2006 Florida Gators football team The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 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 . The season was the second for head coach Urban Meyer , who led the Gators to an SEC Championship , a BCS National Championship , and an overall win - loss record of 13 – 1 ( . 929 ) . Florida overcame the toughest schedule in the nation by opponent winning percentage to become national champions . The Gators won their seventh SEC title by defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 38 – 28 in SEC Championship Game on December 2 , 2006 , then defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 41 – 14 in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8 , 2007 , beginning the SEC ' s streak of six consecutive national championships . During the 2006 season , the Gators also celebrated two milestones in their history : the tenth anniversary of their first national football championship in 1996 , and 100 years of Florida football dating to their first season in 1906 . In addition , with the men ' s basketball team winning the 2006 and 2007 NCAA men ' s basketball national championships , the University of Florida became the first Division I school to ever win the football and men ' s basketball titles during the same year . Ten - year national championship anniversary . The Gators celebrated the ten - year anniversary of winning their 1996 national championship in football during the opening game against Southern Miss . Among the attendees was Steve Spurrier , who coached the team to its only championship that season but now coaches at South Carolina . Many people had speculated that because of Spurrier ' s hiring as the South Carolina Gamecocks coach he would be booed , but instead he received a very loud ovation during the ceremony . Pre - season . Most polls had Florida listed as one of the top 10 teams entering the season . The Gators had their best pre - season ranking from College Football News , which listed them at No . 2 , behind only defending champion Texas . Most of the starters returned from a 2005 team that went 9 – 3 and they were bolstered by a top - rated recruiting class the previous February . The Gators ' schedule included a four - game stretch against teams likely to be in the top - 15 teams , starting with Alabama on September 30 . Schedule . Sources : " 2012 Florida Football Media Guide " , and GatorZone . com . Game notes . Southern Miss . Pregame line : Florida – 20 . 5 The Gators scored the last 34 points of the game after surrendering a touchdown with 12 : 40 to play in the 1st quarter . Chris Leak ' s third pass attempt of the game was intercepted by the Golden Eagles , who scored on a 6 - yard Damion Carter pass to Jeremy Young 3 plays later . Leak rebounded to finish 21 - of - 30 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns . DeShawn Wynn and Tim Tebow each rushed for a touchdown for the Gators . Central Florida . Pregame line : Florida – 23 Despite giving up four turnovers and forcing none , the Gators easily beat the spread for the second time this season . By forcing a safety in the third quarter , the Gator defense outscored the blanked Golden Knights offense . It was the Gators ' first shutout since blanking Mississippi State on September 29 , 2001 . Visiting Central Florida averaged just 2 . 6 yards per play and 153 total yards in the game . Florida quarterback Chris Leak was 19 - of - 29 for 352 yards and four touchdowns . Freshman receiver Percy Harvin had a coming - out game with a 58 - yard touchdown reception to open the scoring , en route to a 4 - catch , 99 - yards receiving day . Andre Caldwell caught two touchdowns , and Dallas Baker added one more for the Gators . Florida reserve QB Tim Tebow led the game in rushing , with 61 yards . Tennessee . Pregame line : Florida – 3 . 5 Florida jumped out to an early 7 – 0 lead , but the Volunteers quickly took the momentum back when wide receiver Lucas Taylor threw a 47 - yard touchdown pass to LaMarcus Coker . The Volunteers shot out of the gate in the second half with an impressive touchdown drive capped by a one yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty , giving the Vols a 17 – 7 lead . Chris Leak rallied the Gators to within a field goal when he found Dallas Baker for a four yard touchdown . Tennessee pulled ahead by six when James Wilhoit hit a 51 - yard field goal early in the fourth . Leak again rallied the team , but it was freshman Tim Tebow who made a huge play when he converted a crucial fourth down inside Tennessee territory . Leak came back into the game , and continued his strong play , finding Dallas Baker again for a 21 - yard touchdown pass which would eventually prove to be the game winning score . The following drive , Junior quarterback Erik Ainge threw an interception to Reggie Nelson to seal a Gator victory . The win made them No . 