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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Florida Cuts In Line For Title Victory Over Fsu And Ohio State Loss Move Gators Closer To Championship

Rick Warner Associated Press

Thanks to Danny Wuerffel and Michigan, Florida now has a clear path to the national championship.

Wuerffel threw for 443 yards and four touchdowns, including two long ones to Ike Hilliard, as the No. 3 Gators beat No. 6 Florida State 35-24 Saturday and closed in on a title showdown against top-ranked Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.

Combined with Michigan’s 31-23 upset of No. 2 Ohio State, Florida (11-0) gained control of its national championship campaign. If the Gators beat Arkansas for the Southeastern Conference title next Saturday - and they’ll be heavily favored to do so - they will play Nebraska (11-0) for the national title in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2.

“We’re going to Arizona, baby!” Florida linebacker Xavier McCray said as he ran off the field.

The crowd roared when the scoreboard showed the Michigan-Ohio State final.

“When Ohio State lost, it pumped us up a little more,” said Florida safety Mike Harris, whose interception with 3:06 left clinched the victory before a record crowd of 85,711 at chilly Florida Field.

Florida coach Steve Spurrier said there’s no way his Gators will take Arkansas for granted: “Right now, it’s the biggest game of the season for us,” he said.

Florida tied a school record with its 11th straight victory and beat its archrival for only the second time since 1987. The win also gave Spurrier his first sweep of the coaching Bowdens, Florida State’s Bobby and Auburn’s Terry. The Gators beat Auburn 49-38 on Oct. 14.

“He killed me and my boy. He killed both of us in the same year,” said Bobby Bowden, whose 9-2 team is headed to either the Orange or Sugar bowl.

Wuerffel boosted his Heisman Trophy chances with a sensational 25-of-40 passing performance that included TD tosses of 42 and 74 yards to Hilliard, 22 yards to Jacquez Green and 20 yards to Chris Doering.

“I don’t really care about that,” said

Wuerffel, whose 33 TD passes are a school and SEC record. “I’m just excited to be where I’m at, to be the quarterback on one of the best teams in the country.”

Florida’s defense also played very well, holding FSU to 322 yards and a season-low 24 points. That’s 253 yards and 27 points below the Seminoles’ average. Spurrier said the defense was critical in the fourth quarter because the Gators’ offense stalled.

“We couldn’t stay out there and run the clock down,” he said. “We made a few first downs, but I don’t think we made any third-down conversions in the fourth quarter. We had to stop them.”