Tag: florida gators

Nov 30, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (14) fumbles as Florida Gators edge Jack Pyburn (44) strips the ball during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida runs wild in lopsided win over rival Florida State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Montrell Johnson Jr. ran for 99 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to help the Florida Gators secure a 31-11 victory over the host Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Gators (7-5) ran for 235 yards overall and won their third game in a row. Florida also beat the Seminoles (2-10) for the first time since 2021 as Florida State finished with its worst record since finishing 1-10 in 1974.

The Gators now wait to see where they will play their bowl game.

The Seminoles’ defense kept the score close for most of the first half and did a solid job on Gators starting quarterback DJ Lagway, who has been an integral part of Florida’s resurgence in recent weeks.

Florida State sacked Lagway three times and held him to 133 yards passing on 14-of-22 attempts. But Lagway finished with two touchdowns and one interception.

Lagway helped the Gators begin to separate just before halftime when he found Marcus Burke in the corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

Leading 17-3, the Gators sealed the win with 12:38 left in the fourth quarter when Johnson broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run.

Florida’s defense consistently put pressure on Florida State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, sacking him eight times. Cam Jackson and Jaden Robinson each had two sacks to lead the effort.

Florida’s Jack Pyburn had a key strip sack, which led to D’Antre Robinson’s fumble recovery with 2:54 left in the first quarter. The turnover led to Florida’s first score — Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Jackson totaled 51 yards on 10 carries while Jadan Baugh had 81 yards on 11 carries.
Florida’s defense finished with 14 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Florida State scored its lone touchdown with 3:18 left in the game on a 2-yard run by Lawrance Toafili.

The teams got into a scuffle at midfield after the game’s final play and coaches and officials separated the players after a couple of minutes.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) makes a catch for a touchdown over Florida Gators defensive back Bryce Thornton (18) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida owns second half to upend No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for the tiebreaking touchdown and Bryce Thornton made two huge interceptions in the final 1:32 to help Florida post a 24-17 victory over No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Gainesville, Fla.

Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries as the Gators (6-5, 4-4 SEC) defeated a ranked team for the second straight week. Florida beat then-No. 21 LSU last week.

The setback was painful for Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) as the third loss figures to stomp out their College Football Playoff aspirations.

Jaxson Dart completed 24 of 42 passes for 323 yards, two touchdowns and the two costly interceptions for the Rebels. Caden Lee and Tre Harris caught scoring passes for Ole Miss.

DJ Lagway was 10-of-17 passing for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Florida. Elijhah Badger and Jadan Baugh had scoring receptions, Thornton racked up 14 tackles and Caleb Banks had 2.5 sacks for the Gators.

The Gators moved 67 yards on four plays for the go-ahead score with Johnson capping the drive with a 9-yard scamper with 7:40 left in the contest.

One Rebels chance to tie blew up when Dart threw deep into triple coverage on first-and-10 from the Florida 39-yard line. Thornton easily made the pick in the end zone with 1:32 left.

Ole Miss forced a three-and-out and got another chance. Dart appeared to be picked off by Dijon Johnson with 24 seconds left but a video review showed the ball hit the ground.

Two plays later, Dart made another ill-advised throw and Thornton intercepted it at the Florida 22 with 17 seconds remaining to finish off the upset.

The Gators scored on the first play of the second quarter when Lagway tossed an 8-yard scoring to Badger. Ole Miss tied it when Harris beat double coverage to haul in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Dart with 12:01 left in the half.

The Rebels took the lead less than three minutes later when Dart connected on a 22-yard scoring pass to Lee. Florida tied the score at 14 when Baugh caught a screen pass from Lagway and navigated 25 yards down the right sideline with 6:52 remaining.

Harris went over 1,000 yards with his TD catch but was injured with just over five minutes in the half when he fell to the ground grabbing his hip and groin areas. He didn’t return.

The Gators’ Trey Smack kicked a 53-yard field goal with 10:57 left in the third period. Ole Miss tied the score at 17-all on Caden Davis’ 42-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 9 Ole Miss floats into The Swamp with playoffs mindset

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Four two-loss Southeastern Conference teams are packed into a five-team logjam in the latest College Football Playoff projections released Tuesday.

No. 9 Ole Miss is one of those teams and Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is among the coaches that have figured this part out: It’s better to not be part of the SEC title game than lose in it and miss the 12-team playoff field.