5 in the AP and Coaches polls . Kentucky . Pregame line : Florida – 23 The Gators quickly jumped out to a 6 – 0 lead on a trick play that led to a Chris Leak pass to Jemalle Cornelius for a touchdown just over two minutes into the game . From there , the Gators offense stagnated for most of the first half . The Wildcats took the lead briefly with a touchdown with under two minutes to play in the half , but the Gators responded with a touchdown of their own on a DeShawn Wynn run with : 26 left in the half to take a 12 – 7 lead . Both Gator PATs were blocked in the half . The second half of the game was more of a defensive struggle for both teams , but the Gators scored two more touchdowns ( and made both PATs ) to make the final score 26 – 7 . Freshman Tim Tebow — the backup quarterback — led the Gators in rushing for the second time in four games with 73 yards on six rushes . The week prior to the game , it was announced that DT Marcus Thomas was indefinitely suspended after failing a drug test . He appealed the suspension , but missed the Kentucky game while awaiting word on the appeal . Alabama . Pregame line : Florida – 13 Florida went with a throwback uniform style for the game , wearing uniforms from the mid - 1960s as a part of the 100 - year celebration of Florida Football . Prior to the game , Florida also unveiled its four initial entries into the Gator Football Ring of Honor — Emmitt Smith , Danny Wuerffel , Steve Spurrier , and Jack Youngblood . Florida entered the game hoping to avenge a 31 – 3 loss in Tuscaloosa , Alabama the previous season , and end a rare three - game losing streak against a conference opponent . The Gators trailed for nearly the entire first three quarters . After a botched snap between center Steve Rissler and quarterback Chris Leak , Alabama ' s Prince Hall returned the fumble for their only touchdown of the game . The Tide added a field goal to take a 10 – 0 lead that held until just before the half . Late in the first half , Chris Leak had a career - long 45 - yard run . Three plays later , a Tim Tebow designed sneak scored from 2 yards out , putting the Gators on the board with 1 : 45 left in the half . The Gators took their first lead with 2 : 39 left in the third quarter on a Leak pass to Andre Caldwell , making it 14 – 10 . The Tide kept it close , kicking a 26 - yard field goal to make it a 1 - point game in the fourth quarter . Leak found Dallas Baker on a 21 - yard touchdown pass to strengthen Florida ' s lead , and safety Reggie Nelson picked off John Parker Wilson ' s pass and took it 70 yards for the score to put the game out of reach . LSU . Pregame line : Florida + 2 . 5 ESPN ' s College GameDay was on campus for the Top - 10 tilt between the Tigers and Gators . The attendance of 90 , 714 was two shy of the stadium record . Like in their other 3 SEC victories , the Gators fell behind in the first half , allowing an LSU touchdown drive after a fumble on the opening drive . After the Tigers muffed on a Gator punt a drive later , reserve freshman QB Tim Tebow scored on a QB sneak from one yard out to tie the game . The Gators also scored right before halftime on Tebow ' s first touchdown pass , where he faked a leap over the pile and threw the ball to a falling Tate Casey . Tebow added a more conventional touchdown pass to Louis Murphy early in the third quarter . The Tigers ' Early Doucet fumbled the second half kickoff into the end zone for a safety , which led to the long Tebow throw on the next drive . Starting QB Chris Leak , despite going 17 - of - 26 passing , was held without a touchdown for the first time this season . Auburn . Pregame line : Pick ' em ESPN ' s College GameDay was at Jordan - Hare Stadium to cover the critical SEC matchup between the number two ranked Gators and the number eleven ranked Tigers . Both Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit picked the Gators to defeat the Tigers . The game was broadcast on ESPN Full Circle . The Tigers scored early , taking the opening drive to the Gators ' 5 - yard - line before being forced to kick a field goal . The Gators responded with a field goal , their first of the season for a 3 – 3 tie at the end of the first quarter . In the second quarter , with a touchdown pass from Chris Leak to Dallas Baker the Gators took a 10 – 3 lead . Soon thereafter , the Gators seemingly averted danger when they stripped the ball from the Tigers at the goal line . One play later , however , a Jim Tartt holding penalty in the end zone