The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gators competed in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The season was the second for head coach Urban Meyer, who led the Gators to an SEC Championship, a BCS National Championship, and an overall win–loss record of 13–1 (.929). Their one loss coming from an upset by the Auburn Tigers.

Florida overcame the toughest schedule in the nation by opponent winning percentageNCAA Football - Arkansas Razorbacks/Florida Gators Preview Saturday December 2, 2006 - Yahoo! Sports to become national champions. The Gators won their seventh SEC title by defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 38–28 in the SEC Championship Game on December 2, 2006, then defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 41–14 in the BCS National Championship Game on January 8, 2007, beginning the SEC's streak of seven consecutive national championships. The 2006 Florida Gators remain the last team to win a national championship averaging under 30 points per game with 29.8.

During the 2006 season, the Gators also celebrated two milestones in their history: the tenth anniversary of their first national football championship in 1996, and 100 years of Florida football dating to their first season in 1906.

In addition, with the men's basketball team winning the 2006 and 2007 NCAA men's basketball national championships, the University of Florida became the first Division I school to ever win the football and men's basketball titles during the same year. Coincidentally, the Gators again faced and defeated Ohio State in the 2007 NCAA basketball championship game, also marking the first time in college sports history that identical matchups and results have occurred in both football and basketball championships.

Schedule

2012 Florida Football Media Guide , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 114 & 116 (2012). Retrieved September 16, 2012.GatorZone.com, Football, History, Florida Football 2006 . Retrieved November 25, 2011.

Rankings

Before the season Most polls had Florida listed as one of the top 10 teams entering the season. The Gators had their best pre-season ranking from College Football News, which listed them at No. 2, behind only defending champion Texas.

Most of the starters returned from a 2005 team that went 9–3 and they were bolstered by a top-rated recruiting class the previous February. The Gators' schedule included a four-game stretch against teams likely to be in the top-15 teams, starting with Alabama on September 30.

Ten-year national championship anniversary The Gators celebrated the ten-year anniversary of winning their 1996 national championship in football during the opening game against Southern Miss. Among the attendees was Steve Spurrier, who coached the team to its only championship that season who was at the time coaching at the University of South Carolina. Many people had speculated that because of Spurrier's hiring as the South Carolina Gamecocks coach he would be booed, but instead he received a very loud ovation during the ceremony. St. Pete Times, September 3, 2006

100 year anniversary The Gators also celebrated 100 years since the start of their football program in 1906.

Game summaries Southern Miss

The season opened in the Swamp against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The Gators scored the last 34 points of the game after surrendering a touchdown with 12:40 to play in the 1st quarter. Chris Leak's third pass attempt of the game was intercepted by the Golden Eagles, who scored on a 6-yard Damion Carter pass to Jeremy Young 3 plays later.

Leak rebounded to finish 21-of-30 for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns. DeShawn Wynn and Tim Tebow each rushed for a touchdown for the Gators.

Central Florida

Despite giving up four turnovers and forcing none, the Gators easily beat the spread for the second time this season. By forcing a safety in the third quarter, the Gator defense outscored the blanked Golden Knights offense. It was the Gators' first shutout since blanking Mississippi State on September 29, 2001. Visiting Central Florida averaged just 2.6 yards per play and 153 total yards in the game.

Florida quarterback Chris Leak was 19-of-29 for 352 yards and four touchdowns. Freshman receiver Percy Harvin had a coming-out game with a 58-yard touchdown reception to open the scoring, en route to a 4-catch, 99-yards receiving day. Andre Caldwell caught two touchdowns, and Dallas Baker added one more for the Gators. Florida reserve QB Tim Tebow led the game in rushing, with 61 yards.

Tennessee

Florida traveled to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers. Florida jumped out to an early 7–0 lead, but the Vols quickly took the momentum back when wide receiver Lucas Taylor threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to LaMarcus Coker. The Volunteers shot out of the gate in the second half with an impressive touchdown drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Montario Hardesty, giving the Vols a 17–7 lead.

Chris Leak rallied the Gators to within a field goal when he found Dallas Baker for a four-yard touchdown. Tennessee pulled ahead by six when James Wilhoit hit a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth. Leak again rallied the team, but it was freshman Tim Tebow who made a huge play when he converted a crucial fourth down inside Tennessee territory. Leak came back into the game, and continued his strong play, finding Baker again for a 21-yard touchdown pass which would eventually prove to be the game winning score. The following drive, Junior quarterback Erik Ainge threw an interception to Reggie Nelson to seal a Gator victory. The win made the Gators No. 5 in the AP and Coaches polls.

Kentucky

The Gators quickly jumped out to a 6–0 lead on a trick play that led to a Chris Leak pass to Jemalle Cornelius for a touchdown just over two minutes into the game. From there, the Gators offense stagnated for most of the first half. The Wildcats took the lead briefly with a touchdown with under two minutes to play in the half, but the Gators responded with a touchdown of their own on a DeShawn Wynn run with :26 left in the half to take a 12–7 lead. Both Gator PATs were blocked in the half.

