GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Steve Spurrier propped himself against a drink crate in one of the north tunnels of the stadium that he so famously dubbed The Swamp more than two decades ago.He rubbed his chin anxiously and fidgeted with his hair. By nature, the Head Ball Coach is a world-class fidgeter, especially on a rainy day like this that wreaks havoc with his neatly combed hair.But this was no ordinary day. This was his day, the day he was officially welcomed back to Florida -- as Head Gator Ambassador -- and he and his family soaked in every bit of it, starting with a two-hour autograph session at the UF Bookstore to promote his new autobiography Head Ball Coach: My Life in Football and ending with one stroll after another down memory lane as Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium became Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.I think about my life path and how blessed Ive been, said Spurrier, gazing out onto the field and watching the final few minutes of the first half in the Gators plodding 24-7 victory over UMass. Its just amazing to be here and to have had all the great things that have happened to me. When Doug Dickey brought me back here to coach quarterbacks (in 1978), we got fired after one year. I was done. I didnt know where I was going or what I was going to do. At one point, my assistant coaching record was 10-24-1.But I guess all roads just sort of keep leading back to Florida.Yes they do, for Spurrier, anyway. And its clear that even though he was gone from his alma mater for the past 14 years during coaching stops with the NFLs Washington Redskins and back in college with South Carolina, his alma mater never really left him.It was hard seeing the greatest Gator of them all not be a Gator, said Danny Wuerffel, Floridas Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in 1996 and one of Spurriers favorite players ever.Even as a 71-year-old ambassador who walks with a familiar limp thanks to a surgically replaced knee, Spurrier still scurries at a pretty good pace. And it turns out that he still has a few moves, too.As part of the Steve Spurrier Field dedication before the game, he led the Gators traditional Mr. Two Bits cheer with a rousing performance and then a Usain Bolt pose to close the deal.Is that not just like him? Spurriers wife of 50 years, Jerri, said. Where did the (Bolt pose) come from? He didnt tell me he was going to do that.Spurrier, the unquestioned king of the one-liner, shot back: Thats because you would have told.To Jerri, Spurrier isnt Steve or the Head Ball Coach. Hes simply Orr, which happens to be his middle name. And she wasnt about to concede this little verbal joust to Orr, either, as they watched the Gators while surrounded by family members from high atop in their suite.Youre trying to tell me that I talk too much? Jerri quipped.Even Spurrier knows when its time to stop. And while he isnt the emotional type, he admits that he nearly lost it as he stood on the field just before the game when the Florida band started to play the alma mater Saturday.But I held it together, he said. I had too much talking to do.Theres also a different tone, a much more tender tone, anytime he mentions Jerri, whos been a part of his life since the Spurrier legend was born at Florida more than 50 years ago as a player. They met when they were students at Florida and have been inseparable ever since.Nothing would have happened in my coaching or playing career without Jerri, Spurrier said.All day long, his former players flocked around him. They all have their favorite Spurrier stories, and most of those stories only get better with him.Wuerffel can still hear Spurrier telling him in that familiar twang after Wuerffel would throw an interception early in his career, Thats all right, Danny. Its not your fault. Its my fault for putting you in the game.Spurriers 1996 national championship team was honored on the field at halftime. James Bates was a linebacker on that team and has remained close to Spurrier, so Bates had a feeling the Head Ball Coach would spice it up some with his Mr. Two Bits performance. Bates and Wuerffel had talked, and Spurrier asked Wuerffel if he improvised any during Wuerffels guest appearance as Mr. Two Bits.I figured wed see a little freelancing, said Bates, who does a spot-on Spurrier impersonation. Im just glad hes back. This is where he belongs.One of the neatest things about Spurrier is that he treats and talks to people like hes known them his whole life.Whats going on, my man, he tells the guy running the elevator in the press box and gives him a fist bump.The Head Ball Coach isnt particularly big on shaking hands. Too many germs out there, so hes been more of a fist bump guy now going all the way back to his days as the Gators head coach.He spots somebody with a vintage Spurrier visor and asks, What year is that? Is that 1993?And his memory, expressly his ability to recall the most obscure details from years ago, is uncanny.One of the most priceless conversations of the night occurred with his longtime football operations director, Jamie Speronis, whos still in that same role at South Carolina and drove to Gainesville with his wife, Kristy, to be a part of Saturdays festivities. Speronis was wearing the same white