forced a safety , giving Auburn the ball back and two points . With about 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter Auburn kicked another field goal to make the score 10 – 8 . The Gators strengthened their lead to 17 – 8 on a Tim Tebow run . Auburn kicked one additional field goal with 30 seconds in the quarter to cut the Gator lead to 17 – 11 at the half . The second half belonged entirely to the Tigers , as they shut Florida out in the half and blocked a punt for a score to take the lead by one point in the third quarter . The Gators threatened to take the lead midway through the fourth until a controversial Chris Leak fumble caused by Tray Blackmon of the Tigers gave Auburn the ball . A late field goal put Auburn up four points with just over 30 seconds to go in the game . In desperation , Florida responded on the last play of the game with a failed hook and lateral play , which Auburn ' s defense was able to pick up and return for a score as time expired . Georgia . Pregame line : Florida – 13 As the Gators came into their annual rivalry game with Georgia , they were heavily favored . Florida scored on their first possession of the game , moving the ball very effectively with a blend of running and passing . Wide receiver Andre Caldwell capped off the drive with a 12 - yard touchdown run off a reverse . Florida ' s defense , which had been touted as one of the best in the SEC , lived up to their billing , stifling the Georgia offense for the entire first half . The Gators added another touchdown before halftime , when Chris Leak threw a 40 - yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell for his second touchdown of the game . Florida ' s defense again came up huge in the second half , when on the first play of the half , Georgia tailback Kregg Lumpkin fumbled the ball and defensive tackle Ray McDonald recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown , giving the Gators a commanding 21 – 0 lead . Florida ' s defense continued to stifle Georgia throughout the second half , until late in the third quarter . After a Chris Leak interception , true freshman quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Bulldogs to a touchdown which he capped off on a 13 - yard touchdown run off a quarterback draw , cutting the deficit to fourteen points . Florida ' s offense was stuffed on the following drive but got a muffed punt by Georgia to regain the ball . However , Florida was unable to capitalize on the turnover , as Chris Hetland again missed a field goal . Georgia was unable to score on the following drive , but freshman Tim Tebow fumbled on Florida ' s 10 - yard line to give Georgia a shot at drawing within seven points . On third down from the 5 - yard line , running back Kregg Lumpkin took a draw play and fought his way for a Georgia touchdown to bring the Bulldogs to within seven points . The Gators and the Bulldogs traded possessions , with the Gators getting the ball back with a little over three minutes in the game . Florida needed a first down on third and five to seal their victory and elected to give Andre Caldwell a carry off a reverse . The play was stopped well short , but Georgia was called for a controversial face mask penalty which gave Florida a first down . Running back DeShawn Wynn , who saw limited action in the game , was able to pick up another first down to seal Florida ' s seventh win of the season . The Gators have now won fifteen of the last eighteen against their hated rivals from Georgia . The win also moved the Gators into fourth place in the BCS rankings . Vanderbilt . Pregame line : Florida – 17 The Gators clinched their trip to the SEC Championship Game with a sloppy win over Vanderbilt . Chris Leak struggled throughout the game , going 18 of 25 passing for 237 yards and one touchdown . Leak threw three interceptions , all of which came with the Gators controlling the flow of the game . Florida got very strong play from its defense and special teams , as they were able to block two punts and force an interception . Before the game , it was announced that star defensive lineman Marcus Thomas was kicked off the team for the remainder of the year . Coach Urban Meyer stated during the game that " Marcus did not meet his responsibilities and obligations to remain on the team . " South Carolina . Pregame line : Florida – 12 . 