2009 Florida Gators football team

2009 Florida Gators football
SEC Eastern Division champion Sugar Bowl champion
SEC Championship Game, L 13–32 vs. Alabama
Sugar Bowl, W 51–24 vs. Cincinnati
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 3
AP	No. 3
2009 record	13–1 (8–0 SEC)
Head coach	Urban Meyer (5th year)
Offensive coordinator	Steve Addazio
Offensive scheme	Spread option
Defensive coordinator	Charlie Strong
Base defense	3–3–5
MVP	Tim Tebow Joe Haden
Captain	Brandon James Joey Sorrentino Brandon Spikes Ryan Stamper Tim Tebow
Home stadium	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

2009 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
#3 Florida x%		8	–	0					13	–	1
Georgia		4	–	4					8	–	5
Tennessee		4	–	4					7	–	6
Kentucky		3	–	5					7	–	6
South Carolina		3	–	5					7	–	6
Vanderbilt		0	–	8					2	–	10
Western Division
#1 Alabama x$#		8	–	0					14	–	0
#17 LSU		5	–	3					9	–	4
#20 Ole Miss		4	–	4					9	–	4
Arkansas		3	–	5					8	–	5
Auburn		3	–	5					8	–	5
Mississippi State		3	–	5					5	–	7
Championship: Alabama 32, Florida 13
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

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.^[1] 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,^[2] 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.^[3][4]

Schedule

Date	Opponent#	Rank#	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	Charleston Southern*	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	FSN	W 62–3	90,621
September 12	Troy*	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	SECN	W 56–6	90,349
September 19	Tennessee	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	CBS	W 23–13	90,894
September 26	Kentucky	No. 1	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY	ESPN2	W 41–7	71,011
October 10	No. 4 Louisiana State	No. 1	Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA	CBS	W 13–3	93,129
October 17	Arkansas	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL (HC)	CBS	W 23–20	90,508
October 24	Mississippi State	No. 2	Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS	ESPN	W 29–19	57,178
October 31	Georgia	No. 1	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium • Jacksonville, FL	CBS	W 41–17	84,604
November 7	Vanderbilt	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	ESPN2	W 27–3	90,694
November 14	South Carolina	No. 1	Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC	CBS	W 24–14	79,297
November 21	Florida International*	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	PPV	W 62–3	90,473
November 28	Florida State*	No. 1	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL	CBS	W 37–10	90,907‡
December 5	No. 2 Alabama	No. 1	Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA (SEC Championship)	CBS	L 13–32	75,514
January 1	No. 4 Cincinnati*	No. 5	Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)	Fox	W 51–24	65,207
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

• ‡ New Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Attendance Record

Sources: 2012 Florida Gators Football Media Guide,^[5] and GatorZone.com.^[6]

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

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	FLA	KTY
1	FLA	11:13	FG	Caleb Sturgis 32 yd FG		3	3	0
	FLA	7:11	TD	Tim Tebow, 3 yd run	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	10	0
	FLA	6:04	TD	Chris Rainey, Recovers blocked punt in end zone	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	17	0
	FLA	5:56	TD	Tim Tebow, 2 yd run	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	24	0
	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;^[7] returning two weeks later for Florida's 13–3 win at LSU.

LSU

Arkansas

Mississippi State

Pregame Line: -22

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	FLA	MSU
1	MSU	9:05	FG	Derek DePasquale 43 yd FG		3	0	3
	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
	FLA	7:15	FG	Caleb Sturgis, 21 yd FG		3	13	3
	MSU	0:27	TD	Jonathan Banks, 100 yd interception return	Derek Depasquale Kick	7	13	10
3	MSU	9:32	FG	Derek Depasquale 31 yd FG		3	13	13
	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
	FLA	8:25	TD	Dustin Doe, 23 yd interception return	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	29	13
	MSU	3:51	FG	Johnthan Banks, 20 yd interception return	2PT FAILED	6	29	19