coaching shirt he wore in 1996 for the Sugar Bowl national championship win over Florida State.See it still fits, said Spurrier, who remains in great shape and works out religiously.But as the two longtime pals sat in that north end zone tunnel and began reliving all of their memories at The Swamp together, Spurrier started counting up how many games hed actually won and lost there. The truth is that he knows the exact number as well as he knows his wedding date.Yep, only lost two games as a player, five as head coach, Spurrier said.And if you throw in a freshman game against Georgia in 1962 and a flag football game (yes, a flag football game) against the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity on campus a few years after Spurrier had been out of school, he won 83 games. Remarkably, he can still remember the score and details from that flag football game.Some fraternity boys wanted to play a bunch of us former players, so we cut off half the field here at The Swamp and played them, said Spurrier, talking as if he were recalling an SEC championship game. We beat them 20-19, helluva game.So if you count that one and the freshman game, I was 83-7 here.Some of the best interaction with Spurrier came with the fans, who crammed into the UF Bookstore to buy his book and then wait in line to get an autographed copy. Buddy Martin, who co-authored the book with Spurrier, was there helping to direct traffic and said hed never seen Spurrier, admittedly not a huge autograph guy, so giddy to sign for so many people.They all had a different story to tell the Head Ball Coach when they got up to the table, many of them defining time with their first memory of Spurrier and the Gators. They recounted memorable Florida wins with him, several reminding him that he never lost to Peyton Manning, and one man told him he thought Spurriers most impressive accomplishment was standing up for the 1990 team, which had the best SEC record that year, but was ineligible to win the SEC championship because of NCAA issues.They won the SEC. They didnt get credit for it, but they did from me, Spurrier said of his first Florida team. Theyre the ones who started it all.One girl told Spurrier her first memory as a 3-year-old child was him holding up the 1996 national championship trophy.How old are you? he asked.When she told him she was 23, he said, Ive got a grandson whos 23.Another guy told Spurrier that he met him at the 1997 Citrus Bowl, and Spurrier immediately turned around to Martin and others and winced.After all the grief I gave Tennessee about going to the Citrus Bowl all those years, and we went that year, Spurrier said with a sheepish smile. I remember standing on the field before the game and Tennessee had a plane fly overhead with a banner that read: Tennessee wants to welcome Florida to the Citrus Bowl.Somebody standing beside me said, Thats not very funny, and I looked at him and said, Yeah it is. Alex Santos and his daughter, Gretta, came from Orlando to see Spurrier.I was in school here in the 1990s when he transformed the SEC, Santos said. We won championships and had fun doing it.Matt Torrey came from Chatham, New York and would have stood in line for two more hours just to spend a few seconds with Spurrier.I was a Syracuse fan and a little bit Notre Dame living up there, but still remember him kicking that field goal to beat Auburn, Torrey said. You just dont do stuff like that ... a quarterback? But he did, and Ive been a fan ever since.Spurrier even signed books for future Gators whove yet to be born. Cody and Chelsea Fowler came from Mobile, Alabama. Chelsea is 19 weeks pregnant, and the couple stood in line for Spurrier to sign a book to Caden, the name of their unborn baby boy.After two hours of signing books, it was difficult to tell whether the fans were happier to have Spurrier back or if he was happier to be back. He joked that he would stay busy ambassadoring.Sure enough, one fan asked if Spurrier could help him with his game-day parking, and Spurrier cocked his head and said, Well, thats not in my duties as ambassador, but Ill see what I can do.Florida has been searching for an athletic director to replace Jeremy Foley, whos scheduled to step down in October. One man asked Spurrier if he would be willing to take the job.No way, too much work, Spurrier chortled.Even though it was a long day, it was a day Spurrier and his entire family will cherish. Hes big on winning, big on having fun and big on family. Except for Steve Spurrier Jr., whos a member of Oklahomas staff and couldnt be there, everybody else was there to share in the celebration, including daughters Amy Moody and Lisa King and youngest son Scotty Spurrier.Im not sure he really believed that hes been missed by the Florida people as much as he has, Moody said. After today, I think he believes it now.Spurrier spent the remainder of the night with his family in the suite, as they watched the Gators pull away in the second half to win. Hes still rocking the old flip phone and was continually checking messages and also checking on other scores from around the SEC.Why can LSU not get it right on offense? Every year, they have as much talent as anybody in the SEC, and thats including Alabama, Spurrier said.And speaking of Alabama, Spurrier joked that he told Nick Saban