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2009 Florida Gators football
Sugar Bowl Champions
SEC Eastern Division Champions
Sugar Bowl vs. Cincinnati, W 51–24
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
2009 record13–1 (8–0 SEC)
Head coachUrban Meyer (5th season)
Offensive coordinatorSteve Addazio
Offensive schemeSpread Option
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Strong
Base defense3-3-5
CaptainBrandon James
Joey Sorrentino
Brandon Spikes
Ryan Stamper
Tim Tebow
Home stadiumBen Hill Griffin Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2008
2010 →
2009 SEC football standings
v · d · e 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  
South Carolina   3 5         7 6  
Kentucky   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 representative as 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 and results[]

Date Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
9–5–2009* [[{{{school}}}|Charleston Southern]] #1 Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL FSN W 62–3   90,621
9–12–2009* Troy #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL SEC W 56–6   90,349
9–19–2009 Tennessee #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL CBS W 23–13   90,894
9–26–2009 Kentucky #1 Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY ESPN2 W 41–7   71,011
10–10–2009 #4 Louisiana State #1 Tiger StadiumBaton Rouge, LA CBS W 13–3   93,129
10–17–2009 Arkansas #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL (HC) CBS W 23–20   90,508
10–24–2009 Mississippi State #2 Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS ESPN W 29–19   57,178
10–31–2009 Georgia #1 Jacksonville Municipal StadiumJacksonville, FL CBS W 41–17   84,604
11–7–2009 Vanderbilt #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL ESPN2 W 27–3   90,694
11–14–2009 South Carolina #1 Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC CBS W 24–14   79,297
11–21–2009* Florida International #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL PPV W 62–3   90,473
11–28–2009* Florida State #1 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium • Gainesville, FL CBS W 37–10   90,907
12–5–2009 #2 Alabama #1 Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (SEC Championship) CBS L 13–32   75,514
1–1–2010* #4 Cincinnati #5 Louisiana SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl) Fox W 51–24   65,207
*Non-Conference Game. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

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

Game notes[]

Charleston Southern[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Buccaneers 0 3 0 0

3

#1 Gators 14 28 13 7

62

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 5, 2009
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 81°F (Cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,621
  • Referee: Matt Moore
  • TV: Sun/FSN

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[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Trojans 3 0 3 0

6

#1 Gators 7 28 14 7

56

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 12, 2009
  • Game time: 12:20 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 81°F (Light rain)
  • Game attendance: 90,349
  • Referee: Tom Ritter
  • TV: SEC Network

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[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Volunteers 3 3 0 7

13

#1 Gators 3 10 10 0

23

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: September 19, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 89°F (Partly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,894
  • Referee: Penn Wagers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

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[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#1 Gators 31 0 3 7

41

Wildcats 0 7 0 0

7

at Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky

  • Date: September 26, 2009
  • Game time: 6:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 70°F (Mostly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 71,011
  • Referee: Steve Shaw
  • TV: ESPN2

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.

LSU[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#1 Gators 3 7 0 3

13

#4 Tigers 0 3 0 0

3

at Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • Date: October 10, 2009
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 69°F (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 93,129
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

Arkansas[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Razorbacks 0 10 3 7

20

#1 Gators 0 3 10 10

23

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: October 17, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 64°F (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 90,508
  • Referee: Marc Curles
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

Mississippi State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#1 Gators 3 10 3 13

29

Bulldogs 3 7 3 6

19

at Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi

  • Date: October 24, 2009
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 60°F (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 57,178
  • Referee: Penn Wagers
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentator) & Lisa Salters (sideline reporter)

Pregame Line: -22

Georgia[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 0 10 7 0

17

#1 Gators 14 10 7 10

41

at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida

Pregame Line: -16

Vanderbilt[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 0 0 3 0

3

#1 Gators 3 10 7 7

27

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 7, 2009
  • Game time: 7:15 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 67°F (Clear)
  • Game attendance: 90,694
  • Referee: Steve Shaw
  • TV: ESPN2

Pregame Line: -35

South Carolina[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#1 Gators 10 7 0 7

24

Gamecocks 7 7 0 0

14

at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

  • Date: November 14, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: 73°F (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 79,297
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

Pregame Line: -17.5

Florida International[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Panthers 0 3 0 0

3

#1 Gators 14 21 14 13

62

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 21, 2009
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 71°F (Sunny)
  • Game attendance: 90,473
  • Referee: Hubert Owens
  • TV: PPV

Pregame Line: -45

Florida State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Seminoles 0 0 3 7

10

#1 Gators 7 17 6 7

37

at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

  • Date: November 28, 2009
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: 65°F (Partly cloudy)
  • Game attendance: 90,907
  • Referee: Matt Austin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

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.[7]

SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#1 Gators 3 10 0 0

13

#2 Crimson Tide 9 10 7 6

32

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 5, 2009
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 75,514
  • Referee: Matt Austin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist (play–by–play), Gary Danielson (color commentator), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)

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[]

1 2 3 4 Total
#5 Gators 9 21 14 7

51

#4 Bearcats 0 3 7 14

24

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: January 1, 2010
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • Game weather: None (Domed stadium)
  • Game attendance: 65, 207
  • Referee: Jack Folliard (Pac-10)
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman (play–by–play), Brian Billick (color commentator)

