Before 1996, when a college football game ended with an even score after 60 minutes of play, the contest was decided a tie. Sometimes, a tie felt like a loss for fans of both teams. Seeking to end ambiguity and to give every game a definitive victor, the NCAA implemented the use of overtime procedure during the 1995 post-season. On November 25, 1995, Illinois and Wisconsin became the last Division 1-A teams to tie (3-3 in Madison). The first overtime game was the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl, a game won by Toledo 40-37 over Nevada.
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| Sam Boyd Stadium outside Las Vegas was the site of the first-ever Division 1-A overtime game, won by Toledo. |
College football overtime rules favor teams with good stamina, roster depth, field-goal kicking, and short-field offense/defense. Unlike professional football overtime, long-field driving ability will not determine an overtime winner in college football. Punting and kickoffs play no role whatsoever in college football overtime.
The Gators had an inauspicious introduction to overtime when they faced the Tennessee Volunteers in 1998. The then-#2 Gators came into Neyland Stadium to face the #6 Vols before a crowd of nearly 108,000. Regulation ended with the score tied 17-17. Tennessee hit a field goal on their first possession, but Florida missed theirs. The Volunteers won 20-17. Ultimately, this game determined the SEC champion, as the Gators would not lose another conference game all season (in fact, they dominated the remainder of the SEC). The Gators would go on to lose to Florida State but win the Orange Bowl, finishing 10-2. Tennessee would go on to defeat Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl and win the national championship. The next season the Gators went into overtime against Alabama in Gainesville, only to lose 40-39.
The 2002 Florida-Auburn game marked the end of an annual rivalry that had been played every year since 1927*. The Gators began the game well and when "We Are the Boys" was sung after the end of the third quarter, they were up 23-7. But the Tigers were driving and would soon make it 23-15 with a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 13:38 left. A 56-yard touchdown connection between Jason Campbell and Ronnie Brown would get the Tigers within two with only 5:05 on the clock. Improbably, Campbell would convert his second conversion of the day by running it in, tying the game 23-23. With just 30 seconds left, Auburn had the ball on the Gators' 7-yard-line with the score still tied. With just seconds remaining, the Tigers hoped a 23-yard field-goal would be enough for the win. However, the kick was blocked and the game went into overtime. The Gators got the ball to begin overtime, but could not gain yards on their first two plays. It was 3rd and 10, with the Gators on the Auburn 25. The ball was snapped to Rex Grossman in the shotgun, who stood in the pocket long enough for Taylor Jacobs to slip by the Tiger secondary. Jacobs caught the ball in stride in the middle of the end-zone, putting the Gators up by a touchdown. Now it was Auburn's turn, and they needed seven or more. After three plays, the Tigers got down to the Gator 20, but it was still 4th and 5-to-go. Campbell stepped back to throw, but facing pressure, chose to run for the first. The elusive quarterback wasn't fast enough, as Clint Mitchell chased him down before he could get the five yards. The Gators escaped, 30-23.
One of the more exciting games in the past decade was the Florida-Vanderbilt game of 2005. The Gators were ranked #13 and were 6-2, having just defeated the #4 Georgia Bulldogs (the eventual SEC-champs) in Jacksonville. Florida was coming back to the Swamp for homecoming against what many expected to be an easily-defeated Commodore squad. Vandy started the season with four straight victories, inspiring hopes of a first bowl appearance since 1982, but a surprising loss to Middle Tennessee State sent their season into a tailspin. The Commodores came into Gainesville just 4-4, but were led by future-Pro Bowl quarterback and Santa Claus-native Jay Cutler. The 'Dores were eager to defeat their first ranked opponent since 1992 and the Gators in Gainesville (Vandy had not defeated Florida since 1988 and not in Gainesville since the teams' first meeting in 1945).
