Wuerffel, Gators Blindsided
Danny Wuerffel and the Florida Gators never saw it coming.
Blitzing linebacker Jamel Williams blindsided Wuerffel for a safety early in the second quarter, and Florida’s flashy passing game never regained its zip Tuesday night in a 62-24 loss to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl.
Sure his team could throw at will on Nebraska, and Florida coach Steve Spurrier showed no fear. Even after a near safety left the Gators facing a second-and-31 hole at its 1, Spurrier had them line up in a formation with five wide receivers and no one back to block.
Big mistake.
Williams rushed in untouched from the right side, bearhugged Wuerffel and buried him in the end zone to give the Cornhuskers a 15-10 lead 2:18 into the second quarter.
“They motioned to five wide. I started to get excited when I saw no one back there,” Williams said. “I had a clear shot at him. No one was there to stop me.”
The sad sack of Wuerffel marked the first time since 1991 a Florida player had been tackled for a safety. More than that, it seemed to rob Wuerffel and the Gators’ razzle-dazzle passing plan of their confidence.
“My thinking was it was a good play,” Spurrier said. “We only gave up two (points). If we punt from our end zone, they get the ball around the 30.
“We got some protections messed up. We got out of sync.”
From then on, Wuerffel never had the touch that made No. 2 Florida the second-best passing team in the nation. Skittish, he missed open receivers, threw three interceptions and was sacked a career-high seven times.
And from that point on, No. 1 Nebraska became more tenacious on defense. It took away the slant patterns that Wuerffel completed in the first quarter, rushed him with blitzes and shut down Florida receivers with physical, man-to-man coverage in winning its second straight national championship.
“When you’re back at your one-foot line, it was worth a try to go deep,” Wuerffel said. “I had a guy open, I just couldn’t get it to him. It was only two points. We were still in the game.”
Until the safety, Florida had accumulated 124 yards. But from that play until midway through the third quarter, the Gators were held to minus yardage.
Despite being down 13-10, Florida seemed to be doing fine when it took over for its first possession of the second quarter at its 22. But a holding penalty, followed by a false start call, left the Gators with a first-and-28 at their 4.
Wuerffel almost was sacked for a safety on first down when Terrell Farley came in untouched from the left side. Farley grabbed Wuerffel in the end zone but, with Nebraska starting to signal for a safety, the QB lunged ahead to the 1.
On the next play, however, there was no escape, especially with no one back to block the blitz. The safety was only the second of the season for Nebraska - the other came on a blocked punt - and sent several Cornhuskers jumping in the air.
Long time, no see
Nebraska began playing football in 1890 and Florida in 1906, but the Fiesta Bowl marked only the second time the schools had met in the sport. The other was in the 1974 Sugar Bowl, won by the Cornhuskers 13-10. Nebraska coach Tom Osborne pulled quarterback David Humm in the third quarter, and reserve Terry Luck sparked a rally from a 10-0 deficit. Mike Coyle kicked a 39-yard field goal with 1:46 left for the victory.
Honoring the champs
More than 5,000 fans, some shirtless despite 21-degree temperatures, jammed downtown Lincoln, Neb., to celebrate Nebraska’s second straight national football championship.
Police said more than 1,000 people packed one intersection and watched as young men scaled traffic signals and trees to wave inflatable alligators in honor of the rout of Florida.