A look back at Meyer's biggest bowl wins

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Gainesville, Fla. » Around 4 p.m. on Jan. 1, it will come to an end. The meteoric coaching career of Florida coach Urban Meyer stops at least temporarily and perhaps permanently with the Outback Bowl.

The Gators coach finishes his 10-year coaching career searching for his seventh bowl win. Odds are in his favor with a 32-3 record in games in which he has longer than a week to prepare.

Barring a remarkable showing for the Gators (7-5), the matchup with Penn State (7-5) will likely only be memorable as Meyer's last game. In his short career as a head coach, Meyer, 46, has produced more noteworthy wins.

Here's a look at his biggest three, in no particular order:

2005 Fiesta Bowl

Meyer made the Utah Utes the original BCS busters in only his second season at the school. The unbeaten Utes were the first non-automatic qualifier to make it to a BCS game, and they easily handled Pittsburgh 35-7.

It was bittersweet for Utah, which finished 12-0 and sixth in the BCS standings, as Meyer accepted the Florida job before coaching in the bowl game.

"It was proof, I think, for us and for him, it validated everything we were doing," said Alex Smith, then the Utes' quarterback and now a San Francisco 49er. "His style of coaching, it worked. It was the truth. It validated all of that."

2007 BCS National Championship

In his second year at Florida, Meyer ended the 2006 season with the school's first national championship since 1996.

Picked to lose handily to unbeaten and top-ranked Ohio State, the Gators routed the Buckeyes 41-14 and allowed only 82 yards of total offense.

For Percy Harvin, a freshman on the team and now a receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, it came down to a speech Meyer gave to the team.

"Ohio State was undefeated, they had the Heisman Trophy," Harvin said in September. "The greatest thing he did that year was sit us down and let us know that we could play with any team in this country.

"It was unbelievable."

2010 Sugar Bowl

Perrhaps the Gators' 2008 national title was bigger, but this game arguably meant more. It came a week after Meyer abruptly resigned citing health concerns only to return 24 hours later.

After a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and Meyer's health scare earlier that month, a 51-24 win served as a reminder that Meyer remains one of the best coaches in college football.

"I love my players," Meyer said before the game. "I love Florida. And I want to win this game in the worst possible way. Not for myself, not for our staff, not for Steve [Addazio], not for whomever, but for our players."