He played in the CFL in 2017 and then joined the Apollos in 2018. David and I want to hear from you. In the first half against the Troy Trojans, the Gator offense led by QB Tim Tebow scored a touchdown every time it had the ball. They also committed 14 penalties for 127 yards, with several of the miscues either stalling Gator drives or helping the Rebel's scoring chances. Christopher Patrick Leak (born May 3, 1985) is an American football coach and former gridiron football quarterback. [12], Though they looked dominant at times early in the season, the 2007 Florida Gator squad was a team that relied on many freshmen and sophomores in key roles. At different points in the game, the young Gators struggled on offense, defense, and special teams. Things never did get much better for the visitors, as Florida rolled to an impressive 5920 victory in the SEC opener for both teams. He made a one-handed catch for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. All rights reserved. [10], Overall, the Gators put together a historically dominating performance. Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow led the Gators to touchdowns on their first four possessions en route to a relatively easy 493 victory in intense early season heat. All rights reserved. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Florida Gators Main Navigation Menu. GAME RECAP: Diarras 3 spoils Gator comeback, A&M wins 83-80 in OT. This was also Florida's first game of the season without leading receiver Percy Harvin due to a sinus infection. Leak played professionally for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the Jacksonville Sharks and Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League (AFL). Johnson dribbled the ball several times near midcourt, handed it to an official and started hugging everyone around him, even his opponents. Exclude walk-ons, and the number of holdovers drops to 27. The Bulldogs hold a 46372 series lead. Florida would end the game with 31 straight points, turning a close contest into a runaway. Florida Gators redshirt freshman quarterback Jalen Kitna was booked into the Alachua County Jail at 3:20 pm ET on Wednesday, November 30. Florida Gators Main Navigation Menu. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [3] He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in sociology, with honors, in December 2006, and was a keynote speaker during the graduation ceremony. Tebow finished last week's game with 19 total rushing touchdowns leaving him tied with Shaun Alexander, LaBrandon Toefield, and Garrison Hearst. The XFL returned over the weekend to kick off its 2023 season, and there are half a dozen former Gators split across four rosters. Florida leads with a lopsided 3092 record and has won the last 17 games in a row. Do you have a sports website? On the 1st possession of the game in the steamy Swamp, the Tennessee Volunteers went three and out. Floridas football staff continues to expand. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft where he played his whole career. In fact, his play earned Tebow honors as the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the week.[8]. While the offense lost fewer starters only 8 from the previous season, the Gators had to replace Chris Leak at quarterback. Riley Cooper (born September 9, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). His average also broke Rex Grossmans school record (354.2 in 2001) and ranked third on the SEC single-season record list, behind Kentuckys Tim Couch (388.6 in 1998) and LSUs Joe Burrow (378.1 in 2019). [note 1] The special teams chipped in with two blocked punts, and, after allowing an early touchdown, the young Gator defense shut out their opponents for the rest of the half. The Gators marched down the field again and scored on a Tebow run to put their lead back at 10 with 2:23 to play in the first half. Alabama had all victories vacated by the NCAA in 2010. Leak led the Florida Gators to their second consensus national championship with a 41-14 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 8, 2007, taking home the offensive Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the game. He went undrafted in 2011 but later signed with the New York Giants. Appearing to kick another long field goal, LSU instead ran a brilliant fake with the holderquarterback Matt Flynnwho scooted eight yards for the first down. He was a first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 draft but the team moved on from him by 2017 due to declining play. The XFL returned over the weekend to kick off its 2023 season, and there are half a dozen former Gators split across four rosters. Well hold off on answering for now; check back after the traditional February signing day and the spring transfer period.
[1] Rivals.com ranked him as the tenth-best athlete in the 2006 college football signing class. This loss was coach Urban Meyer's first in Gainesville, as well as his first loss since last year's loss to Auburn. I thought our guys showed incredible resiliency, as they have all season, to put ourselves in a position a couple of different times to steal it after being down big, Florida coach Mike White said. Kentucky cut the lead to four on a field goal.
[21][22] Tebow finished the regular season with the second highest passing efficiency in the nation with 177.8. He spent the last two seasons as special teams graduate assistant at LSU.
Five defensive backs who were on the depth chart in the season finale against Florida State left for Power Five schools. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Jags in 2021 but was cut once again at the end of training camp. Leak would lead the Alouettes to a 3917 win over the Bombers. And thats still not the full picture of UFs attrition. The DC Defenders feature the final former Gator player, receiver Josh Hammond.
That sequence would set the tone for the rest of the game. Roster; Game Logs; Splits; More 2007 Florida Pages. When the weather failed to clear, the game was declared final with 8:23 remaining in the 4th quarter.
