What is your favorite Steve Spurrier moment?

[sadgator]

Doesn't have to be a quote. It can be a play, a game, or particular championship.

sadgator has two:

1. The fourth and 11 bomb to Anthony on the first series of the 1996 Tennessee game. That was vintage Steve. Balls of steel and a great play call. UT never recovered. So many times teams would get back on their heels against us because they knew that Steve would bury them if he had the opportunity. One score is all it would take and they would be scared sh!tless, just like UT on that day.

2. When he was asked about whether he would be coaching long enough to see us even the series record against UGA he said something like, "X number of years (the exact amount we were behind at the time) is a long time to coach."

He was just the greatest.

 

[GatorGray]

2. When he was asked about whether he would be coaching long enough to see us even the series record against UGA he said something like, "X number of years (the exact amount we were behind at the time) is a long time to coach."

That one is classic and is not often told when quoting him.

I also love the one when he came to Jacksonville for the UGa game (his first?) and Goff started in on his 'Gators are so much more talented than us, we'll have to play perfect to win' mantra - something that he learned from Vince Dooley. So after the Gators blew them out, Spurrier said at the post game presser (and I am paraphrasing) 'Why is it they are always ranked real high in those recruiting rankings, then in the fall they don't have any talent? What happens to all those talented players between February and football season?'

 

[passoverGator]

I loved it when he got the record for most points scored by an opponent "between the hedges".

 

[GatorGray]

HERE is a video on Periscope of Bates telling multiple stories about SOS. It is fairly long, but worth a listen.

 

[ocalaman]

My favorite Spurrier moment was when he was in the NFL, but in Gainesville for a few days, and his Dad was preaching in High Springs, near Gainesville. My brother was in middle school, just starting to play golf and got sick. Rev. Spurrier came to visit and asked if he could do anything for my brother. He asked if he could meet his son. A day or 2 later, Steve came to the house and visited with my brother, Mom & Dad and gave my brother an old set of his gold clubs out of the trunk of his car. All of his on field heroics and brashness are what most people remember. But I remember him just as a really good man.

 

[GatorGray]

I just read the quote about UGa in a Schlabach column:

After the Gators clinched their first SEC championship with a 45-13 win over Georgia in 1991, Spurrier told reporters, "How is it when [Georgia] signs people, they get the 'best,' but when we play, we've got the best players? Georgia has signed a lot of good players. Something just happens to them at Georgia, I guess."

 

[passoverGator]

The 97 fsu game has to be his finest display of coaching ever.

 

[HardeeWildcatFan]

The 97 fsu game has to be his finest display of coaching ever.

The greatest game ever!!!!

 

[instaGATOR]

Steve has corrected the 'Retirement' repost. He has not retired from coaching football, he has only 'Resigned' from being the HBC at SCa.

He said that he might coach again sometime in the future,,, maybe at the HS level.

Gotta love um...

 

[sadgator]

The 97 fsu game has to be his finest display of coaching ever.

Rotating qb's every play. Yeah, That was awesome. Who would have the guts to do that and pull it off today?

 

[GatorTheo]

The first one I think of is his first game where we beat Okla. St. like 50-7. I remember thinking that's like the big boys do things.

I also remember hearing him at Gator Gatherings. It was fantastic. It was like one of us got to be head coach. I'm not sure there will ever be another one like him.

 

[Rushie]

So many to choose from, so little time....

How about the play calling on go ahead scoring drive in '94 seccg against Bama? Kresser coming in for one downfield pass. Lateral to Doering who threw a pass to another WR getting the ball down to the 2.

 

[Rushie]

Was it the Emory and Henry formation that would have linemen split out wide to either side?

 

[Percy57]

The first one I think of is his first game where we beat Okla. St. like 50-7. I remember thinking that's like the big boys do things.

I also remember hearing him at Gator Gatherings. It was fantastic. It was like one of us got to be head coach. I'm not sure there will ever be another one like him.

I don't mean to horn in on your board but the Spurrier comment I remember most is when asked if he thought he would beat UGA that year he asked "is Ray Goff still coaching? The next one, at Carolina after winning the bowl game he said " This championship is great, so is our state championship". This was after beating clemson five straight.

 

[PacoGator19]

Putting Danny Wuerffel in the shotgun and using it to beat FSU 52-20.

 

[passoverGator]

Weurffel, Hilliard, Anthony, and Taylor. My God.