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)


Defensive Starters
S
Will Hill
Dee Finley
FS
Major Wright
Josh Evans


WLB MLB SLB
Ryan Stamper Brandon Spikes A.J. Jones
Jelani Jenkins Brandon Beal Brandon Hicks
SS
Ahmad Black
Will Hill
CB
Joe Haden
Markihe Anderson


DE NT DE
Jermaine Cunningham Jaye Howard Carlos Dunlap
William Green Justin Trattou Justin Trattou
CB
Janoris Jenkins
Wondy Pierre-Louis
Offensive Starters
WR
Riley Cooper
Justin Williams
WR
Deonte Thompson
Frankie Hammond, Jr.
LT LG C RG RT
Carl Johnson James Wilson Maurkice Pouncey Mike Pouncey Marcus Gilbert
Matt Patchan Corey Hobbs Sam Robey Maurice Hurt David Young
TE
Aaron Hernandez
Josh Postell
WR
David Nelson
Omarius Hines
QB
Tim Tebow
John Brantley
Key Reserves
KR Chris Rainey
QB Jordan Reed
TB Emmanuel Moody



RB
Jeffery Demps
Chris Rainey
Special Teams
PK Jonathan Phillips
PK Caleb Sturgis
P Chas Henry
P David Lerner
KR Brandon James
PR Brandon James
LS Mike Williamson


Roster[]

2009 Florida Gators roster

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Athlete

Fullbacks

  • 37 Marcus Nemeth – Freshman
  • 42 Steven Wilks – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 45 T.J. Pridemore – Redshirt Freshman
  • 48 Rick Burgess – Senior

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

 

Offensive Line

  • 50 Sam Robey – Redshirt Freshman
  • 55 Mike PounceyJunior
  • 56 Maurkice PounceyJunior
  • 57 Carl Johnson – Redshirt Junior
  • 58 Nick Alajajian – Freshman
  • 58 Christopher Guido – Freshman
  • 60 William Steinmann – Sophomore
  • 61 Gary Beemer – Redshirt Junior
  • 62 Hayden Chance – Freshamn
  • 63 Cole Gilliam – Freshman
  • 64 Kyle Koehne – Freshman
  • 66 James Wilson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 67 Jon Halapio – Freshman
  • 70 Shawn Schmieder – Redshirt Junior
  • 71 Matt Patchan – Sophomore
  • 72 Jonotthan Harrison – Freshman
  • 73 Xavier Nixon – Freshman
  • 74 Maurice HurtRedshirt Junior
  • 76 Marcus GilbertRedshirt Junior
  • 78 David Young – Redshirt Freshman
  • 79 Corey Hobbs – Redshirt Junior

Defensive Line

  • 6 Jaye Howard – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 8 Carlos DunlapJunior
  • 34 Lerentee McCray – Sophomore
  • 44 Duke Lemmens – Junior
  • 47 Brandon Antwine – Redshirt Junior
  • 49 Jermaine Cunningham – Senior
  • 57 Samuel Johnson – Redshirt Freshman
  • 62 Lamar Abel – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 65 Glen Watson – Redshirt Freshman
  • 90 Lawrence Marsh – Redshirt Junior
  • 91 Earl Okine – Redshirt Freshman
  • 93 Kedric Johnson – Freshman
  • 94 Justin TrattouJunior
  • 95 Gary Brown – Freshman
  • 96 William Green – Sophomore
  • 97 Edwin Herbert – Junior
  • 98 Troy Epps – Senior
  • 99 Omar Hunter – Redshirt Freshman
 

Linebackers

  • 16 A.J. Jones – Redshirt Junior
  • 26 Lorenzo Edwards – Junior
  • 30 Chris Pintano – Redshirt Junior
  • 32 Dustin Doe – Senior
  • 33 Scott Peek – Redshirt Freshman
  • 40 Brandon Hicks – Junior
  • 41 Ryan Stamper – Redshirt Senior
  • 43 Jelani Jenkins – Freshman
  • 46 Michael Ross – Redshirt Freshman
  • 51 Brandon SpikesSenior
  • 52 Jonathan BosticFreshman
  • 54 Brandon Beal – Sophomore

Defensive Backs

  • 23 Corey Henderson – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 24 Josh Evans – Freshman
  • 34 Reginald Hopkins – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 42 Miguel Carodine – Redshirt Junior

Cornerbacks

  • 1 Janoris JenkinsSophomore
  • 4 Wondy Pierre-Louis – Senior
  • 5 Joe HadenJunior
  • 14 Markihe Anderson – Senior
  • 27 Adrian Bushell – Redshirt Freshman
  • 28 Jeremy Brown – Freshman
  • 36 Moses Jenkins – Junior
 

Safeties

Punters

  • 17 Chas Henry – Junior
  • 40 David Lerner – Redshirt Freshman

Kickers

  • 19 Caleb SturgisSophomore
  • 38 Jonathan Phillips – Redshirt Senior

Long Snappers

  • 47 John Crofoot – Freshman
  • 50 Cody Hampton – Redshirt Senior
  • 53 Mike Williamson – Redshirt Senior
  • 59 John Fairbanks – Redshirt 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

[8]

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[]

References[]

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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