AUSTIN, Texas — Not much went right for Florida football in its first game against Texas since 1940.
The No. 5 Longhorns pummeled the Florida Gators, 49-17, handing UF its worst loss in three seasons under head coach Billy Napier.
Texas raced to a 35-0 halftime lead and led by as many as 42 points in the second half. The Longhorns capitalized of Florida mistakes, scoring 21 points off three UF turnovers. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers had his way against UF’s banged up secondary, passing for 333 yards and 5 TDs before being relieved in the third quarter by backup Arch Manning.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Aidan Warner struggled in his starting debut, completing 12 or 25 passes for 132 yards and two interceptions. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, a Willis, Texas native, warmed up pregame but didn’t play in his return to his home state.
Junior running back Ja’Kobi Jackson was a bright spot for UF’s offense with 116 yards rushing on 19 carries and 1 TD.
The loss dropped Napier to 2-13 in his UF tenure against ranked teams.
A Ja’Kobi Jackson 7-yard TD run caps a seven play, 67-yard TD drive, cutting Texas’s lead to 49-17. Jackson has rushed for a career-high 116 yards on 19 carries and 1 TD for UF
Backup quarterback Arch Manning leads Texas on a four-play, 75-yard TD drive, capped by a 14-yard TD run by Jerrick Gibson, putting Texas up 49-10 on Florida with 13:53 left in the fourth quarter. Gibson was a former Gainesville High standout.
A two-yard TD run by freshman running back Jadan Baugh caps a nine play, 56-yard TD drive, cutting Texas’s lead to 42-10 with 1:30 left in the first. UF has scored on its last two offensive drives. Baugh has 84 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Florida scores its first points of the game as Trey Smack snaps a 15-play, 70-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal, cutting the Texas lead to 42-3. Florida has now scored in 457 straight games and hasn’t been shut out since losing 16-0 to Auburn on Oct. 29, 1988. Smack missed a 30-yard field goal attempt earlier in the game.
Quarterback Aidan Warner’s second interception of the game sets up another Texas touchdown, as quarterback Quinn Ewers connects with wide receiver Isaiah Bond on a 34-yard catch and run TD to put Texas up 42-0 on Florida. Texas has scored 21 points off three Florida turnovers.
Utter domination by the Longhorns, who outgained Florida 353-138 in the first half and scored 14 points off two UF turnovers.
Off an Aidan Warner interception, Texas drives four plays on 45 yards, going up 35-0 on a Jaydon Blue 5-yard TD run with 23 seconds left in the half.
Quinn Ewers connects with Matthew Golden for Golden’s second TD catch of the game, from 32 yards, putting Florida up 28-0 on Texas. Florida sophomore cornerback Cormani McClain was turned around on the play.
Quintrevion Winser scored on a 50-yard TD pass play from Quinn Ewers on a screen play, putting the Longhorns up 21-0 with 5:54 left in the third quarter.
Quinn Ewers throws his second TD pass, 22-yards to open tight end Gunnar Helm, extending the Florida lead to 14-0 with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Texas took over at UF’s 22-yard line after Florida running back Ja’Kobi Jackson lost a fumble for the first time this season.
Texas takes a 7-0 lead with 3:43 left in the half on a 29-yard TD pass from Quinn Ewers to Matthew Golden, capping a seven play, 85-yard TD drive.
Florida football freshman quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Montrell Johnson Jr. are out for Saturday’s game. Right guard Dameion George Jr. and wide receiver Eiljah Badger have been ruled out along with cornerbacks Jason Marshall Jr., Devin Moore and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III, who is done for the season after undergoing hip surgery.
Florida’s defense will again play an admirable game, but offensively, the Gators will struggle moving the ball with either Warner or a hobbled Lagway at quarterback.
Final Score prediction: Texas 24, Florida 7
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Nov. 8
Betting line: Texas -21.5
O/U: 47.5 points
Per Weather.com, the forecast for the Florida-Texas game at kickoff at Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium is 70 degreees with 0% chance of rain. Winds are from the north at 6 miles per hour.
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