JACKSONVILLE - Urban Meyer didn't need to call any timeouts.
Even with UF fans chanting for Meyer to rub in No. 1 Florida's 41-17 win over rival Georgia with some late timeouts, he passed.
His point had already been made.
UGA coach Mark Richt seemed to pull out all the motivational tricks he had: a first-ever uniform combination that his team didn't break out until just before kickoff and a team-wide touchdown celebration on the sideline, but the Gators made those ploys to look like acts of desperation.
"New helmets and black pants really aren't going to make you win the game," linebacker Ryan Stamper said. "You still have to go out there and execute."
Execute is exactly what Florida did, and thanks to Tennessee's win against South Carolina, the Gators (8-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) clinched a trip to the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5.
They chased half of the 84,604-person crowd out of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium with their performance, which seemed to answer the doubts that followed underwhelming displays against Arkansas and Mississippi State during the last two weeks.
The offense had zero turnovers for the first time since the season opener against Charleston Southern and scored on six of nine non-kneel-down possessions. The defense recorded three sacks, forced four turnovers, and kicker Caleb Sturgis added the cherry on top with a 56-yard field goal.
"This is the most complete game we have played this year on offense, defense and special teams," Stamper said.
UF quarterback Tim Tebow returned to his normal form, completing 15 of 21 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the game's top rusher, gaining 85 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
His first score on the ground, a 23-yard dash up the middle, broke UGA legend Herschel Walker's SEC record for career rushing touchdowns, a mark even Tebow had to pause and take notice of.
On his way back to the sideline, Tebow asked an official for the game ball for the second week in a row, so he would have the footballs from the record-tying and record-breaking scores.
"It's a great record," Tebow said. "It's very humbling, and I think it will be even more rewarding the further I get away from college and the longer I live, just because Herschel owned that record. It will mean a lot."
He admitted after the game that questions surrounding the offensive play-calling, receivers and his decision-making were grating on his nerves. Fair or not, that criticism provided the impetus for an improved performance this weekend, one that Tebow hopes will be the rule, not the exception.
"I think I take it on myself, the criticism of [offensive coordinator Steve Addazio], the criticism of the offensive line, the receivers," Tebow said. "And I think a lot of that can be changed by how I play, too. So I think this game started us in a little bit of a new direction."
Tebow bolstered his chances for a second Heisman Trophy, spreading the ball to six different wideouts and converting five third-down attempts with his legs.
Riley Cooper was the standout receiver with four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, including a diving, one-handed grab for a 29-yard score in the first quarter.
Cooper outshined UGA's A.J. Green, the SEC's top receiver, who was held to his worst outing of the season (three catches, 50 yards).
In fact, UF's linebackers made more catches than Green. A.J. Jones tallied two interceptions while Stamper and Brandon Spikes added one each, and Spikes returned his 5 yards for a touchdown.
"We knew [UGA quarterback Joe Cox] would throw where he was looking, and we just got pressure on him," Jones said. "Our D-line helped us out a lot, so did the blitzes and [defensive coordinator Charlie Strong's] scheme. We were just in the right place at the right time."
Having already accomplished their stated goal of reaching the conference title game, the Gators will be playing for an undefeated season in remaining games against Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida International and Florida State.
An unblemished record wasn't enough to satisfy Florida prior to Saturday, but the Gators should be flying high after their win against Georgia.
"We were undefeated, we just didn't feel like we had played up to our potential yet," Spikes said. "We came out and did a great job today."