5 In one of the most anticipated games of the season , former Gator coaching head coach and current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier returned to The Swamp . Spurrier had made two well - received public visits to the stadium earlier in the year as a part of the national championship anniversary celebration and to be enshrined in the Gators ' Ring of Honor . In a thrilling game , Jarvis Moss blocked an extra point , and a potential game winning 48 - yard field goal with only eight seconds remaining in the game . Leading the Gators on offense was Chris Leak , who with 258 yards passing in the game , eclipsed Danny Wuerffel as the All - Time passing yards leader in Gators history . DeShawn Wynn added 86 yards on the ground to help the Gators maintain a steady attack . Freshman Tim Tebow continued his strong season , rushing for a 13 - yard touchdown which proved to be the game winning score . Tebow also converted a critical fourth down play inside Gator territory . Kicker Chris Hetland continued to struggle , missing a 28 - yard field goal . He did , however , kick a 22 - yard field goal . Defensive lineman Jarvis Moss blocked an extra point and two field goals to ensure a Gator victory . Western Carolina . Pregame line : Florida – 48 The third ranked Gators had little trouble disposing of 1 - AA Western Carolina . Chris Leak , who played in his final game at The Swamp , played in the first half , going 9 – 12 for 98 yards and one touchdown . Freshman sensation Tim Tebow took over for the majority of the second half , going 10 – 12 passing , for 200 yards , and two touchdowns . Tebow added two touchdowns rushing along with 47 yards . The Gators used the game to give young players some playing time . A slough of freshman played , including Jarred Fayson , who saw time at quarterback and wide receiver . Riley Cooper , yet another freshman , added three receiving touchdowns in the game . Perhaps the most impressive freshman on the day however , was Mon Williams , who rushed for 97 yards on only nine carries . Brandon James also added a 77 - yard touchdown from a punt return . Overall , the Gators finished with more points ( 62 ) than the Catamounts had yards ( 59 ) . Florida State . Pregame line : Florida – 9 . 5 Chris Leak threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns , Percy Harvin ran for a score and the fourth - ranked Gators beat struggling Florida State 21 – 14 on Saturday to stay in the national title hunt . Florida ( 11 – 1 ) won its third straight against Florida State and improved to 6 – 0 against its three main rivals — Tennessee , Georgia and Florida State — in Meyer ' s two seasons . The victory did not help much in the Bowl Championship Series standings , leaving the Gators looking for assistance to get to the title game , which would come the following weekend . Arkansas ( SEC Championship Game ) . The fourth ranked Gators took on the eighth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2006 SEC Championship Game . Both teams were looking to end their respective SEC Championship droughts , with Florida having not won the title since 2000 , and the Razorbacks losing in their previous two title game appearances . The Gators came into the game favored by three points . Both teams traded three and outs before Florida exploded in the second quarter . Up 3 – 0 , Chris Leak was called for a rare quarterback draw which he converted by fighting into the endzone , giving the Gators a 10 – 0 lead . On the next Florida drive , Leak found game MVP Percy Harvin on a perfectly thrown 37 - yard touchdown pass . However , the Razorbacks came back with a touchdown of their own . Razorbacks quarterback Casey Dick , who had struggled mightily in the past few games , threw a perfect pass to Marcus Monk who caught the pass for a 47 - yard touchdown . The Gators led 17 – 7 heading into the half . At half time , in a stunning development , the second ranked USC Trojans lost in a shocking upset to rival UCLA . With this turn of events , Florida could give themselves a strong chance to overtake No . 2 Michigan and play in the BCS National Championship Game with a win . However , Arkansas came out firing in the second half . Using the unusual " Wildcat Formation " , All American tailback Darren McFadden threw a quick two yard touchdown to fellow tailback Felix Jones . On the next offensive series , Gators quarterback Chris Leak was intercepted on an attempted shovel pass which was returned by Antwain Robinson for a touchdown , giving the Razorbacks a stunning 21 – 17 lead . Florida regained the ball , but was stuffed by the Arkansas defense . Coach Urban Meyer decided to run a fake punt on his own 15 - yard line , which proved to be a good call , as receiver Jemalle Cornelius scampered for a 16 - yard gain . Even with this swing of momentum , the Gators were unable to capitalize and elected to punt from midfield . The momentum changed yet again , this time in Florida ' s favor . Punt returner Reggie Fish muffed the punt after trying to field it over his