Tag: Florida football

Florida turning a 4th-and-1 fumble into an untouched TD run is peak bowl season

Just like Billy Napier drew it up.

Florida rolled to a 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday afternoon, finishing 8-5 while holding a struggling Green Wave offense — missing quarterback Darian Mensah — to 194 yards.

Despite the defensive dominance, the Gators struggled to find the end zone for most of the game and led just 6-0 at the half. But in the fourth quarter, coach Billy Napier’s team scored a touchdown in unlikely fashion after a fourth-and-one fumble turned into six points.

Napier called a quarterback sneak with big true freshman DJ Lagway, but Lagway fumbled the snap, seemingly dooming the team to a turnover on downs.

However, a heads-up play from running back KD Daniels saved the drive as Daniels quickly recovered the fumble and, in the confusion, ran past the entire Tulane defense for a 27-yard touchdown.

While there is some merit to the criticism that bowl season has become largely meaningless between opt-outs and the expanded College Football Playoff, there is one thing these de facto exhibition games are still good for: complete, off-the-wall chaos.

Thank you for coming through for us, Florida.

What’s at stake in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl between Florida and Tulane?

The 2024 Gasparilla Bowl will pit Florida against Tulane.

The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl will kick off on Friday in Tampa, pitting Florida and Tulane against each other for a trophy treasure trove of pirate booty.

The 7-5 Gators will try to close the season, a highly uneven one for coach Billy Napier, on a high note.

Napier did enough to stick around in Gainesville for another year, but a bowl game win against Tulane would give his athletic department just a bit more confidence that he’s the guy to return Florida to national prominence.

While all teams are playing for pride in these bowl games, at least Florida has the chance to do so in front of a friendly Tampa crowd.

As for 9-4 Tulane, coach Jon Sumrall recently earned a major contract extension with the Green Wave after a season where his school was ranked for multiple weeks. Winning the bowl game is a cherry on top for Sumrall.

Tulane being able to close the 2024 season by sticking it to an SEC team in its home state would have to feel great for Sumrall’s group going into 2025. Even if it loses, this team has a lot to be proud of for how the season went.

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USC loses two commits to SEC schools

USC has successfully flipped some offensive linemen from other schools, but the Trojans have not been able to retain other prospects who flipped elsewhere.

Earlier this week, another unfortunate series of events emerged for USC football recruiting. On Monday, USC saw two of its commits in the 2025 class flip their pledges to SEC schools. First, four-star linebacker Ty Jackson spurned the Trojans in favor of Florida.

A native of Loxahatchee, Florida, Jackson is currently the No. 135 overall player in the class of 2025 On3 Consensus rankings. He is also the No. 15 linebacker, and the No. 20 player in the state of Florida.

Next, three-star linebacker Duane Morris changed his commitment from USC to Tennessee.

Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, On3 Consensus ranks Morris as the No. 524 player in the 2025 class. It also has him as the No. 43 running back and the No. 18 player in the state of Tennessee.

Following the loss of Jackson and Morris, USC’s 2025 recruiting class sits at No. 14 in the On3 team rankings. Three Big Ten schools are currently ahead of the Trojans: Ohio State at No. 3, Oregon at No. 7, and Michigan at No. 8.

College football’s early signing day is December 4, which is just one week away.

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Fans roasted Lane Kiffin after Florida beat Ole Miss to essentially end its playoff hopes

So, do Florida fans still want to hire Lane Kiffin to replace Billy Napier or…?

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team took down then-No. 3 Georgia earlier in November, had a bye week and returned from the break with a stunning 24-17 loss to unranked Florida.

This loss almost certainly ended Ole Miss’ shot at the College Football Playoff, and understandably, fans were furious with Kiffin and his squad. But, of course, Florida and general college football fans had so many jokes.

The Gators earned their sixth win of the season by limiting Ole Miss’ offense — which entered Week 13 ranked No. 2 in FBS play with an average of 539.6 yards per game — from converting third downs and forcing three turnovers. The final turnovers, though, were the real daggers and helped secure Florida’s victory.

College Football Playoff picture: Indiana’s hopes stay alive despite Ohio State loss because Ole Miss can’t have nice things

With 1:32 left in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, playing aggressively and desperately, threw an end-zone interception into triple coverage. But Florida called game with a second interception against Dart with 17 seconds left after Ole Miss got the ball back.

Florida has looked relatively better through the season, but amid calls to fire head coach Billy Napier, some fans wanted the Gators to hire Kiffin as a replacement.

Well, after Saturday’s game, not only are Florida fans (probably) walking that hire suggestion back, but college football fans in general also roasted Kiffin and his team’s implosion.

