1969 Gator Bowl grouping - The 25th Gator Bowl featured a match-up of SEC combatants, as the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers squared off in Jacksonville. It turned into a real thriller, as the slight underdog Gators edged the Vols, 14-13.
Florida's Mike Kelley scored the game's first touchdown, returning a blocked punt eight yards for the score and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Tennessee, however, took a 10-7 lead into halftime after George Hunt booted a field goal and quarterback Bobby Scott hit Lester McClain with a 12-yard scoring pass. Florida re-took the lead in the third quarter when qb John Reaves hooked up with Carlos Alvarez on a 9-yard scoring pass. The Vols cut the lead to one point on another Hunt field goal in the fourth quarter, but the comeback fell short.
The Tennessee lineup featured - Scott, Don McLeary, McClain, Curt Watson, Gary Kreis and Ken Delong.
The Florida notables included - Reaves, Alvarez, Tommy Durrance, Mike Rich, Richard Franco, Paul Maliska, Bill Dowdy and future NFL great Jack Youngblood.