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 . Previous season . In the 2008 season , the Gators went 11 – 1 in the regular season , suffering their only loss to Ole Miss in Gainesville . Their post - season success included a win over No . 1 – ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2008 SEC Championship Game , followed by a win over the No . 1 – ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the 2009 BCS Championship Game . The Gators finished the 2008 season with a 13 – 1 record and ranked No . 1 in the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls . It was the third national championship for the Gators . 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 and results . Sources : " 2012 Florida Gators Football Media Guide " , and GatorZone . com . Game notes . Charleston Southern . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . Mississippi State . Pregame Line : - 22 Georgia . Pregame Line : - 16 Vanderbilt . Pregame Line : - 35 South Carolina . Pregame Line : - 17 . 5 Florida International . Pregame Line : - 45 Florida State . 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 . 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 scored three touchdowns in the 32 – 13 win .