# 1 University of Florida 2006 Gator Football 2006 SEASON REVIEW Football Contacts: Steve McClain, Zack Higbee, John Hines, Tanner Tedeschi RELEASED: Feb. 20, 2007 (352) 375-4683 ext. 6100 - FAX (352) 375-4809 FLORIDA FOOTBALL 2006 GATOR STORYLINES - With its 41-14 victory over Ohio State in the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game, the - In 2006, Florida celebrated 100 years of Gator University of Florida football team won the second national title in school history. The Gators won football and the 10th anniversary of the school’s their first Southeastern Conference championship since 2000 and seventh in program history with first football national title in impressive fashion by winning the school’s second national title by a 38-28 defeat of Arkansas on Dec. 2. Florida finished the season with a 13-1 overall record and defeating Ohio State , 41-14, in the BCS National was 7-1 in Southeastern Conference Play. Championship Game. UF defeated Florida State, 52-20, in the Sugar Bowl to secure the 1996 - Over the last 16 games, three teams nationally have won 15 games: championship. Team Record Florida 15-1 - Florida has now won back-to-back bowl games six times in school history and the first time since Ohio State 15-1 winning three-straight contests from 1996-98. Boise State 15-1 SEASON NOTES - Florida finished the 2006 season with a 13-1 record, establishing a single-season school record for SEASON REVIEW victories (UF was 12-1 in both 1995 and 1996). The Gators’ 22 victories over the last two seasons is THE POLLs UF tied for second in the nation for that time frame, behind only Southern California’s 23 victories (Boise Associated Press 1 State and Texas also have 22 wins since 2005). USA Today Coaches’ 1 - UF’s 13 wins on the year tie them with five other schools for the SEC single-season record. FINAL RECORDS UF Overall 13-1 - The Gators’ 2006 schedule was ranked as the toughest in the nation by the NCAA. Both of Florida’s national titles have come in a year that saw them play the country’s most challenging slate, as they SEC 7-1 also held that honor in 1996. The only other school to capture the national crown while playing the nation’s toughest schedule was Colorado, which did so in 1990. TEAM CAPTAINS Offense - UF finished the season ranked first in the final USA Today Coaches’ Poll, marking the 17th-con- Dallas Baker (Sr., Wide Receiver) secutive season that the Gators have been included in the final version of that ranking. That streak Jemalle Cornelius (Sr., Wide Receiver) is the longest in the nation, followed by Texas’ 10-straight seasons. Billy Latkso (Sr., Fullback) - Florida’s win over Ohio State was its third-ever triumph over a top-ranked team in school history Chris Leak (Sr., Quarterback) (vs. Florida State, 1/2/97, W, 52-20; vs. Florida State, 11/22/97, W, 32-29). Defense - The Gators’ victory snapped Ohio State’s 19-game winning streak, which was the longest in the Earl Everett (Sr., Linebacker) nation entering the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game. Ray McDonald (Sr., Defensive Lineman) - Florida improved to 3-1 all-time in BCS bowl games (BCS rankings are used). Games prior to the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game are shown below: 2006 SCHEDULE Year Bowl Result FLORIDA (13-1, 7-1 SEC) 1999 Orange No. 8 Florida 31, No. 15 Syracuse 10 S2 .............................SOUTHERN MISS, W, 34-7 2001 Sugar No. 3 Miami (Fla.) 37, No. 7 Florida 20 S9 ....................................................UCF, W, 42-0 2002 Orange No. 5 Florida 56, No. 10 Maryland 23 S16 .............. AT NO. 13 TENNESSEE, W, 21-20 - Florida became the first NCAA Division I-A school to capture the football and men’s basketball S23 .....................................KENTUCKY, W, 26-7 national title in the same calendar year. Only 10 schools hold national titles in football and basket- S30 .....................................ALABAMA, W, 28-13 ball. O7 ...............................NO. 9 lSu (HC), W, 23-10 O14 ....................... AT NO. 11 AUBURN, L, 27-17 - The Gator football team won the school’s 20th national championship. The men’s basketball team, O28 ................ vS. NO. 25! GEORGIA^, W, 21-14 coached by Billy Donovan, brought home the most recent hardware with a 73-57 triumph over UCLA N4 .............................AT vANDERBILT, W, 25-19 last April in Indianapolis. Below is the complete list of Florida’s title-winning squads: N11 ..................... SOUTH CAROLINA, W, 17-16 Men’s Golf (4) - 1968, 1973, 1993, 2001 Women’s Tennis (4) - 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003 N18 ...................WESTERN CAROLINA, W, 62-0 Football (2) - 1996, 2006 N25 ..................... AT FLORIDA STATE, W, 21-14 Women’s Golf (2) - 1985, 1986 D2 .................. VS. NO. 8 ARKANSAS#, W, 38-28 Men’s Swimming (2) - 1983, 1984 J8 .................vS. NO. 1 OhIO STATE$, W, 41-14 Women’s Swimming (2) - 1979*, 1982 hC - hOMECOMING Gymnastics (1) - 1982* ^ - JACkSONvILLE, FLA. Women’s Indoor Track (1) - 1992 ! - ONLy RANkED IN ThE USA TODAy-COAChES’ POLL. Soccer (1) - 1998 # - SEC ChAMPIONShIP, ATLANTA, GA. Men’s Basketball (1) - 2006 $ - BCS NATIONAL ChAMPIONShIP, GLENDALE, AZ. *AIAW- Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (1971-82) 2006 FLORIDA FOOTBALL SEASON REVIEW www.GatorZone.com 2006 SEASON REVIEW... - Florida made its 13th January bowl game appearance in the past 14 years, and the Tostitos BCS DATES TO KNOW Championship Game marked the 17th January bowl game in school history. FEB. 7, 2007 (WED.) National Letter of Intent Signing Day. - Florida improved its record to 16-18 all-time in bowls, and to 6-3 in postseason contests against Big 10 members (Illinois, 1-0; Iowa, 2-1; Michigan, 0-1; Michigan State, 0-1; Ohio State, 1-0; Penn MARCH 7, 2007 (WED.) State, 2-0). Florida will hold its Pro Scout day. - The Gators made their 16th-straight bowl appearance, extending their current school record. The MARCH 14, 2007 (WED.) mark is the longest active streak among SEC teams and represents the third-longest in the nation. Pre-Spring Press Conference with head Coach Urban Meyer in the SEZ meeting Room at Noon - The 38-28 victory over No. 8 Arkansas at the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 2 yielded the Gators’ (Tentative) first league title since 2000 and seventh in school history. The 38 points matched the second-most scored in the SEC title game, shy of the 45 the Orange and Blue scored against Alabama in 1996. MARCH 21, 2007 (WED) The University of Florida football team will begin spring practices. - The Gators improved to 6-2 in the SEC Championship Game, having collected wins in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2006. UF won the 1991 SEC crown and the league’s title game began APRIL 14, 2007 (SAT.) in 1992. Florida will hold the annual Orange and Blue Game at Ben hill Griffin Stadium. - Florida played an NCAA-most 11 teams that made it to bowl games in 2006. The next highest amount of bowl teams played was nine by Boston College, Maryland, Nebraska, Southern California, South APRIL 28-29, 2007 (SAT. & SUN) Carolina and Stanford. (SEE PAGE 8 FOR ChART) 72nd Annual NFL Draft - Rounds 1-3 will be held on April 28th. Rounds - The 13 teams UF defeated finished the season with 17 combined wins against opponents which 4-7 will follow on Sunday, April 29th. Times were ranked in the AP Top-25 poll at the time the game was played. and locations are to be determined. Updated information on all of Florida’s draft eligible athletes can be found on www.gatorzone.com. - The Gators went 5-1 against ranked opponents, beating then-No. 13 Tennessee, No. 9 LSU, No. Should you need to secure an interview with 25 Georgia, No. 8 Arkansas, and No. 1 Ohio State and losing at No. 11 Auburn. any former Florida athletes, please contact the player’s agent or respective NFL team. For - Florida finished the regular season with an 11-1 record to become only the second team in school more information on Florida’s NFL Draft history history (1995) to win 11 games prior to a conference title or bowl game. visit http://gatorzone.com/football/draft/. - Florida was the first team in the nation to clinch a spot in a conference championship game among JULY 25-27, 2007 (WED. - FRI.) teams in conferences that have one. With a win at vanderbilt on Nov. 4 and a victory by LSU at Ten- July 25-27 (Wednesday-Friday) – SEC Football nessee later that day, Florida clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game. Media Days – Florida is scheduled to appear Thursday, July 26, from 10:40 a.m. - 12:40 - On Nov. 11, Florida defeated South Carolina to finish undefeated in the SEC East for the ninth a.m. time in school history. AUG. 27, 2007 (MON.) Florida head coach Urban Meyer will hold - Florida’s 22-4 overall record over the last two years is tied for the best among all SEC teams (LSU, his first weekly press conference along with 22-4). Since 2005, UF has posted a 12-4 regular-season record in the SEC, the third-best in the selected Florida players. league and tops in the SEC’s Eastern Division. Florida / LSU 22-4 SEPT. 1, 2007 (SAT.) Auburn 20-5 Florida will open the 2007 season against Western kentucky in Gainesville. - Florida closed its home schedule on Saturday, Nov. 18, with a 62-0 romp over Western Carolina SEPT 2, 2007 (SUN.) to finish undefeated in “The Swamp” for the second-straight season.