Florida Gators football , 1960 – 69 The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football . The University of Florida fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall of 1906 , and has fielded a team every season since then , with the exception of 1943 . During the 1960s , the Gators competed in the University Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , and played their home games at Florida Field on the university ' s Gainesville , Florida campus . This article includes a game - by - game list of the Florida Gators ' ten football seasons from 1960 to 1969 . During the 1960s , the Gators were coached by S . Ray Graves ( 1960 – 1969 ) , who compiled an overall record of 70 – 31 – 4 ( . 686 ) during the decade , making Graves the winningest coach in the history of the Gators football program until that time . 1960 . Season overview . The 1960 college football season was Ray Graves ' first of ten and one of his three most successful as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Graves was a former Tennessee Volunteers lineman and assistant under coach Robert Neyland , and became a long - time Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive assistant for coach Bobby Dodd . Graves ' arrival in Gainesville heralded a change in the Gators ' football outlook : no longer would the Gators espouse Bob Woodruff ' s conservative , ball control , " go for the tie " philosophy . Among the 1960 season ' s many highlights was the Gators ' 18 – 17 upset of Dodd ' s tenth - ranked Yellow Jackets , in which the Gators , led by option quarterback Larry Libertore , drop - back passer Bobby Dodd , Jr . , and running back Lindy Infante , gambled on a successful two - point conversion for the last - minute win . The Gators ' sole Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) loss was a 7 – 10 heartbreaker to the Auburn Tigers , which cost the Gators a share of their first - ever SEC football championship . Graves ' 1960 Florida Gators finished with a 9 – 2 overall record a 5 – 1 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , placing second among the twelve SEC teams — their best - ever SEC finish to date . The Gators capped their first - ever nine - win season with a hard - fought 13 – 12 victory over the twelfth - ranked Baylor Bears in the Gator Bowl on New Year ' s Eve 1960 . 1961 . Season overview . The 1961 college football season was Ray Graves ' second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team , and the Gators posted their only losing season in Graves ' ten years as their coach . Graves ' 1961 Florida Gators finished with a 4 – 5 – 1 overall record and a 3 – 3 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , placing sixth among the twelve SEC teams . 1962 . Season overview . The 1962 college football season was the third of Ray Graves ' ten seasons as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Graves ' 1962 Florida Gators posted a 7 – 4 overall record and a 4 – 2 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , placing fifth in twelve - team SEC . 1963 . Season overview . The 1963 college football season was Ray Graves ' fourth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . The Gators started their season 1 – 1 – 1 , the Gators having eked out their single win over the Richmond Spiders ( 35 – 28 ) . Before the fourth game against coach Bear Bryant ' s third - ranked Alabama Crimson Tide , Gators defensive coordinator Gene Ellenson challenged his shaky team ' s manhood and they rose to the occasion . The highlight of the season followed : a 10 – 6 upset of the Joe Namath - quarterbacked Crimson Tide on their home field in Tuscaloosa , Alabama — one of only two home losses in Denny Stadium during Bryant ' s twenty - five years as the Crimson Tide ' s coach . Graves ' 1963 Florida Gators won their last three games over the Georgia Bulldogs ( 21 – 14 ) , Miami Hurricanes ( 27 – 21 ) and Florida State Seminoles ( 7 – 0 ) to finish 6 – 3 – 1 overall and 3 – 3 – 1 in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , placing seventh of twelve SEC teams . 1964 . Season overview . The 1964 college football season was the fifth for Ray Graves as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Graves ' 1964 Florida Gators posted an overall record of 7 – 3 and a 3 – 3 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , tying for second among the eleven SEC teams . This season was also notable as the first in which the Florida State Seminoles defeated the Gators , and as future Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier ' s first season as quarterback . Schedule and results . 