# 2009 Florida Gators football team

The 2009 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2009 college football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They were led by fifth-year head coach Urban Meyer, who coached the Gators to a first-place finish in the SEC East, a 51–24 Sugar Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats, and an overall win–loss record of 13–1 (.929).
With senior quarterback Tim Tebow and eleven defensive starters returning, the Gators had hoped to repeat as back-to-back national champions following their BCS National Championship at the end of the 2008 season. They finished with an undefeated 12–0 regular season, their first since 1995, but the Gators' 32–13 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game derailed their national title hopes, and forced them to settle for a berth in the Sugar Bowl. At the conclusion of the 2009 season, the Gators were ranked No. 3 in both major polls.
On December 26, 2009, Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley announced that Urban Meyer would step down as the team's head coach for health and family reasons. The following day, Meyer stated that he would instead take an indefinite leave of absence, allowing him to resume his position as the head coach. Meyer returned to coach the Gators in spring practice in March 2010.

## Pre-season

On January 11, 2009, during the national championship celebration at the University of Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow announced his intention to return for his senior season, followed on January 15 by linebacker Brandon Spikes intention to return as well. With Spikes' return, the entire two-deep of the Gators defense was set to return for the 2009 season. One major loss was All-America wide receiver Percy Harvin, who opted to leave the University of Florida to enter the 2009 NFL draft.
The Gators also lost offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Dan Mullen, who became the head coach at Mississippi State following Sylvester Croom's resignation. Former offensive line coach Steve Addazio was named as Mullen's replacement, with Scot Loeffler hired to take on the role of quarterback coach.
The Gators played their spring scrimmage on April 18, 2009, with the Orange winning.
Florida was voted #1 in both the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll and the AP Poll. The Gators received the highest ever percentage of preseason #1 votes in the history of the AP Poll, which began in 1950.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Charleston Southern* | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | FSN | W 62–3 | 90,621 |
| September 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Troy* | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | SECN | W 56–6 | 90,349 |
| September 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Tennessee | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL (rivalry) | CBS | W 23–13 | 90,894 |
| September 26 | 6:00 p.m. | at Kentucky | No. 1 | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY (rivalry) | ESPN2 | W 41–7 | 71,011 |
| October 10 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 4 LSU | No. 1 | Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA (College GameDay) (rivalry) | CBS | W 13–3 | 93,129 |
| October 17 | 2:30 pm | Arkansas | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | CBS | W 23–20 | 90,508 |
| October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | at Mississippi State | No. 2 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | ESPN | W 29–19 | 57,178 |
| October 31 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. Georgia | No. 1 | Jacksonville Municipal StadiumJacksonville, FL (rivalry) | CBS | W 41–17 | 84,604 |
| November 7 | 7:15 p.m. | Vanderbilt | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | ESPN2 | W 27–3 | 90,694 |
| November 14 | 3:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | No. 1 | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | CBS | W 24–14 | 79,297 |
| November 21 | 12:30 p.m. | FIU* | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | PPV | W 62–3 | 90,473 |
| November 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Florida State* | No. 1 | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL (College GameDay) (rivalry) | CBS | W 37–10 | 90,907 |
| December 5 | 4:30 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Alabama | No. 1 | Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (SEC Championship / rivalry) (College GameDay) | CBS | L 13–32 | 75,514 |
| January 1, 2010 | 8:30 p.m. | vs. No. 4 Cincinnati* | No. 5 | Louisiana SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) | FOX | W 51–24 | 65,207 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game ||||||||
Sources: 2012 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, and GatorZone.com.

