For the second year in a row, with suffocating pressure surrounding head coach Billy Napier and Florida football, the Gators earn a big upset victory. Following a 1-3 start to what some believed could be a promising campaign, this program badly needed a win in a marquee matchup. True to form, it was ugly at times and got dicey late, but The Swamp erupted in both glee and relief after a 29-21 triumph.
The Gators attacked the Longhorns early, making plays on both sides of the ball, and never surrendered their lead. A relentless defense that recorded six sacks and a couple of DJ Lagway passing touchdowns helped Florida earn its first SEC win of the year. Conversely, Texas is in a seriously fragile state after coming up short in Gainesville's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Despite making some brilliant throws and showing clear growth, Arch Manning threw two interceptions and was unable to generate much momentum behind a porous offensive line. The defense did him no favors, either, allowing a costly broken play that turned into a 55-yard touchdown and faltering on too many third downs (Florida converted 7-of-14 attempts). Fans had much to say about this game, expressing strong opinions on both sides of the aisle.
Fans come out strong after Texas-Florida game
“Where the hell was this the previous three games!?” @ShmuelCohen007 commented on X, in reference to the Gators' successful performance. “Watch Napier keeps his job because of this win,” @ModernFootball0 remarked. “The 4th best team in Florida beat them,” @JeanPaul_Aucoin said. Safe to say they’re wildly overrated even at #9.”
“Texas still hasn’t beaten a {Power Four} team,” @tylergottea stated. “It’s week 6.” As one can see, both squads remain mired in scrutiny following this conference clash.
Unlike their season-opening loss to Ohio State, the Longhorns do not have a get-right game on their schedule to work out some of their issues. They welcome in Oklahoma for next Saturday's edition of the Red River Rivalry. Another loss would completely sink their College Football Playoff hopes and continue a stunningly sharp decline in 2025.
Florida football faces significant adversity as well, as a road matchup versus Texas A&M could make it quite difficult to build on this positive result. Billy Napier will stay under the microscope, but if nothing else, fans should be happy that Lagway showcased the ability that first excited the community when he officially signed with the Gators in 2023.
With grand ambitions now seemingly off the table for both programs, the development of Arch Manning and DJ Lagway will be of the utmost importance for these respective schools. If neither of these quarterbacks or their teams are in markedly better shape by the time 2026 arrives, the ridicule will reach absolutely unbearable levels.
