Teams' Belt Records

                            Previous Belt Meetings:       None   

The 0-1 Troy Trojans of coach Larry Blakeney came to The Swamp with plans of an upset of the 4^th ranked, 1-0 Florida Gators of coach Urban Meyer.  With all of their skill players returning from the previous season & Florida having to replace 10-of 11 defensive starters, Troy believed they were catching the Belt champions at the right time.  Gators' Heisman Trophy winning, All-American QB Tim Tebow made any experience issues moot as he threw 3 touchdown passes while rushing for 2 scores in a 59-31 rout of the Trojans to retain The Belt.  For the second game in a row, Florida scored on every one of their first have possessions.  Things started quickly for the Gators as LB Roderick Blackett blocked the first Troy punt giving Florida the ball at the Trojans' 6-yard line.  Gators' RB Kestahn Moore finished the short drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.  Troy responded with a 9-play, 74-yard touchdown drive with the score coming on a 31-yard run by Sun Belt Offensive MVP QB Omar Haugabook that tied the score 7-7.  Florida's RB Brandon James gave the Gators great field position again when he returned the ensuing kick-off 59 yards to the Trojans' 37-yard line.  Tebow scored his first touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run that put Florida ahead for good at 14-7.  The Gators finished their 1^st quarter scoring when Tebow threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to WR Percy Harvin.  Another blocked punt, this one from Gators' CB Carlos Dunlap, started the 2^nd quarter, 28-point offensive on-slaught for Florida.  Moore scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run, Tebow found WR Andre Caldwell on an 18-yard touchdown pass, Tebow threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to TE Cornelius Ingram, & a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Jarred Fayson for a 49-7 halftime lead.  Troy rallied in the 3^rd quarter, outscoring the Gators 17-0.  The Trojans got a 21-yard field goal from All-Sun Belt PK Greg Whibbs, a 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown by Haugabook, & a 10-yard touchdown pass from Haugabook to WR Austin Silvoy as Troy closed to 49-24 entering the final quarter.  Florida's PK Joey Ijjas connected on a 32-yard field goal attempt before the Trojans got another touchdown from the Haugabook/Silvoy hook-up.  The Trojans score came on a 26-yard pass & made the score Florida 52 Troy 31.  Any hopes of an miraculous rally for the Trojans ended when the Gators drove 80 yards in 8 plays with Tebow carrying in from 16 yards for the final margin of victory.  Tebow finished with 236 yards passing with his 3 touchdowns & 93 yards rushing with his 2 scores while Ingram added 7 catches for 105 yards to his touchdown.  Haugabook threw for 283 yards with 2 touchdowns as well as an interception in the loss.  The Trojans finished the season 8-4 while Florida finished 9-4, 13^th ranked nationally.  Troy would play for The Belt again in 2009.