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The Florida Gators take on No. 5 Texas at noon ET today at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin in one of their toughest games of the season.
It’s the first meeting in 84 years and just the fourth time in history for the programs. The Longhorns, in their first season in the SEC, lead the series 2-0-1.
Following their first loss of the season to Georgia, Texas (7-1, 3-1 SEC) returned to winning ways against No. 25 Vanderbilt in their last outing before last weekend’s open date.
Heartbreak once again found the Gators (4-4, 2-3) last Saturday in Jacksonville. After leading Georgia for much of the first half when the defense forced back-to-back interceptions, Florida found itself once again falling short against a ranked opponent. The Gators are 0-4 this season against AP Top 25 squads.
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Florida Injury Woes
The injury list continued to pile up for the Gators. After losing starting quarterback Graham Mertz and star cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. for the season in previous weeks, the injury bug struck again in Jacksonville.
Starting quarterback DJ Lagway was carted off against Georgia after sustaining a hamstring injury. Lagway, a true freshman, was limited in practice throughout the week. He is listed as a game-time decision. Should Lagway not be cleared to play, walk-on quarterback Aidan Warner is slated to start.
Florida coach Billy Napier spoke about Warner and his confidence in the walk-on leading the Gators offense:
The Gators cornerback depth took another hit after starting cornerbacks Devin Moore and Dijon Johnson left against Georgia. Moore was ruled out Wednesday, while Johnson is listed as questionable.
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— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 9, 2024
Texas Injuries Mount
The injury woes have also had an impact for Texas. The Longhorns lost star running back CJ Baxter in the preseason to an ACL tear. Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique strain against UTSA on Sept. 14. Ewers missed two games.
Since returning from injury, Ewers performance has suffered, notching six touchdowns to four interceptions in his three starts since. The quarterback threw eight touchdowns compared to two picks in his pre-injury starts. Ewers was briefly benched against Georgia due to his poor performance.
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Texas star receiver Isaiah Bond missed the Longhorns matchup against Vanderbilt due to an undisclosed injury. The transfer junior is probable to play, although the secrecy of the injury makes it unknown if he will be under a snap limit in the contest.
Texas star safety Andrew Mukuba is also a question mark for the contest. Mukaba exited in the Longhorns matchup against Georgia with a knee injury and has not seen the field since. Mukaba is listed as questionable on the Wednesday injury report.
Gators’ Quarterback Questions
The quarterback position has been a large question mark for the Gators all season. After losing Mertz against Tennessee, Lagway stepped in to the starting role.
Florida has produced its two best games in terms of yardage with Lagway under center.
The offense struggled following Warner’s entrance in the second quarter against Georgia. The Gators managed just 81 offensive yards in the second half while being outscored 28-7. Warner completed just seven of his 22 passes with an interception.
Florida’s Changing Offense
Florida’s offensive unit has changed significantly since Week 1. The Gators have lost five of their starters to injury. The Gators had eight offensive players featured on the Wednesday injury report.
Gators star receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson III was ruled out for the season this week following hip surgery. Starting receiver Elijah Badger has had his share of injuries and comes into the contest with a questionable designation. Should Badger not go, the Gators will rely on fifth-year senior Chimere Dike.
The makeup of the Florida backfield is a mystery heading into the contest. Florida starting running back Montrell Johnson has missed the previous two games and is questionable to play against Texas.
True freshman running back Treyaun Webb was been ruled out for the season this week after suffering a fractured tibia. The Gators will likely rely on running backs Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson in the contest.
Keys To Victory
The Longhorns come into the contest boasting the best defense in the SEC. The Longhorns are first in yards per game and points allowed per game in the conference, allowing just 241 yards per game and 11.5 points per game. Texas will look to extend its defensive success and give the inconsistent offense opportunities with a short field.
For the Gators to prevail, they will need to rely on their improving defensive unit.
After a rough start for the Florida defense, where the unit gave up 41 and 33 points to Miami and Texas A&M, the defense has shown tremendous improvement. The Gators defense has averaged just 19 points against per contest in the past four games.
Much of the difference between the Gators defense of this year and the previous season is in the turnover department. After forcing just seven turnovers last season, the Gators have forced nine in the past four contests. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about the team’s improvement:
The Gators will need to win the turnover margin to give their offense a chance to succeed.
Florida’s offense will also look for the running game to make a statement. The Gators logged 197 rushing yards against Kentucky, while managing just 115 against Georgia. Florida will need Baugh, a true freshman, to return to his Kentucky form when he scored a record five touchdowns, to aid the sputtering offense.
Game Coverage
Kickoff today is set for noon ET on ABC and 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
