American college football season
The 2000 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A 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 coached by Steve Spurrier, who led the Gators to their sixth SEC championship, a Sugar Bowl berth, and an overall win–loss record of 10–3 (.769). The season was the team's eleventh of twelve under Spurrier.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 2 | Ball State* | No. 9 | | PPV | W 40–19 | 85,095 |
September 9 | Middle Tennessee* | No. 8 | - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Gainesville, FL
| PPV | W 55–0 | 84,311 |
September 16 | at No. 11 Tennessee | No. 6 | | CBS | W 27–23 | 108,768 |
September 23 | Kentucky | No. 3 | - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
| CBS | W 59–31 | 85,319 |
September 30 | at Mississippi State | No. 3 | | CBS | L 35–47 | 43,816 |
October 7 | LSU | No. 12 | - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
| JPS | W 41–9 | 85,365 |
October 14 | No. 19 Auburn | No. 10 | - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Gainesville, FL (rivalry)
| CBS | W 38–7 | 85,710 |
October 28 | vs. No. 13 Georgia | No. 8 | | CBS | W 34–23 | 84,404 |
November 4 | at Vanderbilt | No. 6 | | JPS | W 43–21 | 32,714 |
November 11 | No. 21 South Carolina | No. 5 | - Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
- Gainesville, FL
| CBS | W 41–21 | 85,718 |
November 18 | at No. 3 Florida State* | No. 4 | | ABC | L 7–30 | 83,042 |
December 2 | vs. No. 18 Auburn | No. 7 | | ABC | W 28–6 | 73,427 |
January 2, 2001 | vs. No. 2 Miami (FL)* | No. 7 | | ABC | L 20–37 | 64,407 |
- *Non-conference game
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
|
Game summaries
Ball State
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Ball St |
7 |
3 | 9 | 0 |
19 |
• No. 9 Florida |
12 |
14 | 7 | 7 |
40 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
| Q1 | 13:50 | FLA | Kirk Wells 8 yard pass from Jesse Palmer (kick failed) | FLA 6–0 |
| Q1 | 9:57 | FLA | Robert Gillespie 13 yard run (two-point conversion failed) | FLA 12–0 |
| Q1 | 6:35 | BALL | Cornelius Bowick recovered fumble in end zone (Mike Langford kick) | FLA 12–7 |
| Q2 | 14:25 | FLA | Robert Gillespie 1 yard run (Jeff Chandler kick) | FLA 19–7 |
| Q2 | 13:33 | FLA | Alex Willis 9 yard pass from Jesse Palmer (Jeff Chandler kick) | FLA 26–7 |
| Q2 | 7:09 | BALL | Mike Langford 32 yard field goal | FLA 26–10 |
| Q3 | 12:56 | FLA | Jesse Palmer 1 yard run (Jeff Chandler kick) | FLA 33–10 |
| Q3 | 8:08 | BALL | Safety, Robert Gillespie tackled by Evan Triggs in end zone | FLA 33–12 |
| Q3 | :59 | BALL | Corey Pachman 49 yard pass from Talmadge Hill (Mike Langford kick) | FLA 33–19 |
| Q4 | 11:00 | FLA | Bo Carroll 75 yard pass from Jesse Palmer (Jeff Chandler kick) | FLA 40–19 |
|
Middle Tennessee St.
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Middle Tennessee State
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
No. 8 Florida
|
21
|
17
|
10
|
7 |
55 |
Tennessee
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 6 Florida
|
0
|
7
|
10
|
10 |
27 |
No. 11 Tennessee
|
3
|
9
|
8
|
3 |
23 |
Kentucky
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Kentucky
|
3
|
14
|
7
|
7 |
31 |
No. 3 Florida
|
10
|
28
|
14
|
7 |
59 |
Mississippi State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 3 Florida
|
0
|
10
|
13
|
12 |
35 |
Mississippi State
|
5
|
11
|
8
|
23 |
47 |
September 30, 2000
The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback Wayne Madkin also ran for two touchdowns. The Bulldogs compiled 517 total yards of offense.
A frustrated Steve Spurrier rotated three quarterbacks including Rex Grossman. Grossman went 13 for 16 with 231 yards and two touchdowns. All together, the Gators had 494 yards and four touchdowns through the air.
