Moore, who finished with 62 yards on 11 carries, also gained yards in that series. Moore finished with two catches for 18 yards. The drive ended with senior Joey Ijjas kicking a 25-yard field goal with 4:59 left for the final margin. Meyer said Ijjas is battling a quadriceps injury.
Ole Miss (1-3, 0-2 SEC) could not muster a game-winning drive. On fourth down, the Rebels attempted a fake punt - Meyer said he was not surprised by the call - and Ole Miss fell three yards short. Florida took over and kept it in Tebow's hands. On first down from the 41, he gained nine. Then six. Then three. Then four. Then three, again, and the game was over. Facing Tebow was no picnic.
"It's frustrating for a defense even though we have played a lot of teams like that this year," junior defensive back Dustin Mouzon said. "I have to commend Tim Tebow because he is like a brick wall. I came up to hit him and I kind of got hurt."
Florida, on its first road trip this season, committed 14 penalties for 127 yards. Senior kicker Joshua Shene put Ole Miss ahead, 3-0, with 5:02 left in the first quarter when he hit a 40-yard field goal. Ijjas badly missed a 42-yard field goal on Florida's first drive after sophomore Brandon James returned the openng kick 55 yards down to Ole Miss' 32-yard line. Shene also had field goals of 32 and 22 yards.
Tebow hit Harvin on a screen pass and Harvin went 19 yards for Florida's opening score with 14:52 left in the first half for a 7-3 lead. With 7:08 remaining, Tebow scored on a 9-yard run to put the Gators (4-0, 2-0) ahead 14-6. Florida started that series on its 2.
Tebow's 6-yard run with 10:05 left in the third made it 21-6. He hit junior wide receiver Louis Murphy on a 37-yard touchdown strike at 5:17 to put Florida up, 27-6. Murphy had two catches for 57 yards and a score.
Junior Cornelius Ingram caught two passes for 41 yards and Florida racked up 507 total yards. Harvin is the first Florida player to have double-digit receptions since Dallas Baker had 10 in the 2006 Outback Bowl.
Ole Miss senior running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who averaged 123.7 yards per game, finished with 37 yards on 11 carries. Adams completed 18 of 31 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. His status was in question after spraining his shoulder last week. Senior safety Tony Joiner picked him off the possession before Ijjas' field goal. The win marks Florida's first in its last four tries in the state of Mississippi.
"I'm 100 percent confident with the ball in Tebow's hands," Murphy said.
Said Meyer: "I'm anxious to get on the plane and get the hell out of here."