• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Tebow helps Florida rebound with win over Arkansas

Oct 4, 2008 - 10:48 PM FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (Ticker) -- Tim Tebow helped Florida get back on track.

Last year's Heisman Trophy winner threw a pair of touchdown passes Saturday, leading the 13th-ranked Gators to a 38-7 Southeastern Conference victory over Arkansas.

Tebow connected with halfback Brandon James on a 2-yard score in the first quarter to give Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC East) a 7-0 lead. He then tossed a 21-yard TD to Percy Harvin in the fourth quarter to help Florida rebound from last week's 31-30 upset loss to Mississippi.

In the loss to Mississippi, Tebow was stopped on fourth down to effectively end the game. But on Florida's first drive against Arkansas, the Gators went for it when they could have kicked a field goal and Tebow ran for 2 yards, setting up first down at the Razorbacks 4-yard line.

"We're confident in fourth-and-1 and our ability to get those," Tebow said.

Tebow then finished the drive by flipping a shovel pass to James for a 2-yard touchdown.

The Gators led, 17-7, late in the third quarter when Jerry Franklin picked off Tebow, snapping his streak of 203 passes without an interception. But Florida's defense held, and Tebow rallied to lead his team on an 83-yard drive that ended with his TD pass to Harvin.

Tebow finished 17-of-26 for 216 yards as the Gators rolled up 513 yards of total offense.

Jeffrey Demps added a pair of long scoring runs for Florida. His first came from 36 yards out with just over seven minutes left before halftime to send the Gators into the break ahead 14-0.

Demps also closed out the scoring with a 48-yard jaunt with 1:04 left in the game. Both Demps and freshman Chris Rainey led Florida with 103 yards rushing apiece.

Rainey padded his numbers with a 75-yard TD run with just over five minutes remaining as the Gators put the contest well out of reach late.

"You're dealing with 18-to-22 year-olds," Tebow said. "Everything's based on momentum, confidence and that swagger that people talk about."

Michael Smith rushed for 133 yards on 20 carries for the Razorbacks (2-3, 0-2 SEC West), including the team's lone score on a 6-yard run in the third quarter.

Casey Dick completed 24-of-38 for 219 yards and an interception for Arkansas, which hung tough through the first half after losing to Alabama and Texas by a combined 77 points over the previous two games.

"Cutting back the playbook really helped us to execute and move fast," said Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, who has lost three straight for the first time as a college coach. "It's a tough loss because our players did a good job to get their emotions back after the Texas loss."

Arkansas has gone eight games without scoring in the first quarter. The Razorbacks moved into Florida territory the first three times they had the ball but stalled each time. They went for it on fourth down twice in the first quarter near the Florida 30, and the Gators held each time.

"With the way the wind was blowing, I really felt like that if we were going to go for the field goal that we really had to be within the 25-yard line," Petrino said.

The Razorbacks also drove well into Florida territory late in the second quarter, but Joe Haden intercepted Dick at the goal line.

Penalties were a factor for both teams, as Florida was whistled 12 times for 110 yards while the Razorbacks had nine for 76 yards.