 

[keyzer soze]

HERE is a video on Periscope of Bates telling multiple stories about SOS. It is fairly long, but worth a listen.

Bates is great. It's a shame that with all the tributes the national media did the last couple of days that they didn't just let Bates host a 2hr special with no script

 

[SeaPA]

Mine, obviously, was a little different than most around here - but is still a good example of Spur's caustic nature & sarcastic wit. It was from the coaches highlights show the day after the 1992 FSU-UF game. Marvin Jones was all over the place for FSU; in the 3rd quarter, Rhett ripped off a nice run, 10-15 yards or so. Spurrier's comment was something like "How 'bout that. Let's just keep showing that play over & over, it's the only time we got Jones blocked all night."

 

[Panhandle Slim1]

Was it the Emory and Henry formation that would have linemen split out wide to either side?

Yes

 

[Decie]

Listening to XM yesterday morning there were a few funny, sarcastic, critical comments about the play of quarterback, running back, etc. The one that made me LOL was the one on the kicker. It was something to the effect of "It's like being in the military, wide left, wide right.......". Hilarious! As an FSU fan, we can certainly relate to that!!! Very quick witted sense of humor. Funny how polarizing he was to watch on the sidelines.

 

[cwesleyf]

Steve has left us all with so many good memories. One of the worst though was watching him acknowledge his plans to accept the job as head coach at South Carolina. Seeing him resign that same position mid way through the season filled me with a little joy. No longer will Steve be gator bait. The estrangement has ended. Take a shower, wash that South Carolinian stink off. Come back home. There is always a place for you here.

 

[TennesseeGator]

I have to say the day when he is no longer a cock anymore.

He is no longer an opponent.

He is 100% Gator again.

We never have to witness him coaching on the opposite sidelines.

 

[Rushie]

Rotating qb's every play. Yeah, That was awesome. Who would have the guts to do that and pull it off today?

I dont know if that had ever been done before or since. Hell our own experience the beginning of this season was met with many saying "Pick 1 and stick with him!"

 

[GatorGray]

I dont know if that had ever been done before or since. Hell our own experience the beginning of this season was met with many saying "Pick 1 and stick with him!"

Spurrier did it again a year or two later but not with the same success as that game.

 

[GatorGray]

Should we rename BHG as Spurrier Stadium? Good case for it HERE.

 

[keyzer soze]

Should we rename BHG as Spurrier Stadium? Good case for it HERE.

I will say this, there is more good reason to name Florida's field "Spurrier Stadium" than there was to name many of the stadiums around the country their respective names. He played and won a Heisman and coached and won championships on that field.
However, the Griffin's wrote a pretty dang big check to receive the naming rights. Not sure how you navigate the name change in light of that.
But I'd vote for the new name right now.

 

[sadgator]

For some reason, sadgator thinks that Steve would not want that.

 

[Rushie]

Spurrier did it again a year or two later but not with the same success as that game.

Road game against MSU maybe? Seems Palmer, Grossman, and maybe another QB (Berlin?) got in that one.

 

[GatorGray]

Road game against MSU maybe? Seems Palmer, Grossman, and maybe another QB (Berlin?) got in that one.

I honestly cannot remember the exact game. Just remember that he did it.

 

[keyzer soze]

Road game against MSU maybe? Seems Palmer, Grossman, and maybe another QB (Berlin?) got in that one.

Unfortunately I witnessed that Miss st game in person. He did play all 3 QBs but I don't think he planned to. The only thing I took away from that day was that Rex was the best of the 3 and it wasn't even close.

 

[GatorGray]

An excellent story about Steve is one that happened long before I knew who he was. When he won the Heisman, he said 'This is really a team award' and then proceeded to give the trophy to the University. When the Downtown Athletic Club heard about it, they had another one made for him. Ever since then (1966) they have given out two trophies, one for the player and one for the university...a tradition started by Steve Spurrier.

 

[LoudounGator]

The quote about the Auburn dorm fire that burned several books, "real shame is about 15 of those hadn't been colored yet"

 

[TennesseeGator]

Spurrier did it again a year or two later but not with the same success as that game.

He did it early in 1999. The game that stood out the best was when we knocked off defending National Champions UT. Doug and Jesse both played nearly every other play that game of I'm not mistaken.

He switched Rex and Jessee around quiet a bit in 2000, the UGA game stands out the most. Rex started and struggled. JP went in and played calmly and brought us back but later was injured. Rex came back in and was lights out.

