JACKSONVILLE - Forget the "Gator Stomp," this was the Gator Romp.
As expected, UF delivered a response to Georgia's end zone celebration in 2007, only the Gators didn't party in the end zone during their 49-10 whipping of the Bulldogs.
The whole field was their dance hall.
Cornerback Joe Haden pulled a nifty two-step at Georgia's 25-yard line, prolonging his 88-yard interception return that gift-wrapped a 1-yard touchdown scamper for quarterback Tim Tebow.
Defensive tackle Terron Sanders pirouetted around would-be Bulldog tacklers after scooping up a fumble by running back Knowshon Moreno, returning the ball to the 10-yard line to set up another Tebow score.
Linebacker Brandon Spikes balled himself up and rolled like he was on fire after being blocked in the fourth quarter. It was one of the few times the junior didn't find his target in the Bulldogs' backfield, but it didn't matter at that point. He had already done enough to secure a victory.
For the finale, Tebow enjoyed the night's last dance, a slow one, as he took a long victory lap around Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to celebrate his biggest win to date and a sweet trip to his hometown.
Now the No. 4 Gators (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) can start thinking about a tango with No. 1 Alabama (9-0, 5-0 SEC) in Atlanta, where UF will be headed for the SEC Championship with a win against Vanderbilt next week.
This was a return to the status quo in the rivalry, where the Gators have taken 16 of the last 19 contests. The lopsided score marked UF's second-largest margin of victory in series history and the worst defeat for Georgia (7-2, 4-2 SEC) coach Mark Richt.
"This is the game we had to have," coach Urban Meyer said. "Someone asked if this was the motivation during the offseason, and you know what? It was, for nothing more than the fact that it's a rivalry game, the only rivalry game we lost a year ago, and losing doesn't sit well around our players."
The significance of the win wasn't lost on pollsters or the BCS computers either, as the Gators shot up to No. 4 in the AP poll and took the No. 5 spot in the BCS.
Spikes made it clear early that this game wouldn't be a repeat of Georgia's 42-30 win last season, when running back Knowshon Moreno sliced through UF's defense for 188 yards and three touchdowns.
On the second play from scrimmage, Moreno took a handoff up the middle, and Spikes met him with a vicious hit to drop him for no gain. The two ended up facemask-to-facemask on the ground for a few moments, and Spikes offered a warning to the tailback.
"I just told him he better get ready because I'm going to be here all night," Spikes said.
The rest of UF's defense followed Spikes' lead, holding Moreno to 65 yards on 17 carries and forcing four turnovers to turn a close game into a rout.
Those big plays from the defense came in a five-drive span in the second half and helped expand the Gators' lead from 11 to 39 points.
Georgia trailed 14-3 early in the third quarter but moved 68 yards to the UF 30-yard line and appeared poised to score until Haden jumped in front of quarterback Matthew Stafford's pass at the 11-yard line, took off down the sideline and cut back before being tackled near the goal line.
Two drives later, Sanders picked up Moreno's fumble, and the 300-pounder executed a spin move during his rumbling 20-yard return.
"It was just kind of like an instinct," Sanders said. "It just happened, and it was a blur. I looked at the replay, and I thought it was pretty funny that a big guy like me was able to pull that off."
Tebow didn't have to do much but was extremely efficient, going 10 for 13 for 154 yards and two passing touchdowns while adding three more scores on the ground.
Those ground scores broke running back Emmitt Smith's all-time UF record for rushing touchdowns and built a nice lead in the category for the Heisman Trophy winner.
Few teams can make a case that they're playing as well as the Gators, who've won four straight games against SEC opponents by nearly 40 points each.
"We have the talent to be the best team in the country," said Haden, who shook his head when asked if any team in the country has played better in the last month. "Now we practice like it."
