Florida Earns Sugar Bowl Berth With Sweet Win Over Alabama : College football: Dean’s performance sets up a probable showdown against No. 3 West Virginia.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Savoring his second Southeastern Conference championship in three years, Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said this one was sweeter than the first.

Terry Dean threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as the ninth-ranked Gators rolled to a 28-13 victory Saturday over No. 16 Alabama in the SEC title game, locking up a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

“Beating Alabama at their home ballpark is a little more special than beating Kentucky at home to win it,” said Spurrier, referring to the game being played at Legion Field, where Alabama plays three home games a year and had a majority of the fans for the championship game. “We were up against more here.”

Florida has lost only one home game in Spurrier’s four seasons--last weekend against No. 1 Florida State--but the Gators had never beaten a ranked team outside the state of Florida. Until Saturday.

“People have sort of been down on us this year,” cornerback Larry Kennedy said, “but you can’t worry about what people say. You just have to go out and play your game. I’m excited about going to the Sugar Bowl.”

Florida (10-2) is expected to meet No. 3 West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl.

The loss capped a disappointing season for Alabama (8-3-1), which will settle for a Gator Bowl match against North Carolina on Dec. 31. Alabama, with three losses in its last four games, has yet to beat a team with a winning record.

Last year, Alabama and Florida met in the inaugural championship game, the only one of its kind in Division I-A football. In that game, Antonio Langham returned an interception for the winning touchdown with less than four minutes left in Alabama’s 28-21 victory.

The Crimson Tide went on to beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship.

But this Alabama was a different team. For one thing, Langham had been declared ineligible for signing with an agent, forcing the Crimson Tide to go with Tommy Johnson and Willie Gaston at cornerback against pass-oriented Florida.

Johnson had two interceptions but was burned for a 43-yard touchdown pass to Jack Jackson that broke open a tight game late in the third quarter. Gaston also gave up a touchdown pass, getting sucked in by Dean’s pump fake while Harrison Houston broke open for a 13-yard score.

Dean, who began the season as Florida’s starting quarterback but was forced to share duties with Danny Wuerffel, felt redeemed. With Wuerffel sidelined because of a knee injury, Dean completed 20 of 37 passes for 256 yards and also ran for a two-yard touchdown late in the first half, putting the Gators ahead to stay, 14-10.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Dean said. “I can’t put words to it.”