1982 Florida Gators football team

The 1982 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was the fourth for Charley Pell as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Pell's 1982 Florida Gators posted an 8–4 overall record and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 3–3, tying for sixth place in the ten-team SEC.

The highlight of the season was a nationally televised September victory over Southern Cal in the Trojans' only visit to Florida Field. Gator linebacker Wilber Marshall had 14 tackles and 4 sacks in the 17–9 victory and was named national defensive player of the week on his way to All-American honors at the end of the season. On offense, the team was led by quarterback Wayne Peace, who set an NCAA record for completion percentage in a season (70.7%) running offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan's short passing attack.

Florida played six of their first seven games at home and rode their early season success into a No. 4 ranking in early October, which matched the highest AP poll placement in program history up to that time. However, close losses to LSU and Vanderbilt and a blow-out loss to arch rival Georgia knocked them out of the polls, and the Gators finished the season 8–4 after a loss in the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl

Schedule
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Miami (FL)

 * Florida's first win versus Miami since 1977.

USC
A highlight of the season was a September 11 clash with No. 10 Southern California at Florida Field. Led by linebacker Wilber Marshall's 14 tackles and four quarterback sacks, the Gators won the nationally televised contest 17-9 in a game that helped to elevate the Florida program back into national prominence.

Auburn
Auburn led 17–13 with 2:51 remaining in the game. Jim Gainey's field goal cut it to one, and after an onside kick, Gainey added another for the win.

Florida State

 * Lorenzo Hampton 23 Rush, 138 Yds (career-high)
 * Neal Anderson 13 Rush, 103 Yds
 * Wayne Peace – set NCAA single-season completion percentage record (Rich Campbell, Cal – 1980)

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