Tebow makes NCAA history in Gators’ rout
Published 11:38 pm Saturday, November 17, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Urban Meyer didn’t tell his players they were eliminated from the Southeastern Conference race Saturday.
He didn’t have to, either.
The Gators were watching the scoreboard for updates and knew Georgia was beating Kentucky. They learned the final score in the locker room, a result that knocked Florida out of contention for the Eastern Division title.
The Gators still had reasons to celebrate after hammering Florida Atlantic 59-20.
Tim Tebow became the first player in NCAA history with at least 20 touchdowns passing and rushing in the same season and Andre Caldwell broke the school record for career receptions.
“That’s pretty cool,” Tebow said.
Tebow finished 25-for-34 passing for a career-high 338 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score. He has 20 rushing touchdowns and 26 TD passes.
His 20th on the ground broke the previous SEC single-season record of 19 held by Georgia’s Garrison Hearst (1992), Alabama’s Shaun Alexander (1999) and LSU’s LaBrandon Toefield (2001).
Tebow certainly solidified his case for the Heisman Trophy.
“He’s definitely as deserving as the other guys out there,” offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said. “He’s had a phenomenal season. He’s obviously a major, major part of our offense — one of the most important parts of our team.”
Caldwell caught a career-high 13 passes for 164 yards, giving him 177 career receptions and breaking the previous mark of 172 set by Carlos Alvarez (1969-71).
