Tebow Shines, Gators Roll on Senior Day at the Swamp

Tim Tebow's final game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was a memorable one for the Florida senior. On Senior Day, Tebow passed for three touchdowns, and added two more rushing the ball, as the Florida Gators defeated in-state rival Florida State Seminoles Saturday, 37-10.

Tebow finished his home career in good fashion, with cameras flashing throughout the stadium as he led the Gators on his final drive of the day. Although he had lobbied his coach, Urban Meyer, to run a sneak-jump pass play that would fall incomplete on second and goal, the drive was capped by a Tim Tebow 1 yard touchdown run. When the referees put up their arms signaling touchdown, it seemed as if all 90,907 in attendance were flashing their cameras at The Swamp.

Tim Tebow passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns. The Gators rushed the ball extremely well, carving up the Seminoles defense for 311 yards and averaging eight yards per carry. Tebow rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries.

The game was the fifty-fourth meeting of the Florida football teams. It was also the Gators sixth win in a row against the Seminoles.

Speaking with CBS Sports Tracy Wolfson, Tim Tebow said, "It's special, it was special running out of that tunnel and seeing all these fans." Tebow continued, "Feeling the support and then coming out here, beating [Florida State University]... It's really special."

For the Seminoles, freshman quarterback E.J. Manuel had a difficult time in his first visit to The Swamp. Manuel threw two interceptions against the Gators defense, which is the second-best in the nation, behind only Alabama's top-rated defense. The Florida State offense did not score until late in the third quarter when Dustin Hopkins kicked a 20 yard field goal as time expired in the third quarter.

The game had added sentiment from the Seminoles sideline as well. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden may have coached his last game for the Seminoles. Bowden said in an Associated Press report, ""I want to coach next year, but let me say I want to go home and do some soul-searching."

Tim Tebow matched University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the race for the Heisman Trophy. McCoy played very well against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Day. Tebow's performance today makes him among the front-runners for the Heisman.

In a greatly anticipated match-up, the number one ranked Gators will play number two Alabama Saturday, Dec. 5 in Atlanta for the Southeastern Conference championship. Alabama defeated Auburn 26-21 Friday night. Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer told Wolfson, "We got our work cut out for us."

Tim Tebow on Final Home Game
CBS Sports
http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/collegefootball/fpqYfSqCbQABu11qMcRLenP5XRFvubzz

Bowden says he wants time to think about next year
Associated Press
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FBC_FLORIDA_ST_BOWDEN?SITE=ALMON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT