Comfort Zone Is Found by Wuerffel

There’s nothing like a challenge to get Danny Wuerffel’s blood pumping.

Wuerffel and top-ranked Florida led Arkansas only 14-7 at the half Saturday and, for a moment in the third quarter, the Razorbacks were on the verge of tying the Southeastern Conference game.

The defense held, then Wuerffel took over the game. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter to allow Florida to pull away for a 42-7 victory.

Wuerffel finished 23 of 39 for a school-record 462 yards and threw four touchdown passes, three to Reidel Anthony.

Wuerffel’s scoring passes gave him a career total of 89, putting him third on the NCAA Division I-A career list. He broke the school passing yardage record of 458 set last season by Eric Kresser, who started one game as Wuerffel’s backup.

Florida (5-0, 3-0 in the SEC) scored on two of its first three possessions, but had to settle for a seven-point lead at the half. The Gators had outscored their first four opponents, 146-13, in the first half.

“Wuerffel said that this was fun at the start of the third quarter,” Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said. “This is the first time in a while it has been this close at halftime.”

Arkansas (1-3, 0-2) had a chance to tie early in third quarter after a pass from Wuerffel bounced off Anthony’s shoulder pads and hung in the air long enough for Chris Akins to intercept.

Arkansas advanced to the Florida 12 but its next three plays netted minus-two yards and Todd Latourette missed a 30-yard field goal.

Florida then covered 80 yards in 66 seconds. Wuerffel completed passes of 18, 22 and 18 yards before Anthony caught a perfect throw for a 23-yard scoring play that gave the Gators a 21-7 lead.

Wuerffel’s next touchdown pass, a six-yard play to Anthony, allowed him to move past Pacific’s Troy Kopp on the Division I-A career list.