Florida Gator History: 1984

[Escambia94]

1984 was a tumultuous year for the Mighty Gators. This was the year that the Gators won their first and only SEC championship, and promptly lost it a few months later when it was stripped from them. Charley Pell went into the season with a #17 preseason ranking and a cloud of suspicion over his program. He agreed to coach the team until the end of the season and step down, but he was replaced after game 3 after posting a 1-1-1 record with a 20-32 loss in Tampa to #10 Miami (for the Seminole War Canoe), a 21-21 tie against LSU, and a 63-21 victory over Tulane. Galen Hall took over as head coach against Mississippi State, and rode walk-on QB Kerwin Bell all the way to 8 successive wins. By late November, the Gators had won their very first SEC championship. On May 30, 1985, by a 6-4 vote, the presidents of the SEC universities stripped Florida of its conference championship.

All was not lost on the 1984 season. This was a very talented team featuring the surprisingly good walk-on QB, Kerwin "the Throwin' Mayoan" Bell, The Great Wall of Florida, a stable of running backs, and a hard-hitting defense. The Gators finished 1st in the SEC, #3 in the AP Poll, #7 in the Coach's Poll. 22 different publications, including the New York Post, named the Florida Gators as national champions. In the end, it was this team that taught the Gator faithful that we too can have championships. We would just have to wait another 7 years before we got to keep our first SEC championship.

Head Coach: Charley Pell, Galen Hall
Record: 9-1-1, (5-0-1 SEC)
Final Ranking: 3

Game Results:

• 9/1/84 #10 Miami L 20-32 @Tampa for the Seminole War Canoe
  • featured QB Bernie Kosar (2nd team All American, 4th in Heisman voting), WR Eddie Brown (All American), WR Bennie Blades (Jim Thorpe winner, future College Hall of Fame)
• 9/8/84 LSU T 21-21
• 9/15/84 Tulane W 63-21
• 9/29/84 Miss State W 27-12
• 10/6/84 Syracuse W 16-0
• 10/13/84 @ Tennessee W 43-30
• 10/20/84 Cincinnati W 48-17
• 11/3/84 #11 Auburn W 24-3
  • featured RB Bo Jackson (Heisman winner, 2X All American, Player of the Year)
• 11/10/84 #8 Georgia W 27-0 @Jacksonville for the Okefenokee Oar
• 11/17/84 @ Kentucky W 25-17
• 12/1/1984 @ #12 FSU W 27-17 in the Sunshine Showdown

Key Players:

• OT Lomas Brown - All American, All-SEC
• C Phil Bromley - All-SEC
• LB Alonzo Johnson - All-SEC
• DT Tim Newton - All-SEC
• RB Neal Anderson
• QB Kerwin Bell
• RB John L. Williams
• RB Rodney Hampton
• LB Ron Moten
• LB Alonzo Johnson
• LB Clifford Charlton
• LB Mark Korff
• DB Adrian White
• DB Jarvis Williams
• WR Ricky Nattiel
• WR Raymondo McDonald
• TE Walter Odom
• OL Crawford Ker
• OL Jeff Zimmerman
• DL Keith Williams
• DB/QB Roger Sibbald

 

[DRU2012]

Thankyou, E-...This fills in, details and highlights much of what I referred to with some uncertainty on the other thread in which we were discussing those years (ie. Lf's "Auburn: The Gift That Keeps On Giving")--and the whole sad business with rankings, sanctions, and our continued unfair mauling by the NCAA throughout the 80s...as I said over there, it took SOS to finally "break thru'--and even HE had to award his OWN "SEC Championship" the season before we got the first one the NCAA and the POLLS recognized!

 

[Leakfan12]

Thanks E. I have another question would Florida been solely or tied with BYU if the Gators didn't have those sanctions? Also the 1984 UC team had a future Gator coach as a DB.

 

[Escambia94]

Thanks E. I have another question would Florida been solely or tied with BYU if the Gators didn't have those sanctions? Also the 1984 UC team had a future Gator coach as a DB.

Since we are talking about BYU, Florida would have been the undisputed #1. The Gators were already #1 in 22 other polls. Only the AP and Coach's poll is that blatant about its bias. At the time, BYU was the next most deserving #1. Michigan was their opponent...unranked, 5-loss Michigan! There is no way on earth that BYU would have won the national title if it did not have to face a 5-loss cupcake team. No way. If BYU had played Washington instead that year, Washington would have been the national champion. Washington had their hands full playing a strong Oklahoma team in the Orange Bowl.

 

[FrozenGator]

Hah! Kerwin Bell! Man, I can't get past thinking about him when he was up here in the CFL. I know he was a great Gator QB, but... dude spiked a ball into his own junk. Can't get over that....

 

[Leakfan12]

Hah! Kerwin Bell! Man, I can't get past thinking about him when he was up here in the CFL. I know he was a great Gator QB, but... dude spiked a ball into his own junk. Can't get over that....

I saw that and he also penalized for unsportmanlike conduct even though HE WAS PUSHED BY THE OPPONENT something that those dumbass CFL Officials didn't see.

 

[FrozenGator]

I believe the Bomber was penalised, not Bell. But, if he did get penalised, it would have been for spiking the ball right in the Bomber's face.

 

[DRU2012]

Leakfan12, FrozenGator
(lol-HARD!)
Don't pee on FG's hometown team, there LF--he'll support 'em even if it IS in the face of an old Gator warrior!
(Just grin, pat him on the shoulder and say, "Can't get with ya on that one, Gator!")

 

[Leakfan12]

TO be fair, this country's football officials aren't that good either (example the Green Bay-Seattle Hail Mary).

 

[Leakfan12]

Ray McDonald's son Ray Jr. won a title for the Gators as a DE for the 2006 team and currently playing for the 49ers.

 

[FrozenGator]

TO be fair, this country's football officials aren't that good either (example the Green Bay-Seattle Hail Mary).

Packers fan, here. Nearly threw my TV down the stairs I was so mad.