Students and alumni may have sat on opposite sides of the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Friday night, but Gator Growl's skits and performances brought the crowd of about 35,000 together.
Danny Wuerffel hosted the show, adding skill as an entertainer to a resume already complete with a Heisman trophy and ministry fighting poverty in New Orleans.
Wuerffel noted the age gap between students and parents in the crowd and added students may not know about former "Saturday Night Live" star Dana Carvey who, like him, was big in the '90s.
A keyboard was brought out on stage, and Wuerffel imitated Carvey's "Choppin' Broccoli" skit with a mock rock star performance, which turned into an introduction for Coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Tim Tebow.
"Um, he is young and sexy and hot," Wuerffel sang. "The coach from Florida State is old and not."
Jessica James, a senior psychology major, said she was impressed with Wuerffel's performance and enjoyed the show more than last year's Gator Growl.
"Who knew Danny Wuerffel had a sense of humor?" she said.
Meyer walked onto the stage and said it felt great to be back home.
The crowd cheered as Meyer introduced each senior. Several players offered words of thanks to the fans, and Brandon Spikes even sang a few lines of the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling."
Meyer saved Tebow's introduction for last. The giant screen showed Tebow as his face broke into a wide smile.
Tebow stepped onto the stage to a standing ovation and hugged Meyer.
"I'll be a Gator till the day I die," he said as the crowd yelled and cheered.
Videos featuring political figures and celebrities including Gov. Charlie Crist and actor Zach Braff were peppered throughout the show. During each video, they told the audience to, "Let the Gator growl."
The show also had performances from Gainesville locals, including singer Adam Clinch and UF groups like Sabor Latino, a dance group that combines salsa and hip hop moves, the UF Gospel Choir and the Dazzlers.
Decked out in a No. 15 jersey, Dana Carvey took the stage and a re-enacted Tebow's concussion. Showing off his knack for impersonations, he mimicked Tebow's efforts at speech and Meyer's attempts to have Tebow follow his thumb.
Like Wuerffel, Carvey addressed the division between students and parents in the crowd, referring to the drunk students on one side of the stadium and the parents on the other side, who paid for the students' education.
Although he aimed jokes at separate sections of the crowd and noted the political and moral differences between students and parents, he managed to keep everyone laughing.
Before he left the stage, Carvey spouted out more than 20 celebrity impressions, varying from Adam Sandler to Bill Clinton.
Scott Michael Foster and Amber Stevens, stars from ABC Family's series "Greek," also had a spot in the show. They announced Chris Emmanuel as Homecoming king and Kristen Gillis as Homecoming queen.
Breaks between acts featured commercials bashing Florida State University and bemoaning UF's drop to the No. 2 party school.
Even though the crowd started trickling out at about 10 p.m., the party continued until about 10:40 p.m. with performances by dance troupe the Jabbawockeez and rock band O.A.R., which wrapped up the show.
The dance group moved fluidly in white masks and black hats and did a dance that blended Michael Jackson moves with break dancing and a remix of Beyonce's "Single Ladies."
O.A.R. wrapped up the night with a 40-minute performance for the swaying crowd, with songs including "Love and Memories" and "That was a Crazy Game of Poker."
Lead singer Marc Roberge thanked the crowd and said it was the loudest audience the band ever had.
Roberge said he attended Gator Growl about 15 years ago with his brother who went to UF. After seeing the show, he dreamed of playing there.
"To actually be here and be doing it means a lot," Roberge said.
