TALLAHASSEE - Florida's offense and the weather had a similar effect inside Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday.
As heavy rains pelted Bobby Bowden field in the first half, the Gators relentlessly pounded Florida State's defense for 312 yards and four scores before halftime, inundating the already-soaked end zones that leaked garnet-colored paint before kickoff.
That combination of poor weather and UF touchdowns chased most FSU supporters out of the stadium by the fourth quarter, when the skies finally began to clear in the waning moments of the Gators' 45-15 win.
Although the night was still cloudy, UF's path to a national title has never been more clear. The win was the final regular season hurdle for the Gators, who can now turn their attention to a showdown with No. 1 Alabama next week for the Southeastern Conference title in Atlanta.
"It's great going to [the Georgia Dome]," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "That's why we get up, that's why we shave, that's why we brush our teeth and that's why we hug our kids, is to go to that dome. And we're going."
The Gators' celebration was somewhat tempered by an injury to receiver Percy Harvin, the team's top offensive weapon, who sprained his ankle and is questionable for next week's game, but No. 2 Florida (11-1, 7-1 SEC) still racked up 502 yards of offense, more than doubling FSU's 242, and put up its largest-ever point total in Tallahassee.
"That game surprised me because I didn't think they would beat us like that here," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. "If you asked me what happened, I don't have to say we fumbled or we threw an interception, it was a good tail-whipping - just like last year."
With the victory - its fourth-straight against Florida State - Florida surpassed the Seminoles as the nation's winningest program since 1990.
The evening was especially rough for No. 23 FSU (8-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) who saw its conference title hopes dashed by Boston College's win against Maryland.
Just as in last year's matchup in Gainesville, the Seminoles struggled to reach the end zone, not doing so until midway through the third quarter.
That's a huge setback against the Gators - who have outscored their last eight opponents 136-3 in the first quarter. UF jumped out to an early lead with four first-half touchdowns, and the Seminoles' three field goals weren't enough to keep pace.
"That's as hard as our guys have played," Meyer said. "The environment, the weather, there were all kinds of things that were equalizers, and I was just very proud. That's as proud as I've been of this football team."
FSU played three quarterbacks, but none were effective. Starter Christian Ponder was 5-of-14 for 60 yards and threw two interceptions that led to touchdowns. Drew Weatherford came in next, going 4-of-15 for 61 yards, and D'Vontrey Richardson went 1-of-2 with an interception in brief action.
The quarterback on the other sideline, Tim Tebow, turned in a signature performance despite the heavy rain. Tebow went 12-for-21 for 185 yards and three touchdowns, and he added another score on the ground.
Most of the Gators' damage came in the rushing game, where they tallied 317 yards behind Chris Rainey, Jeffery Demps and Tebow, all of whom manages 80 yards or more.
