8.11.2009

BEAR REGION FINAL

1996 FLORIDA
vs
1993 FLORIDA STATE

1996 Florida
#24 overall seed - winners of Bracket #24

1993 Florida State
#32 overall seed - winners of Bracket #32

BEAR REGION RECAP
Bear Region Preview
Round of 64 Results [Part I] [Part II]
Round of 32 Results
Sweet Sixteen Results

GAME RECAP
Danny Wuerffel and Charlie Ward were two of the greatest college quarterbacks the state of Florida has ever seen. So this Elite Eight matchup was a special treat for fans of both teams in the state. Neither quarterback disappointed either.

Wuerffel, as per his scouting report, kept cool in the face of a heated pass rush. Florida State defensive linemen Derrick Alexander and Toddrick McIntosh broke through on several occasions, only to see the Heisman Trophy winner get rid of the ball just before taking the hit.

Seminole defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews had to call off the blitz by the second half because Wuerffel was having so much success with the quick passing game. In fact, Florida took a 17-13 lead into halftime on the strength of Wuerffel's 199 yards and 2 touchdowns passing.


But Charlie Ward stepped up his game in the third quarter, and the FSU defense followed suit. On the opening drive of the second half, Ward led a 76-yard scoring march in which he accounted for every yard (55 passing, 21 rushing). Kez McCorvey caught the 12-yard touchdown pass to give the Seminoles the lead. It was a lead they would never relinquish.

On the ensuing possession, Clifton Abraham made an excellent play to pick off a pass from Wuerffel that set up a field goal.

After torching the 'Noles for 91 yards receiving in the first half, Reidel Anthony was held to a single catch (for 7 yards) in the second half thanks to a lock-down performance by All American cornerback Corey Sawyer. The Gators eventually manufactured 10 points in the second half, but Florida State held the momentum throughout the half.

FINAL SCORE:
1993 Florida State - 29
1996 Florida - 27

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