Alligator Army Classic Moments In Championship Mode: Football Game Of The Decade

Florida was 3-1 in the SEC Championship Game this decade, won two National Championships, and had winning records against Georgia, FSU, LSU and Tennessee. Every game played in this decade, especially during the Meyer Era, has been memorable in some way. Some, like the Swindle in The Swamp and 2009 SEC Championship Game, are memorable for the wrong reasons. But these are the games selected by our esteemed nomination panel for Football Game Of The Decade;

September 16, 2000; Gators 27 - Tennessee 23, The Gaffney Game: Down 23-20 in the final seconds at Knoxville, Jesse Palmer dropped back and fired a pass to Jabar Gaffney for the game winning touchdown. Or was it? Replays showed Gaffney with possession, but Tennessee fans claim it was not long enough to count as a catch. Of course, Tennessee fans forget that the Vols had to settle for five field goals, a bend-don't-break performance by the Gator defense.

November 20, 2004; Gators 20 - Florida State 13, Ron Zook Field: Zook was dead man walking after crapping the bed at Mississippi State. That is why FSU had the audacity (or idiocy) to name the field that day "Bobby Bowden Field." UF responded by taking a 10-3 halftime lead and holding the Noles to only 34 yards rushing. Ciatrick Fason rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Chris Leak threw for another.

November 11, 2006; Gators 17 - South Carolina 16, The Jarvis Moss Game: Tied 7-7 at the half, South Carolina had a chance to take the lead, but Ray McDonald blocked Ryan Succop's 47 yarder. Succop would get a second chance at that 47 yarder, and made it for a 10-7 lead. Much maligned Chris Hetland followed with a 22 yarder to tie it again. The Gamecocks then roll down the field for a touchdown, but Jarvis Moss blocks the extra point. Florida responds with a five minute drive, ending with a 12 yard Tim Tebow rushing touchdown. With 3:03 left, South Carolina picks apart the Gators in one last chance to score. Inside Florida's 40, the Gamecocks appear to settle for a field goal for the win. Until Moss gets his big paws in the way;

December 2, 2006; Gators 38 - Arkansas 28, SEC Championship Game: After the Gators raced out to a 17-0 lead, Arkansas ended the half with a long touchdown to keep it close. 3000 miles away, UCLA had just defeated USC, making one-loss Michigan and one-loss Florida as the only remaining candidates for the BCS Championship Game with Ohio State. But Arkansas didn't care about that and use a long drive and an interception return for a touchdown to take a 21-17 lead halfway through the 3^rd quarter. Looking for a spark, Urban Meyer calls a fake punt on fourth-and-10 on UF's 15 and converts. He then calls a timeout before a fourth-and-1, and decides to kick. Eric Wilbur's punt is muffed in the end zone and Wondy Pierre-Louis recovers to give the Gators the lead again. Percy Harvin's 67 yard touchdown run to put UF up 10 is answered by Felix Jones catching a TD out of the wildcat. UF clinches the game with their own trick pass; Andre Caldwell to Tate Casey with 9:04 remaining in the 4^th quarter.

December 6, 2008; Gators 31 - Alabama 20, SEC Championship Game: In what was a National Semifinal game, No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida played one of the best college football games of this decade. Both teams pounded the line, relying on Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram, Tim Tebow and Jeff Demps to move the ball. Down 10-7 after the 1^st quarter, the Gators took a 17-10 lead into the half. Alabama tied it on an Ingram touchdown, capping a 91 yard drive. They added a field goal to end the 3^rd. Tebow never had a fourth quarter comeback. But his last two drives ended in touchdowns; a Jeff Demps run and Riley Cooper catch with less than three minutes left. UF also did it without Percy Harvin, who missed the game due to a broken leg.

January 8, 2009; Gators 24 - Oklahoma 14, BCS Championship Game: Facing the most prolific offense in history, the Gators allowed only 14 points, had 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and two huge goal line stands. While Tim Tebow struggled, Florida stayed alive thanks to Percy Harvin's 171 yards of total offense and touchdown. His 46 yard run followed UF's first goal line stand, and his 52 yarder followed Oklahoma's score to tie it at 14-14. Major Wright's hit on Manny Johnson to start the game preceded his interception to end UF's second goal line stand and end the first half. Ahmad Black's interception set up UF's final score, as a headhunting defense confused Heisman winner Sam Bradford.