1976 Florida Gators football team

The 1976 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. The season was the seventh for Doug Dickey as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Dickey's 1976 Florida Gators finished with an 8–4 overall record and a 4–2 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), placing fourth among ten SEC teams.

Personnel
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Florida State

 * David Posey school-record 54-yard FG

Tennessee
Q1 - TEN Gaylor 33 yard FG Q1 - TEN Morgan 11 yard run (Gaylor kick) Q2 - FLA Fisher 2 yard run (Posey kick) Q2 - FLA Wilder 7 yard run (Posey kick) Posey 42 yard field goal Posey 33 yard field goal Q4 - TEN Hough 1 yard run (Morgan run)


 * Tony Green 18 Rush, 126 Yds
 * FLA defense: 7 sacks

Auburn
Coach Doug Dickey's Gators and coach Doug Barfield's Tigers played a strong defensive game, with the Gators' winning margin coming on two pass plays&mdash;with some help from Auburn's mascot. The decisive score came late in the game when Gators quarterback Jimmy Fisher tossed a short pass to wide receiver Wes Chandler, who caught it, reversed direction twice, and weaved his way through the entire Auburn defense for a 64-yard touchdown reception and run. After Chandler ran out of the end zone, Auburn's mascot, the War Eagle, jumped off its perch and started clawing at Chandler's shoulder pads. Referees marked off the 15-yard penalty against the mascot on the ensuing kickoff. Florida won 24−19.

Georgia
The Gators were 6–1 and ranked No. 10 coming into the game, and again seeking to secure their first SEC football championship. The Gators held a 27–13 halftime advantage and seemed to have the game in hand until the Bulldogs scored early in the third quarter to cut the lead to 27–20. Then, faced with a fourth-and-one situation at the Gators' own 29-yard-line, coach Doug Dickey decided to go for the first down rather than punt. Gators running back Earl Carr was stopped short by Bulldogs safety Johnny Henderson. Led by quarterback Ray Goff's game management and running back Kevin McLee's 198-yard rushing performance, the Bulldogs seized the momentum and scored three touchdowns on their way to a come-from-behind 41–27 win. After the game, Dickey said: "We were not outplayed. We were outcoached.  I made some dumb calls." Sports writers seized on Dickey's mea culpa, and in subsequent months and years popularized the phrase "fourth and dumb" to refer to Dickey's failed fourth down attempt and the game itself. -->