# 1952 Florida Gators football team

The 1952 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1952 college football season. The season was Bob Woodruff's third and most successful as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Woodruff's 1952 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 8–3 and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 3–3, placing sixth among twelve SEC teams.

## Before the season

After Sullivan's early departure for the Boston Red Sox left the Gators without a starting quarterback, Doug Dickey advanced from seventh on the Gators' depth chart to starter. The Gators were led by fullback Rick Casares, halfback J. "Pappa" Hall, alternating quarterbacks Doug Dickey and Fred Robinson, and lineman Charlie LaPradd, the Gators' lightest tackle and one of their two captains. Also in the backfield was Buford Long.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 20 | Stetson* | | Florida FieldGainesville, FL | W 33–6 | 20,000 |
| September 27 | at Georgia Tech | | Grant FieldAtlanta, GA | L 14–17 | 30,939 |
| October 4 | vs. The Citadel* | | Gator Bowl StadiumJacksonville, FL | W 33–0 | 21,000 |
| October 11 | Clemson* | | Florida FieldGainesville, FL | W 54–13 | 25,000 |
| October 18 | at Vanderbilt | | Dudley FieldNashville, TN | L 13–20 | 20,000 |
| October 25 | vs. Georgia | No. 20 | Gator Bowl StadiumJacksonville, FL (rivalry) | W 30–0 | 37,000 |
| November 1 | Auburn | No. 17 | Florida FieldGainesville, FL (rivalry) | W 31–21 | 35,500 |
| November 15 | at No. 7 Tennessee | No. 18 | Shields–Watkins FieldKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | L 12–26 | 35,000 |
| November 22 | Miami (FL)* | | Florida FieldGainesville, FL (rivalry) | W 43–6 | 35,000 |
| December 6 | No. 19 Kentucky | No. 17 | Florida FieldGainesville, FL (rivalry) | W 27–0 | 29,000 |
| January 1, 1953 | vs. No. 12 Tulsa* | No. 15 | Gator Bowl StadiumJacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl) | W 14–13 | 30,015 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Game summaries
### Stetson

The season opened with a 33–6 defeat of the Stetson Hatters.

### Georgia Tech

The national champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat Florida on a last-second field goal, 14–17.

### Citadel

The Citadel lost to Florida 33–0.

### Clemson

Florida blew out the Clemson Tigers 54–13.

### Vanderbilt

On a cold Dudley Field, Florida lost to Vanderbilt 20–13.

### Georgia

The Gators dominated rival Georgia 33–0 in Jacksonville, remaining the Gators' largest victory over the Bulldogs for almost forty years. Casares ran for 108 yards, kicked a field goal, and made all the extra points. Even National champion Georgia Tech needed a last-second field goal to defeat the Gators.

### Auburn

The defeat of Georgia was followed by another conference victory, 31–21 over Auburn Tigers.

### Tennessee

The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Gators 12–26.

### Miami

The Gators had another blowout of the in-state rival Miami Hurricanes 43–6.

### Kentucky

Florida defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 27–0.

## Postseason

The season ended with the Gators' first appearance in an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game, a closely matched 14–13 Gator Bowl victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on January 1, 1953, in which star fullback Rick Casares kicked the winning extra points for the margin of victory.
LaPradd was All-American.