But first, Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) attempts to bolster its positioning when it visits Florida (5-5, 3-4) on Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.

A Rebels’ victory keeps the team in the SEC championship game mix. Also entering the weekend with two losses are SEC foes No. 7 Alabama, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee. No. 3 Texas has lost just once.

The winner of the SEC title game gets a first-round bye. But that’s not the part that concerns Kiffin.

“You know, the reward to get a bye versus the risk to get knocked out completely, I mean, that’s a really big risk just to get a bye,” Kiffin said. “So I think it’s ended up being a very unique situation of all postseason sports. The way that system is set up there and how you could go to (the SEC championship game) and get knocked out (of the CFP race). If you don’t go, you’re in.”

Ole Miss has won three straight games, including a solid 28-10 home victory over Georgia on Nov. 9. The Rebels had a bye last weekend.

Rebels star quarterback Jaxson Dart has thrown for 3,409 yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season. He’s also expected to have top target Tre Harris back in the fold.

Harris missed the past three games due to a back injury. He has accumulated 59 receptions for 987 yards and six scores.

“Really excited to get the best receiver in the country back,” Kiffin said of Harris.

Jordan Watkins, who has caught a team-best seven touchdown passes, says every contest is in a playoff game for the Rebels.

“If we lose, we’re not in playoff contention, so knowing that, we have to win in every game from here on out,” Watkins said. “You can see that as far as how well we’re playing.”

The Rebels close the regular season at home against Mississippi State on Nov. 29.

Florida is coming off a 27-16 home upset of then-No. 21 LSU.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway returned from a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury and passed for 226 yards and one touchdown. He then proclaimed the Gators are about to return to their former championship-level past under coaches such as Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.

“Just having the guys rally behind that and truly like we’re going to change this,” Lagway said. “And that’s the whole vibe in the locker room, that we’re going to change this place and we’re going to make it what it used to be.”

Grand ambitions or not, Florida faces a stern test with the Rebels.

“Ole Miss has got playmakers on offense, obviously a veteran quarterback, and then defensively, they’ve got some disruptive players up front,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “… They’re in position to (make the playoffs). They’ve had a good year. So I think this is a good football team, a ranked opponent, and we’re excited about the challenge.”

Florida will look to pressure Dart and it feels better about the prospects after recording seven sacks against LSU. Linebacker Shemar James had two.

Then-No. 3 Ole Miss didn’t fare well in its last visit to Gainesville, getting routed 38-10 in 2015.

The last overall meeting was in 2020 when Florida prevailed 51-35 at Oxford, Miss.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Derek Wingo (15) looks to tackle LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor (86) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

DJ Lagway helps Florida topple No. 22 LSU

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DJ Lagway passed for 226 yards and a touchdown and Florida handed No. 22 LSU its third consecutive loss, 27-16 Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.

Lagway returned from a one-game absence due to a strained hamstring to complete 13 of 26 passes and the Gators (5-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) moved within one victory of bowl eligibility with two games to play. Elijhah Badger caught six of Lagway’s passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Garrett Nussmeier completed 27 of 47 passes for 260 yards and touchdown for the Tigers (6-4, 3-3), but he was sacked seven times.

On its first possession of the third quarter, LSU drove to Damian Ramos’ 45-yard field goal to take its only lead of the game at 13-10. On the ensuing possession, Florida dove to Trey Smack’s 55-yard field goal to tie the score.

Lagway’s 36-yard completion to Badger set up Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Gators a 20-13 lead with 13:58 remaining.

The Tigers converted a third-and-11, a fourth-and-three and a fourth-and-four to reach the Florida 21-yard line before stalling and Ramos kicked a 38-yard field goal to trim the lead to 20-16 with 5:18 left.

On the third play after the ensuing kickoff, Jadan Baugh ran 55 yards for a touchdown and a 27-16 lead.

LSU reached the Gators’ 31 on the ensuing possession, but turned the ball over on downs.

Lagway threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Badger to give the Gators a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The score stayed that way through the end of the period after Ramos was short on a 52-yard field-goal attempt.

The Tigers tied the score midway through the second quarter when Nussmeier threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Anderson on third-and-nine.