The game was closely fought through the first half, and the score was all tied at 14-14 going into the second. But Vanderbilt fumbled twice in their own territory in the 3rd quarter, and the Gators seized the opportunity, making it a 28-14 game going into the final quarter. Both teams scored touchdowns, so the score was 35-21, with the Gators leading and only 4:11 left in the game. Much of the student section had left by this point, confident in their team's victory and hoping to celebrate a homecoming win early. Unfazed, Cutler lead the 'Dores down the field for a score, but only 2:16 was remaining and Vandy still needed seven more points to tie it. Vandy was forced to attempt an onside kick; the ball was kicked towards the Florida side, and after bouncing off a Gator player, was recovered by Vanderbilt. Jay Cutler shocked a sold-out homecoming crowd in the Swamp by driving down the field, eventually lazering a pass to Earl Bennett, tying the game with less than a minute remaining. Jack Cutler, Jay's father, was in the crowd, mocking the Gators with the chomp.
The game was sent into overtime even at 35-35, and while the Gators were reeling, the Commodores were confident. Cutler had abused and exploited weaknesses in the Gator secondary all night, and the Gator corners needed to step up at some point to stop the passing onslaught. Vandy got the ball first in OT and methodically used Cutler's passing and Jeff Jennings's rushing to roll into the end-zone for a score. But the Gators had their own gunslinger in Chris Leak. Rushing and passing out of the spread, Leak tossed a short pass to Chad Jackson, who sprinted down for the score. Starting the second period, the Gators got the ball for an attempt to score. On the second play of the possession, Leak rolled right, waiting to find the open man. Seeing him, Leak hurled a perfect spiral over 30 yards to the very corner of the end-zone. There in the spot was Jemalle Cornelius, who snagged the ball for the go-ahead touchdown. Now it was Jay Cutler's turn, and he had a chance to win one for the ages. On the first play Cutler zipped the ball left-field to Marlon White, but in front of him was Reggie Lewis, who Cutler had picked on all night. Lewis held onto the interception, ending the game 49-42 and earning the Gators their hardest fought victory over the Commodores in years.
Even in a rivalry heralded as one of the greatest in the sport, the 2010 contest between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs stands among the best. By the time of this Florida-Georgia game, the seasons of both teams were in shambles. Despite the plethora of talent on both teams, each had been heartbroken, humiliated, and thoroughly disappointed. Both were meeting unranked (the first such occurrence since 1979) and had little hope for a championship, meaning a win in Jacksonville over their hated rivals was the greatest prize left in the season. Remarkably, with the help of Trey Burton's talents and the blundering of the Dawgs, the Gators stumbled into a 21-7 halftime lead.
However, the 2010 Gator offense could never remain competent for too long. They struggled through the 3rd quarter as the Bulldog offense brought the game within five points. With future-pro Caleb Sturgis out for the season with a back injury, the Gators were using punter Chas Henry as a placekicker. Although a great punter, Henry was an understandably inconsistent kicker. However, Henry nailed a 34-yarder to put the Gators up 24-16 with 10:48 left. Yet Aaron Murrary and the Dawgs stormed back, putting up six after a quick drive. Murray got two more on a scramble to tie the game. The Gators got the ball back and somehow Burton got loose, dashing for a 51-yard score. Now the Bulldogs had to score to tie it. Undaunted, Murray drove his team down the field, eventually zinging it 15 yard to A. J. Green and a tie ballgame with 4:36 on the clock. Neither team could score again in regulation, and the game went into overtime tied 31-31 (the first overtime in the history of the rivalry).
Murray had been lighting it up for most of the second half, and was looking to score as his team got the ball first in OT. But Murray's luck wouldn't go on forever. The young quarterback threw the ball into triple coverage, where it was intercepted by Will Hill. A return for a touchdown would win it for the Gators, so Hill ran for his life towards the goal line 75 yards away, evading the Georgia offensive players as best as could. Hill got blocks, ran, leaped, and dodged... finally he tumbled into left pylon. However, upon review the officials found Tavarres King had pushed Hill out at the four-yard-line. If the Gators needed to win the hard way, then they need to win the harder way. The Gators had to start again on the Bulldog 25. They could only gain a few yards after three plays, and were betting it all on the punter to win it. The ball was set on the left hash and Henry lined up for the 37-yard kick. Henry nailed it and gave the Gators the 34-31 win and completing one of the greatest games ever played in this storied rivalry.
*Excluding three years in the early 1940s.
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