1971 Florida Gators football team

1971 Florida Gators football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
1971 record	4–7 (1–6 T-8th SEC)
Head coach	Doug Dickey
Offensive coordinator	Jimmy Dunn
Defensive coordinator	Doug Knotts
Captain	Harvin Clark Tommy Durrance John Reaves
Home stadium	Florida Field
Seasons « 1970 1972 »

1971 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#4 Alabama $	7	–	0	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#7 Georgia	5	–	1	–	0			11	–	1	–	0
#12 Auburn	5	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	0
#15 Ole Miss	4	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
#9 Tennessee	4	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
#11 LSU	3	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Vanderbilt	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	6	–	1
Florida	1	–	6	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Kentucky	1	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Mississippi State	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

1 2 3 4 Total • Duke 6 3 0 3 12 Florida 0 0 6 0 6 Date: September 11 Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, FL

Scoring summary 1 DUKE Wright 44 yard field goal DUKE 3-0 1 DUKE Wright 22 yard field goal DUKE 6-0 2 DUKE Wright 34 yard field goal DUKE 9-0 3 FLA Parker 7 yard pass from Reaves (kick blocked) DUKE 9-6 4 DUKE Wright 43 yard field goal DUKE 12-6

Scoring summary
1		DUKE	Wright 44 yard field goal	DUKE 3-0
1		DUKE	Wright 22 yard field goal	DUKE 6-0
2		DUKE	Wright 34 yard field goal	DUKE 9-0
3		FLA	Parker 7 yard pass from Reaves (kick blocked)	DUKE 9-6
4		DUKE	Wright 43 yard field goal	DUKE 12-6

1 2 3 4 Total Florida 0 10 0 0 10 • Mississippi State 3 0 7 3 13 Date: September 18 Location: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

Scoring summary 1 MSU Ellis 29 yard field goal MSU 3-0 2 FLA Yancey 5 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) FLA 7-3 2 0:00 FLA Franco 52 yard field goal FLA 10-3 3 MSU Jones 21 yard run (Ellis kick) Tied 10-10 4 MSU Ellis 35 yard field goal MSU 13-10

Scoring summary
1		MSU	Ellis 29 yard field goal	MSU 3-0
2		FLA	Yancey 5 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick)	FLA 7-3
2	0:00	FLA	Franco 52 yard field goal	FLA 10-3
3		MSU	Jones 21 yard run (Ellis kick)	Tied 10-10
4		MSU	Ellis 35 yard field goal	MSU 13-10

1 2 3 4 Total • #8 Alabama 10 14 7 7 38 Florida 0 0 0 0 0 Date: September 25 Location: Florida Field Gainesville, FL Game attendance: 61,832 Sources:

1 2 3 4 Total • Tennessee 3 10 7 0 20 Florida 0 13 0 0 13 Date: October 2 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL

Scoring summary 1 TEN Hunt 33 yard field goal TEN 3-0 2 TEN Hunt 34 yard field goal TEN 6-0 2 TEN Watson 8 yard run (Hunt kick) TEN 13-0 2 FLA Jackson 23 yard pass from Reaves (kick failed) TEN 13-6 2 FLA Foldberg 7 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick) Tied 13-13 3 TEN Trott 20 yard pass from Pierce (Hunt kick) TEN 20-13

Scoring summary
1		TEN	Hunt 33 yard field goal	TEN 3-0
2		TEN	Hunt 34 yard field goal	TEN 6-0
2		TEN	Watson 8 yard run (Hunt kick)	TEN 13-0
2		FLA	Jackson 23 yard pass from Reaves (kick failed)	TEN 13-6
2		FLA	Foldberg 7 yard pass from Reaves (Franco kick)	Tied 13-13
3		TEN	Trott 20 yard pass from Pierce (Hunt kick)	TEN 20-13

1 2 3 4 Total Florida State 0 0 0 15 15 • Florida 0 14 0 3 17 Date: October 16 Location: Florida Field, Gainesville, FL Game attendance: 65,109

Scoring summary 2 14:58 FLA Mike Rich 1 yard run (kick failed) FLA 6-0 2 14:40 FLA Jimmy Barr 26 yard fumble return (John Reaves to Tommy Durrance pass) FLA 14-0 4 13:57 FSU Paul Magalski 3 yard run (Frank Fontes kick) FLA 14-7 4 9:19 FLA Richard Franco 42 yard field goal FLA 17-7 4 3:02 FSU Rhett Dawson 6 yard pass from Gary Huff (Gary Huff to Rhett Dawson pass) FLA 17-15

The 1971 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1971 college football season. The season was Doug Dickey's second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Dickey's 1971 Florida Gators finished with a 4–7 overall record and a 1–6 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), tying for eighth among ten SEC teams.

Primary source: 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide

Against the Gators, Alabama's Johnny Musso scored four rushing touchdowns en route to a 38–0 shutout at Florida Field. After Bill Davis gave the Crimson Tide a 3–0 lead with his first quarter field goal, Musso scored Alabama's next four touchdowns and extended their lead to 31–0. All four came on the ground with a pair from one-yard out, a three-yard run and a five-yard run. Alabama then closed the game with an 11-yard Billy Sexton touchdown pass to Dexter Wood that made the final score 38–0.

The four touchdowns scored by Musso on the ground set a new school record for rushing touchdowns. Additionally, the shutout was the first for the Crimson Tide defense since their 17–0 victory in 1967 over South Carolina.

The Gators beat the Seminoles 17–15.

The disappointing season ended on a controversial note. With the Gators leading the Miami Hurricanes 45–8 late in the fourth quarter of the last game of the season, senior quarterback John Reaves was just 14 yards short of the NCAA career record for passing yardage, but Miami had the ball and seemed destined to run out the clock. At the urging of Florida defensive captain Harvin Clark, Dickey agreed to permit the Gators defense to allow the Hurricanes to score, thus returning the ball to the Gators offense and giving Reaves a chance to break the record. Dubbed the "Florida Flop" or "Gator Flop," the move worked. When Miami snapped the ball from the Florida 8 year line, the Gators instantly flopped to the turf, allowing Miami quarterback John Hornibrook to walk uncontested into the endzone. Florida's offense got one more possession, and Reeves promptly broke the record with a pass to favorite target Carlos Alvarez. After the game, many Gator players celebrated by jumping into the pool at the Orange Bowl's east end zone used by the Miami Dolphins' live mascot, Flipper.

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