Arkansas 30, Florida 45

1234T
ARK (3-2)0771630
FLA (3-1)7283745

Final

12:00 PM ET, October 2, 2004
BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM
GAINESVILLE, FL

Leak's career day leads No. 16 Florida

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Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs2220
Total Yards386440
Passing252322
Rushing134118
Penalties4-255-32
3rd Down Conversions7-169-17
4th Down Conversions1-20-0
Turnovers30
Possession31:2927:45
Individual Leaders
Arkansas Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Jones23/3925213
Florida Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Leak23/3832230
Arkansas Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Jones1068125
Birmingham1135112
Howard82317
Florida Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Fason1862216
Caldwell161161
Wynn71707
Arkansas Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Harris6114026
Monk552116
Birmingham422024
Washington229022
Florida Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Baker689234
Small569019
Jackson457039
Caldwell453030
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERARKFLA
TD1:36CIATRICK FASON 1 YD RUN (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 73 yards.
07
SECOND QUARTERARKFLA
TD10:33ANDRE CALDWELL 61 YD RUN (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 80 yards.
014
TD6:02DE'ARRIUS HOWARD 1 YD RUN (CHRIS BALSEIRO KICK)
Drive info: 10 plays, 89 yards.
714
TD4:35DALLAS BAKER 34 YD PASS FROM CHRIS LEAK (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 4 plays, 80 yards.
721
TD3:07CIATRICK FASON 3 YD RUN (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 24 yards.
728
TD0:45JEMALLE CORNELIUS 48 YD PASS FROM CHRIS LEAK (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 67 yards.
735
THIRD QUARTERARKFLA
FG3:30MATT LEACH 37 YD FG
Drive info: 11 plays, 41 yards.
738
TD0:51DECORI BIRMINGHAM 12 YD RUN (CHRIS BALSEIRO KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 80 yards.
1438
FOURTH QUARTERARKFLA
TD11:16MATT JONES 25 YD RUN (DECORI BIRMINGHAM 2PT PASS FROM MATT JONES)
Drive info: 9 plays, 56 yards.
2238
TD6:47MARCUS MONK 7 YD PASS FROM MATT JONES (MARCUS MONK 2PT PASS FROM MATT JONES)
Drive info: 6 plays, 58 yards.
3038
TD1:46DALLAS BAKER 2 YD PASS FROM CHRIS LEAK (MATT LEACH KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 26 yards.
3045

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Chris Leak did just about everything for Florida on Saturday -- except preserve a victory.

Linebacker Channing Crowder did that.

Leak threw for a career-high 322 yards and three touchdowns, and the No. 16 Gators held off another late rally to beat Arkansas 45-30.

Florida extended its winning streak against the Razorbacks to five games -- every matchup since Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference in 1992.

Much like last season, the Razorbacks (3-2, 1-1 SEC) had a comeback fall short.

The Gators (3-1, 2-1) led 38-7 late in the third quarter before the Razorbacks scored 23 consecutive points. Quarterback Matt Jones, who leads the league in total offense, hurt the Gators running and passing. He scrambled effectively and picked apart Florida's secondary.

But he also threw three costly interceptions, including one that ended the rally.

Trailing 38-30 with less than five minutes to play, Jones threw behind Carlos Ousley. The receiver reached back with his left hand and tipped the ball into Crowder's arms. Crowder returned the interception to the Arkansas 26.

"It was time for somebody on the defense to step up and make a play," Crowder said. "Luckily, I was the guy. The ball pretty much fell in my hands."

Leak then found Dallas Baker in the end zone for a 2-yard score to put the game out of reach.

"We waited a little to late," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. "And you cannot do that against a good team."

Leak completed 23 of 38 passes and topped his career high of 286 yards set two weeks ago in a loss at Tennessee.

"Chris is a great player, and those guys rally around him," coach Ron Zook said. "He's going to continue to improve. Talk about a guy whose calm and cool. He don't ever change."

Baker caught six passes for 89 yards, fellow receiver Andre Caldwell had a 61-yard touchdown run on a reverse and the defense did just enough to slow down Jones -- who broke Clint Stoerner's school record for total yards.

Leak was even better.

He escaped sacks, was accurate throwing on the run and led the Gators to their most points in any quarter under Zook, in his third season. After a lackluster opening period, Florida scored four touchdowns in the second quarter -- finding the end zone on each possession.

Ciatrick Fason took a handoff running right and then gave the ball to Caldwell going the other way. Caldwell got a block from Leak, split two defenders and capped the long run with a dive across the goal line. It gave the Gators a 14-0 lead.

The Razorbacks answered with an 89-yard drive that ended with De'Arrius Howard's 1-yard touchdown run.

But then Leak took over. He went 3-for-3 for 78 yards on the ensuing drive and found Baker across the middle for a 34-yard touchdown that made it 21-7.

Lucas Jackson intercepted Jones' sideline pass on the next play. Leak misfired twice before finding Baker for a key first down. Fason scored two plays later to make it 28-7.

The Gators had scored 28 points on just 27 plays, but they weren't finished. Leak hooked up with Jemalle Cornelius on a perfectly executed post pattern for a 48-yard touchdown -- and a 28-point lead.

It was short-lived -- much like last season, when the Gators nearly blew a 26-point lead at Arkansas. They held on for a 33-28 victory when safety Tony Bua went for Leak's head on a sack attempt with a minute left. The 15-yard penalty wiped out an interception and let the Gators run out the clock.

They nearly did it again Saturday.

"We never feel like we're out of the game," Jones said.

Playing out of state for the first time this season, Jones led Arkansas on three straight scoring drives following Matt Leach's 37-yard field goal.

The Razorbacks had all the momentum and had silenced The Swamp -- until Crowder's interception.

"I never doubted our defense," Florida safety Cory Bailey said. "It always a little creepy when you see something like that happen, but we just needed someone to step up. Channing did that."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Saturday, October 2nd
Arkansas 30 Final
Florida 45
Arkansas State 21 Final
Mississippi 28
LSU 16 Final
Georgia 45
South Carolina 20 Final
Alabama 3
Ohio 28 Final
Kentucky 16
Mississippi State 13 Final
Vanderbilt 31
Auburn 34 Final
Tennessee 10