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 1 (58) | 1 (56) | 1 (56) | 1 (55) | 1 (55) | 1 (54) | 1 (50) | 2 (20) | 1 (30) | 1 (38) | 1 (39) | 1 (36) | 1 (36) | 1 (46) | 5 | 3 |
| Coaches | 1 (53) | 1 (56) | 1 (56) | 1 (59) | 1 (58) | 1 (57) | 1 (53) | 1 (49) | 1 (46) | 1 (50) | 1 (48) | 1 (48) | 1 (47) | 1 (53) | 5 | 3 |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 1 (99) | 1 (97) | 1 (99) | 1 (77) | 1 (75) | 1 (83) | 1 (82) | 1 (78) | 1 (78) | 1 (82) | 5 | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Charleston Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| #1 Gators | 14 | 28 | 13 | 7 | 62 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: September 5, 2009
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 90,621
* Referee: Matt Moore
* TV: Sun/FSN
Game information :
1st Quarter
FLA – Jeffery Demps, 8-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:05. Gators 7–0.
FLA – Chris Rainey, 76-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 4:34. Gators 14–0.
2nd Quarter
FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 14:22. Gators 21–0.
FLA – Jeffery Demps, 23-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:39. Gators 28–0.
FLA – Aaron Hernandez, 28-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 7:55. Gators 35–0.
CSU – John Paglia 38-yard field goal, 5:37. Gators 35–3.
FLA – Brandon James 85-yard kickoff yard return (Jonathan Phillips kick), 5:24. Gators 42–3.
3rd Quarter
FLA – Justin Williams 7-yard pass from John Brantley (PAT failed), 12:39. Gators 48–3.
FLA – Cade Holliday 9-yard pass from John Brantley (Jonathan Phillips kick), 0:24. Gators 55–3.
4th Quarter
FLA – Mike Gillislee 7-yard run (Jonathan Philips kick), 9:33. Gators 62–3.
Pregame Line
Off :
In the season opener, the Gators met the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in Gainesville. In a game that was never close, the Gators won 62–3. John Brantley threw for 67 yards and 2 touchdowns.

### Troy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Trojans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| #1 Gators | 7 | 28 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: September 12, 2009
* Game time: 12:20 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C) (Light rain)
* Game attendance: 90,349
* Referee: Tom Ritter
* TV: SEC Network
Game information :
1st Quarter
FLA – Deonte Thompson, 6-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 6:39. Gators 7–0.
TROY – Sam Glusman, 45-yard field goal, 0:51. Gators 7–3.
2nd Quarter
FLA – Riley Cooper, 36-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 11:33. Gators 14–3.
FLA – Tim Tebow, 4-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 8:04. Gators 21–3.
FLA – Deonte Thompson, 33-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 7:44. Gators 28–3.
FLA – Jeffery Demps, 24-yard run (Jonathan Phillips kick), 4:03. Gators 35–3.
3rd Quarter
FLA – Brandon James, 32-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips kick), 12:27. Gators 42–3.
FLA – Chris Rainey 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 8:38. Gators 49–3.
TROY – Sam Glusman 42-yard field goal, 0:39. Gators 49–6.
4th Quarter
FLA – Mike Gillislee 6-yard pass from John Brantley (Caleb Sturgis kick), 6:19. Gators 56–6.
Pregame line
–37 :
The Florida Gators met the Troy Trojans in Gainesville, Florida. After a slow start, the Gators scored four times in the second quarter before cruising to a 56–6 victory.

### Tennessee

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Volunteers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| #1 Gators | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: September 19, 2009
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 89 °F (32 °C) (Partly cloudy)
* Game attendance: 90,894
* Referee: Penn Wagers
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information :
1st Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 37-yard field goal, 11:33. Gators 3–0.
TENN – Daniel Lincoln, 24-yard field goal, 3:00. Tied 3–3.
2nd Quarter
FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 12:48. Gators 10–3.
TENN – Daniel Lincoln, 20-yard field goal, 5:56. Gators 10–6.
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 29-yard field goal, 0:51. Gators 13–6.
3rd Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 35-yard field goal, 9:33. Gators 16–6.
FLA – Jeffery Demps 7-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 0:07. Gators 23–6.
4th Quarter
TENN – Montario Hardesty 17-yard run (Daniel Lincoln kick), 8:11. Gators 23–13.
Pregame line
–30 :
In what may have been the most talked about game all pre-season, the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers met in Gainesville, Florida. Most of the pre-game talk surrounded comments made by Volunteer's head coach Lane Kiffin. The game remained close until the end with the Gators holding on for a 23–13 victory.

### Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #1 Gators | 31 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 41 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky
* Date: September 26, 2009
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C) (Mostly cloudy)
* Game attendance: 71,011
* Referee: Steve Shaw
* TV: ESPN2
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | FLA | KTY |
| 1 | FLA | 11:13 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 32 yd FG | | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 | FLA | 7:11 | TD | Tim Tebow, 3 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 10 | 0 |
| 1 | FLA | 6:04 | TD | Chris Rainey, Recovers blocked punt in end zone | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 17 | 0 |
| 1 | FLA | 5:56 | TD | Tim Tebow, 2 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 24 | 0 |
| 1 | FLA | 0:00 | TD | Aaron Hernandez, 44 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 31 | 0 |
| 2 | KTY | 2:44 | TD | Ross Bogue 2 yd pass from Mike Hartline | Lones Seiber Kick | 7 | 31 | 7 |
| 3 | FLA | 3:45 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 32 yd FG | | 3 | 34 | 7 |
| 4 | FLA | 6:39 | TD | Riley Cooper 8 yd pass from John Brantley | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 41 | 7 |
Pregame Line: -20.5
In their first road game of the season, the Florida Gators traveled to Lexington, Kentucky to face the Wildcats. The Gators quickly took at 31–0 lead in the first quarter before going on to win 41–7. The biggest news story to come out of the game was a concussion suffered by Tim Tebow during the third quarter. Tebow spent the night in a Lexington hospital; returning two weeks later for Florida's 13–3 win at LSU.

### LSU

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #1 Gators | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| #4 Tigers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Date: October 10, 2009
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 93,129
* Referee: Hubert Owens
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information :
1st Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 28-yard field goal, 3:50. Gators 3–0.
2nd Quarter
LSU – Josh Jasper, 18-yard field goal, 5:16. Tied 3–3.
FLA – Riley Cooper, 24-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 0:50. Gators 10–3.
3rd Quarter
None.
4th Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 32-yard field goal, 7:27. Gators 13–3.
Pregame Line
–10
Leading passers
FLA – Tim Tebow – 11/16, 134 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
LSU – Jordan Jefferson – 11/17, 96 yards, 1 INT
Leading rushers
FLA – Jeffery Demps – 16 rushes, 86 yards
LSU – Charles Scott – 13 rushes, 53 yards
Leading receivers
FLA – Aaron Hernandez – 6 receptions, 70 yards
LSU – Brandon LaFell – 4 receptions, 44 yards :

### Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Razorbacks | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| #1 Gators | 0 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 23 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: October 17, 2009
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 90,508
* Referee: Marc Curles
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information :
1st Quarter
None.
2nd Quarter
ARK – Broderick Green, 1-yard run (Alex Tejada kick), 3:00. Razorbacks 7–0.
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 30-yard field goal, 1:40. Razorbacks 7–3.
ARK – Alex Tejada, 22-yard field goal, 0:00. Razorbacks 10–3.
3rd Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 51-yard field goal, 10:53. Razorbacks 10–6.
FLA – Deonte Thompson, 77-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 2:59. Gators 13–10.
ARK – Alex Tejada, 31-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 13–13.
4th Quarter
ARK – Greg Childs, 75-yard pass from Ryan Mallett (Alex Tejada kick), 9:40. Razorbacks 20–13.
FLA – Jeffery Demps, 10-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 7:27. Tied 20–20.
FLA – Caleb Sturgis 27-yard field goal, 0:09. Gators 23–20.
Pregame line
–24.5 :

### Mississippi State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #2 Gators | 3 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 29 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi
* Date: October 24, 2009
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 57,178
* Referee: Penn Wagers
* TV announcers (ESPN): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color commentator) & Erin Andrews (sideline reporter)
Pregame Line: -22
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | FLA | MSU |
| 1 | MSU | 9:05 | FG | Derek DePasquale 43 yd FG | | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1 | FLA | 3:36 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 21 yd FG | | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | FLA | 13:16 | TD | Tim Tebow, 26 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 10 | 3 |
| 2 | FLA | 7:15 | FG | Caleb Sturgis, 21 yd FG | | 3 | 13 | 3 |
| 2 | MSU | 0:27 | TD | Johnthan Banks, 100 yd interception return | Derek Depasquale Kick | 7 | 13 | 10 |
| 3 | MSU | 9:32 | FG | Derek Depasquale 31 yd FG | | 3 | 13 | 13 |
| 3 | FLA | 5:15 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 27 yd FG | | 3 | 16 | 13 |
| 4 | FLA | 9:08 | TD | Chris Rainey 8 yd run | FAILED | 6 | 22 | 13 |
| 4 | FLA | 8:25 | TD | Dustin Doe, 23 yd interception return | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 29 | 13 |
| 4 | MSU | 3:51 | FG | Johnthan Banks, 20 yd interception return | 2PT FAILED | 6 | 29 | 19 |