Mississippi State won the game 47–35, breaking Florida's 72-game winning streak against unranked teams in front of a crowd of 43,816. After the game, the Mississippi State fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts, parts of which ended up all over campus.
|
Florida
|
Mississippi State
|
First downs
|
26
|
25
|
Rushed–yards
|
22-M78
|
57–351
|
Passing yards
|
494
|
166
|
Sacked–yards lost
|
3–23
|
6–58
|
Return yards
|
73
|
54
|
Passes
|
34–57–1
|
14–27–2
|
Punts
|
1–45.0
|
7–42.0
|
Fumbles–lost
|
2–2
|
2–1
|
Penalties–yards
|
7–46
|
10–85
|
Time of possession
|
25:16
|
34:44
|
LSU
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
LSU
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
6 |
9 |
No. 12 Florida
|
7
|
10
|
10
|
14 |
41 |
Auburn
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 19 Auburn
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
0 |
7 |
No. 10 Florida
|
14
|
21
|
0
|
3 |
38 |
Georgia
#8 Florida Gators (6–1) vs. #13 Georgia Bulldogs (6–1)
Period |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
No. 8 Florida |
9 |
8 |
10 | 7 | 34 |
No. 13 Georgia |
3 |
14 |
0 | 6 | 23 |
at Alltel Stadium • Jacksonville, Florida
- Date: October 28
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny • 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind N 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h; 2.6 kn)
- Game attendance: 84,404
- Referee: Rogers Redding
- TV: CBS
- Automated ScoreBook
Game information
|
- Florida
|
- Georgia
- Quincy Carter
20/39, 240 yards, TD, 3 int 12 rush, 53 yards
- Damien Gary
5 rec, 64 yards
|
|
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
FLA
|
UGA
|
1
|
6:36
|
12
|
61
|
5:28
|
Georgia
|
24-yard field goal by Billy Bennett
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
5:23
|
4
|
73
|
1:13
|
Florida
|
Jabar Gaffney 27-yard touchdown reception from Rex Grossman, Jeff Chandler kick no good
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
0:10
|
12
|
40
|
3:20
|
Florida
|
37-yard field goal by Jeff Chandler
|
9
|
3
|
2
|
5:23
|
2
|
5
|
0:47
|
Georgia
|
Musa Smith 4-yard touchdown run, Billy Bennett kick good
|
9
|
10
|
2
|
4:49
|
2
|
42
|
0:14
|
Georgia
|
Musa Smith 1-yard touchdown run, Billy Bennett kick good
|
9
|
17
|
2
|
0:30
|
3
|
26
|
0:39
|
Florida
|
Robert Gillespie 14-yard touchdown reception from Jesse Palmer, 2-point pass good
|
17
|
17
|
3
|
11:56
|
6
|
19
|
1:17
|
Florida
|
54-yard field goal by Jeff Chandler
|
20
|
17
|
3
|
4:59
|
10
|
82
|
3:59
|
Florida
|
Jesse Palmer 1-yard touchdown run, Jeff Chandler kick good
|
27
|
17
|
4
|
9:50
|
12
|
65
|
5:40
|
Georgia
|
Jasper Sanks 1-yard touchdown reception from Quincy Carter, Billy Bennett kick no good
|
27
|
23
|
4
|
4:42
|
2
|
29
|
0:15
|
Florida
|
Robert Gillespie 2-yard touchdown run, Jeff Chandler kick good
|
34
|
23
|
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
34
|
23
|
|
Vanderbilt
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 6 Florida
|
10
|
7
|
19
|
7 |
43 |
Vanderbilt
|
7
|
6
|
0
|
7 |
20 |
South Carolina
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 21 South Carolina
|
21
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
21 |
No. 5 Florida
|
3
|
28
|
10
|
0 |
41 |
Florida State
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 4 Florida
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
7 |
No. 3 Florida State
|
14
|
0
|
13
|
3 |
30 |
SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
#18 Auburn vs. #7 Florida
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No. 18 Auburn |
0 |
3 | 3 | 0 |
6 |
• No. 7 Florida |
14 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
28 |
|
|
Scoring summary |
---|
| 1 | | FLA | Caldwell 10 yard pass from Grossman (Chandler kick) | FLA 7-0 |
| 1 | | FLA | Caldwell 66 yard pass from Grossman (Chandler kick) | FLA 14-0 |
| 2 | | FLA | Gaffney 27 yard pass from Grossman (Chandler kick) | FLA 21-0 |
| 2 | | AUB | Duval 44 yard field goal | FLA 21-3 |
| 3 | | AUB | Duval 21 yard field goal | FLA 21-6 |
| 3 | | FLA | Haugabrook 12 yard pass from Grossman (Chandler kick) | FLA 28-6 |
|
Miami (Sugar Bowl)
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 2 Miami
|
10
|
3
|
14
|
10 |
37 |
No. 7 Florida
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
3 |
20 |
Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
( ) = First place votes. | Week |
---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
---|
AP | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 (1) | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
---|
Coaches Poll | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
---|
BCS | Not released | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | Not released |
---|
Notable players
|
---|
Venues | |
---|
Bowls & rivalries | |
---|
Culture & lore | |
---|
People | |
---|
Seasons | |
---|
National championship seasons in bold |
|
---|
|
National championships in bold |