Nov 73 min read

No. 5 Texas, Florida Face Off for First Time in Decades

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference) return to the gridiron against the Florida Gators (4-4, 2-3) at noon EST on Nov. 9 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, after their second bye week of the season.

This will be just the fourth all-time meeting between the two storied programs, and Florida has never defeated the Longhorns. Despite giving No. 3 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) everything it had in an upset bid last week, the circumstances surrounding the Gators in this game do not bode well for snapping that streak.

What's at Stake?

Texas finds itself in a cluttered SEC title race where five teams have just one loss in conference play. Georgia, No. 14 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1) and No. 7 Tennessee (7-1, 4-1) are still ahead of the Longhorns because they have more conference wins, but Texas can make up some ground against the Gators.

Key Players: Texas

Offense

QB Quinn Ewers

The Texas starting quarterback had a rough first half in the showdown against Georgia on Oct. 19 despite playing well most of this season. However, he has developed a bit of a turnover issue with 5 interceptions in his last four games. Nonetheless, he leads a potent and dynamic Texas offense and is likely to be chosen early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

RBs Quintrevion Wisner, Jaydon Blue

Wisner and Blue have stepped up amid injuries at running back for the Longhorns. Blue has displayed a complementary skillset both as a runner and as a receiving threat with 493 total yards and 7 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Wisner has carried the majority of the load lately and become Texas' leading rusher with 409 yards and 2 touchdowns.

TE Gunnar Helm

With all the hype around Texas' receiving corps, Helm has quietly emerged as the team's leader in receptions and yardage. The senior tight end has caught 31 passes for 419 yards and 2 touchdowns this year, becoming a go-to player for critical conversions.

WRs Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden

The two transfers have put up solid numbers while playing different roles for the Longhorns all season. Bond, the Longhorns No. 1 receiver, has 380 yards and 4 touchdowns, mostly due to his speed and elusiveness. Meanwhile, Golden has also scored 4 times with 332 yards, mostly becoming a factor in the red zone.

Defense

LB Anthony Hill Jr.

Hill Jr. stands out every week. The sophomore leads the Longhorns defense in several categories, including tackles and sacks, and is no slouch in pass coverage.

DB Michael Taffe

The former walk-on has been great for Texas this season, even earning praise from head coach Steve Sarkisian for his play against Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. He is third on the team in tackles, second in passes defended and has an interception and a forced fumble this year.

EDGE Colin Simmons

Simmons was recently named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award with 23 tackles and 4 sacks as a true freshman. While he has not registered any official stats since Oct. 12 against Oklahoma, his ability to pressure an inexperienced quarterback could go a long way in this game.

Key Players: Florida

Offense

QB Aidan Warner

The freshman has been thrown into the fire due to quarterback injuries. DJ Lagway had already replaced an injured Graham Mertz, and now that Lagway is also done for the year, Warner gets the call. He has appeared in three games this season, completing 9 passes for 96 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception.

RB Montrell Johnson Jr, Jadan Baugh

Johnson has been dealing with an injury and is currently listed as questionable for this game. He participated in pregame activities at full speed before the Nov. 2 game against Georgia but did not receive any carries during the game. Johnson still leads the team with 373 yards and 4 touchdowns despite the absence. However, Baugh, his backup, is not far behind with 323 yards and 5 touchdowns.

WR Elijah Badger

Badger leads the Gators with 560 receiving yards and 2 touchdown catches. His impact has been about as expected after putting up over 700 yards in each of the last two seasons at Arizona State, but how will Florida's quarterback situation affect the opportunities he gets against Texas?

Defense

DB Trikweze Bridges

Bridges leads Florida in tackles and has an interception and 2 forced fumbles this season. He's on pace to top his career-best 2022 season but will have his hands full against the Texas passing attack.

Edge Tyreak Sapp

Teams that have been able to bother Ewers have done so by making him uncomfortable in the pocket. Sapp is Florida's best pass rusher with 3.5 sacks and will be a crucial player in this game if Florida hopes to have a chance.