(8) Florida 49, (6) Georgia 10

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#8FLA (7-1)77211449
#6UGA (7-2)030710

Final

3:30 PM ET, November 1, 2008
Municipal Stadium
JACKSONVILLE, FL

Tebow accounts for five TDs as Florida embarrasses Georgia

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Top 25 Overview
It was over when... Tim Tebow ran for a 1-yard TD in the third to make it 21-3 Gators and it was clear Georgia had no answers.
Gameball goes to... Tebow. The Heisman Trophy winner accounted for five TDs (2 passing, 3 rushing) in the 49-10 win.
Stat of the game... 40. Florida's largest margin of victory in the series was a 47-7 win in 1996.
Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2221
Total Yards373398
Passing188292
Rushing185106
Penalties8-608-49
3rd Down Conversions4-94-12
4th Down Conversions1-11-2
Turnovers04
Possession28:5231:08
Air/Ground Leaders
Florida Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Tebow10/1315420
Brantley3/43410
Georgia Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Stafford18/3326503
Cox2/42710
Florida Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Moody771028
Tebow123939
Georgia Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Moreno1765018
Samuel440021
Florida Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Harvin352125
Murphy144144
Georgia Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Massaquoi5112032
Green591054
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERFLAUGA
TD00:20Percy Harvin 13 Yd Run (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 70
SECOND QUARTERFLAUGA
FG11:18Blair Walsh 35 Yd 73
TD07:26Tim Tebow 2 Yd Run (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 143
THIRD QUARTERFLAUGA
TD07:51Tim Tebow 1 Yd Run (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 213
TD05:33Louis Murphy 44 Yd Pass From Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 283
TD03:29Tim Tebow 8 Yd Run (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 353
FOURTH QUARTERFLAUGA
TD11:30Percy Harvin 25 Yd Pass From Tim Tebow (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 423
TD07:21Deonte Thompson 7 Yd Pass From John Brantley (Jonathan Phillips Kick) 493
TD03:09Aron White 19 Yd Pass From Joe Cox (Blair Walsh Kick) 4910
Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow walked out of the locker room wearing a gray, protective boot on his left foot.

The Florida quarterback said he sprained his ankle on a 4-yard run in the third quarter. He just as easily could have told everyone he hurt it kicking around Georgia.

After all, this was a Gator Stomp.

Schlabach: Message
In Throttle

The Gators wanted to beat the Bulldogs badly because of what Georgia did to them last season, and because the win puts Florida squarely in the SEC East driver's seat, writes Mark Schlabach. Column
• Low: Sweet win for Tebow

Tebow accounted for five touchdowns, Percy Harvin scored twice and the fifth-ranked, revenge-minded Gators thumped the Bulldogs 49-10 Saturday in one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of this storied rivalry.

"It doesn't get any sweeter than this," Tebow said. "We didn't have to talk about it. We just had to go out there and show that we're a different team and prove that we worked extremely hard. We didn't want that to happen again to us."

The Gators (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) shut down Knowshon Moreno, took advantage of Georgia's numerous mistakes and avenged last year's 42-30 loss in which the brazen Bulldogs used a full-team, end-zone celebration to energize them.

Florida's response?

How about the worst loss in Georgia coach Mark Richt's career, which left the preseason No. 1 staring at being No. 2 in the SEC East for the second straight season.

Florida coach Urban Meyer even called two timeouts in the final 44 seconds -- surely to prolong Georgia's misery. Meyer said he did it because running back Emmanuel Moody deserved a couple extra carries, but no one inside Jacksonville Municipal Stadium believed that.

"Enjoy the moment, enjoy the game," Tebow said. "We didn't do anything wrong. We were just playing the game."

In A Rush

Florida QB Tim Tebow completed 10 of 13 passes for two touchdowns and added three rushing TDs as Florida routed rival Georgia. Tebow's first rushing TD broke Emmitt Smith's school record. It was the second time in Tebow's career he scored three rushing TDs in a game.

Most Career Rush TD,
Florida School History
Tim Tebow 39
Emmitt Smith 36
Errict Rhett 34
Earnest Graham 33

The seemingly cold and quick handshake between Meyer and Richt might have told a different story, but the coaches denied any animosity.

"To me, the rules say you've got three timeouts per half," Richt said. "They can use as many as they want. It's in the rules. They used their timeouts, and they have a right to do that."

The Gators won for the 16th time in the last 19 meetings, and this one was one of the most lopsided of all. Florida's largest margin of victory in the series was a 47-7 win in 1996.

