Texas was rolling to a comfortable home win, up 17-3 on Florida and leaning on what was supposed to be its strength: a defense that could close the door. Instead, the Longhorns let the game slip completely away.
After a fourth-down try went sideways, Texas gave up 24 unanswered points and watched Arch Manning and the offense stall again in a 27-24 loss. It was another brutal finish for a program that had already taken a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma last weekend, a result that knocked Texas from No. 1 to No. 7.
Now the punishment is coming again in the AP top 25. The Longhorns, once college football’s No. 1 team, are headed for another major fall after back-to-back losses to unranked opponents.
Texas has now become just the third team in the AP poll era since 1936 to lose consecutive games after entering the streak at No. 1. Pittsburgh in 1939 and Michigan State in 1961 were the only others before this run.
Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown. But the numbers only tell part of the story. He did not throw an interception this time, unlike last week, yet the mistakes and off-target decisions piled up, and his late fumble ended any chance of a Texas recovery.
The third quarter has been a disaster zone for the Longhorns against Power Four opponents. Texas has scored just three points in that frame all season against those teams: none against Ohio State, none against Oklahoma, none against Florida, and 3 against Tennessee.
Florida, meanwhile, keeps swinging between extremes and just came up with its biggest win of the season. The Gators had been on a wild ride after beating No. 4 Ole Miss and then dropping two ugly games in which they allowed 83 combined points.
This time, Jon Sumrall’s team got the response it needed. Backup quarterback Tramell Jones delivered, going 22 of 35 with two touchdown passes in the upset.
The win gives Sumrall two top-10 victories in the past four weeks at Florida. Billy Napier had three such wins in four years.
It also marks Florida’s first season with two top-ten wins since 2012, and its highest-ranked true road win since beating No. 4 LSU in 2009.
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 🡒]