The Last Time the Florida Gators Were Shut Out

As Florida State is to bowl games, Florida is to offense. Ever since Steve Spurrier took over Florida football and changed the Gators’ culture, Florida has been known for scoring.

In fact, the Gators are the owners of the longest streak without a shutout in NCAA history, a mark they set three weeks ago in a loss to LSU. Entering its game with Georgia, Florida hadn’t been shut out in its past 367 games, dating back to a 16-0 loss to Auburn on Oct. 29.

Less than two years later, Spurrier was the man in charge in the Swamp, and the Gators became one of the most prolific offensive teams in the nation. But the days of the Fun and Gun are long gone in Gainesville, Fla., as the current group of Gators under Jim McElwain has struggled to get much going in terms of offense. Florida has broken 30 points just once in 2017 in a win over Vanderbilt, and in its annual rivalry with Georgia, the Bulldogs showed just how wide the gulf is between Florida and its northern rival.

Georgia scored its largest win over Florida since 1982. That 44-0 win during Herschel Walker’s Heisman Trophy season was also the last time that the Bulldogs had blanked the Gators, a streak that Florida just barely avoided ending when it scored a touchdown in the final minutes of the game.

While Georgia moved closer to a spot in the College Football Playoff, Florida’s only positive was that it kept its streak alive at 368 games. Here’s what happened the last time the Gators were shut out.


George Bush Was Elected President

The elder George Bush, now 93, was a two-term vice president at the time and was less than a month away from being elected the 41st president of the United States, beating Michael Dukakis in the election. Bush’s name has recently surfaced in the news again for unwanted sexual advances.


Stephen Curry Was Born

The Golden State Warriors’ star was seven months old the last time the Florida Gators were shut out. In fact, it was his father Dell who was starring on the court for the expansion Charlotte Hornets, who entered the NBA in 1988.

Other stars born in 1988 included Adele, Michael Cera and Mae Whitman.


Barry Sanders Won the Heisman Trophy

Oklahoma State’s offense was as unstoppable as it got in 1988, and one of the biggest reasons was Sanders, who simply ran all over the Cowboys’ opponents on his way to claiming the Heisman and going on to a long career with the Detroit Lions.


Kirk Gibson Hit His Famous Home Run

The Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to earn their first World Series title since 1988, when Kirk Gibson came off the bench and hit a dramatic home run to win Game 1 of the World Series, carrying the Dodgers to a five-game rout of the Oakland Athletics.


Ben Johnson Set a World Record, Until He Didn’t

At the Seoul Olympics, Ben Johnson was the world record holder in the 100-meter dash, but coming off a hamstring injury. However, he was at full strength in South Korea and blazed to a new world record of 9.79 seconds, beating Carl Lewis by 0.13 seconds to win gold and set a world record.

However, the record fell just days later when Johnson tested positive for steroid usage, losing the gold medal and the world record. The current record has fallen much further, to Usain Bolt’s time of 9.58

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The Jamaican Bobsled Team Made Its Debut

The team made famous by “Cool Runnings” had its debut in 1988, winning over fans as the first warm-weather nation to compete in the bobsled. The team has been a regular at the Olympics ever since.