The 1960 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1960 college football season. The season was Ray Graves' first of ten and one of his three most successful as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Graves' 1960 Florida Gators finished with a 9–2 overall record a 5–1 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing second among the twelve SEC teams[1]—their best-ever SEC finish to date.
| 1960 Florida Gators football | |
|---|---|
Gator Bowl, W 13–12 vs. Baylor | |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 16 |
| AP | No. 18 |
| Record | 9–2 (5–1 SEC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Pepper Rodgers (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Florida Field |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ole Miss $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Florida | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Alabama | 5 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Auburn | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tennessee | 3 | – | 2 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LSU | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kentucky | 2 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | 1 | – | 4 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi State | 0 | – | 5 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 6 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Before the season
editGraves was a former Tennessee Volunteers lineman and assistant under coach Robert Neyland, and became a long-time Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive assistant for coach Bobby Dodd.[2] Graves' arrival in Gainesville heralded a change in the Gators' football outlook: no longer would the Gators espouse Bob Woodruff's conservative, ball control, "go for the tie" philosophy.
During the season
editDays before their second game of the season would officially begin, a gambler named Aaron Wagman and a University of Florida student named Phil Silber were arrested due to an attempted bribe at fullback Jon MacBeth before their season-opening game against their in-state college rivals in Florida State University began. These arrests would help lead to the full discovery of what eventually was called the 1961 NCAA University Division men's basketball gambling scandal, led by former NBA All-Star Jack Molinas.[3] That game would later be played without a hitch, though MacBeth would help later testify in court in order to maintain his innocence throughout the situation.
Schedule
edit| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 17 | vs. George Washington* | W 30–7 | 17,000 | [4] | |||
| September 24 | Florida State* | W 3–0 | 38,000 | [5] | |||
| October 1 | No. 10 Georgia Tech |
| W 18–17 | 39,000 | [6] | ||
| October 8 | vs. Rice* | No. 18 | L 0–10 | 17,535 | [7] | ||
| October 15 | Vanderbilt |
| W 12–0 | 31,000 | [8] | ||
| October 22 | at Louisiana State | W 13–10 | 47,000 | [9] | |||
| October 29 | No. 14 Auburn |
| L 7–10 | 40,000 | [10] | ||
| November 5 | vs. Georgia |
| W 22–14 | 48,622 | [11] | ||
| November 12 | Tulane | No. 20 |
| W 21–6 | 44,000 | [12] | |
| November 26 | at Miami (FL)* | No. 19 |
| W 18–0 | 60,122 | [13] | |
| December 31 | vs. No. 12 Baylor* |
| CBS | W 13–12 | 50,112 | [14] | |
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Postseason
editThe Gators capped their first-ever nine-win season with a hard-fought 13–12 victory over the twelfth-ranked Baylor Bears in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Eve 1960. In the Gator Bowl, the Gators defense halted a 75-yard drive by Baylor on the half-yard line in the first quarter, then set the stage for two second quarter touchdowns. Baylor dropped a pass for the two-point conversion and the win, and quarterback Libertore was voted game MVP.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 110–111 (2015). Retrieved August 14, 2015.
- ^ Julian M. Pleasants, Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, p. 189 (2006).
- ^ Figone, Albert (2012). Cheating the Spread: Gamblers, Point Shavers, and Game Fixers in College Football and Basketball. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252037283., pg. 102
- ^ "Gators crunch Colonials, 30–7". The Miami Herald. September 18, 1960. Retrieved February 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Cash's boot lifts Gators by Seminoles, 3–0". Pensacola News Journal. September 25, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gators upset Tech in wild contest 18–17". Fort Myers News-Press. October 2, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Rugged Rice rips ragged Gators, 10–0". The Miami Herald. October 9, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gator sophs sink Vanderbilt, 12 to 0". The Miami Herald. October 16, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gators 'cash' in with two 3-pointers, nip LSU, 13–10". The Bradenton Herald. October 23, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Auburn nips Gators, 10–7". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 30, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida smacks Georgia by 22–14". Daily Press. November 6, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gator defense makes sure its greatest SEC season ever, 21–6". Tampa Bay Times. November 13, 1960. Retrieved September 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida makes 18–0 shambles of Hurricanes". The Miami Herald. November 27, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida wins Gator Bowl, 13–12". Monroe Morning World. January 1, 1960. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Department of Sports Publicity. "University of Florida 1961 Football Brochure" (PDF). floridagators.com. University Athletic Association, Inc. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ University Athletic Association / IMG College copyright 2015. "Gator Bowl Memories: Gators Hold Off Baylor in Wild Finish to Claim 1960 Gator Bowl". gatorzone.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
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