This game was over as soon as it was scheduled. In fact, after the 35-0 halftime score, I thought ESPN might switch their broadcast to the national knitting competition. Florida’s stellar QB, Tim Tebow, was responsible for all five touchdowns that occurred in the first half of play, and the Gators strolled to a 42-14 final.
Florida Gator fans made their presence known in Vanderbilt Stadium on this chilly Saturday night in Nashville. Ranked fourth in the country, they had a national championship on their minds. Vanderbilt started the season 5-0 and ranked thirteenth in the nation only to watch their winning streak morph into a losing skid. The loss to Florida made four straight, and after the astounding Gator performance in the first half, most of the Commodore fans left the building to get out of the cold and watch the rest on TV, or perhaps Saturday Night Live.
Despite the flood of Gator fans, the support by Vanderbilt fans was impressive – some rabid faithful stayed to the bitter end. Players came over to thank those fans who fought through the chilly temperatures to watch their team get hammered. But, by game’s end, 90% of the fans were Gators waiting to catch a glimpse of their hero, Tim Tebow, as he exited the field. The celebration was on for Florida as they won the SEC east and are now headed to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. The Commodores will have a long way before that kind of celebration will take place in Vanderbilt Stadium, but the successful onset of this season gave a flicker of the possibilities.
