Check out the game photo gallery

Gainesville – Knocked down by an initial gut-punch that put them in a 21-0 hole, the FAU lightweights got right up and fought back, scoring on four straight possessions to put a mild scare into the heavyweight champs. In the end, the Gators proved too strong and powered their way to a 59-20 win.

“Florida is a very good team with a lot of speed and a lot of depth,” said FAU quarterback Rusty Smith. “We played the best in the country and we hung with them in the first half.”

FAU (5-5, 4-1 Sun Belt) trailed 28-20 with just over a minute remaining in the second quarter. A Smith TD run and a TD pass to Cortez Gent, to go along with two Warley Leroy field goals, got the Owls up off the mat after an embarrassing first quarter.

By the time most of the 90,000 seats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium were filled, the Gators (8-3, 5-3 SEC) were clobbering FAU 21-0. The Owls’ struggle to move the ball was contrasted with the incredible ease in which the Gators traveled down the field. Definite tackles turned to missed opportunities as the world-class student athletes from the University of Florida left the overmatched Owls punch drunk.

“There was no case of nerves. We just didn’t execute on our first couple of drives,” said FAU wide receiver Cortez Gent, who led the Owls with six catches for 118 yards and a TD.

“We were playing against stronger, faster athletes,” said FAU linebacker Frantz Joseph. “We got a lot of experience out of this game and it will help us in the long run.”

As the first quarter neared a close, the Owls finally perked up. Lestar Jean caught a 24-yard pass along the sideline that brought the Owls to midfield. Then a 16-yard reverse to Rob Housler advanced FAU into field goal range. Warley Leroy was the mark from 40 yards and the Owls were on the board in The Swamp, 21-3.

The Gators offense seemed unstoppable until the Heisman Trophy candidate QB Tim Tebow overthrew an open receiver and was intercepted by Corey Small. It was the eighteenth consecutive game that the Owls had recorded an interception.

Small returned his pick to the Gators 37-yard line. From there, Smith found Gent open at the 14. Two plays later, Smith found Gent again for the TD that brought the Owls back to 21-10.

Inspired by Small’s interception and the offense’s seizure of a scoring opportunity, the defense stopped the Gators three-and-out after excellent coverage on Leroy’s kickoff. The Gators were forced to punt on fourth down and the Owls took the ball over again, with 9:17 left in the second quarter.

Once again, for the third drive in a row, the Owls moved the ball effectively and were able to put points on the board. Smith found Chris Bonner for a first down and just missed an open Lestar Jean in the end zone. The Owls settled for another Leroy field goal that brought the score to 21-13.

“We knew from an offensive standpoint we could make a statement,” Gent said. “But they did a great job making adjustments in the second half.”

The Gators responded to the FAU comeback bid immediately. In trouble on third down after bobbling the snap, UF QB Tebow collected himself and launched a pass to Andre Caldwell that brought UF to the 5-yard line. In total Caldwell caught a career-high 13 passes for 165 yards. Then Tebow ran for the score on third down, his twentieth rushing TD and the most ever by an Southeastern Conference player in a single season. The milestone gave the Gators a 28-13 advantage.

Having scored on three straight possessions the Owls were back for more. Smith found Gent for a 35-yard over-the-shoulder catch that brought FAU into Gator territory. Gent then found an open slot for another first down at the 34. Willie Rose rushed to the 21 and two plays later Smith rolled to his right and found Gent at the 1-yard line. On second-and-goal from the one, Smith pulled a Tebow and snuck into the end zone for the TD. It made the score 28-20 with 1:19 left in the first half and was the fourth consecutive drive on which the Owls scored.

In the final minute of the first half, Tebow found tight end Cornelius Ingram in the end zone for the second time to give the Gators a 35-20 cushion heading into halftime. After the half, UF came out determined to put the feisty Owls away and they succeeded. Jumping out to a 49-20 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Tebow finished 25 of 34 for 339 yards and three TDs while also rushing for a TD of his own.

“He is in fact a super man,” said Owls coach Howard Schnellenberger.

“Tim Tebow runs that style of offense with perfection,” Smith said. “I told him that he was having a great year. I hope he wins the Heisman.”

Keeping the Sun Belt title run in mind, Schnellenberger opted to replace Smith in the fourth quarter with senior backup Sean Clayton. Clayton struggled and Schnellenberger put in freshman Jeff VanCamp. Smith finished with 290 yards and a TD on 18 of 33 passing to go with the rushing TD.

“We now focus on the balance of our season … and Florida International in a game that is absolutely essential to us,” Schnellenberger said.