### Georgia

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| #1 Gators | 14 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: October 31, 2009
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C) (Partly cloudy)
* Game attendance: 84,604
* Referee: Tom Ritter
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Pregame Line: -16
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | UGA | FLA |
| 1 | FLA | 12:21 | TD | Riley Cooper, 22 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | FLA | 3:20 | TD | Riley Cooper, 29 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | UGA | 13:45 | FG | Blair Walsh 49 yd FG | | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | UGA | 10:40 | TD | Aron White, 26 yd pass from Joe Cox | Blair Walsh Kick | 7 | 10 | 14 |
| 2 | FLA | 4:47 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 56 yd FG | | 3 | 10 | 17 |
| 2 | FLA | 1:32 | TD | Tim Tebow, 23 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| 3 | FLA | 13:30 | TD | Tim Tebow, 5 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| 3 | UGA | 6:17 | TD | Michael Moore, 4 yd pass from Joe Cox | Blair Walsh Kick | 7 | 17 | 31 |
| 4 | FLA | 7:42 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 44 yd FG | | 3 | 17 | 34 |
| 4 | FLA | 6:24 | TD | Brandon Spikes, 5 yd interception return | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 17 | 41 |

### Vanderbilt

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| #1 Gators | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: November 7, 2009
* Game time: 7:15 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) (Clear)
* Game attendance: 90,694
* Referee: Steve Shaw
* TV: ESPN2
Pregame Line: -35
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | VAN | FLA |
| 1 | FLA | 1:00 | FG | Caleb Sturgis, 27 yd FG | | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | FLA | 12:43 | TD | Jeffery Demps, 25 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 2 | FLA | 6:08 | FG | Caleb Sturgis 45 yd FG | | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| 3 | VAN | 8:40 | FG | Ryan Fowler, 32 yd FG | | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | FLA | 1:52 | TD | Tim Tebow, 1 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| 4 | FLA | 1:32 | TD | David Nelson, 8 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 3 | 27 |

### South Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #1 Gators | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Gamecocks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
* Date: November 14, 2009
* Game time: 3:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 79,297
* Referee: Hubert Owens
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Pregame Line: -17.5
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | FLA | SC |
| 1 | FLA | 12:04 | FG | Riley Cooper, 68 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | SC | 5:51 | TD | Brian Maddox, 1 yd run | Spencer Lanning Kick | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 1 | FLA | 1:18 | FG | Caleb Sturgis, 32 yd FG | | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| 2 | FLA | 10:28 | TD | Emmanuel Moody, 17 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 17 | 7 |
| 2 | SC | 2:10 | TD | Weslye Saunders 9 yd pass from Stephen Garcia | Spencer Lanning Kick | 7 | 17 | 14 |
| 3 | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter | No scoring in 3rd Quarter |
| 4 | FLA | 13:25 | TD | Tim Tebow 1 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 24 | 14 |

### Florida International

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| #1 Gators | 14 | 21 | 14 | 13 | 62 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: November 21, 2009
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 90,473
* Referee: Hubert Owens
* TV: PPV
Pregame Line: -45
| Scoring Summary |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | Score | Score | Score |
| Q | Team | Time | Scoring Play | Scoring Play | Extra Point | + | FIU | FLA |
| 1 | FLA | 13:10 | TD | Brandon Spikes, 41 yd interception return | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | FLA | 9:18 | TD | Tim Tebow, 55 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | FLA | 13:39 | TD | Chris Rainey, 27 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| 2 | FLA | 9:41 | TD | Chris Rainey, 22 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| 2 | FLA | 1:38 | TD | Jeffery Demps, 3 yd run | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| 2 | FIU | 0:29 | FG | Dustin Rivest 37 yd FG | | 3 | 3 | 35 |
| 3 | FLA | 13:38 | TD | Riley Cooper, 18 yd pass from Tim Tebow | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 3 | 42 |
| 3 | FLA | 4:06 | TD | Omarius Hines 20 yd pass from John Brantley | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 3 | 49 |
| 4 | FLA | 11:10 | TD | Justin Williams, 16 yd pass from John Brantley | Caleb Sturgis Kick | 7 | 3 | 56 |
| 4 | FLA | 2:28 | TD | Frankie Hammond Jr. 31 yd pass from John Brantley | PAT Blocked | 6 | 3 | 62 |

