Ryan Smith intercepted two John Parker Wilson passes and Reggie Nelson returned a third interception 70 yards for a touchdown capping off a wild second half comeback for the fifth ranked Gators at the Swamp Saturday afternoon.
Alabama jumped out to an early lead as the Gators offense was slowed by penalties and mistakes early, including a botched shotgun snap which bounced off of Chris Leak's chest and was returned 50 yards by Alabama for the first points of the game.
Bama added a field goal to build an early 10 point lead and the Gators seemed on the verge of a repeat of last years 31-3 drubbing at the hands of the Crimson Tide.
Down 10-0 with the ball on their own five yard line and halftime fast approaching, veteran quarterback Chris Leak and true freshman quarterback Tim Tebow led the Gators on the field. The drive was highlighted by an improbable 45 yard rush by Leak and capped with a two yard touchdown run by Tebow. The Gators cut the lead to 10-7, which was the score at halftime.
The next score came late in the third quarter with Leak hitting wideout Andre Caldwell for a 16 yard touchdown putting the Gators ahead 14-10, a lead they would not lose.
Bama was able to add a field goal to cut the lead to 14-13 but they would get no closer as Parker began to throw his three interceptions. The first one, picked by Smith, set a Chris Leak to Dallas Baker touchdown pass. The second pick was returned by Nelson for the score and the third and final pick, again by Smith, sealed the victory for the Gators 28-13.
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My views:
Alabama controlled this game early on, and after the touchdown on the fumble return I had the feeling this was going to be "one of those games" where we just were not going to get the breaks. The resiliance of Chris Leak, solid play from the O-line and running game, and a tremendous game by the Florida defense were just too much for an overmatched Tide team. Wilson is a good young quarterback and Bamas receivers have a lot of talent, but the O-Line and run game need to get better if they want to turn around their season. The Gators look every bit the contender heading into another tough contest against the talented LSU Tigers. More on that game in the coming days.Go Gators!
Offensive MVP: Kenny Irons, Auburn. There is no doubt in my mind that if Auburn is to win the SEC and play for the national title it will be on the shoulders of Kenny Irons. Not to say Auburn isn't a great team, just that Irons is that great of a running back. When he is contained, Auburn is likely contained, as evidenced by his 2.8 ypc and zero TD's vs. LSU in a game Auburn barely won 7-3.