The second half of the game was more of a defensive struggle for both teams, but the Gators scored two more touchdowns (and made both PATs) to make the final score 26–7. Freshman Tim Tebow—the backup quarterback—led the Gators in rushing for the second time in four games with 73 yards on six rushes.

The week prior to the game, it was announced that DT Marcus Thomas was indefinitely suspended after failing a drug test. He appealed the suspension, but missed the Kentucky game while awaiting word on the appeal.

Alabama

Florida went with a throwback uniform style for the game, wearing uniforms from the mid-1960s as a part of the 100-year celebration of Florida Football. Prior to the game, Florida also unveiled its four initial entries into the Gator Football Ring of Honor—Emmitt Smith, Danny Wuerffel, Steve Spurrier, and Jack Youngblood.Gators induct 4 into ring of honor

Florida entered the game hoping to avenge a 31–3 loss in Tuscaloosa, Alabama the previous season, and end a rare three-game losing streak against a conference opponent.

The Gators trailed for nearly the entire first three quarters. After a botched snap between center Steve Rissler and quarterback Chris Leak, Alabama's Prince Hall returned the fumble for the Crimson Tide's only touchdown of the game. The Tide added a field goal to take a 10–0 lead that held until just before the half. Late in the first half, Chris Leak had a career-long 45-yard run. Three plays later, a Tim Tebow designed sneak scored from 2 yards out, putting the Gators on the board with 1:45 left in the half.

The Gators took their first lead with 2:39 left in the third quarter on a Leak pass to Andre Caldwell, making it 14–10. The Tide kept it close, kicking a 26-yard field goal to make it a 1-point game in the fourth quarter. Leak found Dallas Baker on a 21-yard touchdown pass to strengthen Florida's lead, and safety Reggie Nelson picked off John Parker Wilson's pass and took it 70 yards for the score to put the game out of reach.

LSU

ESPN's College GameDay was on campus for the Top-10 tilt between the LSU Tigers and the Gators. The attendance of 90,714 was two shy of the stadium record.

Like in their other 3 SEC victories, the Gators fell behind in the first half, allowing an LSU touchdown drive after a fumble on the opening drive. After the Tigers muffed on a Gator punt a drive later, reserve freshman QB Tim Tebow scored on a QB sneak from one yard out to tie the game. The Gators also scored right before halftime on Tebow's first touchdown pass, where he faked a leap over the pile and threw the ball to a falling Tate Casey. Tebow added a more conventional touchdown pass to Louis Murphy early in the third quarter.

The Tigers' Early Doucet fumbled the second half kickoff into the end zone for a safety, which led to the long Tebow throw on the next drive. An LSU field goal early in the fourth quarter would cut the Florida lead to 23–10. The Tigers drove deep into Gator territory on two other occasions in the fourth quarter, but the Gator defense intercepted LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell on both drives to seal the victory. Starting QB Chris Leak, despite going 17-of-26 passing, was held without a touchdown for the first time this season.

Auburn

ESPN's College GameDay was at Jordan–Hare Stadium to cover the critical SEC matchup between the number two ranked Gators and the number eleven ranked Auburn Tigers. Both Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit picked the Gators to defeat the Tigers. The game was broadcast on ESPN Full Circle.

The Tigers scored early, taking the opening drive to the Gators' 5-yard-line before being forced to kick a field goal. The Gators responded with a field goal, their first of the season for a 3–3 tie at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, with a touchdown pass from Chris Leak to Dallas Baker the Gators took a 10–3 lead. Soon thereafter, the Gators seemingly averted danger when they stripped the ball from the Tigers at the goal line. One play later, however, a Jim Tartt holding penalty in the end zone forced a safety, giving Auburn the ball back and two points. With about 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter Auburn kicked another field goal to make the score 10–8. The Gators strengthened their lead to 17–8 on a Tim Tebow run. Auburn kicked one additional field goal with 30 seconds in the quarter to cut the Gator lead to 17–11 at the half.

The second half belonged entirely to the Tigers, as they shut Florida out in the half and blocked a punt for a score to take the lead by one point in the third quarter. The Gators threatened to take the lead midway through the fourth until a controversial Leak fumble caused by Tray Blackmon of the Tigers gave Auburn the ball. A late field goal put Auburn up four points with just over 30 seconds to go in the game. In desperation, Florida responded on the last play of the game with a failed hook and lateral play, which Auburn's defense was able to pick up and return for a score as time expired.

Georgia

As the Gators came into their annual rivalry game with Georgia, they were heavily favored. Florida scored on their first possession of the game, moving the ball very effectively with a blend of running and passing. Wide receiver Andre Caldwell capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run off a reverse. Florida's defense, which had been touted as one of the best in the SEC, lived up to their billing, stifling the Georgia offense for the entire first half.