Dooley: Getting down and dirty makes Tebow happy

TALLAHASSEE — It has become his tradition, the victory lap with high fives to the Gator fans. Tim Tebow wore more than a smile as he completed this one.

Mud, garnet paint from the FSU end zone, blood, more mud.

"I've always loved playing in the rain ever since I was a kid," Tebow said. "There's more of a toughness factor."

And who would you want playing quarterback for your team in a downpour? The toughest guy on the field.

That toughness was on display on a wet Saturday night. While Urban Meyer was worried about the soggy field and intermittent downpours, Tebow relished it. This was his kind of game.

Meyer said he wanted to have the single-wing package ready because he was so concerned about turnovers. Tebow left, Harvin right. Forget the option reads. The wet ball could be slippery.

Instead, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen told him, "Let's just run our offense."

That's the confidence Mullen has in his quarterback to handle adverse conditions.

"I was just staring at the field in pregame when there was two or three inches deep water," Meyer said. "I didn't want to throw it."

But the Gators did. Tebow guided the Gators to touchdowns on two of their first three possessions. Then, FSU's fans made a huge mistake.

They ticked off Tebow.

When Percy Harvin suffered an ankle injury midway through the second quarter, the partisan crowd cheered. As Harvin was led off the field, Tebow was waving his arms in the air towards the water-logged Gator fans.

"What their fans did when Percy got hurt is one of the first times I've ever seen almost a whole stadium cheer," Tebow said.

"I think that shows not very good sportsmanship. That kind of irritated me. I told the coaches just to get me the ball because I want to hit someone extremely hard the next play. I was a little shocked. It's a rivalry, but we're still playing a game."

On the second play after Harvin's injury, Tebow barreled into the end zone from four yards out carrying FSU's biggest defenders with him, moving the pile with great determination.

Memo to opposing teams: Never make Tebow angry.

This was a total team win over FSU, but it was Tebow's game. He managed it beautifully, ran hard and threw well and executed a perfect late pitch to Jeff Demps on the final touchdown of the game.

The numbers — four touchdowns, 80 rushing yards, 185 passing yards — don't tell the whole story. His uniform did.

"He would rate up there with (former UF quarterback Danny) Wuerffel as a leader," said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "But he brings a Bronko Nagurski quality to the quarterback position."

This was not a night for finesse. This was old-fashioned, physical football. Meyer wondered earlier this week how his team would react to adversity and there it was falling from the sky.

"I was very concerned because a big part of our game is speed," Meyer said.

Speed showed up even in cleats weighed down by the rain. But so did toughness.

"It was dirty, it was nasty," linebacker Brandon Spikes said. "But I had no doubt (Tebow) would show up ready for this game."

He was ready. The dirtier it got, the harder he ran. The nastier it got, the better he played.

This was not a night about Tim Tebow getting back into the Heisman race. I'm sure he did, but that's not what this was about.

It was about beating FSU.

It wasn't about keeping your dreams for a national championship alive.

It was about beating FSU.

And Florida had the ultimate mudder at quarterback.

"He's kind of an old throwback guy," Meyer said.

On grass, on mud. We'll see about artificial turf next week.

But I know this — I don't think I've ever seen Tebow any happier than he was on Saturday night.

The messiest guy on the field.

Rain can be a great equalizer. But not when there is no equal to the Florida quarterback.