Previous Top Plays:
Play #2: Dallas Baker's 21 Yd TD Catch vs. Tennessee
Play #3: Wondy Pierre-Louis's Fumble Recovery for TD vs. Arkansas
Play #4: Dallas Baker's 25 Yd TD Catch vs. FSU
Play #5: Percy Harvin's 67 Yd TD Run vs. Arkansas
Today, #1 is up...
The Top Play of 2006
Jarvis Moss's FG Block
Time Expired vs. South Carolina
The Florida/South Carolina game was one of the most anticipated games of the 2006 season for the Gators, not because of opposition's on the field talents, but who was coaching those opposing players. That's right, the Ole Ball Coach himself, Steve Spurrier, coaching against his former team for the second time at South Carolina and the first time back in Gainesville.
Looking back on the game right now it is much more easy to remember the 2006 Florida/South Carolina game as one with an exciting finish that including a season-saving play rather than just "the game when Spurrier returned to the Swamp."
The head coaching position at the University of Florida has a huge shadow casted over it. Steve Spurrier brought more success to the program than there ever was before, so any head coach to follow will always be talked about amongst Steve Spurrier's name. Plus, the multiple SEC championships and the National title won during the Ball Coach's years at UF will always be a measuring stick for Gator head coaches.
Urban Meyer had one shot at Steve Spurrier last season - a game in which the Gamecocks won to keep Meyer and the Gators out of the SEC title game. Year #2 was a chance for Coach Meyer and the Gators to get a win over the former Florida head coach, but it wasn't going to be easy. We all knew that the Ball Coach would draw up a special gameplan for the Gamecocks on that Saturday, and his team didn't disappoint, fighting until the very end.
Not only was this South Carolina game important for Urban Meyer to perhaps brush off some of the shadow of Steve Spurrier - it was also huge in regards to national title implications. The Gators, despite having one loss, were still going to be in the hunt for a national title game appearance if they could pull off the win against the Gamecocks. This was because someone from the Michigan/Ohio State matchup was going to have to lose, and we could all hope for a leapfrog of some sort.
With Jarvis Moss blocking a game winning 48 yard FG attempt from South Carolina's Ryan Succop, the Gators not only kept their shot at playing for a national title alive...they also gave Urban Meyer his first win over the former head coach at the University of Florida, the coach that all head coaches following him would have to live up to. Moss's fingertips made January 8th, 2007 an important day in Gator football history - no matter what happens - sealed two straight unbeaten seasons at home, and helped the Gators head coach to a victory against the biggest figure in Florida football history.
All you could say afterwards was "Wow." The importance of this play is clear to see, thus making it the top play of the 2006 season.
Let's hope for a couple more big plays to end it tonight.