1952 Florida Gators football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 1952 Florida Gators football Southeastern Conference SEC 15 8–3 3–3 Bob Woodruff 3rd Florida Field Gator Bowl W Won 14–13 vs. Tulsa The 1952 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1952 college football season. The season was Bob Woodruff's third and most successful as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Woodruff's 1952 Florida Gators finished with an overall record of 8–3 and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 3–3, placing sixth among twelve SEC teams. Before the season After Sullivan's early departure for the Boston Red Sox left the Gators without a starting quarterback, Doug Dickey advanced from seventh on the Gators' depth chart to starter.Norm Carlson, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, p. 61 (2007). The Gators were led by fullback Rick Casares, halfback J. "Pappa" Hall, alternating quarterbacks Doug Dickey and Fred Robinson, and lineman Charlie LaPradd, the Gators' lightest tackle and one of their two captains.Associated Press, "LaPradd Is Thrilled By His Selection to All America", Daytona Beach Morning Journal, p. 7 (December 6, 1952). Retrieved March 21, 2010.note LaPradd became a football coach at FSU and then president of St. John's River Community College in Palatka.McCarthy 2000 44 Also in the backfield was Buford Long. Schedule 1952 AP September 20 w y 1952 Stetson Hatters Stetson Florida Field Gainesville, FL 33–6 20,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-gators-open-grid-campa/132907365/ Tampa Sunday Tribune Gators open grid campaign with 33–6 win over Hatters as aerial attack clicks September 21, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com September 27 l y Georgia Tech Grant Field Atlanta, GA 14–17 30,939 https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times-field-goal-in-4t/132866961/ Asheville Citizen-Times Field goal in 4th gives Georgia Tech 17–14 win September 28, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com October 4 w y y The Citadel Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL 33–0 21,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bradenton-herald-gators-rip-citadel/132907629/ The Bradenton Herald Gators rip Citadel, 33–0 October 5, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com October 11 w y Clemson Florida Field Gainesville, FL 54–13 25,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-mistakes-costly-clemson-is-ro/132907864/ The State Mistakes costly, Clemson is routed 54–13 October 12, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com October 18 l y Vanderbilt Dudley Field Nashville, TN 13–20 20,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/panama-city-news-herald-florida-rallies/132907967/ Panama City News-Herald Florida rallies but loses to Vanderbilt, 20 to 13 October 19, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com October 25 w y 20 Georgia Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL rivalry 30–0 37,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-gators-pulverize-ge/132871554/ Orlando Sunday Sentinel-Star Gators pulverize Georgia, 30–0 October 26, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com November 1 w 17 Auburn Florida Field Gainesville, FL rivalry 31–21 35,500 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-palm-beach-post-gators-smash-auburn/132908065/ The Palm Beach Post-Times Gators smash Auburn 31 to 21 before 35,500 November 2, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com November 15 l y 18 Tennessee 7 Shields–Watkins Field Knoxville, TN rivalry 12–26 35,000 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98673705/vols-defeat-gators-2612/ The Palm Beach Post Vols defeat Gators 26–12 November 16, 1952 March 29, 2022 Newspapers.com November 22 w y Miami (FL) Florida Field Gainesville, FL rivalry 43–6 35,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-press-florida-trounces-miami-in-43/132908188/ Fort Myers News-Press Florida trounces Miami in 43–6 runaway November 23, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com December 6 w 17 Kentucky 19 rivalry Florida Field Gainesville, FL 27–0 29,000 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-florida-shames-punchles/132908291/ The Miami Herald Florida shames punchless Kentucky, 27–0 December 7, 1952 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com January 1, 1953 w y y 15 Tulsa 12 Gator Bowl Stadium Jacksonville, FL Gator Bowl 14–13 30,015 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ponca-city-news-missed-conversion-ni/132908389/ The Ponca City News Missed conversion nips Tulsa, 14–13 January 2, 1953 October 4, 2023 Newspapers.com 2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide https://web.archive.org/web/20151208143532/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2015/media_guide.pdf 2015-12-08 , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 107 (2015). Retrieved August 16, 2015. Game summaries Stetson The season opened with a 33–6 defeat of the 1952 Stetson Hatters Stetson Hatters. Georgia Tech The national champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat Florida on a last-second field goal, 14–17. Citadel The Citadel lost to Florida 33–0. Clemson Florida blew out the Clemson Tigers 54–13. Vanderbilt On a cold Dudley Field, Florida lost to Vanderbilt 20–13. Georgia The Gators dominated rival Georgia 33–0 in Jacksonville, remaining the Gators' largest victory over the Bulldogs for almost forty years.College Football Data Warehouse, Florida vs. Georgia https://web.archive.org/web/20150707055319/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/f/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265 2015-07-07 . Retrieved March 11, 2012. Casares ran for 108 yards, kicked a field goal, and made all the extra points.Golenbock, Go Gators!, p. 64 Even National champion Georgia Tech needed a last-second field goal to defeat the Gators. Auburn The defeat of Georgia was followed by another conference victory, 31–21 over Auburn Tigers. Tennessee The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Gators 12–26. Miami The Gators had another blowout of the in-state rival Miami Hurricanes 43–6. Kentucky Florida defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 27–0. Postseason The season ended with the Gators' first appearance in an NCAA-sanctioned bowl game, a closely matched 14–13 Gator Bowl victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on January 1, 1953, in which star fullback Rick Casares kicked the winning extra points for the margin of victory.Noel Nash, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois, pp. 16–18 (1998). LaPradd was All-American. Notes note References Bibliography Golenbock Peter Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory Legends Publishing, LLC St. Petersburg, Florida 2002 0-9650782-1-3 McCarthy Kevin M https://books.google.com/books?id=_Tk-IQepI6cC Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football Arcadia Publishing Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 2000 978-0-7385-0559-6 Florida Category:Florida Gators football seasons Category:Gator Bowl champion seasons Florida Gators football