A first start, a remade defense and a late takeaway turned Florida’s trip to Austin into one of the season’s loudest shocks.
The Gators beat No. 7 Texas 27-24 on the Longhorns’ home field, a result that shoved Florida back into the College Football Playoff conversation and snapped the momentum Texas had been building. Florida was a 10.5-point underdog, but the Gators played like a team that had no interest in the number attached to them.
It was a major turn for coach Jon Sumrall, whose first season had started well before back-to-back double-digit defeats sent it off course. Now, with an Oct. 31 showdown against top-ranked Georgia in Atlanta up next, Florida suddenly looks ahead of schedule again.
The headline belonged to Tramell Jones Jr. Making his first start in place of the injured Aaron Philo, the 19-year-old helped lead Florida to its first road win over a Top 10 team since the Gators beat Florida State in 2012. Jones’ afternoon started rough, but he settled in just in time to give Florida the spark it needed.
He still looked like a first-time starter through much of the first half, but Florida found life as the half wound down. Jones kept the drive alive with a 17-yard completion to Dallas Wilson on fourth-and-12 from the Texas 36, then followed with a 14-yard run. Two plays later, he hit tight end Lacota Dippre for a 7-yard touchdown to trim Texas’ lead to 17-10 at halftime.
That wasn’t the last time Jones had to answer. After Florida received the second-half kickoff, he guided a 69-yard march to tie the game at 17-17. The Gators went 5-for-5 on third down during the 15-play possession, and Jones finished it with another touchdown throw to Dippre, this one from 8 yards out while Texas nose tackle Hero Kanu was in his face.
Florida’s offense then got the game to the point where one big defensive play could finish it.
That moment came at the end, when linebacker Myles Graham forced a fumble by Texas quarterback Arch Manning and nickelback Kanye Clark recovered at the Texas 39 with 1:58 left. It was another painful late mistake for Manning, who had thrown two fourth-quarter interceptions in Texas’ 27-24 loss to Oklahoma the week before.
Manning had a chance to rescue Texas again. After Florida went ahead 27-17 on Jadan Baugh’s 11-yard touchdown run, Manning connected with freshman Emmett Mosley V for 62 yards on fourth-and-6 and then found Cam Coleman on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 4:21 remaining.
Florida went three-and-out on the next possession, giving Texas one more opening. But Manning’s fumble ended it, leaving Texas at 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC and putting its CFP hopes in serious trouble.
For Florida, the bigger story was how the day started with quarterback uncertainty and ended with a quarterback controversy of a very different kind. Jones became the first Florida quarterback to win his first road start since Jesse Palmer in 1997 at Auburn, and he did it in a game the Gators had to have.
In Other News...
Texas May Be Getting A Very Different Florida Offense Than Expected
Floridas quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot for the Longhorns, with Aaron Philo trending toward sitting out the upcoming game because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, Texas would be preparing for a different look entirely, with sophomore Tramell Jones lined up to make his first career start in a game that already carries plenty of weight for both teams.
Jones was a four-star recruit and has flashed efficiency in limited action this season, enough to draw praise from head coach Jon Sumrall as a potential starting quarterback. For Texas, that means the film and the plan may need a late adjustment, because the offense coming to Austin could be shaped as much by inexperience as by the usual Florida personnel. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Colin Simmons Problem Fans Will Fear
Colin Simmons gave Texas everything it could want from its star edge rusher before the game turned sideways against Florida. He had already piled up eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack when he went down with a lower-body injury early in the fourth quarter, a sequence that immediately changed the feel of the Longhorns defense.
Simmons was taken off the field for further examination, and Texas felt the effect almost right away as Florida moved ahead on a field goal while he was out. For a defense built around his disruption, the bigger concern now is how much time the Longhorns may have to manage without the player who had been driving their pass rush all game. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have A Colin Simmons Problem They Can't Afford
Texas got a scare in the fourth quarter against Florida when Colin Simmons, its star pass rusher and the nations sack leader, went down with an apparent leg injury. He was helped off the field and taken for further evaluation, leaving the Longhorns with an immediate concern about one of the most important players on their defense.
Simmons has been central to everything Texas wants to do up front, giving the Longhorns the kind of edge pressure that can change a game in a hurry. Any absence would put extra pressure on a defense that leans on him to disrupt opposing quarterbacks, and it adds another layer of urgency as Texas waits to learn more about the extent of the injury. [Read more 🡒]