Tim Tebow and coach Urban Meyer stood together in one corner of the Louisiana Superdome, sang the school fight song and then offered a final gesture.
Tebow took off on a victory lap. Meyer saluted the Florida fans.
It was Tebow’s way of saying goodbye.
Tebow capped a storied college career with his finest performance. It was the best in BCS history, too.
Tebow threw for a career-high 482 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 51 yards and another score, and fifth-ranked Florida overwhelmed No. 4 Cincinnati 51-24 Friday night in the Sugar Bowl.
“It was incredible,” Tebow said. “Just a great game. It was exactly how you want to go out with these seniors and these coaches in your last game and your last time together. It just really doesn’t get any better than this.”
Florida’s most anticipated season ever ended in New Orleans instead of Pasadena. It came against Cincinnati (12-1) instead of Texas. It was about redemption instead of perfection.
None of that mattered when the Gators took the field.
Tebow wouldn’t let it.
“This has been the best four years of life,” the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner said.
He completed his first 12 passes, led the Gators to scores on their first five possessions and finished with 533 total yards—more than anyone in Bowl Championship Series history. He topped former Texas star Vince Young’s record of 467 yards set against Southern California in the 2005 Rose Bowl.
“They couldn’t stop Superman,” Gators guard Carl Johnson. “They needed some kryptonite.”
Florida, became the first school in the Football Bowl Subdivision to win 13 games in consecutive seasons.
Tebow and his teammates had hoped to repeat as national champions, but a 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game knocked them out of the title picture.
“We tried to show coach where we should have been,” Johnson said. “We had to make a statement game, not only for us, but for coach Meyer. We had a bad game at a crucial moment, but we’re still Florida, we’re still here and we ain’t going nowhere.”
Cincinnati stacked the line of scrimmage, essentially forcing Tebow to beat them through the air. That worked for the Crimson Tide. It backfired for the Bearcats.
The bulky left-hander had all kinds of time to pass and picked apart Cincinnati’s sketchy defense. He nearly had a career game in the first half alone. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, 18 yards shy of his previous career high.
Tebow completed 31 of 35 passes and finished with a 35-6 record in three years as a starter.
Florida clearly had something to prove after getting thumped in Atlanta, and Cincinnati ended up on the receiving end.
Florida finished with a Sugar Bowl-record 659 yards, and the last celebration for the most successful senior class in SEC history came on the Sugar Bowl logo.
“Guys were anxious to get it done,” linebacker Brandon Spikes said. “That game in Atlanta hurt. I told the guys we would get another opportunity to play like we know how to play, and I think we did that today.”
