Orange Bowl
1967
Florida 27
Georgia Tech 12
MIAMI,
Fla. (AP)- Coach Ray Graves says Florida's football team finally has
proven it belongs in the big time, and the Gators have a young halfback
who should be able to keep them there for the next couple of years.
The Gators have had only one losing season in seven years under Graves but they never have won a Southeastern Conference title and until Monday night never had won in a big bowl except at the Gator Bowl.
"A lot of people wondered if Florida was a big enough team for this kind of a bowl game, and I think we showed we are," Graves said after the Gators whipped Georgia Tech 27-12 in the Orange Bowl.
The victory gave Florida a 9-2 record for the season, and although the Gators lose Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier, they have a youngster who may be able to take his place.
Halfback Larry Smith led the Gators past Tech when Spurrier's passing arm faltered, and the 215-pound speedster is only a sophomore. Smith rushed for a record 187 yards and raced 94 yards for the winning touchdown on the longest run from scrimmage in Orange Bowl history.
"Smith has been a good runner for us all year, Graves said after the victory. "About 15 times he has been within one shoe of going all the way, and this time he finally did it.
"That run couldn't have come at a betterr time," added Graves, who said that Spurrier had a sore arm and had missed practice because of distractions brought on by his Heisman award.
"Steve is still a great b a l l player, and he put that ball in the end zone for us just before the half when we really needed to get on that scoreboard," Graves said.
Trailing 6-0, Spurrier sent the Gators on a 66-yard drive capped by Graham McKeel's one-yard scoring plunge which tied the score, and Wayne Barfield kicked the point to put the Gators in front to stay.
Smith contributed his record touchdown dash in the third quarter and the Gators wrapped it up in the last period with McKeel scoring again on a plunge and Harmon Wages passing five yards for a touchdown to Jack Coons.
Georgia Tech, which scored in the first quarter on a surge capped by Kim King's 10-yard scoring toss to Craig Baynham, cut the gap in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Larry Good scooted 25 yards for the last Tech touchdown.
Graves and Tech Coach Bobby Dodd both praised the Gators' defenses, which picked off four passes. "Our defense played a great game," Graves said. "The pass rush was tremendous, and the secondary play was the best we have had in a long time."
Dodd, whose team completed only four of 22 passes for a total of 128 yards, said, "Florida's defense hurt us. It's a lot better than people thought. "But I've said all along Florida's defense was the best part of their game."
Dodd, who was Graves' former teacher when the Florida coach worked at Tech, said the running of Smith was what beat the Yellow Jackets. "Smith hurt us more than Spurrier did. Smith was terrific," Dodd said, "and he will be great later on."
Graves, whose teams were blanked the last three times they played Tech, said he thought the Gators' rugged pregame workouts paid off. "I think we were in better condition," he said. "We got stronger as the game went on, and we came back to win."
The Gators had double workouts several days last week in secret drills.
Dodd, whose loss was only the fourth in 13 post-season trips, said he was not yet ready to retire as Tech coach, although he left the impression he may step down in the future.
Asked about speculation that the game might be his last after 22 seasons at coach, Dodd said, "When I decide to retire, it will be properly announced.”
The defeat left the eighth ranked Yellow Jackets with a 9-2 mark for the season.
Georgia Tech's Kim King
Steve Spurrier won the 1966 Heisman
Smith on historic touchdown gallop.
Steve Spurrier and Larry Graves.
Attendance- 73,426
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
GT - Bagnham 10 pass from King (Run
failed)
Second Quarter
UF - McKeel 1 run (Barfield kick)
Third Quarter
UF - Smith 94 run (Barfield kick)
Fourth Quarter
UF - McKeel 1 run (Barfield kick)
GT - Good 25 run (Pass failed)
UF - Coone 5 pass from Wages (Pass failed)
Individual
Statistics
Rushing
UF- Smith 23-187, McKeel 13-30, Barfield 3-28, Spurrier 4-14
GT- Snow 24-110, Good 3-34
Passing
UF- Spurrier 14-30-160, Wages 1-2-5
GT- King 8-16-42
Receiving
UF- Trapp 5-43, Coone 3-33, Edwards 4-30
GT- 1-57, Smith 2-32
