ESPN College Football

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Steve Spurrier's 1996 team left Florida as the program's only national champions. Ten years later, the group returns the same way.

The '96 Gators, including their colorful coach, will celebrate their 10-year reunion Saturday before No. 7 Florida hosts Southern Mississippi. Spurrier, some assistants and nearly 100 players will be recognized on the field before kickoff of the season opener.

"That's one big reason you win championships, is the ability to celebrate them later," said Spurrier, whose South Carolina Gamecocks opened the season with a 15-0 victory at Mississippi State on Thursday night. "Obviously, a national championship is a memory of a lifetime."

Spurrier hasn't been to a game at Florida Field since he quit as the Gators' coach after the 2001 season. He anticipates a warm welcome -- and with good reason.

He won the school's first Heisman Trophy in 1966, returned as coach in 1990 and won 122 games in 12 seasons. He received widespread credit for revolutionizing college football, especially in the Southeastern Conference, with his innovative, wide-open passing attack -- the one that led the Gators to the title with a 52-20 victory against rival Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

Spurrier's Heisman Trophy remains on display outside the locker room. So do photos of his six SEC championship teams and the national title trophy. His name and No. 11 jersey are painted inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

"Getting a big ovation is not the highlight of coming back," said Spurrier, who will make a second trip to Gainesville in early November with South Carolina. "Seeing those players on the '96 team is certainly one of the big reasons I'm coming back."

Spurrier will get to mingle with dozens of his former players, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel, receivers Ike Hilliard and Jacquez Green, tight end Erron Kinney, center Jeff Mitchell, linebacker Mike Peterson, cornerbacks Fred Weary and Tony George and safeties Lawrence Wright and Teako Brown.

"How often does it work out that a head coach can sneak away on a Saturday and get to go to a game to be honored?" said linebacker and team captain James Bates, who won't be able to attend the reunion because he's a television analyst for the Mountain West Conference.

"For him to come back and be the bad guy right off the bat is just not right. To have Spurrier come back and have everybody love him before he comes back and everyone wants to kick his butt is perfect," Bates said.

Florida's title run wasn't nearly as perfect.

The Gators won their first eight games by a combined score of 413-101, more points than they have scored in any of the four seasons since Spurrier's departure.

But they got a scare the following week at Vanderbilt. The Commodores trailed 28-6 late in the third quarter before putting together an improbable rally. They scored 15 points and had the ball in Florida territory twice in the final period. But Vandy missed a field-goal attempt and then failed to convert on fourth down.

Florida sealed the victory by converting a fourth-and-1 play on the final possession.

Three weeks later, Florida had its national title hopes seemingly crushed after a 24-21 loss at Florida State. Warrick Dunn ran for 185 yards, and Spurrier complained about what he thought were several late hits on Wuerffel. His criticism was echoed by Florida fans, mocked by Florida State faithful and ignored by officials.

The Gators traveled to Atlanta the following weekend for the SEC title game against Alabama, figuring they blew a shot at the national title but could salvage the season by winning a fourth consecutive conference crown.

But before Florida took the field against the Crimson Tide, the national title picture was turned upside down when Texas shocked defending national champion Nebraska in the Big 12 title game.

Texas' victory, coupled with Florida's 45-30 win over the Tide, gave the Gators a rematch against Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. But they still needed help. They had to have Ohio State beat Arizona State in the Rose Bowl a day before the Sugar Bowl.

And it happened. Then Florida, working mostly from the shotgun to give Wuerffel a little more time, torched the Seminoles.

"Really reflecting on it, it looks like an ending to a great movie. But we really lived it," Wuerffel said.

Now they have a chance to relive it at the 10-year reunion.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press