3 days ago3 min read

Gators to Face Tulane in the 2024 Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa

Gators' Montrell Johnson — Photo by: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Florida Gators (7-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) face of against the Tulane Green Wave (9-4, 7-2 American Athletic Conference) at 3:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 20 in Tampa, Fla. in the Gasparilla Bowl. It will be the 21st all-time meeting between the two programs. Florida holds the advantage in the series, with a 13-6-2 record.

The Gators come into the game fresh off winning three consecutive contests. Their last loss was at the hands of the No. 5 Texas Longhorns (11-2, 7-1 SEC) on Nov. 9 in Austin, Texas. Tulane on the other hand, enters this game after losing two straight games, including their final regular season game against No. 25 Memphis (10-2, 6-2) on Nov. 28 and the AAC Championship against No. 22 Army (11-2, 8-1 AAC) on Dec. 6. They look to bounce back against a tough Gators team.

What's at Stake

Many discounted the prospect of success for the Gators this year before the season commenced. However, despite their rigorous schedule, one of the most difficult in the entire country, they managed to make it to a bowl game. The Gators have a young team, and many of their team members will be playing in the bowl game. A win for the Gators would be their first bowl victory in the Billy Napier Era.

Tulane used to be a member of the SEC, and their conference clashes with the Gators usually did not work out well for the Green Wave. The Gators enter the game with an 11-game win streak against Tulane, with the last matchup in 1984. The Green Wave seeks to prevent Florida from securing a 12th-straight victory

Key Players: Florida Gators

In the past few days, the Gators have lost a few defensive stars to the Transfer Portal. Two of these key players are defenders Jack Pyburn and Tyreak Sapp who have been pivotal in the success of the Gators pass rush. They were part of a defensive front seven that started to gel in the LSU game on Nov. 9 where the Gators upset the Tigers, sacking Garrett Nussmeier 8 times, the most he was sacked all season.

The Gators have not suffered as many personnel losses on offense. Their star freshman duo of quarterback D.J. Lagway and running back Jaden Baugh will be leading the team alongside veterans Montrell Johnson Jr., Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike. They are also bringing back several of the star offensive linemen, including Damieon George Jr., Austin Barber and Jake Slaughter.

Key Players: Tulane Green Wave

Like Florida, the Green Wave has been hit rather hard by the Transfer Portal. The most noteworthy loss for them was starting quarterback Darian Mensah who committed to Duke on Dec. 11. A handful of their other players are also transferring.

Tulane's Darian Mensah — Photo by: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

While the loss of Mensah is huge, head coach Jon Sumrall has managed to lure some large names to New Orleans. Sumrall has recruited quarterback T.J. Finley from Western Kentucky along with running back Zuberi Mobley and wide receiver Omari Hayes from Florida Atlantic. Finley will likely be the Green Wave's next starting quarterback while the two FAU players had decent seasons in Boca Raton, La., despite a poor overall season for the Owls.

Unfortunately for Tulane, they won't have them until 2025. Without Mensah, the Green Wave will have to rely on backup Ty Thompson at QB in the Gasparilla Bowl. He will be their only QB who isn't in the Transfer Portal. Unfortunately for both Thompson and Tulane, he has only thrown 11 passes all year, completing 6. It could be a rough day for the Green Wave.