Georgia

Pregame Line: -16

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	UGA	FLA
1	FLA	12:21	TD	Riley Cooper, 22 yd pass from Tim Tebow	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	0	7
	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
	UGA	10:40	TD	Aron White, 26 yd pass from Joe Cox	Blair Walsh Kick	7	10	14
	FLA	4:47	FG	Caleb Sturgis 56 yd FG		3	10	17
	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
	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
	FLA	6:24	TD	Brandon Spikes, 5 yd interception return	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	17	41

Vanderbilt

Pregame Line: -35

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	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
	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
	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

Pregame Line: -17.5

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	FLA	SC
1	FLA	12:04	FG	Riley Cooper, 68 yd pass from Tim Tebow	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	7	0
	SC	5:51	TD	Brian Maddox, 1 yd run	Spencer Lanning Kick	7	7	7
	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
	SC	2:10	TD	Weslye Saunders 9 yd pass from Stephen Garcia	Spencer Lanning Kick	7	17	14
3	No scoring in 3rd Quarter
4	FLA	13:25	TD	Tim Tebow 1 yd run	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	24	14

Florida International

Pregame Line: -45

Scoring Summary
Q	Team	Time	Scoring Play		Extra Point	Score
						+	FIU	FLA
1	FLA	13:10	TD	Brandon Spikes, 41 yd interception return	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	0	7
	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
	FLA	9:41	TD	Chris Rainey, 22 yd run	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	0	28
	FLA	1:38	TD	Jeffery Demps, 3 yd run	Caleb Sturgis Kick	7	0	35
	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
	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
	FLA	2:28	TD	Frankie Hammond Jr. 31 yd pass from John Brantley	PAT Blocked	6	3	62

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.^[8]

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.

Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati

Rankings

Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week. ██ Selected for BCS National Championship Game.

Poll	Pre	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8	Wk 9	Wk 10	Wk 11	Wk 12	Wk 13	Wk 14	Final
AP	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	5	3
Coaches	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	5	3
Harris	Not released				1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	5	N/A
BCS	Not released							1	1	1	1	1	1	1	5	N/A

Personnel

Depth chart

(revised 12-2–09)

