FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 9, 2009 - The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame (NFF) today presented the MacArthur Bowl to the Florida Gators (13-1) as their prize for beating, 24- 14, the Oklahoma Sooners (12-2) yesterday in the FedEx BCS National Championship before a sellout crowd of 78,468 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens. NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell handed the national championship trophy to Head Coach Urban Meyer who accepted the prize on behalf of his team at today's 10 a.m. (EST) press conference at the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel.
"On behalf of the National Football Foundation, our 12,000 members, our chairman Archie Manning and our board of directors, vice-chairman George Weiss, we are really proud to present this trophy to Urban Meyer, second time in three years, which is really special," said Hatchell. "This trophy has been awarded since 1959. It was started by General Douglas MacArthur, Grantland Rice, the great sports writer and legendary coach Red Blake, and etched on the side of this replica of the stadium in all silver are all of the champions since 1959. And as the keepers of
the history and the legacy of the sport of football, we are really proud to give this to Urban, who not only is a super coach and a great job, but the wonderful things he does for the sport. So we're very honored to be able to give this to you today, Urban."
Florida, the 2008 SEC Champions, defeated Oklahoma, the 2008 Big 12 Champions, marking the Gators' third national title (1996, 2006, & 2008) since the school started playing football in 1906. Florida last claimed the MacArthur Bowl and the national championship two years ago after the 2006 season under coach Meyer by toppling Ohio State, 41-14, in the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship in Glendale, Ariz. Coach Meyer becomes the first coach to win two BCS National titles, and the Gators join LSU as the only teams to win two BCS National Championships since the system was developed in 1998.
With the score tied, 14-14, quarterback Tim Tebow led the Gators on two fourth-quarter scoring drives culminating in a 27-yard field goal by Jonathan Phillips and the game-sealing touchdown pass to David Nelson with 3:07 remaining. Tebow, the championship game's Most Valuable Player, threw for 231 yards and ran for 109 yards on the ground.
Percy Harvin contributed 122 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while the Florida defense limited Oklahoma to season-low 14 points and stopped two first-half drives inside the 5-yard line.
Representing the pinnacle of team achievement in college sports, the trophy was the gift of an anonymous donor, who commissioned Tiffany & Co. to craft it from 400 ounces of silver, in honor of NFF founder General Douglas A. MacArthur and features his famous quote: "There is no substitute for victory." The 2008 Florida team will now have its name etched on the silver trophy, which will visit Gainesville, Fla., until the 2009 champions claim it. Last year, more than 500,000 people saw the trophy while it was on display in Baton Rouge, La., after the LSU Tigers' victory in the title game.
With the advent of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1998, the national championship game now determines which team will be presented the MacArthur Bowl and have their named engraved on the sparkling archways aside the greatest teams of all time. The National Football Foundation, as an impartial arbiter, tabulates and releases the weekly BCS standings during the college football season.
First presented in 1959, previous NFF National Champions and MacArthur Bowl recipients include: Syracuse 1959, Minnesota 1960, Alabama 1961, Southern California 1962, Texas 1963, Notre Dame 1964, Michigan State 1965, Michigan State/Notre Dame 1966, Southern California 1967, Ohio State 1968, Texas 1969, Ohio State/Texas 1970, Nebraska 1971, Southern California 1972, Notre Dame 1973, Southern California 1974, Oklahoma 1975, Pittsburgh 1976, Notre Dame 1977, Alabama 1978, Alabama 1979, Georgia 1980, Clemson 1981, Penn State 1982, Miami (FL) 1983, Brigham Young 1984, Oklahoma 1985, Penn State 1986, Miami (FL) 1987, Notre Dame 1988, Miami (FL) 1989, Colorado 1990, Washington 1991, Alabama 1992, Florida State 1993, Nebraska 1994, Nebraska 1995, Florida 1996, Michigan 1997, Tennessee 1998, Florida State 1999, Oklahoma 2000, Miami (FL) 2001, Ohio State 2002, Louisiana State 2003, Southern California 2004; Texas 2005; Florida in 2006; and LSU in 2007.
About The National Football Foundation:
Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 121 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, Play It Smart, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings.
NFF