Smack kicked a 49-yard field goal to give Florida a 10-7 lead. LSU drove to the Gators’ 25 before Nussmeier was sacked and Ramos kicked a 50-yard field goal that tied the score at halftime.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond (7) puts out an arm to stop a tackle from Florida Gators defensive back Trikweze Bridges (7) during the first quarter of the Longhorns' game against the Florida Gators, Nov. 9, 2024 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.

No. 5 Texas dominates first half, rolls past Florida 49-17

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Quinn Ewers passed for 333 yards and career-high five touchdowns over the game’s first 33 minutes as No. 5 Texas romped past visiting Florida 49-17 on Saturday afternoon at Austin, Texas.

The Longhorns (8-1, 4-1 SEC) flexed their talent and speed throughout the win as the teams played as SEC opponents for the first time. Ewers finished 19 of 27 without an interception, and Jerrick Gibson rushed for 100 yards and a TD for Texas.

Aidan Warner, the Gators’ walk-on, third string quarterback, passed for 132 yards and was intercepted twice. Ja’Kobi Jackson rushed for 116 yards and a score while Jaden Baugh added 88 yards rushing and a TD for Florida (4-5, 2-4).

Texas struck on its second possession, jumping to a 7-0 lead with a 29-yard TD pass from Ewers to Matthew Golden with 3:43 to play in the first quarter. The score came two snaps after a nifty 44-yard wide receiver reverse from Isaiah Bond put the Longhorns deep into Florida territory.

The Longhorns added to their lead just 32 seconds later on a 22-yard Ewers-to Gunnar Helm touchdown pass after a Florida fumble. Ewers struck again when Quintrevion Wisner turned a screen pass into a 50-yard TD catch and run for a 21-0 lead 5:54 to play before halftime.

Texas expanded its advantage with a 32-yard scoring pass from Ewers to Golden with 1:19 to play in the half. That was more than enough time for the Longhorns to score again as they took advantage of an interception of Warner and marched 45 yards in four plays to a 5-yard TD run by Jaydon Blue that made it 35-0 at the break.

The Longhorns outgained Florida 353-138 in the half while racking up eight plays of 20 yards or more over a dominating first two quarters.

Texas continued its momentum into the third quarter, forcing a second interception of Warner and turning the miscue into a 34-yard Ewers-to-Bond touchdown pass just 2:08 after the break.

The Gators finally scored on a 23-yard field goal from Trey Smack with 7:04 to play in the third quarter at the end of a 15-play, 70-yard drive. Jaden Baugh added a 2-yard TD run with 1:30 left in the third and Jackson added a 7-yard TD run for the Gators with 8:27 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Jaydon Blue (23) runs the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

No. 5 Texas will focus on Florida’s ‘scheme’ in first meeting since 1940

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No. 5 Texas looks to stay in the hunt for a spot in the league championship game and beyond when it returns from an open week to host short-handed Florida on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas, in a Southeastern Conference clash.

It’s the first time the programs have met on the gridiron since 1940. Texas has never lost to the Gators, forging a 2-0-1 record in three all-time meetings.

Texas was ranked fifth in the initial College Football Playoff ranking that was revealed Tuesday night. It’s Texas’ highest-ever spot in the initial CFP rankings.

Texas’ best ranking in the College Football Playoff was when it was No. 3 last season heading into the CFP semifinal against Washington. The Longhorns had been selected at No. 7 in the first five CFP rankings prior to climbing to third.

The Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 SEC) head back to the fight after a 27-24 win at then-No. 25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Quinn Ewers passed for 288 yards and three scores in the win and the Texas defense held Vanderbilt to 269 total yards and forced three turnovers. Despite those efforts, Texas had to recover an onside kick late in the game to secure the victory.

Ewers leads the Longhorns in passing, amassing 1,389 yards and 14 TDs through the air despite missing almost three games with an abdominal strain. His six interceptions and occasional indecisiveness in the pocket have been problematic but Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he liked his signal-caller’s work over the past two weeks.

“Quinn had a good week,” Sarkisian said. “He looks fresh, he looks healthy. He’s really delivering the ball well. I like his base that he’s operating with. I thought he was really intentional with his feet with his base against Vanderbilt.”

The Gators (4-4, 2-3) travel to Austin after a 34-20 loss to No. 3 Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 2 in what might have been Florida’s best defensive game of the year. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway left the game in the second quarter with a pulled hamstring; his replacement, Aidan Warner, completed just 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards and an interception.

Ja’Kobi Jackson led the Gators with 12 carries for 74 yards and a score. The offense struggled after Lagway went out and finished with just 228 total yards.

