1971 Florida Gators football team

1971 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1971 record	4–7 (1–6 T-8th SEC)
Head coach	Doug Dickey
Offensive coordinator	Jimmy Dunn
Defensive coordinator	Doug Knotts
Captain	Harvin Clark Tommy Durrance John Reaves
Home stadium	Florida Field

1971 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#4 Alabama $	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#7 Georgia	5	–	1	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#12 Auburn	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#15 Ole Miss	4	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
#9 Tennessee	4	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
#11 LSU	3	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Florida	1	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Kentucky	1	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Mississippi State	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1971 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1971 college football season. The season was Doug Dickey's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Dickey's 1971 Florida Gators finished with a 4–7 overall record and a 1–6 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), tying for eighth among ten SEC teams.^[1]

Schedule and results

Date	Opponent^#	Rank^#	Site	TV	Result
9–11–1971	Duke*		Tampa Stadium • Tampa, FL		L 6–12
9–18–1971	Mississippi State		Verterans Memorial Stadium • Jackson, MS		L 10–13
9–25–1971	No. 8 Alabama		Florida Field • Gainesville, FL		L 0–38
10–2–1971	No. 12 Tennessee		Florida Field • Gainesville, FL		L 13–20
10–9–1971	No. 16 Louisiana State		Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA		L 7–48
10–16–1971	No. 19 Florida State*		Florida Field • Gainesville, FL		W 17–15
10–23–1971	Maryland*		Florida Field • Gainesville, FL (HC)		W 27–23
10–30–1971	No. 5 Auburn		Cliff Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL		L 7–40
11–6–1971	No. 7 Georgia		Gator Bowl Stadium • Jacksonville, FL		L 7–49
11–13–1971	Kentucky		Florida Field • Gainesville, FL		W 35–24
11–27–1971	Miami*		Orange Bowl Stadium • Miami, FL		W 45–16
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide^[1]

Game notes

Duke

1 2 3 4 Total • Duke 6 3 0 3 12 Florida 0 0 6 0 6 Date: September 11 Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL

Scoring summary 1 DUKE Wright 44 yard field goal DUKE 3-0 1 DUKE Wright 22 yard field goal DUKE 6-0 2 DUKE Wright 34 yard field goal DUKE 9-0 3 FLA Parker 7 yard pass from Reaves (kick blocked) DUKE 9-6 4 DUKE Wright 43 yard field goal DUKE 12-6

^[2]

Mississippi State

1 2 3 4 Total Florida 0 10 0 0 10 • Mississippi State 3 0 7 3 13 Date: September 18 Location: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

Scoring summary 1 MSU Ellis 29 yard field goal MSU 3-0 2 FLA Yancey 5 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 7-3 2 0:00 FLA Franco 52 yard field goal FLA 10-3 3 MSU Jones 21 yard run (Ellis kick) Tied 10-10 4 MSU Ellis 35 yard field goal MSU 13-10

^[3]

Alabama

1 2 3 4 Total • #8 Alabama 10 14 7 7 38 Florida 0 0 0 0 0 Date: September 25 Location: Florida Field Gainesville, FL Game attendance: 61,832 Sources:[4][5]

Against the Gators, Alabama's Johnny Musso scored four rushing touchdowns en route to a 38–0 shutout at Florida Field.^[4][5] After Bill Davis gave the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead with his first quarter field goal, Musso scored Alabama's next four touchdowns and extended their lead to 31–0.^[4][5] All four came on the ground with a pair from one-yard out, a three-yard run and a five-yard run.^[4][5] Alabama then closed the game with an 11-yard Billy Sexton touchdown pass to Dexter Wood that made the final score 38–0.^[4][5]

The four touchdowns scored by Musso on the ground set a new school record for rushing touchdowns. Additionally, the shutout was the first for the Crimson Tide defense since their 17–0 victory in 1967 over South Carolina.^[5]

Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total • Tennessee 3 10 7 0 20 Florida 0 13 0 0 13 Date: October 2 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL

Scoring summary 1 TEN Hunt 33 yard field goal TEN 3-0 2 TEN Hunt 34 yard field goal TEN 6-0 2 TEN Watson 8 yard run (Hunt kick) TEN 13-0 2 FLA Jackson 23 yard pass from Reaves (kick failed) TEN 13-6 2 FLA Foldberg 7 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) Tied 13-13 3 TEN Trott 20 yard pass from Pierce (Hunt kick) TEN 20-13

^[6]

Florida State

1 2 3 4 Total Florida State 0 0 0 15 15 • Florida 0 14 0 3 17 Date: October 16 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL Game attendance: 65,109

Scoring summary 2 14:58 FLA Mike Rich 1 yard run (kick failed) FLA 6-0 2 14:40 FLA Jimmy Barr 26 yard fumble return (John Reaves to Tommy Durrance pass) FLA 14-0 4 13:57 FSU Paul Magalski 3 yard run (Frank Fontes kick) FLA 14-7 4 9:19 FLA Richard Franco 42 yard field goal FLA 17-7 4 3:02 FSU Rhett Dawson 6 yard pass from Gary Huff (Gary Huff to Rhett Dawson pass) FLA 17-15

The Gators beat the Seminoles 17–15.^[7]

Maryland

1 2 3 4 Total Maryland 0 13 10 0 23 • Florida 7 6 7 7 27 Date: October 23 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL

