Auburn Falls to Florida in Overtime, 23-30
Box Score l Audio Archives
October 19, 2002
QB Jason Campbell |
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - With a meltdown in progress and the program in peril, Rex Grossman threw one of the best passes of his life Saturday night to save the season for Florida.
Throwing off his back foot just as he was hit, Grossman hit Taylor Jacobs for a 25-yard touchdown in overtime to lift Florida to a 30-23 victory over Auburn after the Gators had blown a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Clint Mitchell stopped quarterback Jason Campbell on fourth down on Auburn's OT possession, and Ron Zook's huge sigh of relief was drowned out by a roar at The Swamp usually saved for big wins over Tennessee and Florida State.
The Gators (5-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) snapped their two-game losing streak and kept their slim hopes for the SEC title alive. This win will go down as one of the most exciting in Florida history, although it probably shouldn't have been that way.
Auburn (4-3, 2-2) scored two touchdowns and two 2-point conversions to erase a 23-7 fourth-quarter deficit. After Florida missed on fourth-and-1 from its own 42 with 3:39 left, Damon Duval had a chance to win it with a 23-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in regulation.
But Bobby McCray leaped and blocked the kick to send the game into overtime, and Florida had another chance.