shoulder ; the ball was recovered in the endzone by freshman Wondy Pierre - Louis , giving the Gators a 24 – 21 lead . The Gators took the three point lead into the fourth quarter knowing with a win , they will have made their case to play in the BCS National Championship Game . Explosive freshman Percy Harvin gave Florida a ten point lead when he bolted through the Arkansas defense for a 67 - yard touchdown . On the following Arkansas offensive series , the momentum of the game appeared to change yet again , when receiver Cedric Washington threw a 29 - yard touchdown pass to tailback Felix Jones on a trick play . Knowing the field goal lead wouldn ' t be enough , the Gators came out firing on their offensive series . Florida drove to the Arkansas five yard line , when freshman sensation Tim Tebow came into the game . Tebow appeared to be running yet again , but pitched the ball to wide receiver Andre Caldwell who then threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tate Casey which proved to give the Gators a big enough lead to win their first conference championship in six years . The victory catapulted the Gators over second ranked Michigan in the BCS standings , giving the Gators the right to play Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game . BCS National Championship Game . The Florida Gators ended their season with a stunning 41 – 14 upset of the number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes , giving them the school ' s second national championship in ten years . The national championship win also gives the University of Florida the distinction of being the only school to ever hold both the men ' s basketball national championship and football championship simultaneously . The game did not start well for the Gators however . Florida won the toss and elected to defer the option to the second half , giving Ohio State the ball first . On the opening kickoff , Ted Ginn Jr sprinted for a 93 - yard kick off return for a touchdown , turning the largely Ohio State crowd into a frenzy and giving the Buckeyes a 7 – 0 lead 16 seconds into the game . However , Ginn injured his foot celebrating the touchdown , leaving the Buckeyes without his deep threat for the rest of the game . Coach Urban Meyer , who was coaching in his first national championship game , took a timeout to compose his team after the inauspicious start . It appeared to work , as senior Chris Leak went 5 – 5 on the first drive of the game . Leak found three different receivers on the drive , which culminated with a lob pass to fellow senior Dallas Baker . The Buckeyes then got their first offensive possession of the game . Led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith , the Buckeye offense was widely considered to be the best offense in college football . The Gators , however , had one of the top defenses in the nation . The Gators blitzed Smith a number of times on the first drive , leading to a three and out , forcing Ohio State to punt . Florida had great field position , following a personal foul penalty on Ohio State . Chris Leak led the Gators back on the field , starting from the Ohio State 35 - yard line . Florida again used a variety of offensive looks to keep the Ohio State defense off balance , which also included using freshman phenom Tim Tebow as a power rusher . On second down and goal , from the Ohio State four yard line , Florida ran an option play , in which Chris Leak pitched the ball to freshman star Percy Harvin who fought his way in for a four yard touchdown . Harvin appeared to be down at the one yard line , but after further review , it was determined that Harvin did reach the endzone . The score gave the Gators a surprising 14 – 7 lead . The Buckeyes came back on their next possession , trailing by a touchdown . Still , the Gator defense managed to put quarterback Troy Smith under heavy pressure . On third down , following a sack , the Gators blitzed , hit Smith as he threw the ball , and cornerback Reggie Lewis intercepted the pass . Following the interception , the Gators continued to use unorthodox formations and plays to keep Ohio State off balance . Chris Leak remained extremely sharp , going four of five passing on the drive , for 44 yards . On the Ohio State 7 - yard line , Tim Tebow came into the game and powered his way to the Buckeye 2 - yard line . On the following play , running back DeShawn Wynn rumbled in for a two yard touchdown , giving the Gators a stunning 21 – 7 lead . The Buckeyes however , remained composed . Using their power running game , and a 13 - yard scramble from Troy Smith , the Buckeyes drove to the Gators ' 18 - yard line . Tailback Antonio Pittman weaved through