2009 Florida Football
Post-Game Notes
Florida vs. FIU
November 21, 2009
Team
-Florida extended its nation-leading win streak to 21 games and increased its series lead over FIU to 14-1.
-The 62 points the Gators scored was the third highest total under head coach Urban Meyer. The Gators also
scored 62 against Charleston Southern on Sept. 5, 2009 and Western Carolina on Nov. 18, 2006.
-The Gator defense allowed only 53 rushing yards, the least amount of yards an opponent has tallied since
South Carolina recorded 53 in 2008.
-For the eighth time this season, the Gator defense held an opponent to under 100 rushing yards. They also
held their sixth opponent to less than 50 percent of their pass attempts.
-The Gator offense recorded 30 first downs, the second-highest total under Coach Meyer. The highest total
came against Troy this season (32).
-Only allowing three points today, Florida has yielded only 108 points in 2009, included 10 touchdowns (none
today).
-The Gators have played turnover-free ball the last four games and five times this season.
-The Florida offense has scored a touchdown in 64 of the last 79 quarters, while going three-and-out just 30
times over the past 82 quarters and zero times today.
-The UF defense held the Golden Panthers without a first down (not by a penalty) until their sixth possession.
-Overall, the Gators forced FIU to go three-and-out on five of their 11 drives.
-Brandon Spikes’ interception return for a touchdown in the 1:50 was the fastest score of the 2009 season for
the Gators.
-Florida has posted a score on its opening drive in seven games this season, including four touchdowns
(Charleston Southern, Georgia, South Carolina and FIU).
-For the 10th time this season, UF special teams has allowed zero punt return yards.
-UF did not allow a sack for the third time this season; the other two games the offensive line did not allow a
sack were LSU and Charleston Southern.
Individual Player
-Senior linebacker Brandon Spikes returned an interception 41 yards to open the Gator scoring with 13:10
remaining in the first quarter. It marked his fourth career interception return for a touchdown; he is the only
player in the nation to have four pick-sixes in the last two years.
-Senior quarterback Tim Tebow completed a 55-yard run, the longest of his career, to score a touchdown with
9:18 left in the first quarter. The run marked the longest by a quarterback since Chris Leak ran 45 yards against
Alabama on Sept. 30, 2006 in the 28-13 UF win.
-The first-quarter Tebow score surpassed LSU’s Kevin Faulk (1995-98) to move him into sole possession of first
place in SEC record books with 54 career touchdowns. With his two touchdown passes on the day, Tebow tied
Ole Miss’s Eli Manning (2000-03) for fourth in SEC history with 81 career touchdowns throws.
-Tebow has now tallied a rushing and a passing touchdown in seven games this season. He has also thrown a
scoring pass in 36 of his 38 career starts. He recorded 102 rushing yards on the day, tallying over 100 rushing
yards for the fifth time in his career. He also registered 215 passing yards, tallying his 22nd 200-yard passing
game, tying John Reaves (1969-71) for fifth most in school history.
-With 317 total offensive yards today, Tebow moved from fifth into third on the SEC’s all-time total offensive
yards gained list with 11,078.
-Redshirt sophomore running back Chris Rainey recorded his first career touchdown reception with 13:39 to
play in the first half, on a 27 yarder from Tebow, marking the longest reception of his career.
-Rainey then recorded his second TD of the day on a 22-yard run with 9:41 to play in the first half, marking the
first time in his career he recorded a rushing and receiving TD in the same game. He is the first player to tally
both since Percy Harvin in the 49-10 win over Georgia on Nov. 1, 2008 (16 games).
-Redshirt sophomore quarterback John Brantley put together a career day in the second half, recording 146
passing yards with three touchdown passes.
-Rainey and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Deonte Thompson also had career days. Rainey recorded three
receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown reception while Thompson recorded five catches (previous high was
three catches).
-Redshirt freshman wide receiver Omarius Hines recorded his first career touchdown reception, a 20-yard pass
from Brantley, with 4:06 to play in the third quarter.
-Brantley connected with redshirt junior wide receiver Justin Williams on a 16-yard pass into the end zone with
11:10 to play in the game, giving William his second career TD catch and the longest reception of his career.
-Redshirt freshman wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Jr. tallied his first career touchdown reception on a
career-long catch on a 31-yard pass from Brantley with 2:28 to play in the game.
-Junior defensive end Duke Lemmens made his first career start.
Other
-Attendance: 90,473
-Game Captains: Senior wide receiver Brandon James, senior wide receiver Joey Sorrentino, senior linebacker
Ryan Stamper; Florida won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. -Weather at Kickoff: 71ºF, wind out of the east at 6 mph; humidity: 59%