Florida

SUGAR BOWL, VS. MISSOURI, JANUARY 1, 1966

In order to make their helmets a bit more noticeable downfield and avoid confusion with the Missouri helmets that were black with a similar stripe pattern in old gold and white, the Gators removed the white flanking stripes from their blue shells, leaving the one-inch orange center stripe and the F logo they had worn all season. The heavily favored Missouri Tigers, champions of the Big 8 with a 7-2-1 mark, were proving their superiority with a seemingly safe 17-0 lead over Florida at halftime of the January 1, 1966 Sugar Bowl contest. With 10:32 remaining in the game, it was 20-0 and the Gators had done little. Florida QB Steve Spurrier, the All America darling of the South, caught fire and hit Jack Harper with a twenty-two yard TD pass. Inexplicably, offensive coach Ed Kensler called for a two-point conversion, head man Graves approved, and the attempt failed. It was 20-6 but the Gators regained possession and Spurrier scored. Again a two-point attempt was called and turned back by Missouri. With 4:28 remaining, the score was now 20-12. In a last ditch effort, Charley Casey caught a long bomb as he stretched out, diving above the grass to snare Spurrier's pass. At 20-18 in favor of the Tigers, a two-point conversion attempt was mandatory but once again, the Gators failed. The rushing of Missouri's Charlie Brown had prevailed and Missouri was victorious but for the first time ever, the Sugar Bowl MVP was from the losing team, recognition of Steve Spurrier's heroic comeback attempt. This helmet design was worn earlier in the season when the Gators hosted Mississippi State on September 25th but proved no luckier than it did in the season-ending Sugar Bowl as the Bulldogs from Starkville upset Florida 18-13.