### Florida State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seminoles | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| #1 Gators | 7 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 37 |
at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
* Date: November 28, 2009
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) (Partly cloudy)
* Game attendance: 90,907
* Referee: Matt Austin
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information :
1st Quarter
FLA – Aaron Hernandez, 18-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 6:48. Gators 7–0.
2nd Quarter
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 37-yard field goal, 14:55. Gators 10–0.
FLA – Tim Tebow, 18-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 3:59. Gators 17–0.
FLA – Aaron Hernandez, 37-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:07. Gators 24–0.
3rd Quarter
FLA – Riley Cooper, 39-yard pass from Tim Tebow (PAT blocked), 11:27. Gators 30–0.
FSU – Dustin Hopkins, 20-yard field goal, 0:00. Gators 30–3.
4th Quarter
FLA – Tim Tebow, 1-yard run (Caleb Sturgis kick), 10:18. Gators 37–3.
FSU – Jarmon Fortson, 9-yard pass from E. J. Manuel (Dustin Hopkins kick), 8:11. Gators 37–10.
Pregame line
–24.5 :
In the regular season finale, the Gators blew by the Seminoles 37–10. A new attendance record at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was set with 90,907 present.

### SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #1 Gators | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| #2 Crimson Tide | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 32 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
* Date: December 5, 2009
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
* Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 75,514
* Referee: Matt Austin
* TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Game information :
1st Quarter
ALA – Leigh Tiffin, 48-yard field goal, 10:37. Crimson Tide 3–0.
ALA – Mark Ingram II, 7-yard run (PAT failed), 5:33. Crimson Tide 9–0.
FLA – Caleb Sturgis, 48-yard field goal, 0:28. Crimson Tide 9–3.
2nd Quarter
ALA – Leigh Tiffin, 34-yard field goal, 6:03. Crimson Tide 12–3.
FLA – David Nelson, 23-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Caleb Sturgis kick), 4:31. Crimson Tide 12–10.
ALA – Mark Ingram, 3-yard run (Leigh Tiffin kick), 3:32. Crimson Tide 19–10.
FLA – Caleb Sturgis 32-yard field goal, 1:18. Crimson Tide 19–13.
3rd Quarter
ALA – Colin Peek 17-yard pass from Greg McElroy (Leigh Tiffin kick), 9:53. Crimson Tide 26–13.
4th Quarter
ALA – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (2PT attempt failed), 13:49. Crimson Tide 32–13.
Pregame Line
–5.0
Leading passers
FLA – Tim Tebow – 20/35, 247 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
ALA – Greg McElroy – 12/18, 239 yards, 1 TD
Leading rushers
FLA – Tim Tebow – 10 rushes, 63 yards
ALA – Mark Ingram II – 28 rushes, 113 yards, 3 TD
Leading receivers
FLA – Aaron Hernandez – 8 receptions, 85 yards
ALA – Marquis Maze – 5 receptions, 96 yards :
In a rematch of last year's SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide handed the Gators their only loss of the season. Alabama running back Mark Ingram II scored three touchdowns in the 32–13 win.

### Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #5 Gators | 9 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 51 |
| #4 Bearcats | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: January 1, 2010
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
* Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 65, 207
* Referee: Jack Folliard (Pac-10)
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman (play–by–play), Brian Billick (color commentator)

## Personnel
### Depth chart

(revised 12-2–09)
Defense :
* S
* Will Hill
* Dee Finley
* FS
* Major Wright
* Josh Evans
| WLB | MLB | SLB |
| ⋅ | Brandon Spikes | ⋅ |
| Jelani Jenkins | Brandon Beal | ⋅ |
* SS
* Ahmad Black
* Will Hill
* CB
* Joe Haden
* Markihe Anderson
| DE | NT | DE |
| Jermaine Cunningham | Jaye Howard | Carlos Dunlap |
| William Green | Justin Trattou | Justin Trattou |
* CB
* Janoris Jenkins
* Wondy Pierre-Louis
Offense :
* WR
* Riley Cooper
* Justin Williams
* WR
* Deonte Thompson
* Frankie Hammond, Jr.
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Carl Johnson | James Wilson | Maurkice Pouncey | Mike Pouncey | Marcus Gilbert |
| Matt Patchan | Corey Hobbs | Sam Robey | Maurice Hurt | David Young |
* TE
* Aaron Hernandez
* Josh Postell
* WR
* David Nelson
* Omarius Hines
* QB
* Tim Tebow
* John Brantley
* Key reserves
* KR Chris Rainey
* QB Jordan Reed
* TB Emmanuel Moody
* RB
* Jeff Demps
* Chris Rainey
* Special teams
* PK Jonathan Phillips
* PK Caleb Sturgis
* P Chas Henry
* P David Lerner
* KR Brandon James
* PR Brandon James
* H Chas Henry