Roster

2009 Florida Gators roster
Quarterbacks 12 John Brantley – Sophomore 14 Andrew Blaylock – Junior 15 Tim Tebow – Senior 16 Jordan Reed – Freshman Running Backs 3 Chris Rainey – Sophomore 21 Emmanuel Moody – Junior 23 Mike Gillislee – Freshman 29 Christopher Scott – Junior 37 Vincent Brown – Sophomore 44 Ean McQuay – Sophomore 48 Marquis Hannah – Junior Athlete 2 Jeff Demps – Sophomore 25 Brandon James – Senior Fullbacks 37 Marcus Nemeth – Freshman 42 Steven Wilks – Sophomore 45 T.J. Pridemore – Freshman 48 Rick Burgess – Senior Wide Receivers 3 Brandon Frazier – Junior 4 Andre Debose – Freshman 6 Deonte Thompson – Sophomore 7 Justin Williams – Junior 9 Carl Moore – Senior 11 Riley Cooper – Senior 18 T.J. Lawrence – Freshman 22 Cade Holliday – Senior 39 Joey Sorrentino – Senior 82 Omarius Hines – Freshman 83 David Nelson – Senior 85 Frankie Hammond Jr. – Freshman 89 Stephen Alli – Freshman Tight Ends 80 Desmond Parks – Freshman 81 Aaron Hernandez – Junior 84 Christopher Coleman – Senior 87 Josh Postell – Freshman		Offensive Line 50 Sam Robey – Freshman 55 Mike Pouncey – Junior 56 Maurkice Pouncey – Junior 57 Carl Johnson – Junior 58 Nick Alajajian – Freshman 58 Christopher Guido – Freshman 60 William Steinmann – Sophomore 61 Gary Beemer – Junior 62 Hayden Chance – Freshamn 63 Cole Gilliam – Freshman 64 Kyle Koehne – Freshman 66 James Wilson – Sophomore 67 Jon Halapio – Freshman 70 Shawn Schmieder – Junior 71 Matt Patchan – Sophomore 72 Jonotthan Harrison – Freshman 73 Xavier Nixon – Freshman 74 Maurice Hurt – Junior 76 Marcus Gilbert – Junior 78 David Young – Freshman 79 Corey Hobbs – Junior Defensive Line 6 Jaye Howard – Sophomore 8 Carlos Dunlap – Junior 34 Lerentee McCray – Sophomore 44 Duke Lemmens – Junior 47 Brandon Antwine – Junior 49 Jermaine Cunningham – Senior 57 Samuel Johnson – Freshman 62 Lamar Abel – Sophomore 65 Glen Watson – Freshman 90 Lawrence Marsh – Junior 91 Earl Okine – Freshman 93 Kedric Johnson – Freshman 94 Justin Trattou – Junior 95 Gary Brown – Freshman 96 William Green – Sophomore 97 Edwin Herbert – Junior 98 Troy Epps – Senior 99 Omar Hunter – Freshman		Linebackers 16 A.J. Jones – Junior 26 Lorenzo Edwards – Junior 30 Chris Pintano – Junior 32 Dustin Doe – Senior 33 Scott Peek – Freshman 40 Brandon Hicks – Junior 41 Ryan Stamper – Senior 43 Jelani Jenkins – Freshman 46 Michael Ross – Freshman 51 Brandon Spikes – Senior 52 Jon Bostic – Freshman 54 Brandon Beal – Sophomore Defensive Backs 23 Corey Henderson – Sophomore 24 Josh Evans – Freshman 34 Reginald Hopkins – Sophomore 42 Miguel Carodine – Junior Cornerbacks 1 Janoris Jenkins – Sophomore 4 Wondy Pierre-Louis – Senior 5 Joe Haden – Junior 14 Markihe Anderson – Senior 27 Adrian Bushell – Freshman 28 Jeremy Brown – Freshman 36 Moses Jenkins – Junior		Safeties 10 Will Hill – Sophomore 13 Dee Finley – Freshman 20 Dorian Munroe – Senior 21 Major Wright – Junior 35 Ahmad Black – Junior 46 Cody Worton – Junior Punters 17 Chas Henry – Junior 40 David Lerner – Freshman Kickers 19 Caleb Sturgis – Sophomore 38 Jonathan Phillips – Senior Long Snappers 47 John Crofoot – Freshman 50 Cody Hampton – Freshman 53 Mike Williamson – Senior 58 Christopher Guido – Freshman 59 John Fairbanks – Junior

Coaching staff

2009 Florida Gators coaching staff

Head Coach: Urban Meyer Offensive Coaches Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line: Steve Addazio Quarterbacks: Scot Loeffler Running Backs: Kenny Carter Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator: Billy Gonzales Tight Ends: Brian White Defensive Coaches Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: Charlie Strong Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Safeties: Chuck Heater Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line: Dan McCarney Cornerbacks: Vance Bedford

^[9]

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

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

Defense

Name	GP	Tackles				Sacks	Pass Defense		Interceptions				Fumbles		Blkd Kick
		Solo	Ast	Total	TFL-Yds	No-Yds	BrUp	QBH	No.-Yds	Avg	TD	Long	Rcv-Yds	FF
Total

Special teams

Name	Punting								Kickoffs
	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TB	FC	I20	Blkd	No.	Yds	Avg	TB	OB
Henry
Total

Name	Punt Returns					Kick Returns
	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Total

See also

• Florida–Florida State football rivalry
• Florida Gators
• Florida–Georgia football rivalry
• Florida–LSU football rivalry
• Florida–Tennessee football rivalry

References

Bibliography

• 2012 Florida Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 107–116 (2012).

External links

• College Football Data Warehouse, Florida Yearly Results: 2005–2009. Retrieved August 6, 2015.