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MIAMI (AP) Tim Tebow took over for Florida and the top-ranked Gators grabbed a 14-7 lead over No. 2 Oklahoma after three quarters at the BCS national championship game Thursday night.

With two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and offenses that combined to average 99 points per game in the regular season, the Gators and Sooners were expected to trade scores most of the night at Dolphin Stadium.

But the defenses came up with most of the biggest plays in the first 30 minutes, and Tebow was the show in the third quarter.

On Florida's second drive of the second half, the 240-pound quarterback plowed into and over Oklahoma's 230-pound safety Nic Harris to finish off an 11-yard run. Tebow then ran toward his sideline, pumped his fists and waved to his teammates to get off the bench and make some noise.

Tebow rumbled for 15 more yards, then converted a third-and-10 with a 12-yard scramble to the Oklahoma 19.

A late option pitch from Tebow to Jeff Demps went for 11 yards and gave Florida a first-and-goal. Percy Harvin finished the drive, taking a direct snap and sweeping around the right end for a 2-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

Tebow had 75 yards rushing and 155 yards passing through three quarters.

Tebow and fellow Heisman winner Sam Bradford traded touchdown passes to start the second quarter, but those were the only points of the half.

Oklahoma picked off Tebow twice, as many times as he had been intercepted all season.

Florida used a sturdy goal-line stand and goal-line interception that pinballed off at least four players to hold the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history to its lowest-scoring first half of the season.

Florida took the lead when Tebow lobbed a pass to Louis Murphy inside the Oklahoma 5. With a defender trying to drag him down, Murphy stretched the ball across the goal line with a long arm for a 20-yard score 58 seconds into the quarter.

Oklahoma's fast-paced, no-huddle offense hit its stride on its third drive. Mixing runs and passes and moving at breakneck speed, the Sooners needed only six plays and 2:15 off the clock to cover 65 yards. Bradford flipped a 6-yard TD pass to Jermaine Gresham and the game was tied.

The much-maligned Sooners' defense, one of those Big 12 defenses that Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes called "a joke," came up with its second takeaway on the next possession.

Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy dropped into coverage and intercepted Tebow's short throw, setting up the Sooners at the Florida 26.

Then it was time for Florida's defense to respond.

Three rushes by Chris Brown moved Oklahoma to the 1, but he was stuffed on third-and-goal. Coach Bob Stoops wasted no time, waving at his team to go for it on fourth down.

Florida defensive lineman Torrey Davis bailed out Tebow, bursting through the line and cutting down Brown for a 2-yard loss.

The Gators' defense charged off the field as their offense charged back on. Stoops clapped his hands and nodded his head, trying to keep his team from getting down about the missed opportunity.

Florida running back Chris Rainey went out with a leg injury after being brought down from behind by Keenan Clayton with 3:25 left in the second quarter. Rainey's leg folded awkwardly under him.

Oklahoma was threatening again in the closing seconds, when Bradford tried to squeeze a pass between defenders to Manuel Johnson near the goal line. The ball was tipped around and Major Wright came up with it for Florida.

In the first quarter, Florida came up with a rare sack of Bradford, this season's Heisman winner, and Oklahoma's Harris picked off a pass thrown by Tebow, last season's Heisman winner.

Oklahoma won the toss, and took the ball, but for only the third time this season, the Sooners didn't score on their first drive.

They got to the Florida 38, but Brandon Hicks broke free up the middle on a blitz and sacked Bradford for a 13-yard loss. It was only the 12th sack allowed this season by Oklahoma, and it stalled the drive.

Any mystery surrounding the health of Harvin, who missed the SEC title game with a sprained ankle, was resolved on Florida's third play. Harvin caught a short pass going across the middle, beat everyone to the corner and sped up the sideline for 19 yards.

Harvin, who said he was about 90 percent healthy earlier in the week, also weaved through the Sooners for a 46-yard run in the second quarter.

The Sooners ended up punting on their second drive, too, leaving a team that scored an NCAA-record 702 points scoreless after the first quarter for the first time this season.