"It's a weight off our shoulders," safety Ahmad Black said. "All we heard about was Georgia, Georgia, Georgia."

Indeed. During each of Florida's conditioning workouts during the offseason, players had to complete 42 reps at each station in the weight room -- one for every point the Bulldogs scored against them last season -- and 188 push-ups, sit-ups and crunches -- one for every yard Moreno gained.

"All because of this game right here," Black said.

Plus, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti put a picture in each player's locker of Georgia's massive celebration. The photo next year might be of Brandon Spikes' bone-crushing hit on Moreno early; it certainly set the tone. Or one of all those empty seats left behind by Georgia fans early in the fourth quarter.

Many of the Bulldogs' faithful headed to the exits before the finish, having seen enough of Tebow, Harvin and Florida's opportunistic defense.

"We did a lot of shooting ourselves in the foot and did not take advantage of the opportunities we that we needed to," Richt said.

Tebow ran for a season-high three touchdowns, including two in the decisive third quarter. Florida outscored Georgia (7-2, 4-2) 21-0 in the third, scoring twice after turnovers.

Joe Haden intercepted Matthew Stafford's sideline pass to A.J. Green and returned it 88 yards to the 1. Tebow took it in from there, putting the Gators ahead 21-3.

Fast Facts

• Georgia was full of miscues as Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions and the Bulldogs missed two field goals. Knowshon Moreno had 65 yards on the ground but also had a costly fumble, one of four Georgia turnovers.

• Florida has outscored its opponents 177-36 over the last 13 quarters.

• The 39-point victory is the second largest by Florida over Georgia in their rivalry.

-- ESPN research

Florida forced a punt, then Tebow threw a 44-yard touchdown strike to Louis Murphy. Moreno, who ran for 188 yards and three touchdowns last year, fumbled on the ensuing possession. Terron Sanders picked it up and returned it to the Georgia 10 -- Tebow territory.

The Heisman Trophy winner rambled in from 8 yards out -- and the party was on. It could rage for a while. The Gators can clinch the SEC East next week at Vanderbilt, and if they win out, they could end up playing for the national championship.

"It's a great feeling to be this close," Murphy said. "We just have to take care of business in Tennessee and we'll get it done. We're playing just as good as anybody. We could line up with anybody right now. We're competing and playing, and passionate about this game."

Florida players were silent much of the week, following Meyer's edict to not say anything about last year's contentious Bulldogs celebration. But it was clearly on their minds, and they sent a strong message on the field.

They held Moreno to 65 yards rushing and forced four turnovers. Stafford finished 18-of-33 for 265 yards, with three interceptions. He was sacked twice and injured an ankle late in the game. X-rays were negative.

The Gators were much more efficient.

Tebow was 10-of-13 passing for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 12 times for 39 yards. Harvin ran four times for 37 yards and caught three passes for another 52.

Georgia's problems started early. The Bulldogs missed two field goals, had an interception nullified by penalty and bumbled two chances for a touchdown when Stafford missed an open receiver in the end zone and Moreno had a pass slip through his hands.

Georgia also failed to recover an onside kick following Blair Walsh's 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Florida's Butch Rowley caught the ball on a short hop, and the Gators drove 41 yards to make it 14-3.

The Dawgs looked like they would answer, but Walsh's 27-yard field goal attempt clanked off the left upright. It was Walsh's second miss -- he also was wide left on a 38-yarder in the first quarter -- and followed two blown chances at a touchdown.

"Every game you lose is disappointing," Moreno said. "We've just got to move on. You just can't win when you have these turnovers."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Thursday, October 30th
23 South Florida 10 Final
Cincinnati 24
Saturday, November 1st
1 Texas 33 Final
7 Texas Tech 39
Arkansas State 0 Final
2 Alabama 35
Nebraska 28 Final
4 Oklahoma 62
Washington 0 Final
5 USC 56
8 Florida 49 Final
6 Georgia 10
Iowa State 17 Final
9 Oklahoma State 59
10 Utah 13 Final
New Mexico 10
11 Boise State 49 Final
New Mexico State 0
13 TCU 44 Final
UNLV 14
14 Missouri 31 Final
Baylor 28
15 Florida State 28 Final
Georgia Tech 31
Northwestern 24 Final
17 Minnesota 17
18 Tulsa 23 Final
Arkansas 30
Tulane 10 Final
19 LSU 35
20 Brigham Young 45 Final
Colorado State 42
Wisconsin 24 Final
21 Michigan State 25
24 Oregon 16 Final
California 26
West Virginia 35 Final
25 Connecticut 13