MIAMI - Earlier this week, UF receiver Percy Harvin said the only lingering effect from his sprained ankle was that it made it hard to slow down.
Luckily for Harvin, most of his work in the No. 1 Gators' 24-14 win against No. 2 Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game involved speeding up.
The junior led UF in rushing with 122 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries, and he added another 49 yards on five catches, a very productive night from a player whose health was in question right up until kickoff.
UF receivers coach Billy Gonzales said Harvin only took about nine snaps in each of the Gators' practices this week, and he wasn't sure the playmaker would be his usual self.
"We didn't know what to expect," Gonzales said. "It was one of the hardest game plans to put together because we didn't know if he'd be able to go all the way. What an awesome performance from him."
In addition to his touchdown, a 2-yard run to make the score 14-7 in the third quarter, Harvin was instrumental in the Gators' other scoring drives.
He kicked off UF's second possession with a 15-yard reception, a drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown from receiver Louis Murphy for the game's first score.
Then, he opened a fourth-quarter drive with a 52-yard carry down the right sideline to Oklahoma's 26, and he followed that up with a 12-yard run.
He was on a roll and looked poised for a second touchdown, but after the play, Sooners safety Nic Harris yanked on his leg, causing Harvin's body to jolt, and it left the receiver on the ground for several minutes as play was stopped and UF's medical staff had to come onto the field.
Gonzales said he didn't think Harris would intentionally try to injure a player like that, but Harvin saw it differently.
"He tried to slow me down, and it didn't work," Harvin said. "I expected that because everyone knew about my injury, but I was able to push through it and didn't let it stop me."
That was the second scare for Gators' fans with Harvin, who was rumored to have tweaked his ankle again in practice this week.
Those suspicions were backed up on UF's first play, when Harvin remained on the sideline, but any questions about his health were answered two plays later, when he caught a third-and-8 slant from quarterback Tim Tebow, worked his way to the right sideline and outran a few defenders for a gain of 19 yards.
Harvin's trouble decelerating was clear after the play, as he had to jog another 25 yards before turning back to the huddle, but the run gave him the confidence he needed.
"That was the first time I planted while running that fast, so when I did that play, I knew I was going to be okay," Harvin said.
While he knew Harvin wouldn't be completely healthy, UF coach Urban Meyer expected him to play well on a large stage.
"The one thing about him is, the brighter the lights, the better he plays," Meyer said. "He's a bigtime performer, a little like (Tebow). Him and guys like (linebacker) Brandon Spikes, those are the ones who show up in these big-time games."
