GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The fifth-largest crowd in the history of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was howling. With the fourth quarter about to begin and Florida storming back into the game against No. 1-ranked Alabama, 90,887 fans sang along to the Tom Petty anthem, "I Won't Back Down."
The usually disciplined Crimson Tide were showing atypical nerve against the 11th-ranked Gators, clinging to a five-point lead but committing far too many penalties. The offensive line had a bad case of the jitters. A receiver dropped a wide-open touchdown pass.
In the middle of the chaos, a sophomore quarterback making his first career start on the road projected calm.