Great defenses win championships. The 2006 Florida Gators had one of those.
Great quarterbacks win championships, too. The 2006 Gators had two of those.
Also, championships are won by great … kick blockers?
You don’t have to convince the University of Florida of it. All they have to do is think back over their series against South Carolina, a series that became infinitely more interesting once former Gators’ coach Steve Spurrier took over the Gamecocks.
For instance, there was the 2006 game, when the sixth-ranked Gators welcomed Spurrier home for the first time. They were almost sorry he came.
South Carolina, which upset the Gators in 2005, almost did it again. The Gamecocks lined up for a game-winning 48-yard field goal by Ryan Succop with eight seconds to play. They trailed 18-17.
For the Gators, however, defensive end Jarvis Moss would become a part of lore as he reached up and blocked the field goal. He had blocked an extra point earlier in the game.
It was a significant game for the Gators, who would go on to win the national championship game that year. It wasn’t always a dominant Gators’ team, which lost to Auburn and beat Tennessee by only one point. It beat Vandy by six and Georgia and FSU by seven.
By the time the Gators got to the national title game, however, they were ready. They beat Ohio State 41-14.
And the key play of the year? It was when Moss was boss.