the Gators ' defense on the next play , for an 18 - yard touchdown run , pulling the Buckeyes to within a touchdown . Florida moved the ball with some success on their next possession , but were held for the first time all night by the Ohio State defense , forcing a Florida punt . Troy Smith and the Buckeyes marched back on the field , hoping to tie the game . However , Florida ' s stifling defensive line continued to put heavy pressure on Smith , forcing bad throws and incompletions , ultimately leading to a three and out . The Gators got the football back , hoping to restore their two touchdown lead . Florida did move the ball successfully , but was unable to move the ball inside the redzone . Much to the displeasure of many Gator fans , Florida elected to send kicker Chris Hetland on to attempt a 40 - yard field goal . Hetland had missed 9 of 13 attempts on the season , but split the uprights , giving the Gators a 24 – 14 lead . Ohio State was now in a deep hole , trailing by ten with six minutes to go in the half . The Buckeyes attempted to establish a power running game with Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells , but the Gator defense was up to the task . In perhaps one of the most stunning decisions of the game , Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel decided to go for it on fourth and 1 from his own 29 . The decision backfired , and Chris Wells was stopped short of the first down , giving the Gators great field position . With the swing in momentum , the Gators were again unable to score a touchdown and settled for another Chris Hetland 40 - yard field goal , pushing the Gator lead to 27 – 14 . The game changed for good , on the next Ohio State possession . Under extreme pressure yet again , Troy Smith attempted to scramble outside of the pocket , but was caught by defensive end and special teams hero Jarvis Moss , who stripped Smith of the football . Defensive game MVP Derrick Harvey recovered the fumble and returned it for 9 yards , to the Ohio State five yard line . After two Tim Tebow runs up the middle , Florida faced a third down and goal on the Ohio State one yard line . Florida used a timeout to draw up a play for Tebow , who remained in the game . Tebow faked his usual quarterback run up the middle , ran left and flipped an easy one yard touchdown pass to a wide open Andre Caldwell . This score gave the Gators a shocking 34 – 14 halftime lead . Leading 34 – 14 heading into the third quarter , the Gators appeared to be conservative on offense , which resulted in a quick three and out on the first possession of the half . The Gator defense , however , remained their brilliant play , in suffocating Troy Smith and pressuring him relentlessly and forcing him into bad decisions . The teams traded three and outs , and punts , throughout the third quarter , which gave the Gators a 20 point lead heading into the fourth quarter . Fifteen minutes from a national championship , the Gators were determined not to have a defensive lapse , like many had so often seen under former coach Ron Zook . The Gators again continued their relentless pressure on Troy Smith , sacking him several times , and pressuring him into bad throws . On their next offensive possession , the Gators were determined to put the game out of reach . Urban Meyer again used a balanced attack of rushing and passing to drive the Gators down to the Ohio State one yard line . Faced with a fourth and 1 on the Ohio State 1 - yard line , many fans knew what was coming . Tim Tebow was again brought into the game and powered his way off the right side for a touchdown , giving the Gators a commanding 41 – 14 lead . Troy Smith continued to have the worst game of his Buckeye career , as he was sacked for a 14 - yard loss on the drive , putting Ohio State into a 3rd and 29 - hole . Ohio State ran a draw play on 3rd down , and punted on the following play . With 8 minutes remaining in the game , the Gators were determined to end the game and give the school a national championship . DeShawn Wynn , who was in Urban Meyer ' s doghouse early in Meyer ' s tenure at Florida , carried the ball 8 times on the drive , picking up several key first downs to keep the clock running . However , Wynn was stopped on a 3rd and 8 play , for only 2 yards . Coach Urban Meyer elected to go for it , and Chris Leak passed to Percy Harvin , who barely made the first down . Knowing this had sealed the win , Meyer began pumping his fist , and gesturing the Florida crowd to get noisy . Chris Leak took a final knee on fourth down , ending his illustrious career as a Gator on top of the college football world . Leak would later be named the game ' s most valuable player .