 

[46885]

Rotating qb's every play. Yeah, That was awesome. Who would have the guts to do that and pull it off today?

and the throwback to the QB while he kept switching them on like a 4th down to Johnson that got it all going and the crowd went crazy...

Road game against MSU maybe? Seems Palmer, Grossman, and maybe another QB (Berlin?) got in that one.

I honestly cannot remember the exact game. Just remember that he did it.

He did it against FSU in 99 and we should have won that game but we had too many penalties and it still came down to the last play of the game that we almost connected on with a Hail Mary.. We lost that game because we couldn't score from the one after we hit Gillespie on that throwback we ran against UT two year prior... same thing happened in that game too, we didn't score from inside the 2.

 

[gatorshime]

Doesn't have to be a quote. It can be a play, a game, or particular championship.

sadgator has two:

1. The fourth and 11 bomb to Anthony on the first series of the 1996 Tennessee game. That was vintage Steve. Balls of steel and a great play call. UT never recovered. So many times teams would get back on their heels against us because they knew that Steve would bury them if he had the opportunity. One score is all it would take and they would be scared sh!tless, just like UT on that day.

2. When he was asked about whether he would be coaching long enough to see us even the series record against UGA he said something like, "X number of years (the exact amount we were behind at the time) is a long time to coach."

He was just the greatest.

I'm into the classic lines....

"Free Shoes University" and "You can't spell Citrus without U.T." The man did one thing and that was back it up.

Never losing to Peyton Manning including a rain soaked game at the Swamp when we went for over 60.

 

[gwdad1]

I do not remember exactly the year 97-98 maybe but my friend used to host the "Gator Gathering " in Panama City. Steve comes in and plays golf and speak's in the evening. My friend and I played in the tournament and went back to our condo to get ready for the dinner that night and were sitting on the balcony smoking a big cigar and drinking a beer and Jamie Mckloskey (sp) comes by. He was Steve's right hand man at the time. We asked Jamie where coach is and he said resting in his room. We asked him to have him come join is for a beer and Jamie says that coach was tired. We went back in the condo and about thirty minutes later we hear a knock on the door and open it and it was Spurrier. He came in and joined us for 30-45 minutes and drank a few beers and told stories. It was great, after watching him as a kid growing up in Gainesville and watching him and then him coming back and coaching at my school. It was one of my favorite days of all time. What a class act and a GREAT GATOR

 

[keyzer soze]

In 1995 Florida beat LSU 28-10. the LSU defense did better than anybody else stopping in Florida's offense. So during the month before the Fiesta bowl the LSU defensive coaches went to Nebraska to help the Husker defense. The next year we beat LSU 56-13. After the game Spurrier said " I don't believe anybody will be calling them for coaching tips this year"

 

[sadgator]

In 1995 Florida beat LSU 28-10. the LSU defense did better than anybody else stopping in Florida's offense. So during the month before the Fiesta bowl the LSU defensive coaches went to Nebraska to help the Husker defense. The next year we beat LSU 56-13. After the game Spurrier said " I don't believe anybody will be calling them for coaching tips this year"

Good one. Kinda remember that.

 

[CompuGator]

Never losing to Peyton Manning including a rain soaked game at the Swamp when we went for over 60.

I don't recall rain, but I certainly recall the game. It was 16 Sep. 1995 (3rd game of the season), #4 UF hosting #8 UT[*]: Too early in the season to rely on relative rankings to give a reliable prediction of the outcome of any game between highly ranked teams.

Manning and his Voles quickly piled up an alarming lead: Voles 30 or 31, underachievinging Gators only 6 or 7, all by the middle or late 2nd quarter. The Gators did later score a t.d. before half-time, but a neutral observer might've decided that Manning's long-awaited "next year" had finally arrived.

Then Spurrier and his Gator coaches must've concocted the Mother Of All Half-time Adjustments: Danny Wuerffel led Gators into roaring 3rd & 4th quarters, scoring nearly 50 points that were practically unanswered. In that 2nd half, the Gator defense was able to chomp down on Manning and his Vole offense, allowing them only a single additional t.d., which didn't change the feel of the final score: Mighty Gators 62, shell-shocked Voles 37.

-------
Note *: AP rankings as shown per game in Florida 2001 Guide: the final edition featuring the Head Ball Coach. Overseen by A.A.D.-Communications & de facto team historian Norm Carlson.

 

[passoverGator]

I don't recall rain,

Really? It was a monsoon in the second half.