1965 . Season overview . The 1965 college football season was Ray Graves ' s six year as the Florida Gators football team ' s head coach . The highlights of the season included an intersectional road victory over the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten Conference , Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) wins over the Louisiana State ( 14 – 7 ) , Ole Miss Rebels ( 17 – 0 ) , Georgia Bulldogs ( 14 – 10 ) and Tulane Green Wave ( 51 – 13 ) , and a sound thumping of the in - state rival Florida State Seminoles ( 30 – 17 ) . The Gators also lost close matches against the Mississippi State Bulldogs ( 13 – 18 ) and the Miami Hurricanes ( 13 – 16 ) . Graves ' 1965 Florida Gators finished 7 – 4 overall and 4 – 2 in the SEC , placing third in the eleven - team conference . At the end of the season , the Gators played the Missouri Tigers in the Gators ' first - ever major bowl game , the Sugar Bowl , on January 1 , 1966 . Despite a three - touchdown second - half effort from the Gators , they lost to the Tigers 18 – 20 after they failed to score on three consecutive two - point conversion attempts after each of their touchdowns . Following the game , Gators quarterback Steve Spurrier was recognized as the game ' s Most Valuable Player — the only MVP selected from the losing team in the history of the Sugar Bowl . 1966 . Season overview . The 1966 college football season was Ray Graves ' seventh as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . The Gators were led by senior quarterback Steve Spurrier , who would take the Gators to new heights while winning the Heisman Trophy in December . Among the season ' s many highlights was the Gators ' intersectional opener against the Northwestern Wildcats ( 43 – 7 ) of the Big Ten , followed by their Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) victories over the Mississippi State Bulldogs ( 28 – 7 ) , Vanderbilt Commodores ( 13 – 0 ) , LSU Tigers ( 28 – 7 ) , Auburn Tigers ( 30 – 27 ) and Tulane Green Wave ( 31 – 10 ) . The lowpoint was the Gators 10 – 27 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs , which cost them a share of their first - ever SEC football championship . Spurrier sealed his Heisman bid with a 22 – 19 come - from - behind win over the rival Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee , Florida , and a last - minute field goal to defeat the Auburn Tigers at Florida ' s Homecoming . Graves ' 1966 Florida Gators finished 9 – 2 overall and 5 – 1 in the SEC , placing third among the ten conference teams . The Gators capped their season with a New Year ' s victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl , the Gators ' first - ever major bowl victory , and a Number 11 ranking in the final UPI Coaches ' Poll , their highest final poll ranking to date . 1967 . Season overview . The 1967 college football season was the eighth for Ray Graves as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Graves ' 1967 Florida Gators posted a 6 – 4 overall record and a 4 – 2 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , tying for third among the ten SEC teams . 1968 . Season overview . The 1968 college football season was Ray Graves ' ninth of ten years as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . The Gators offense was led by senior tailback Larry Smith , a first - team All - American . Among the season ' s highlights were the Gators ' conference wins over the Mississippi State Bulldogs ( 31 – 14 ) , Tulane Green Wave ( 24 – 7 ) and Kentucky Wildcats ( 16 – 14 ) , and victories over the in - state rival Florida State Seminoles ( 9 – 3 ) and Miami Hurricanes ( 14 – 10 ) . The Gators also suffered their worst loss since 1942 — a 0 – 51 blowout by the Georgia Bulldogs . Graves ' 1968 Florida Gators finished 6 – 3 – 1 overall and 3 – 2 – 1 in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , tying for sixth among the ten teams of the SEC . 1969 . Season overview . The 1969 college football season was the tenth , last , and arguably most successful season for Ray Graves as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Graves ' final Gators squad was led by a surprising group of second - year offensive players known as the " Super Sophs , " that included quarterback John Reaves , wide receiver Carlos Alvarez and tailback Tommy Durrance . In the opening game against the seventh - ranked Houston Cougars , the unranked Gators debuted a new passing offense and upset the Cougars 59 – 34 . The Houston game set the tone of success for the rest of the season , although a Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) loss to the Auburn Tigers and a tie with the rival Georgia Bulldogs cost the Gators a share of their elusive first SEC football championship . Graves ' 1969 Florida Gators finished their regular season with an overall record of 8 – 1 – 1 and an SEC record of 3 – 1 – 1 , placing fourth among the ten SEC teams . In a strange twist , the Gators were invited to play coach Doug Dickey ' s SEC champion Tennessee Volunteers in the December 1969 Gator Bowl . In a game dominated by a Gators defense led by linebacker Mike Kelley ( the game ' s MVP ) , defensive back Steve Tannen and defensive end Jack Youngblood , the Gators upset the Volunteers 14 – 13 to cap their 9 – 1 – 1 season — the Gators ' best ever single - season record to that time . After the Gator Bowl , Ray Graves resigned as the head coach of the Gators football team , but continued as the athletic director of the Florida Gators sports program until 1979 .