On January 1, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, the Florida Gators, the SEC Eastern Division Champs, will meet the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Big East winners, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The University of Florida Gators have played in the Sugar Bowl 7 times before, with a win in 1997 of 52-20 over Florida State to give them a national title. The Gators played a Big East winner once before in 1994, defeating Virginia 41-7.

But a good record of games doesn't guarantee victory, as the Gators found out in their final game of the season. After an undefeated season and a winning streak of 22 games, winning 12 consecutive games in one season for only the second time in Gators' history, the Gators lost the SEC Championship to Alabama. The Gators and the Bearcats have played one time previously, but that was in 1984 during Homecoming weekend. At that time, Florida won 48-17.

The Sugar Bowl, now known as the Allstate Sugar Bowl, got its start during the Depression and celebrated 75 years at the beginning of 2009. Chief Executive Officer of the Sugar Bowl Committee, Paul Hoolahan, said they're pleased to host 2 of the top 5 teams in the country in the Allstate Sugar Bowl this year. This is the Gators' 19th consecutive New Year's bowl appearance, which is the 2nd longest streak of consecutive bowl games in the country.

The Gators' entrance into the bowl game hasn't been without some controversy. Urban Meyer, Gators' coach, announced just Saturday, December 26th, that he was leaving the Gators and stepping down as coach for health reasons. But on Sunday, he said that he'd continue as coach through the Sugar Bowl, then take a leave of absence after the bowl.

Meyer's brought Gators 2 BCS titles in 5 years but plans to let Steve Addazio, the Gators' offensive coordinator, run the team until he's ready to come back. Meyer says he's been suffering from recurring and unexplained chest pains, but now, just one day after announcing his resignation, says he plans to be back in time to coach the opening game of the 2010 football season.

Criticism has come from all corners, first at the resignation announcement coming just before the bowl game which is seen as upstaging the game now. Ticket sales for the Gators were less than expected, possibly because of the final game loss that stunned fans and players. So an announcement of a resignation 1 week before the bowl game, and star Heisman-Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow's final game as a Gator, has many in the sports world wondering why. The reversal the next morning is seen as even more strange.

Even the announcement and reversal, and the final game loss, can't take away the achievements of the Gators over their 2009 season, with team and individual player records being broken and set almost every game.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl will be televised by the FOX Network.

Photo Credits: Ludie Cochrane

Originally posted 2009-12-31 01:47:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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On Saturday, the Gators made a decisive victory against the Golden Panthers at Ben Hill Stadium. In front of over 90,000 attendees, they pushed their record to 11-0 for only the second time in the University of Florida's history. This win also puts the Gators winning streak at 21 consecutive games. They defeated 3-8 ranked FIU.

Gators managed to shut out the Panthers through almost the entire first half, allowing only one 3-point field goal less than 30 seconds before the end of the second quarter. Kicker Dustin Rivest was responsible for the only Panther scoring with that kick, while the Gators racked up over half of their game points, making the half-time score 35-3 Gators.

Florida dominated early with an interception return of 41 yards by Brandon Spikes, a senior linebacker, just over 13 minutes into the game. The interception made Spikes the only player in the United States to have achieved 4 pick-sixes within the last 2 years. It was his 6th career interception, and his 4th that lead to a touchdown, putting the first score on the board for the Gators at 7-0.

The next Gators score came at 9:18 in the second quarter with quarterback Tim Tebow running 55-yards, a career-high for Tebow, to make the touchdown and run the score to 14-0. That touchdown became Tebow's 54th, giving him the record for all-time touchdowns.

Chris Rainey made the next two touchdowns, the first with a 27-yard run after a shovel pass from quarterback Tebow. This was Rainey's first touchdown for the Gators. He then made a 22-yard run after an option pitch from the quarterback, making this his second rushing score, and number 7 of the season for the Gators, putting them at 28-0. He made 3 receptions, a career-tying achievement with a career-high of 61 yards.

Jeff Demps, a sophomore from Winter Garden, Fla., pushed the Gators halftime score to 35 with a 3-yard scamper, with the Panthers getting their only score of the game, a 37-yard field goal, just 29 seconds before the end of the half.

Early in the second half, Riley Cooper, a Gators wide receiver from Clearwater, Fla., caught an 18-yard pass, his 7th touchdown pass of the season, pushing the board to 42-3.

John Brantley came in for Tebow with over 13 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and managed 73 yards and two touchdowns. The first was thanks to a reception by Omarius Hines, a wide receiver from Corsicana, Texas, whose 20-yard touchdown pass reception was his first scoring for Florida.

Brantley threw a career-long touchdown pass of 16-yards to Justin Williams of Folkson, Ga. This was his second score this season, pushing the score to 56-3 at just over 11 minutes left in the game. Deonte Thompson, a sophomore from Belle Glad, Fla., led Gators receivers with 66 yards and 5 catches.

Brantley had another career-long pass of 31-yards that was received in the end zone by Frankie Hammond Jr. of Hollywood Fla. This was also Hammond's inaugural score for the Gators, and pushed the score to its final of 62-3, leaving Gators undefeated this season.

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