The 1920s would be one of Florida's most glorious epochs. The team had nine winning seasons and boasted its first national stars. The decade started with William “Bill” Kline as coach from 1920-1922. Kline was a law professor and a former halfback for Illinois and had previously coached the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The 1920 season saw the Gators improve to 6–3 overall though there were still painful defeats to SIAC foes Tulane and Georgia. The next year 1921, saw the Gators post an almost identical 6-3-2 record but included in that record was a 9-2 upset win over Alabama and the losses to SIAC foes Tennessee and North Carolina were competitive. The 1922 season which would be Kline’s last saw the Gators continue to improve to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in their first season of Southern Conference play. Kline compiled a 19-8-2 record (68.96% winning percentage) in 3 seasons. Florida had left the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with many of its main rivals who had left the year before and joined the Southern Conference in 1922.
The 1923 was to be the first of two under Major James van Fleet who had served on Kline’s staff and was a professor of military tactics at UF. Some early stars on Kline’s and Van Fleet’s teams were robust Center Carl “Tootie” Perry and Halfback Robert “Ark” Newton who made headlines with a 92-yard punt against Mississippi College in 1921 and a brilliant 95-yard interception return against Army in 1923. Newton's powerful leg was also pivotal in the biggest upset victory in Gators' history to that time, a 16-6 win over Wallace Wade’s Alabama team in driving rain and ankle deep mud in Birmingham in 1923. The Gators trailed 6-0 at intermission when Coach James Van Fleet had his troops strip off their waterlogged socks and return to the field at the last possible moment. Alabama, encumbered by its soggy hosiery, could not keep up. "Coach Wade was so mad he never spoke to me again" Van Fleet said. "But, as I remember, he had his boys play bare-legged in the future in bad weather." UF celebrated its first homecoming that year with a 19-6 victory over Mercer and finished with a 6-1-2 record.
The Gators traveled further during the 1924 season than any other college football team in the country, and received national recognition for their ties against the powerhouse Texas Longhorns and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Led by star Tailback Robert “Ark” Newton,Van Fleet's 1924 Florida Gators finished 6–2–2 overall. The US Army transferred Van Fleet to the Panama Canal Zone after the 1924 season and he was forced to give up his duties as Florida’s head football coach. Van Fleet compiled a 12-3-4 record (73.68% winning percentage) in his two seasons.
Van Fleet was then succeeded by law student Harold “Tom” Sebring from 1925-1927. Under Sebring, the Gators compiled their highest single season win total to date in 1925, losing only to Georgia Tech and Wallace Wade’s undefeated Alabama squad both on the road. The highlights of the season included conference victories over Wake Forest, Clemson and Mississippi State to finish 8–2 overall,
The 1923 was to be the first of two under Major James van Fleet who had served on Kline’s staff and was a professor of military tactics at UF. Some early stars on Kline’s and Van Fleet’s teams were robust Center Carl “Tootie” Perry and Halfback Robert “Ark” Newton who made headlines with a 92-yard punt against Mississippi College in 1921 and a brilliant 95-yard interception return against Army in 1923. Newton's powerful leg was also pivotal in the biggest upset victory in Gators' history to that time, a 16-6 win over Wallace Wade’s Alabama team in driving rain and ankle deep mud in Birmingham in 1923. The Gators trailed 6-0 at intermission when Coach James Van Fleet had his troops strip off their waterlogged socks and return to the field at the last possible moment. Alabama, encumbered by its soggy hosiery, could not keep up. "Coach Wade was so mad he never spoke to me again" Van Fleet said. "But, as I remember, he had his boys play bare-legged in the future in bad weather." UF celebrated its first homecoming that year with a 19-6 victory over Mercer and finished with a 6-1-2 record.
The Gators traveled further during the 1924 season than any other college football team in the country, and received national recognition for their ties against the powerhouse Texas Longhorns and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Led by star Tailback Robert “Ark” Newton,Van Fleet's 1924 Florida Gators finished 6–2–2 overall. The US Army transferred Van Fleet to the Panama Canal Zone after the 1924 season and he was forced to give up his duties as Florida’s head football coach. Van Fleet compiled a 12-3-4 record (73.68% winning percentage) in his two seasons.
Van Fleet was then succeeded by law student Harold “Tom” Sebring from 1925-1927. Under Sebring, the Gators compiled their highest single season win total to date in 1925, losing only to Georgia Tech and Wallace Wade’s undefeated Alabama squad both on the road. The highlights of the season included conference victories over Wake Forest, Clemson and Mississippi State to finish 8–2 overall,