After it was announced that Garcia's former backup, Omar Jacobs, would start the next game, Leak was suspended after skipping the following team practice. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Florida Gators announce new defensive coordinator, Bucs plan to release running back Leonard Fournette. Tebow's numbers were solid as well; he completed 18 of 25 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns (with no interceptions) and rushed 19 times for a team-high 93 yards and 2 more TDs. [13] 1 Alabama in the SEC title game, and Tebow was dominant: He tossed three TD passes, rushed for another 57 yards, and the Gators advanced to the. Hammond signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but was waived during final roster cuts and moved to the practice squad. If you need help with WJXTs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801. LSU moved the ball right before the half, but kicker Colt David missed a 43-yard field goal. At home in Charlotte, North Carolina, he also worked with the Boys and Girls Club and the Steele Creek Youth Athletic Association, served as an inspirational speaker with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and spoke at area middle schools encouraging students to stay focused on their goals. A bunch of high-character guys that left it on the line, and, unfortunately, Texas A&M made some huge plays down the stretch, hit a huge shot, obviously.. Starters are marked with an asterisk (*). The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He led the Gators from 2002 to 2004 to a 23-15 record and recruited many of the players that led Florida to a national championship in 2007. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. For the season opener, the WKU Hilltoppers filled the void left by the UCF Knights, who had decided to back out of the game in December 2006. Thursdays loss follows another loss last week to end the regular season, in which the Gators finished 19-12. The Gators fell 71-63 to Kentucky in their regular-season finale, but we dont want the loss to overshadow this special and emotional moment to begin the game. This story first appeared in Chomp, our Gators football newsletter. The Gators won the BCS Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona to cap off the 2006 season, the second national championship in school history. Conferences. The first of these five rushing touchdowns broke the school record for most rushing touchdowns. Despite the challenges of youth, the Gators were ranked in the top 5 in some preseason polls.[2]. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. All Sports Calendar Baseball Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Cross Country Football Men's Golf Women's Golf Gymnastics Lacrosse Softball Soccer Men's Swimming & Diving Women's Swimming & Diving Men's Tennis Women's Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Baseball Baseball: Facebook Baseball: Twitter Baseball: Instagram Baseball: Schedule Baseball . Do you have a blog? We dug ourselves a huge hole, of course, in the first half. [3], 2005 Southeastern Conference football standings, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2005_Florida_Gators_football_team&oldid=1119734172, $ BCS representative as conference champion. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We saw it in just some of the short highlights from last camp, and that is a continue this spring.. He appeared in 49 games for Florida over four seasons (2016-19) and made 31 starts. [1], Leak accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[1] where he played for coach Ron Zook and coach Urban Meyer's Florida Gators football teams from 2003 to 2006. A late touchdown by Moreno sealed the victory for the Bulldogs. Lito Sheppard was among the OG defensive backs coming out of Florida that earned the institution the moniker "Defensive Back University" as the team transitioned from the fun-and-gun approach under Steve Spurrier to a more defensive-minded philosophy under the infamous Ron Zook. (); :
Who are the guys that are going to buy into what were doing? Cooper caught eight passes, gaining 182 yards and scoring two total touchdowns in 2007.
Cooper caught eight passes, gaining 182 yards and scoring two total touchdowns in 2007. Cooper broke his collarbone on July 28, 2012, and missed time,[11] but returned mid-season. The Sporting News Ike Hilliard was among the best wide receivers to ever play at Florida and was a cornerstone of Steve Spurrier's fun-and-gun offense of the 1990s. After missing another relatively short field goal, LSU took advantage of an errant pass by Tim Tebow which hit Ingram in the helmet. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Oakland Raiders and was a regular as a rookie before being waived in 2019. Only 3 schools lost more players to the portal this cycle than the Gators. 2007 Florida Gators Stats. Most Recent Games and Any Score Since 1869. Please check your email for a confirmation. The Gators lost the game 4135 as Michigan barraged the Gator defense for over 500 yards of offense. [4] Instead, Meyer publicly endorsed Leak as the starting quarterback and confirmed Tim Tebow would be the back-up. Theres a chance these numbers are incomplete. The Florida offense rolled up 556 yards of total offense, 255 on the ground. Leak was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and Rivals.com's Freshman All-America Team. However, the second half lapses and miscues (Florida was hit with 11 penalties for 104 yards) made it obvious that the Gators gridders had plenty to work on as they prepared for their SEC opener against the Tennessee Volunteers the following Saturday. Gators Breakdown: Top 4 Offensive Players for Spring, Texas A&M guard Hassan Diarra (5) celebrates his game-winning shot against Florida with teammates Tyrece Radford (23), Aaron Cash (0) and Andre Gordon (20) after an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, March 10, 2022. [9] He was claimed by the Montreal Alouettes on June 9 after being released a day earlier. Do you have a sports website? When Florida's next drive ended in a punt, UT had the ball down only eight, 2820. Notable additions: Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz, Ohio State linebacker Teradja Mitchell, Notable losses: Offensive lineman Ethan White (not yet committed), defensive back TreVez Johnson (Missouri), Notable additions: South Carolina tight end Jaheim Bell, Virginia defensive back Fentrell Cypress, Notable losses: Defensive back Sam McCall (Texas A&M), running back Treshaun Ward (Kansas State), Notable additions: Tennessee offensive lineman RJ Perry, Florida running back NayQuan Wright, Notable losses: Running back Brian Battie (Auburn), receiver Jimmy Horn (Colorado), Notable additions: Alabama offensive lineman Javion Cohen, Washington State linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, Notable losses: Blue-chip quarterback Jake Garcia (uncommitted), defensive lineman Darrell Jackson (FSU), Notable additions: Alabama offensive lineman Amari Kight, USF quarterback Timmy McClain, Notable losses: Quarterback Mikey Keene (Fresno State), defensive back Davonte Brown (Miami). In his only game in which he played for the Sharks, he completed 21-of-31 passes for 196 yards and five touchdowns in a 5228 victory over the Kansas City Command. The Gators rallied back with a quick touchdown but were never able to take the lead. With the loss, the Gators are now set to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. [13] Thirty-five players on Florida's 60-man traveling roster had never played in a collegiate road game before,[14] and it showed. But the turnover rate at Florida has been exceptionally high. Preseason analysis projected that Florida would have the hardest schedule in the country, including back-to-back games against Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia. 2007 Florida Gators Roster Previous Year Next Year Record: 9-4 (20th of 119) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 13th in the Final AP poll Conference: SEC (East Division) Conference Record: 5-3 Coach: Urban Meyer (9-4) Points For: 552 Points/G: 42.5 (3rd of 119) Points Against: 331 More Team Info Florida School History 2007 Florida Statistics [citation needed], Cooper was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. Kelvin Taylor, the son of Gators legend Fred Taylor, played at Florida from 2013 to 2015. Ron DeSantis signs effective repeal of Florida name, image and likeness law, Where Florida Gators, FSU, Miami and USF rank in ESPN preseason projections, What latest Oklahoma, Texas conference realignment news means to FSU, USF, Florida Senate votes 34-0 to repeal name, image and likeness law, Move by Texas, Oklahoma from Big 12 to SEC bumped up to 2024, Florida House votes 113-0 to effectively repeal name, image, likeness law, Florida name, image and likeness repeal clears 2 committee hurdles Wednesday, 3 thoughts on whats next for Florida Gators after Jaden Rashada fallout, Revisiting our college football predictions and 5 bold takes for 2023, The grading curve is over for Billy Napier, Florida Gators. The Gators rolled the dice after getting a first down, as Tebow threw a 40-yard pass to Harvin to get the Gators in the red zone. [12], On February 27, Cooper signed an extension deal valued at $25 million over five years, with $8 million fully guaranteed. As the University of Florida dominated college football for the better half of a decade under coach Urban Meyer, the Gators accumulated numbers of victories and accolades and championships. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. The XFL plays on Saturdays and Sundays through the spring with the playoffs beginning at the end of April. Former NFL star Aaron Hernandez is found dead in his prison cell Watch on Videos you may like FOLLOW US Outcome: Charges were dropped. 1998 - 2023 University Athletic Assoc., Inc., FOX Sports Sun & IMG College. [12], at WilliamsBrice Stadium Columbia, South Carolina. And Jordan Herald was announced as associate director of creative media, football recruiting. With the game already decided, the PAT was not tried and the Gators walked away with a 4537 victory. Glades Central(Belle Glade) The newly named Michigan head coach, Rich Rodriguez, could be seen during the game along the Michigan sidelines. [17] Following an 05 start, Leak resigned on October 4. He also set a career best in passing yards with 338. Napier and the Gators are scheduled for the third day. Florida leads the all-time series 31-19-2. Charges were not immediately made available for. Theres nothing wrong with that Napier said then. Hill also played in the 2020 iteration of the XFL. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 11:34AM. True freshman quarterback Cameron Newton entered the game in the fourth quarter and rushed for a touchdown on the last play before lightning in the area caused an hour-long delay. :
