2009 BCS Championship

Jan. 8, 2009, Dolphin Stadium
Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

MIAMI -- Tim Tebow gave Florida the jolt it needed, and the Gators toughed out a second BCS title in three years.

Their 24-14 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in a choppy, sloppy affair Thursday night made them a national champion, though the high-scoring shootout between Heisman Trophy winners Sam Bradford and Tebow never materialized.

Tebow, however, shook off a career-high two interceptions to rescue the top-ranked Gators (13-1). He drove them to the clinching score -- he took two hard steps toward the line, jumped and zipped a 4-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson with 3:07 to make it 24-14.

Percy Harvin returned from an ankle injury and dashed for 122 yards on only nine carries. His 52-yard gallop set up Jonathan Phillips' 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 17-14 lead.

Tebow added to the title he helped the Gators win in 2006 with a rout of Ohio State and, one season after winning the Heisman, brought home another trophy.

National chomps, indeed!

Tebow was picked the game's most outstanding player, running for 109 yards. His passing wasn't so precise -- 18-for-30 -- yet it was his sheer will that kept coach Urban Meyer's team going.

It was the third straight national title for a team from the Southeastern Conference, and marked the Sooners' fifth straight loss in a BCS game. Oklahoma (12-2) set a modern record for scoring with 702 points this season and put up at least 60 points in its last five games, yet never found its rhythm.

Bradford, who beat out Tebow for the Heisman, was a disappointing 26-for-41 with two interceptions.

These teams totaled an average of 99 points per game, but wound up with a scoreless first quarter. In the second quarter, Florida's defense made a pair of goal line stands that left it 7-all at halftime.

Cheered on by a flock of rooters who made the five-hour drive from The Swamp in Gainesville, the Gators became the second team in the 11-year history of the BCS to win two titles.

Tebow struggled throughout the first half, his lone highlight a 20-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy for a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Bradford came right back with a swift 65-yard drive, capped by his 6-yard TD toss to Jermaine Gresham.

Florida's defense, rather than Tebow, Harvin and its speedsters on the other side of the ball, kept the Gators close.

Poised to break the tie midway through the second quarter, Oklahoma owned a first-and-goal at the 9. Chris Brown carried four straight times and the Gators stood up the 1,100-yard rusher, twice stuffing him from the 1.

Rarely turned back in the red zone this season, the Sooners let it happen to them again in the final minute before halftime.

There were 10 seconds left and Oklahoma was out of timeouts when Bradford dropped back from the 6. He tried to hit Manuel Johnson at the goal line, but the pass deflected off him and the Gators ran a perfect tip drill, with three defenders touching the ball before Major Wright had the interception.

Scoring Summary
UF: Murphy 20 yd pass from Tebow (Phillips kick); OU: Gresham 6 yd pass from Bradford (Stevens kick); UF: Harvin 2 yd run (Phillips kick); OU: Gresham 11 yd pass from Bradford (Stevens kick); UF: Phillips 27 yd field goal; UF: Nelson 4 yd pass from Tebow (Phillips kick)
MOPs: Tim Tebow,