For over a century, Florida’s Homecoming has been a cornerstone of Gators football.
No. 16 Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC) will look to add to the rich history when it hosts South Carolina for the 103rd Homecoming football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“This is a proud, storied, traditional program. It's got unbelievable former players,” Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said. “Being at the University of Florida, the pressure of that is a privilege, and it’s something that I embrace.”
No. 10 Florida vs. No. 7 Auburn - Oct. 5, 2019
In 2019, Florida hosted Auburn for a top-10 SEC Homecoming matchup.
Both teams entered the contest 5-0 with two conference wins. But Dan Mullen’s Gators came out on top 24-13 with close to 90,600 Gator fans cheering them on.
A key to Florida's success was running back Lamical Perine. The Mobile, Alabama, native ran for 130 yards on 14 attempts. His 88-yard rushing touchdown on the drive’s first play gave the Gators the 24-13 advantage with 9:04 left in the contest. Perine also had four receptions for 15 yards.
"It almost brought tears to my eyes," Perine said after the game. "Big-time atmosphere, big-time crowd, and I'm glad I was able to make that big-time play."
Florida quarterback Kyle Trask threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns, completing 19 of his 31 attempts. However, Trask did lose three fumbles, which helped keep the Tigers in the contest.
Trask’s first passing touchdown came on a 64-yard completion to wide receiver Freddie Swain, giving the Gators a 7-0 advantage less than two minutes into the game. Swain finished the contest with six receptions for 146 yards.
Trask’s second touchdown was on a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Hammond, extending the Gators’ lead to eight less than two minutes into the second quarter.
Defensively, Florida gave Auburn quarterback Bo Nix a rude awakening, forcing him to throw three interceptions. Cornerback Marco Wilson picked off Nix with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter, putting the game away.
The Gators finished the 2019 season 11-2 with a 36-28 win over Virginia in the Orange Bowl.
No. 10 Florida vs. Vanderbilt - Nov. 7, 2015
With the chance to win its first SEC East title since 2009, Florida hosted a struggling Vanderbilt team that entered the game with a 3-5 (1-3 SEC) record. What seemed like a cakewalk on paper was anything but.
The two teams combined for 16 points in a defensive matchup. The Gators won 9-7 on an Austin Hardin 43-yard field goal with 2:22 left. Hardin was 3-for-7 on the season before that kick and replaced Jorge Powell, who suffered a knee injury two weeks prior.
"When you're on a championship run … sometimes there are games like this," head coach Jim McElwain said after the nail-biting win. "Champions figure out ways to win."
Vanderbilt’s defense held the Gators to 258 yards on offense, including just 57 in the second half. They also forced four turnovers, including quarterback Treon Harris’ first interception of the season.
Florida’s defense held Vanderbilt’s offense to 175 yards and forced 10 punts throughout the game. The Gators put the game away by forcing a turnover on downs with 36 seconds left.
The Gators opened the scoring with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from running back Kelvin Taylor. However, walk-on kicker Neil MacInnes, who won an open tryout to replace Powell, shanked the extra point and pushed the Gators to a 6-0 lead with 6:16 left in the first quarter.
Running back Ralph Webb scored the Commodores' sole touchdown on a 74-yard run with 48 seconds to halftime. He finished the contest with 118 rushing yards on 22 carries.
It was an ugly win, but it sent Florida to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. Florida went on to finish the season 10-4 after losses to the Crimson Tide (29-15) and Michigan in the Citrus Bowl (41-7).
No. 5 Florida vs. No. 9 LSU - Oct. 7, 2006
The last — and oldest — game on this list comes from 2006, when the No. 5 Gators hosted the No. 9 Tigers for a marquee top-10 SEC matchup. Under head coach Urban Meyer, Florida came out on top 23-10 backed by just over 90,700 fans, the second-largest crowd in school history at the time.
“That was one of the best environments I've ever been a part of,” Meyer said after the game. “I'll put our Homecoming up against anyone in America's after today.”
Future Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback Tim Tebow threw his first touchdown pass as a Gator during this game, finding Tate Casey on a jump pass from 1 yard out to give the Gators a 14-7 lead with 22 seconds before the half. On his second and only other throw that game, Tebow connected with sophomore wide receiver Louis Murphy from 35 yards out to give UF a 23-7 lead three minutes into the second half.
On the ground, Tebow ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts. His rushing touchdown came on fourth-and-goal on the LSU 1-yard line, tying the contest at 7.
Chris Leak started at quarterback for the Gators. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native threw for 155 yards, completing 17 of 26 passes. He also threw an interception.
Florida’s defense was the difference-maker against the Tigers. Florida’s secondary picked off LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell three times, two coming from junior cornerback Ryan Smith. The Gators also forced two fumbles and tallied a safety.
UF’s victory gave the Gators a 6-0 start to a season that ended in the program's second national championship win 41-14 over Ohio State.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is the Fall 2026 men's basketball reporter and a third-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family and rooting for the Miami sports teams.
