It’s the highest-scoring team in modern college football history versus the fastest team in the country. It’s Heisman 2008 versus Heisman 2007. It’s the nation’s highest-rated quarterback versus the second-best pass defense.
It’s a matchup anyone with a flat screen and a round head figures will go down as one of the greatest college football games ever.
Yet for all the panache, star quality and mind-popping stats that top-ranked Florida (12-1) and second-ranked Oklahoma (12-1) bring to Thursday night’s BCS championship in Miami, they both have one tomato stain on their glittery resumes.
At the time, Florida’s 31-30 loss to Mississippi on Sept. 27 merely surprised America, and Oklahoma’s 45-35 loss to Texas on Oct. 11 mildly raised some eyebrows. But as Florida steamrolled through the rest of the Southeastern Conference and Oklahoma put up scores only an 8-man football coach could comprehend, the wows of their season performances were nearly topped by the hows of their losses.
Such as, how in the world did Mississippi go into Gainesville, Fla., and knock off a team favored to win its second national title in three years? And how in the name of Bevo did Texas slow down Oklahoma outside of suiting up its Longhorn mascot as a defensive end?
Florida’s and Oklahoma’s staffs would like to know.
“The biggest thing was believing in each other,” Texas quarterback Colt McCoy said three weeks ago. “Every time we came off the field, I said, ‘Hey, we’re not running the ball that well but keep fighting. Stick with it. Good things are going to happen for us.’ ”
In the Cotton Bowl that day, it took more than a pep talk for Texas. It will take more than Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, last season’s Heisman winner, cranking up his best pulpit speech, as well.
The Sooners’ 54 points a game are the most since 1904, Heisman-winner Sam Bradford’s 186.28 quarterback rating tops the nation and they have two 1,000-yard rushers in Chris Brown (1,110) and DeMarco Murray (1,002). Although Murray is out with a torn hamstring, Brown will gladly handle more carries and sophomore Mossis Madu has shown signs of brilliance.
So what must Florida do? Where must it start?
“We had to stop their run,” Texas coach Mack Brown said. “To beat Oklahoma you have to stop the surge early.”
Texas did. Without bringing additional help for its defensive line against an offensive line Brown called “the biggest offensive line I’ve ever seen,” Texas held the Sooners to 48 yards on 26 carries, with Murray carrying seven times for only 6 yards. Oklahoma led at the end of the first quarter, but only 7-3.
With the run stuffed, Bradford stuck to the air the rest of the game. He did hit 28-of-39 passes for 387 yards and five touchdowns. He was also sacked three times. Only Texas Christian, which had four sacks in a 35-10 loss, got more.
“We were playing more consistent and getting pressure on Bradford,” said defensive end Brian Orakpo, who had two sacks. “That’s the key to playing OU. And we were able to stop the run. DeMarco Murray wasn’t that effective against us, and we were able to get after them with four guys and leave guys back.”
Offensively, McCoy exposed an Oklahoma pass defense that entered the game tops in the country. He hit 28-of-35 for 277 yards and the Sooners never adjusted to Jordan Shipley, who caught 11 passes for 112 yards and McCoy’s one TD pass. Oklahoma’s pass defense is currently 41st.
The biggest key, however, may have been what McCoy said. Texas wasn’t intimidated.
“Everyone was on the OU bandwagon,” Orakpo said. “We didn’t mind all that. We went in to stop a high-octane offense. Thirty-five points is a great job, considering the circumstances.”
Rebels yell about their D
Like Florida’s speed, it’s also a given that the Gators won’t be intimidated. They’re No. 1 for a reason. Then again, Ole Miss wasn’t intimidated when it walked into Gainesville still an unknown at 2-2 in coach Houston Nutt’s first year.
The previous week it had six turnovers in a 23-17 home loss to Vanderbilt. Florida was ranked fourth and had a better supporting cast around Tebow than when he won last year’s Heisman. It looked like another ho-hum win in The Swamp.
“I was so bummed out,” Nutt said from his office last month. “Our mind-set to play this group was, ‘Hey, let’s try to play a game without trying to help the other team.’ ”
The emphasis worked. The Rebels’ Jevan Snead, the transfer from Texas, threw only one interception in 21 attempts and threw for 185 yards, including an 86-yard touchdown to Shay Hodge for a 31-24 lead in the fourth quarter.
Mississippi’s defense held up. Florida gained 443 yards but the Rebels forced three turnovers, all in the second half, and Tebow never found a rhythm.
“I don’t know if we took a lot of chances,” Nutt said. “We were scared of their wideouts, especially Percy Harvin. What we did do was we mixed up our blitzes. We weren’t going to be afraid to bring pressure. And we’d bring, five, six or seven depending on the down and distance and personnel and just tried to keep (Tebow) off balance.
“We challenged our front: ‘If you’re one on one, you’ve got to get to Tebow. You’ve got to hurry him.’ ”
Mississippi’s offense did a reasonable job against a famed Florida defense with 325 yards, but 86 came on the TD pass to Hodge. Where Ole Miss beat Florida was on defense. The Rebels used their speed and excellent one-on-one tackling to keep the Gators from exploding the scoreboard.
Florida’s improved rushing attack gained only 124 yards and the Gators were 1-for-11 on third down.
“We really tried to challenge our guys,” Nutt said. “Refuse to stay blocked. Beat them to the hole. Beat them to the gap. That was our theme song.”
Key injury hurts Sooners
The problem with defending Tebow, Nutt said, is you must pick your poison. Sure, he threw for 2,512 yards and 28 TDs this season but he also ran for 564 yards and 12 more. After Kentrell Lockett blocked the extra point to preserve Ole Miss’ 31-30 lead with 3:28 left, Florida was driving again and faced fourth-and-1 at the Rebel 32. Ole Miss stopped Tebow’s sneak for no gain.
“I said before the fourth-and-1 that Tebow would run or throw the jump pass,” Nutt said. “We’re going after the run all the way. That’s the dilemma line.”
Oklahoma has a huge problem keeping its record-setting offense humming against Florida’s speed, and without Murray.
“Oklahoma probably has the best offensive line I’ve seen,” Nutt said. “The thing that would bother me if I’m Coach (Bob) Stoops is losing their best back. You lose a Murray, that’s like losing (Florida’s Percy) Harvin. I don’t know if Florida would’ve beaten Alabama without Harvin.”
John Henderson: 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com
How they did it
A look at the losses of Oklahoma and Florida:
Texas 45, Oklahoma 35
Fatal flaw: Oklahoma’s pass defense was exposed. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy hit 28-of-35 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown and led three touchdown drives in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Key play: Down 35-30 in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-8 from the Oklahoma 38, McCoy hit Jordan Shipley for 37 yards to the 1, where Cody Johnson scored to give Texas the lead for good.
Fallout: Oklahoma fell to 5-1 (1-1 in Big 12) and from No. 1 in The AP poll to No. 4.
Quotable: “This is only one game and it’s over now. We can learn from our mistakes and refocus our efforts on the rest of our games from here on out. We still have a lot of football left to play.” — Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.
Mississippi 31, Florida 30
Fatal flaw: Florida hadn’t committed a turnover all season but coughed it up three times in the second half.
Key play: Jevan Snead threw an 86-yard TD pass to Shay Hodge for a 31-24 lead with 5:26 left.
Fallout: Florida dropped to 3-1 (1-1 in SEC) and from No. 4 to No. 13.
Quotable: “I’m sorry. I’m extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida’s never done here. But I promise you one thing: A lot of good will come out of this.” — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow
John Henderson, The Denver Post
