1973 Florida vs. Kansas State

Florida 21-10

Gainesville (50,673)

Weather: heavy rain an hour before the game and played in steady drizzle

Florida ranked No. 4 in Playboy (predicted to go 11-0)

FLA: Soph Glenn Sever, Soph Alvin Darby, QB David Bowden, Nat Moore (#33), Preston Kendrick (#90)

KSU: Don LaReau

Summary
Florida spotted K-State a 3-0 lead

Florida's defense led by Ralph Ortega and David Hitchcock (#66) forced six turnovers (2 INT, four FUMs), sacked Steve Grogan five times for 33 yards and held on downs at their own 26 midway through fourth to end K-State's last threat

FLA gained only two yds on first possession and fumbling the second time they had it. David Bowden's fumble set up a 37-yard field goal by Keith Brumley with seven minutes left in the first.

Bowden completed four straight passes and Nat Moore gained 23 yards in five carries as FLA marched 76 yards for go-ahead score. On third-and-one at KSU 13, Bowden faked handoff to Moore and hit wide-open Sever at the goal line for the TD. John Williams kicked the extra point for a 7-3 lead at 2:22 left in first.

The teams traded turnovers and punts in second quarter before an 11-yard punt by David Spare gave FLA the ball at KSU 36 with 1:32 left in the half. Bowden hit Moore for a 10-yard TD with two seconds left before halftime (Williams kick).

KSU opened second half driving from 20 to FLA's goal line but Andy Summers recovered Isaac Jackson's fumble at one-foot line to stop drive.

A fumbled pitchout recovered by Alvin Butler at KSU 42 led to Gators score six plays later, aided by 15-yard penalty. Bowden found SE Lee McGriff wide open on 13-yard post pattern for score (Williams kick) with 2:29 remaining in third.

Early in fourth, FLA driving but Paul Smith intercepts Bowden at KSU 33 and returns 53 yds to FLA 14. Grogan sacked for seven-yard loss on first play but fakes a pass and goes 21 yards to score (Brumley kick) with 10:55 left.

Stats
Team

Passing: KSU 9/16/117/1, FLA 15/25/147/1

Rushing: KSU 48/145, FLA 44/114

Nat Moore: 22 car, 72 yds (LG 11), 3 rec, 23 yds, 2 KR, 46 yds (Dickey called him "finest RB he has ever coached")

Quotes
Kansas State coach Vince Gibson: "I'm proud of our effort. Florida has an outstanding team. They'll have a good year...We played good enough to win without the mistakes."