STARKVILLE, Miss. - Tim Tebow has made a career out of playing hero for the Gators. But Saturday night, it was the Heisman Trophy winner who needed saving.
Tebow was 12-of-22 passing for 127 yards and two interceptions in No. 1 Florida's 29-19 win over Mississippi State (3-5, 1-3 Southeastern Conference).
"I did not coach well tonight," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "I put Tim in some tough situations down in the red zone. Our red-zone offense right now is really an issue."
UF (7-0, 5-0 SEC) rallied behind a defense that held MSU to 237 total yards and didn't allow an offensive touchdown.
Tebow, who had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, declined to talk to the media following the Gators' first win in Starkvillle since 1985.
It was the first time in his career that Tebow has been healthy and chose not to speak after a game.
The quarterback carried the ball 22 times for 88 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown run that tied him with Georgia's Herschel Walker on the SEC's all-time rushing touchdown list (49).
"Tim's not trying to be a hero," Meyer said. "But we might be asking him to do too much."
Tebow has already carried the ball 121 times this season. He rushed 210 times when he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in 2007.
The mistakes that could be rationalized against LSU and Arkansas turned into legitimate concerns against Mississippi State.
MSU kept UF out of the end zone on its first four trips inside the 20, making the Gators settle for three field goals and forcing a Tebow interception that Johnthan Banks returned 100 yards for a touchdown right before halftime. Before Saturday, Tebow had only one interception returned for a touchdown - Tennessee's Eric Berry did it in 2007.
UF has now scored just two touchdowns in its last 15 trips to the red zone.
The Gators, who allowed six sacks against the Razorbacks last week, gave up three sacks to the Bulldogs.
"I know people are going to take shots," Meyer said. "We're pressing like crazy. I think the head coach wants to score so damn bad. We're not used to this."
In wins against Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi State, Florida has scored just seven offensive touchdowns.
Tebow once again struggled to find options in the passing game, completing only one pass to a wide receiver other than Riley Cooper. Deonte Thompson caught a 19-yarder in the first half.
Tebow missed open receivers several times against the Bulldogs, including a handful around the goal line where the Gators failed to punch it in.
"When you're open and you don't get the ball, of course you're going to be upset," receiver Brandon James said. "But you don't know what the quarterback is going through. You don't know what happened in protection. You're just running your routes. You know that you're open. You don't know everything else that's going on in the back end."
The Gators did find some success in the running game, especially with Chris Rainey, who ran for 90 yards on 12 carries.
Rainey scored the Gators' lone red-zone touchdown from a traditional I-formation with 9:08 left in the game to put the Gators up 22-13.
Running back Jeff Demps left the game late in the second quarter following a neck injury.
Meyer said Sunday that Demps, who wore a brace after the game, has a sprained neck, and he is probable for next week's game against Georgia.
The Gators gave credit to Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen, who players said frustrated them with his knowledge of the Florida offense.
Mullen spent 10 years coaching alongside Meyer and helped the Gators average more than 40 points per game in two straight seasons as UF's offensive coordinator before leaving to become the head coach at MSU.
In three seasons under Mullen, Tebow threw for 6,390 yards and 67 touchdowns and rushed for 2,037 yards with 43 scores.
"He's very frustrated," Meyer said Sunday during a conference call. "He's used to playing at a certain level. A lot of guys are frustrated. We go down there (and win by) 10 points on the road, and it's the same old song and dance as the last couple weeks."