Florida has won fifteen of the last eighteen contests, but are 2 and 2 in the last 4 games. [16] For his efforts, Tebow was named the SEC's offensive player of the week for the 2nd time in the 2007 season.[17]. Leak was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1985. [1] Cooper was a three-time all-county selection, received all-state honors as Looka wide receiver and free safety after his junior and senior seasons, and was his football team's captain as a senior. And their final stats looked impressive they outgained the Trojans 500 to 336 and averaged 7 yards per offensive play. Florida senior forward Colin Castleton has earned second-team All-SEC honors from the league's coaches, the SEC office announced Tuesday. Find out more. Sources: 2012 Florida Football Media Guide,[2] and GatorZone.com. The Gators answered the LSU drive with a quick 3-play drive to score on a 37-yard Tebow pass to Cornelius Ingram. Read more about our data coverage. . It was also the first game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium after the Gators won their 2006 SEC and national championships. The Gators seemed to lose their offensive rhythm and the point production dried up while Troy QB Omar Haugabook (30-53, 291 yards, 2 TDs) found his own rhythm, helping the Trojans outscore the Gators 2410 over the final two quarters. The Rebels put up a valiant effort. Florida answered on consecutive drives with a 10-yard Tim Tebow pass to Cornelius Ingram and a Tebow to Louis Murphy 66-yard pass to put the Gators up by a touchdown. This marked the third game of the season where the Gators faced an opponent for the first time. Thats not inherently bad. In December 2004, Urban Meyer replaced Ron Zook as Florida's head coach and introduced Meyer's spread offense to the Gators. All Rights Reserved. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Fourteen starters, seven from offense and seven from defense, would return for the 2005 season. While the Gators were able to mount a comeback in the second half, eventually bringing the game to a 1717 tie, Auburn had the ball at the end of the game, and Auburn kicked a field goal as time expired to make the score 2017, upsetting the number 4 ranked Gators. Elam played at Florida from 2010 to 2012 under Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp. Leak made his first CFL start at quarterback on September 3, 2010, against the BC Lions. Trasks 69 career touchdown passes rank sixth in school history, while his 7,386 career passing yards and 552 career completions rank eighth in school history, and his 813 career attempts rank 10th in school history. The Gator defense proved unreliable in the first half, allowing the Tigers to get two touchdowns, while Auburn exhibited its own top notch defense. The Orlando Guardians have three former Florida football players on the team, safety Matt Elam, running back Kelvin Taylor and punter Johnny Townsend. [5], In his senior season, Cooper totaled 961 yards on 51 receptions, with nine touchdowns and an average of 18.8 yards per catch. [3] He did not sign with the Phillies because he chose to attend the University of Florida to play football. NIL Value: -. Letsgetstarted. Urban Meyer and the Gators were looking to carry their momentum from the second half of the season with Heisman-winning sophomore Tim Tebow into the bowl game. Trask was responsible for 46 touchdowns (43 passing, 3 rushing), tying him for sixth on the SEC single-season record list. "[20] In the aftermath, the Philadelphia Eagles fined Cooper an undisclosed amount, but still allowed him to resume activities with the team.[21]. Florida added a field goal to build their lead to 14 midway through the third quarter. Leak also broke many Gators' passing records set by Heisman Trophy-winner Danny Wuerffel, including Wuerffel's record for career passing yards set during the 2006 SEC championship game. His best year came in 2015 when he took over the starting running back role for the team and became the ninth player in program history to rush for over 1,000 yards. The score stood at 49-7 after two quarters, the Gators having racked up over 350 yards of total offense, Tebow throwing 3 touchdown passes and running for another score in an impressive display of all-around dominating football. The official 2008 Football Roster for the Florida Gators Gators. According to The New York Times, 41 members of the 2008 Gators have been arrested. [1] Leak was known for his quiet leadership as a quarterback, and was elected a team captain by his teammates two of his four years as a Gator.[3]. Again the Gators responded, mounting a 6-minute drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters, culminating in a Percy Harvin 24-yard touchdown run. Tim Tebow finished 14-19 passing for 299 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT and rushed for 62 yards and 2 more TDs, and was awarded as the Walter Camp Foundation national offensive player of the week. That 3rd-quarter touchdown was the second rushing TD of the contest for Gator QB Tim Tebow and his 22nd of the year, tying the NCAA Division I-FBS record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback.
After halftime, though, things changed in The Swamp. As players began trickling out in November, Napier noted that many of them wanted to contribute more elsewhere. Heading into his 2005 junior season, Leak had to learn his third offensive scheme in as many years, but was touted as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. Castleton averaged 17.9 points per game in conference. This game was notable for the fact that offensive coordinator and future Florida head coach Dan Mullen underwent an emergency appendectomy the night before, yet still called plays from the press box.[18]. Part of the recruiting process for them was to identify within their own roster whos on board and whos not, Luginbill said.