This article gives me chills. Boy did Jarvis Moss lay down a building block! Meyer is right, that was the greatest play in Florida Football history.
Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker Halo Realty, LLC 700 E. Main St. Hendersonville TN 37075 [EMAIL PROTECTED] office: 615-822-3509 fax: 615-822-7741 mobile: 615-972-4239 ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Shane Ford Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 7:01 AM To: GatorNEWS Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Moss laid a building block (Andreu) Moss laid a building block By Robbie Andreu Gainesville Sun Staff writer Published: Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Friday, November 14, 2008 at 2:16 a.m. Every time Urban Meyer looks up at the 2006 national championship sign painted on the south end zone wall of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, he says he thinks back to the night of Nov. 11, 2006, in The Swamp and the play that made it possible. <http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20081113/NEWS/811140991/1130?Title=M oss_laid_a_building_block> <http://gximg.ny.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GS&Date=20081113 &Category=NEWS&ArtNo=811140991&Ref=AR&Profile=1090&MaxW=250&border=0> The Associated Press Jarvis Moss blocks a Ryan Succop field goal as time expires on Nov. 11, 2006. "That was one of the great plays ever," Meyer said. "If I have a vote, I think it's the greatest play in the history of Florida football. It certainly was a monumental moment in my life and our program's life." If defensive end Jarvis Moss hadn't blocked South Carolina place-kicker Ryan Succop's 48-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game that night, that 2006 national championship sign likely would not be there today. It was a block that changed history, and a play that triggered one of the loudest, wildest celebrations in the history of Florida Field. It was one of those defining moments where everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing at the time. Just before the block, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen was in the coaches' booth in the press box, his headphones off, his head down on the desk. "Praying," he said. Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, the field goal-block coach, could not bear to watch. Just before the snap, he turned his back to the field and looked into the stands. Offensive tackle Phil Trautwein doesn't even remember if he watched or not. "I just remember I was on the sideline praying that something good would happen." It did. With defensive tackles Ray McDonald and Steven Harris caving in the right side of the USC line, it cleared a path for Moss, who perfectly timed his leap and blocked Succop's kick with his left hand to preserve a 17-16 victory over the Gamecocks and former UF coach Steve Spurrier. The block unleashed an emotional outpouring on the sideline and in the stands. Some say it was the loudest The Swamp has ever been. "It was a great feeling," Trautwein said. "I ran out there and hugged Jarvis Moss. It was just an unbelievable feeling." "The celebration in the (coaches') box was probably as spirited as the one on the field," Mullen said. "We were jumping on top of each other. It was one of the most exciting deals in my coaching career." Strong, who could not watch the kick, knew it was good news by the reaction of the players on the sideline. "I was looking at our players, and I saw them running onto the field, so I figured we'd blocked it," Strong said. "I turned around, and we had. It was a great feeling." In the final seconds, this was a game that seemed to be getting away from the Gators. With 3:03 to play, No. 2 quarterback Tim Tebow put Florida up 17-16 with a 12-yard touchdown run. But the Gamecocks responded and quickly mounted a drive into UF territory behind the passing of quarterback Blake Mitchell. On a second-and-12 play from the UF 34 with less than a minute to play, the Gamecocks made a play that appeared to put the Gators on the brink of defeat - a 27-yard pass from Mitchell to Sidney Rice down to the 7. But the play was negated by a five-yard false start penalty. Following an incompletion, then an 8-yard pass from Mitchell to Rice, the Gamecocks called a timeout with eight seconds remaining to set up Succop with the potential game-winning field goal from 48 yards. Following the USC timeout, the Gators called a timeout to ice Succop. Earlier in the second half, the Gators had blocked an extra-point attempt and a Succop field-goal attempt from 47 yards, so they were looking for one more block to win the game. On the UF sideline during the timeout, Strong was preparing to replace Moss on the kick-block team with defensive end Derrick Harvey. "I looked at Moss and I was like, 'Moss, you've played the whole game, you're coming out. Derrick Harvey, I want you to go in the game,' " Strong said. "Moss is like, 'No, coach, don't take me out, don't take me out.' Then he looked at Coach Meyer and said, 'Please don't let him take me out. "Coach looked back at him and said, 'You better block it.' Moss said, 'I will, I'll block it.' And he ended up blocking it." The rest, as they say, is history. The Gators followed with victories over Western Carolina and Florida State, then over Arkansas in the SEC title game, a victory that vaulted the Gators into the national championship game against Ohio State. UF wiped out the Buckeyes 41-14 to win the school's second national title. That championship is honored in The Swamp with the sign in the south end zone. It's a sign that probably wouldn't be there if Moss hadn't blocked that kick on the night of Nov. 11, 2006. Meyer is reminded of that every time he looks up at the sign. "That is one of the finest plays that I've ever been a part of," Meyer said. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
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