Florida fans probably no longer want to hire Lane Kiffin to replace Billy Napier after the Gators’ win

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Stock Up, Stock Down: Tigers get bitten in the Swamp

LSU’s offensive line struggled and the Tigers fell flat in the fourth quarter as LSU dropped one on the road

Last weekend, the LSU Tigers were embarrassed at home by the Alabama Crimson Tide. I was curious how the Tigers would respond this week as they hit the road to take on the Florida Gators.

The Gators entered the game with a losing record and have been trying to find who their starting quarterback will be. With the questions Florida faced, I thought LSU would come out with a spirited performance and take care of business. I was wrong.

Tonight, we witnessed the LSU offensive line give up seven sacks to the Gators’ defense. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] never got going and the offense only got into the endzone once as Florida won this one 27-16.

Stock Down: Offensive Line

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
The vaunted LSU offensive line gave up SEVEN sacks to the Florida Gators in the Swamp. The Tigers offense has been struggling as it is and this only compounded the problem.

Stock Down: Bad rebound after losing to Bama

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

LSU got embarrassed on their home turf by Alabama last weekend so Tiger fans were looking for a good response from this team and coaching staff. Needless to say, they did not get what they asked for.

Stock Down: Garrett Nussmeier

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Nussmeier has not been playing at his highest level for the past three games. He struggled again tonight going 27-for-47 for 260 yards and only one touchdown. He could never get in a rhythm.

Stock Down: No 10-win season

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
With the Tigers’ loss to Florida, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] will not win 10 games for the eighth season in a row. This loss also killed the hopes of LSU playing for the conference championship.

Stock Down: 4th quarter disaster

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Going into the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 13. The Gators would go on to outscore LSU 14-3 in the final quarter to pull away with a 27-16 victory.

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Florida football trolled LSU’s Brian Kelly with a polite request after losing to the Gators

Good one, Florida!

In a wild but not entirely unpredictable upset, Florida took down No. 22 LSU, 27-16, at home on Saturday, dealing the Tigers their third SEC loss and fourth loss overall. For the first time since 2018, the Gators topped LSU, and they have plenty of reasons to celebrate.

On the other side, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly was obviously not happy with how the game turned out, and sometimes when Kelly is furious, he slams his fist on the press conference table he’s behind. After LSU’s loss to USC earlier this season, Kelly’s angry table-slamming went viral.

So after the Gators’ upset win, their football Twitter account very politely trolled Kelly, asking him to refrain from damaging their tables.

Kelly reportedly complied, whether or not he was aware of this funny jab at his temper.

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ESPN inadvertently roasted Florida retaining Billy Napier during awful game against Texas

Yikes, Florida.

Florida coach Billy Napier earned a major vote of confidence from his school’s athletic director on Thursday.

The Gators then spent Saturday laying one of the ugliest eggs of the college football season against Texas, going down 35-0 at halftime.

After playing close with Georgia last week until a late collapse, the Gators spent Saturday afternoon getting bulldozed by the Longhorns.

This stinky performance really did come off the heels of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin writing a passionate defense of Napier’s standing with the program, which is a tough look for folks in Gainesville.

Somehow, it’s also not the worst moment in Florida athletics this week.

Goodness gracious, Gators. Florida is down bad right now, at no fault but to those in charge of stewarding the school’s two biggest athletic programs.

If this brutal ESPN graphic juxtaposition doesn’t sum this all up, we’re not sure what will.


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Media, fans question Florida’s decision to keep Billy Napier

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier, who is 0-3 against Georgia, is staying.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is staying despite being on the hot seat. Napier is 15-18 through three seasons with the Gators including 0-3 versus the Georgia Bulldogs.

Florida has battled injuries all season, but is probably not going to make a bowl game after a 4-4 start to the season. Napier’s return would give Florida continuity heading into 2025, but does it simply prolong the inevitable? Napier will have a bunch of pressure again next season.

Florida released a statement saying that Napier will continue as head coach, but did not add any dates, so there is not a 100% chance he will return in 2025.

“We’re led to believe Napier will be back as coach next season, but, within Stricklin’s five-paragraph word salad, he makes no mention of 2025 or next season,” said Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY. “This registers as a tepid endorsement from an athletics director under fire for a coach who will remain on the scalding-hot seat. Napier will stay there until the day he’s fired or wins enough to turn down the heat. And winning remains a problem for Napier.”

Napier could be the first coach to be saved due to the Name, Image and Likeness era. With donors getting worn about from constant requests for NIL money, schools may be less willing to pay the lofty buyouts owed to head coaches.