### Coaching staff
## Statistics
### Team

| | Gators | Opponents |
| Scoring | 502 | 174 |
| Points per game | 35.9 | 12.4 |
| First Downs | 314 | 208 |
| Rushing | 158 | 84 |
| Passing | 142 | 103 |
| Penalty | 14 | 21 |
| Total Offense | 6410 | 3536 |
| Avg per play | 7.0 | 4.2 |
| Avg per game | 457.9 | 252.6 |
| Fumbles–Lost | 17–11 | 19–3 |
| Penalties–Yards | 95–735 | 78–638 |
| Avg per game | 52.5 | 45.6 |
| | Gators | Opponents |
| Punts–Yards | 34–1,476 | 81–3,253 |
| Avg per punt | 43.4 | 40.2 |
| Time of Possession/Game | 30:45 | 29:15 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 87/177 | 58/194 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 11/17 | 11/22 |
| Touchdowns scored | 63 | 18 |
| Field Goals–Attempts | 22–31 | 17–21 |
| PAT–Attempts | 58–63 | 15–16 |
| Total Attendance | 634,446 | 300,615 |
| Games/Avg per Game | 7/90,635 | 7/75,131 |

### Scores by quarter

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Opponents | 25 | 63 | 22 | 27 | 137 |
| Gators | 112 | 164 | 87 | 91 | 454 |

### Offense
#### Rushing

| Name | CAR | YDS | YPC | Long | TD |
| Tebow | 217 | 910 | 4.2 | 55 | 14 |
| Demps | 99 | 745 | 7.5 | 62 | 7 |
| Rainey | 89 | 575 | 6.5 | 76 | 5 |
| Moody | 58 | 378 | 6.5 | 32 | 3 |
| Gillislee | 31 | 267 | 8.6 | 52 | 1 |
| James | 20 | 109 | 5.4 | 25 | 0 |
| Brantley | 13 | 67 | 5.2 | 23 | 0 |
| Scott | 9 | 26 | 2.9 | 13 | 0 |
| Hernandez | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 16 | 0 |
| Cooper | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 |
| Blaylock | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 9 | 0 |
| Brown | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | 2 | 0 |
| Thompson | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 555 | 3,105 | 5.6 | 76 | 30 |
| Opponents | 449 | 1,397 | 3.1 | 42 | 6 |

#### Passing

| Name | GP-GS | Cmp-Att-Int | Pct | Yds | TD |
| Tebow | 14–14 | 213-314-5 | 67.8% | 2,895 | 21 |
| Brantley | 7–0 | 36–48–0 | 75% | 410 | 7 |
| Cooper | 14–0 | 0-1-0 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Total | | 249-364-5 | 68.4% | 3,305 | 28 |
| Opponents | | 208-396-20 | 52.5% | 2,139 | 10 |

#### Receiving

| Name | REC | YDS | YPR | Long | TD |
| Hernandez | 68 | 850 | 12.5 | 64 | 5 |
| Cooper | 51 | 961 | 18.8 | 80 | 9 |
| Nelson | 25 | 291 | 11.6 | 30 | 2 |
| Thompson | 24 | 343 | 14.3 | 77 | 4 |
| James | 24 | 215 | 9.0 | 32 | 1 |
| Hines | 14 | 172 | 12.3 | 25 | 1 |
| Rainey | 10 | 161 | 16.1 | 33 | 1 |
| Demps | 8 | 52 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 |
| Moody | 8 | 45 | 5.6 | 18 | 0 |
| Holliday | 6 | 102 | 17.0 | 33 | 1 |
| Williams | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 16 | 2 |
| Hammond | 4 | 57 | 14.2 | 31 | 1 |
| Gillislee | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 1 |
| Total | 249 | 3,305 | 13.3 | 80 | 28 |
| Opponents | 208 | 2,139 | 10.3 | 75 | 10 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 1 | 7 | Joe Haden | CB | Cleveland Browns |
| 1 | 18 | Maurkice Pouncey | C | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1 | 25 | Tim Tebow | QB | Denver Broncos |
| 2 | 53 | Jermaine Cunningham | DE | New England Patriots |
| 2 | 54 | Carlos Dunlap | DE | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 2 | 62 | Brandon Spikes | LB | New England Patriots |
| 3 | 75 | Major Wright | S | Chicago Bears |
| 4 | 113 | Aaron Hernandez | TE | New England Patriots |
| 5 | 159 | Riley Cooper | WR | Philadelphia Eagles |