For a while Tuesday night in Tallahassee, Florida looked like it might be in for a real fight with Florida State. The Seminoles came out with plenty of edge and made the Gators work for everything, but Florida never blinked. The Gators settled in, defended with purpose, and found enough timely offense to pull away for an 81-72 win and move to 3-0.
That result also extended Florida’s run in the rivalry to six straight wins over FSU.
The first half made it clear this wasn’t going to be a comfortable night. Florida State, despite being unranked, looked like a better team than the one many expected, and Florida had trouble generating anything easy inside.
The Gators spent much of the opening 20 minutes living on the perimeter, with 18 of their 31 first-half points coming from three-pointers. They were only 5-11 on two-point attempts before halftime, a good snapshot of how tough it was to get into the lane and finish.
Florida State, meanwhile, kept the game choppy and emotional. The Seminoles were constantly celebrating, reacting, and trying to turn every positive play into a moment.
One sequence summed it up: Boogie Fland was called for a foul on a breakaway, and Luke Loucks argued as though the play deserved a Flagrant 2. On review, Fland barely touched FSU, and the reaction looked exaggerated.
There were also possessions where FSU absorbed contact, then immediately pushed for a review.
Florida didn’t get dragged into it. The Gators stayed composed, kept defending, and eventually wore the Seminoles down.
Thomas Haugh led the way with 21 points. Fland, after an injury scare, returned to score 14 points.
Urban Klavzar had a rough night from deep, going 1-7 from three, but he made all seven of his free throws and finished with 10 points.
The main question that remains is whether Florida’s guards can consistently create against a physical, in-your-face defense like this one. But as a team, the Gators handled the moment. They didn’t back down, and when the game tightened up, they were the ones who finished stronger.
In Other News...
Floridas Bowl Outlook Suddenly Includes A Reunion Fans Will Notice
Floridas loss to Oklahoma left the Gators at 5-4 and officially shifted the conversation from playoff dreams to bowl possibilities, with the focus now on what kind of matchup they might draw when the postseason picture comes into view. For a team that still has work to do to steady its season, the next few weeks are about finding a way to finish strong and get back on the right side of the ledger.
One projected bowl pairing has a wrinkle fans would notice right away: a possible reunion with former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, now at Baylor. Lagway arrived in Gainesville as a highly rated recruit and had an uneven run with the Gators before transferring, and his first season in Waco has brought its own turbulence, including an ankle injury and coaching changes. If the projection holds, Floridas bowl trip could come with a familiar face across the field. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Offense Has A Problem Tramell Jones Didnt Dodge
After the loss to Oklahoma, Tramell Jones Jr. did not try to dress up Floridas offensive issues. The Gators quarterback pointed to the kind of self-inflicted problems that have been dragging drives off schedule, especially penalties and turnovers, and said the unit has to be better about sustaining momentum when it gets a chance to build it.
Jones also took responsibility for a costly interception and said Florida needs more consistency from the running game if it wants to finish possessions the right way. The emphasis now is on cleaner execution, better red-zone results and using the final three games to tighten things up through practice and film study, with Jones still sounding confident the offense can respond. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Gets An Early Shot With A 5-Star Line Target
Florida is getting in early on one of the most coveted young linemen in the country. Kendrick Harris, a five-star offensive tackle from Duncanville, Texas, has picked up a scholarship offer from the Gators, and the class of 2028 prospect already carries the kind of national attention that usually comes with much older recruits. Rated as the top interior offensive lineman in his class, Harris is already on the radar of major programs across the country.
The next step in that pursuit will come when Harris visits Gainesville for Floridas home game against Vanderbilt on Nov. 21. For the Gators, the timing matters as much as the offer itself, giving them a chance to make an impression early while the race for a player with multiple Power Four options is still taking shape. In a recruiting cycle this young, getting him on campus is only the start, but it is the kind of start Florida wants with a prospect of this caliber. [Read more 🡒]