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FLORIDA GATOR FOOTBALL HISTORICAL ATLAS

Sourced 13-game journey
PAST · PRESENT · FUTURE / SOURCE-LED ATLAS

1996 · The road back to the Sugar Bowl

A 12–1 championship season across Gainesville, Knoxville, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Nashville, Tallahassee, Atlanta and New Orleans.

How this story was assembled

Scores and cities follow Florida's official 1996 schedule. Selected details come from Florida retrospectives. Where no game-level account is entered, the text describes only the verified result and sequence.

1996 roster (89) · 12-game statistical table · Follow the geography

01 / 13

1996-08-31 · Gainesville, Florida · home

The opening Saturday

Florida 55 · 21 Southwest Louisiana

Florida began in Gainesville with a 55–21 victory over Southwest Louisiana. The opening result started a season that would eventually return the Gators to a national title game.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
02 / 13

1996-09-07 · Gainesville, Florida · home

Two at home

Florida 62 · 14 Georgia Southern

The second game remained in Gainesville. Florida defeated Georgia Southern 62–14 before its first indexed road trip to Tennessee.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
03 / 13

1996-09-21 · Knoxville, Tennessee · away

A lead that had to hold

Florida 35 · 29 Tennessee

At Neyland Stadium, Florida built a 35–0 lead, then held off Tennessee 35–29. Florida's retrospective describes six Tennessee turnovers in the first half. The result put Florida in front in a defining early SEC matchup.

Documented in this game: Danny Wuerffel

Game record and evidence → · Explore Knoxville, Tennessee →

Evidence for this stop
04 / 13

1996-09-28 · Gainesville, Florida · home

Back in Gainesville

Florida 65 · 0 Kentucky

Florida returned home and shut out Kentucky 65–0. The official schedule establishes the result; a detailed game narrative remains to be researched.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
05 / 13

1996-10-05 · Fayetteville, Arkansas · away

West to Fayetteville

Florida 42 · 7 Arkansas

The route turned west to Fayetteville, where Florida defeated Arkansas 42–7. The stadium itself is not identified in this atlas record yet.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Fayetteville, Arkansas →

Evidence for this stop
06 / 13

1996-10-12 · Gainesville, Florida · home

The Swamp again

Florida 56 · 13 LSU

Florida's 56–13 victory over LSU was the first of two October home games before the Georgia meeting in Jacksonville.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
07 / 13

1996-10-19 · Gainesville, Florida · home

October momentum

Florida 51 · 10 Auburn

The Gators defeated Auburn 51–10 in Gainesville. The schedule records the result; a play-by-play account and individual box score remain open research.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
08 / 13

1996-11-02 · Jacksonville, Florida · neutral

The rivalry returns to Jacksonville

Florida 47 · 7 Georgia

Florida beat Georgia 47–7 in the first series game at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium after the Jacksonville hiatus. Florida's retrospective credits Danny Wuerffel with four touchdown passes.

Documented in this game: Danny Wuerffel

Game record and evidence → · Explore Jacksonville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
09 / 13

1996-11-09 · Nashville, Tennessee · away

A narrow road victory

Florida 28 · 21 Vanderbilt

Florida traveled to Nashville and beat Vanderbilt 28–21. The seven-point margin was its smallest victory to that point in the indexed schedule.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Nashville, Tennessee →

Evidence for this stop
10 / 13

1996-11-16 · Gainesville, Florida · home

The last home game

Florida 52 · 25 South Carolina

Florida closed its home schedule with a 52–25 win over South Carolina. The regular-season trip to Tallahassee came next.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Gainesville, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
11 / 13

1996-11-30 · Tallahassee, Florida · away

The setback in Tallahassee

Florida 21 · 24 Florida State

Florida State beat Florida 24–21 at Doak Campbell Stadium. The loss ended Florida's unbeaten run and set up an uncertain path to a national-title rematch.

Game record and evidence → · Explore Tallahassee, Florida →

Evidence for this stop
12 / 13

1996-12-07 · Atlanta, Georgia · neutral

A title in Atlanta

Florida 45 · 30 Alabama

Florida defeated Alabama 45–30 in the SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Florida's account credits Wuerffel with 401 passing yards and six touchdown passes. The result secured the conference championship and a second chance against Florida State.

Documented in this game: Danny Wuerffel

Game record and evidence → · Explore Atlanta, Georgia →

Evidence for this stop
13 / 13

1997-01-02 · New Orleans, Louisiana · neutral

New Orleans, not Tempe

Florida 52 · 20 Florida State

At the Louisiana Superdome on January 2, 1997, Florida beat Florida State 52–20 to claim the 1996 national championship. Florida's retrospective reports Wuerffel's 306 passing yards and three touchdown passes, all three to Ike Hilliard, who caught seven passes for 150 yards.

Documented in this game: Danny Wuerffel · Ike Hilliard

Game record and evidence → · Explore New Orleans, Louisiana →

Evidence for this stop