Scoring summary 1 FLA Durrance 7 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 7-0 2 MD Behbahani 23 yard field goal FLA 7-3 2 FLA Boardman 24 yard pass from Reaves (kick failed) FLA 13-3 2 MD Behbahani 36 yard field goal FLA 13-6 2 MD Bungori 4 yard pass from Neville (Behbahani kick) Tied 13-13 3 MD Behbahani 31 yard field goal MD 16-13 3 FLA Alvarez 16 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 20-16 3 MD Bungori 10 yard pass from Neville (Behbahani kick) MD 23-20 4 FLA Durrance 10 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 27-23

^[8]

Auburn

1 2 3 4 Total Florida 0 7 0 0 7 • Auburn 12 0 7 21 40 Date: October 30 Location: Cliff Hare Stadium, Auburn, AL

Scoring summary 1 AUB Sullivan 8 yard run (run failed) AUB 6-0 1 AUB Sullivan 1 yard run (run failed) AUB 12-0 2 FLA Jackson 10 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) AUB 12-7 3 AUB Beasley 19 yard pass from Sullivan (Jett kick) AUB 19-7 4 AUB Unger 4 yard run (Jett kick) AUB 26-7 4 AUB Henley 1 yard run (Jett kick) AUB 33-7 4 AUB Beasley 14 yard pass from Sullivan (Jett kick) AUB 40-7

^[9]

Georgia

1 2 3 4 Total • Georgia 7 13 22 7 49 Florida 0 7 0 0 7 Date: November 6 Location: Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL

Scoring summary 1 UGA Poulos 1 yard run (Braswell kick) UGA 7-0 2 UGA Lake 2 yard run (Braswell kick) UGA 14-0 2 UGA Robinson 38 yard interception return (kick failed) UGA 20-0 2 FLA Yancey 9 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) UGA 20-7 3 UGA Ray 5 yard run (Ray to Shirer pass) UGA 28-7 3 UGA Shirer 38 yard pass from Ray (Braswell kick) UGA 35-7 3 UGA Lake 2 yard run (Braswell kick) UGA 42-7 4 UGA Burns 25 yard pass from Watson (Braswell kick) UGA 49-7

^[10]

Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 0 3 7 14 24 • Florida 0 7 7 21 35 Date: November 13 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL

Scoring summary 2 FLA Lucas 1 yard run (Franco kick) FLA 7-0 2 KY Kirk 21 yard field goal FLA 7-3 3 KY Clymer 11 yard run (Kirk kick) KY 10-7 3 FLA Reaves 1 yard run (Franco kick) FLA 14-10 4 FLA Yancey 10 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 21-10 4 FLA Alvarez 56 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 28-10 4 KY Fanuzzi 3 yard run (pass failed) FLA 28-16 4 FLA Durrance 19 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 35-16 4 KY Stephans 47 yard pass from Fanuzzi (Fanuzzi run) FLA 35-24

^[11]

Miami (FL)

The disappointing season ended on a controversial note. With the Gators leading the Miami Hurricanes 45–8 late in the fourth quarter of the last game of the season, senior quarterback John Reaves was just 14 yards short of the NCAA career record for passing yardage, but Miami had the ball and seemed destined to run out the clock. At the urging of Florida defensive captain Harvin Clark, Dickey agreed to permit the Gators defense to allow the Hurricanes to score, thus returning the ball to the Gators offense and giving Reaves a chance to break the record. Dubbed the "Florida Flop" or "Gator Flop," the move worked. When Miami snapped the ball from the Florida 8 year line, the Gators instantly flopped to the turf, allowing Miami quarterback John Hornibrook to walk uncontested into the endzone. Florida's offense got one more possession, and Reeves promptly broke the record with a pass to favorite target Carlos Alvarez. After the game, many Gator players celebrated by jumping into the pool at the Orange Bowl's east end zone used by the Miami Dolphins' live mascot, Flipper.

Miami coach Fran Curci was so angered by the turn of events that he refused to shake Dickey's hand. In a post-game interview, he called the actions "bush league" and declared that "what Doug Dickey did shows absolutely no class."^[12][13][14]

References

1. 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015.
2. "Duke Boots Top Gators." Ocala Star-Banner. 1971 Sept 12.
3. Ocala Star-Banner. 1971 Sept. 19.
4. Reed, Delbert (September 26, 1971). "High Tide in Florida". The Tuscaloosa News. Google News Archives. p. 1B. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
5. Tucker, Tommy (September 26, 1971). "Musso leads Alabama romp by hapless Florida, 38–0". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Google News Archives. p. 1C. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
6. Ocala Star-Banner. 1971 Oct. 3.
7. "Florida State Football - 1971 Year In Review". nolefan.org. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
8. Palm Beach Post. 1971 Oct. 24.
9. Palm Beach Post. 1971 Oct 31.
10. Ocala Star-Banner. 1971 Nov 7.
11. Ocala Star-Banner. 1971 Nov 14.
12. Paul Lukas, "The stories behind the 1971 Gator Flop," ESPN.com (September 16, 2010). Retrieved March 9, 2012.
13. Randall Mell, "It was humiliating," Orlando Sun-Sentinel (December 20, 2000). Retrieved March 30, 2014.
14. "Contemporary TV coverage of Florida Flop (youtube)". Retrieved March 30, 2014.