Florida, which has dropped two of its past three games, played against Georgia without its best players at four positions — quarterback Graham Mertz (torn ACL), cornerback Jason Marshall (shoulder), wideout Eugene Wilson III (knee) and running back Montrell Johnson (knee). The Gators lost cornerback Devin Moore, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter, to a knee injury.

“It’s next man up,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “I mean we proved that Saturday (against Georgia), and I think this presents an opportunity for some of these guys that haven’t maybe got to play as much as they would like. Ultimately, you’ve got to view it that way.”

Napier has not ruled out Lagway for the Texas game, but Warner — a transfer from Yale — is expected to start behind center. Texas is not sure who will be at quarterback for the Gators, prompting Sarkisian to say his team will prepare for Florida’s scheme rather than individual players.

“They’ve got a very intricate scheme, a lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of formation adjustments that they tax you with,” Sarkisian explained.

–Field Level Media

Florida Gators wide receiver Elijhah Badger (6) hauls in a pass for a huge gain while being pursued by Kentucky Wildcats defensive back JQ Hardaway (6) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 19, 2024 against the Kentucky Wildcats. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

Jadan Baugh’s five TD runs carry Florida past Kentucky

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jadan Baugh produced three of his five touchdown runs in the second quarter and Florida went on to defeat Kentucky 48-20 on Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla.

Florida’s DJ Lagway threw for 259 yards on 7-for-14 passing. He was intercepted once. Elijhah Badger caught three passes for 148 yards to help the Gator (4-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) win for the third time in four games.

Baugh finished with 106 yards on 22 carries. Florida’s Cormani McClain returned a fourth-quarter interception 29 yards for a touchdown.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff was 12-for-26 for 165 yards with a touchdown. He threw two of the team’s three interceptions as the Wildcats fell to 3-4, 1-4.

Florida scored on 98- and 1-yard possessions within a 26-second span as part of its 24-point second quarter. There was a dizzying stretch of scoring that involved both teams before the Gators held a 27-13 halftime advantage, aided by a 313-157 gap in total yardage.

Kentucky’s Barion Brown had two long touchdown plays, including a 99-yard kickoff return, in the first half.

The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs in Florida territory on the three possessions in the fourth quarter.

Lagway moved into the first-string QB role for the Gators after Graham Mertz sustained a season-ending knee injury a week earlier at Tennessee.

Trey Smack made field goals from 29 and 33 yards for the Gators before Kentucky pulled even when Vandagriff connected with Brown on a 45-yard pass play in the second quarter. The extra-point attempt failed.

The Gators were back in front less than four minutes later on Baugh’s 7-yard run. He tacked on a 10-yard run with 2:10 left in the half when the Gators needed only four plays to cover 98 yards.

That came after Kristian Story’s interception and 63-yard return gave the Wildcats the ball at the Florida 11, only to have the Gators stop Demie Sumo-Karngbaye’s fourth-and-1 run short at the 2-yard line.

Kentucky’s next possession ended when Vandagriff was picked off by Devin Moore, who made a 52-yard return to the Wildcats 1. Brown scored on the next snap.

Kentucky was back on the board on Brown’s kickoff return, meaning the teams combined to score 21 points in 40 seconds.

–Field Level Media

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (15) during a game between Florida and Tennessee in Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.

Report: Gators QB Graham Mertz (knee) done for season

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Florida starting quarterback Graham Mertz’s season is over after sustaining a knee injury in Saturday’s loss to No. 11 Tennessee, CBS Sports reported Monday.

Mertz went down with a non-contact injury in the third quarter after throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham. The redshirt senior landed awkwardly after the throw and reached for his leg before limping to the sideline.

He did not return to the game and was seen on crutches. True freshman DJ Lagway replaced Mertz.

Gators coach Billy Napier said after the game that Mertz sustained a lower-body injury and would undergo testing.

Mertz completed 11 of 15 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown for Florida before the injury. Lagway was 9-of-17 passing for 98 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Gators’ 23-17 overtime loss to the Volunteers.

For the season, his second with Florida, Mertz completed 76.6 percent of his passes for 791 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s thrown for 9,099 yards with Wisconsin (2019-22) and the Gators and has no eligibility remaining.

The Gators (3-3, 1-2 SEC) host Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) on Saturday night in Gainesville.

–Field Level Media