recently that he better not coach too much longer because hes bound to have a three-loss season at some point.It happens to everybody, especially in this league, Spurrier said. He told me he didnt know what they would do to him around there if he ever lost three games. I can already hear it, people saying that hes lost it, but he sure does have that thing rolling.As the Florida game wound down to its final minutes, Spurriers fidgetiness kicked back in. It was time to go. And if you really know Spurrier when its time to go, its time to go.Come on, Jerri, lets go, he bellowed as he stood up and stretched.But not before Spurrier got one last hug from his 11-year-old granddaughter, Lauren. He might be the Head Ball Coach to the football world, but to Lauren, hes just granddaddy.I love you, he told her as he squeezed her tight.Truth is there was a lot of love to go around Saturday at the Swamp. The Head Ball Coach is back home. Dan Hampton Bears Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. David Montgomery Bears Jersey . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Tom-Waddle-Jersey/ . 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I cant believe it.Marcus McMaryion threw for 101 yards and another score as the Beavers finished their second season under coach Gary Andersen at 4-8 overall and 3-6 in the Pac-12.Afterward, fans stormed the field at Reser Stadium and someone hoisted up Nall in victory.All of the sudden Im in the air, he said. I was just taking in that moment. It was amazing.Oregon (4-8, 2-7) will end its disappointing season in the basement of the Pac-12 North, a dramatic fall for a team that just two seasons ago played in the first College Football Playoff championship game.True freshman Justin Herbert, starting in his seventh game after taking over for graduate transfer Dakota Prukop, threw for 180 yards and a touchdown for the Ducks, who wont play in the postseason for the first time since 2004. Royce Freeman, who had seen mention as a preseason Heisman candidate, ran for 106 yards.Afterward, Ducks coach Mark Helfrich was asked about his job security.Nobodys job is safe in college football, he said. Thats just the nature of the beast.Oregon was boosted going into the Civil War by a 30-28 upset of then-No. 11 Utah last weekend, a win that momentarily silenced talk about Helfrichs future. The victory was sealed by Justin Herberts touchdown pass to Darren Carrington with two seconds left.The Beavers had momentum, too, coming off a 42-17 victory over Arizona at Reser Stadium last Saturday night.Oregon State opened the scoring on Nalls 12-yard touchdown run. The Ducks answered on the next series with Tony Brooks-James 3-yard TD run, then pulled ahead on receiver Jalen Browns reverse pass to Carrington for a 33-yard touchdown.The Beavers pulled even at 14 on McMaryions 6-yard pass to Ricky Ortiz. McMaryion was pressed into duty as a starter for the Beavers earlier this season after both Darell Garretson and backup Conor Blount were injured.The Ducks were efficient to start the second half, takinng the lead on Herberts 23-yard touchdown pass to Charles Nelson.dddddddddddd. Aidan Schneiders 46-yard field goal extended the lead for the Ducks.But then the rain started coming down hard and the Beavers turned almost exclusively to running the ball, at one point running on 21 straight plays.Nall scored on a 14-yard run to narrow it for the Beavers, then added a 6-yard touchdown with 9:40 left in the game. His fourth, a 2-yard dash, came with just under two minutes to go. Nall finished the season with 14 touchdowns despite being hampered by a foot injury.It was his fourth game this season with 100 or more yards.Ryan is a workhorse, Andersen said. You keep pounding the ball, good things are going to happen.Herbert appeared to connect with Johnny Mundt in the end zone with 41 seconds to go, but Mundt dropped the ball, ending the Ducks last chance.We knew we were going to win, Beavers safety Devin Chappell said.Definitely, added cornerback Treston Decoud.It was the first sellout at Reser Stadium since the 2014 Civil War.THE TAKEAWAYOregon: Freeman surpassed Napoleon Kaufman of Washington for ninth on the Pac-12 all-time rushing list, finishing his junior year with 4,146 yards. Freeman said after the game he had not decided whether he would leave Oregon for the NFL draft. It was Freemans 22nd 100-yard rushing game.Oregon State: With wins over Arizona and Oregon to close out the season, the Ducks won back-to-back Pac-12 games for the first time since 2013. ... It was Nalls first four-touchdown game. The last Oregon State player to score four touchdowns was Jacquizz Rodgers against Washington in 2010.PLAYING FOR SETH: Receiver Seth Collins, who spent nearly two weeks in the hospital with an undisclosed illness before his release on Thanksgiving, was at the game. Collins fell ill on Nov. 13 following the Beavers loss at UCLA. Some of his teammates started a Twitter hashtag, (hash)playfor22, in advance of the game.PLAYERS WEIGH IN: Freeman said the Ducks player want to see Helfrich return, and they believe he can return the team to national prominence.Hes done a lot of great things here, Freeman said. A lot of positivity coming from him, and the players feed off that.UP NEXTBoth teams are finished for the season. ' ' '