Schools know they have to raise more money to pay for players now, so maybe it is better spent on players and not a head coach’s buyout. In Napier’s case, Florida would have to pay him $26.7 million.

More fans, media weighed in via social media

“I want to thank Kirby Smart and Georgia for giving Florida just enough hope to retain Billy Napier. The rest of the SEC is grateful for you service,” said one fan via social media.

“I don’t hate this at all,” said Yahoo Sports analyst Caroline Fenton via social media. “That was a beat up team that had Georgia on the ropes into the 4th. But Napier got hired to win, not almost win. I agree that now isn’t the time to fire him, but if he doesn’t start winning soon then that time will come.”

Florida was tied 20-20 with Georgia in the fourth quarter, but that should not be a moral victory for the Gators.

“Do you know how hard it is to be that bad in Gainesville? One of the worst eras in Gator football history,” said CBS Sports analyst Jake Winderman. Georgia is in its golden era and has won seven of the last eight games against Florida while the Gators are happy with likely missing out on bowl games in consecutive seasons.

EA Sports CFB 25 predicts Georgia-Florida game

College Football 25 predicts the winner of the Georgia versus Florida game

Georgia dominated in a preview simulation of Saturday’s showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators on EA Sports’ “College Football 25” video game. Georgia won thanks to strong performances on both sides of the ball.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck led the offense, completing 17 of 24 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Trevor Etienne powered through the defense, adding 82 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Wide receiver Dominic Lovett emerged as the top target, racking up 128 yards on four receptions, including a 71-yard touchdown.

Defensively, linebacker CJ Allen was everywhere, recording 13 total tackles, with safety Malaki Starks right behind him with 10 tackles and a crucial interception. The Georgia defense pressured Florida quarterback DJ Lagway often, forcing him into three costly interceptions.

Cornerback Joenel Aguero, who is facing a suspension for the first half, snagged the second pick, while defensive lineman Mykel Williams capped off the game with a stunning interception on a screen pass, returning it for a pick-six to push Georgia’s lead to 21 points. The game resulted in a 38-17 Georgia blowout win.

Georgia vs Florida injury report

Georgia football injury report ahead of the Bulldogs’ game against the Florida Gators

The Georgia Bulldogs will be without several key players at 3:30 p.m. ET on Satuday, Nov. 2 against the Florida Gators. However, Georgia is still healthier than Florida, who has 10 players ruled out ahead of kickoff.

The Bulldogs will be without a pair of running backs and wide receivers against Florida. Additionally, Georgia is down two starters in the secondary for the first half. Defensive backs Joenel Aguero and Dan Jackson are both suspended for the first half against Florida after getting targeting penalties in the second half against Texas.

This week we also learned that Georgia defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is out for the season. Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is a former five-star recruit.

“Joseph (Jonah-Ajonye) had to deal with a surgery that’s going to put him out for the rest of the year,” said Kirby Smart. “He’s going to be out for the rest of the year to deal with a lower extremity injury.”

Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge is expected to return for the first time since the Kentucky game. Ratledge is back to being almost fully healthy after undergoing tightrope surgery on his ankle.

On Florida’s side of things, the Gators are without starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who is out for the season. Florida cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. is also out for the year.

The Gators’ top receiver, Eugene Wilson, is out against Georgia. Wilson burned Georgia a season ago. Florida’s No. 1 running back Montrell Johnson is questionable.

Georgia injury report

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (99) and linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (2) are both out versus Florida. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
  • RB Roderick Robinson: Out (toe)
  • RB Branson Robinson: Out (knee)
  • OL Tate Ratledge: Probable (ankle)
  • LB Smael Mondon: Out (foot)
  • DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye: Out (leg)
  • WR Colbie Young: Suspended indefinitely
  • DB Dan Jackson: Suspended for first half (targeting)
  • DB Joenel Aguero: Suspended for first half (targeting)
  • WR Anthony Evans: Out (hamstring)
  • DL Jordan Hall: Probable (legs)

Florida injury report

Eugene Wilson III, the Florida Gators’ most dangerous weapon, is out against the Georgia Bulldogs. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
  • Graham Mertz, QB, Out
  • Treyaun Webb, RB, Out
  • Ja’Keem Jackson, DB, Out
  • Jason Marshall Jr., DB, Out
  • Eugene Wilson III, WR, Out
  • Asa Turner, DB, Out
  • Kahleil Jackson, WR, Out
  • Devon Manuel, OL, Out
  • Roderick Kearney, OL, Out
  • Jamari Lyons, DL, Out
  • Montrell Johnson Jr., RB, Questionable
  • Damieon George Jr., OL, Questionable

The SEC will release injury reports that will be updated 90 minutes before kickoff.