Moving the Chains: The Curse of the Florida Flop

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I’ve been writing about college football for a number of years.  In fact, I’ve been doing it for so long that I’ve made almost as much money doing it as I’ve made in my side hustle as a brain surgeon – which technically hasn’t started yet because of some ‘approved by the state medical board’ nonsense.  

So I read over some of the things I wrote and noticed a slight change over time.  Initially I took advantage of every chance I could to be critical of the University of Georgia, and yet every chance I had praised  my alma mater, which most of you know is the University of Florida.  

However, each year I noticed I drifted further and further away from that line of thinking, to the point that you might have thought I switched allegiances.  Suddenly I was being  complementary of the Bulldogs – and critical of the Gators. 

Don’t get me wrong.  For me the best thing to happen on any given day is for Georgia to lose, and  the next best thing is for Florida to win.  And when both happen on the same day, it’s the best of both worlds.  

But I need to be critical and get something off my chest: calling Florida out for all of their less-than-stellar moments since I became a fan.  

I blame them all on one particular moment in a game that took place in 1971, two years before I enrolled .  

That was the moment when it all started.  I call it ‘the Curse of the Florida Flop.’  

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Appropriately, this game is known as the ‘Florida Flop.’   It was in a 1971 game against Miami.  Florida was winning in a blowout.  Near the end of the game the Gator defense literally fell to the ground and allowed Miami to score so they could get the ball back to give John Reaves, the Gators’ quarterback, a chance to break the NCAA all-time career passing record.  

It is still heavily criticized as one of the most disrespectful and unsportsmanlike moments in the history of college football. 

I believe it’s also the reason for ‘the Curse.’   See for yourself.  

***

• Leading Miami 28 – 7 in the closing minutes of game in 1974 played in a driving rainstorm, the Gators kicked a meaningless field goal at the end of the game to add a little insult to injury.  Then, between 1983 and 2001, Miami went on to win five National Championships.  I know in my heart the Hurricanes’ dominance during that time was fueled by that stupid, meaningless 1974 field goal.  

• In 1975, Florida led Georgia 7 – 3 with less than four minutes left in the game.  Bulldog tight end Richard Appleby took a handoff on an end-around, suddenly stopped, and threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to receiver Gene Washington for a 10 – 7 upset win over the 11^th ranked Gators.  

• In 1976, with a 27 – 20 lead over Georgia in the third quarter, Gator coach Doug Dickey decided to go for it on fourth-and-one from his own 29-yard line.  The running play came up short, which gave Georgia great field position and completely changed the momentum of the game.  Florida never recovered and the Bulldogs went on to win, 41- 27.  

• In 1985, on a 10-game winning streak and holding a 28 – 0 lead over Rutgers, the Gators took their foot off the gas – it seems the Rutgers coach was an old pal of the Florida coach – and allowed their opponent to come back in the second half to end the game in a 28-all tie. 

• In 1994, Florida held a 31 – 3 lead over instate rival Florida State entering the fourth quarter, at which point the Seminoles scored 28 unanswered points to finish in a 31-all tie.  It is known as the Choke at Doak (the game was played in Tallahassee’s Doak Campbell Stadium). 

• In the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl, the Gators kicked a meaningless and embarrassing field goal against Oregon State just to avoid being held scoreless and extend their nation-leading streak of scoring in consecutive games.  (Incidentally, that streak continues to this day and now stands at 470.  The streak began in October of 1988.)  

• Despite not completing a single pass in a game in 2013, Georgia Southern beat Florida in the Swamp 26 – 20.  The loss ensured the Gators of their first losing season in 34 years.  

• Before winning their first National Championship in 1996, the Gators had a chance to do it the season before against Nebraska.  It was embarrassing. Nebraska – 62, Florida – 24.  

• In a 2004 against Tennessee, Florida led 28 – 27 with just 55 seconds left in the game.  A Vol player slapped Gator receiver Dallas Baker on the helmet, who then retaliated and slapped back.  The officials only saw Baker and penalized the Gators 15 yards.  Suddenly the field position shifted in the Vol’s favor, which led to a game-winning field goal by Tennessee.

• The score was tied at 34 in a 2020 game against LSU when Gator cornerback Marco Wilson made a tackle on third down that would have forced a punt.  For reasons unknown Wilson ripped off the opposing player’s shoe and threw it down the field.  The infraction drew multiple flags and gave LSU a first down, which led to a game-winning field goal with 23 seconds left in the game.   

• In a 2025 game against South Florida, Florida led 16 – 15 with time running out.  Gator defensive tackle Brendan Bett was ejected and penalized 15 yards for spitting on an opposing player.  The penalty put South Florida in position for a short game-winning field goal.  

• One more, and it will only be two words because just thinking about it is painful: Lindsey Scott.   

Now that I got those off my chest, I just hope this season doesn’t add any more to the list.