The Gators had their first chance to celebrate a win in over a month after Saturday's victory over Texas. (Photo: Bella Rosa/UAA Communications)
Gators Bounce Back With A Texas-Sized Win
Saturday, October 4, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They had shuffled around as if kicked in the groin for four weeks, a group of walking wounded after USF's 5-foot-8, 165-pound kicker Nico Gramatica booted the game-winning field goal on the final play at their expense.
Since that moment late on the night of Sept. 6, the Gators wafted in the eye of a storm like palm fronds in a hurricane. They went to LSU and lost. They went to Miami and left their offense at home.
Meanwhile, as a much-anticipated season went up in flames, head coach Billy Napier's seat smoked more by the day. The Gators had a bye week after the Miami loss that capped the program's first 1-3 start since 1986.
They returned to practice in search of improvement, but by the end of the bye week, Napier urged his players to go home, reflect on their current predicament, and avoid putting on headphones to block out the critics.
He told them to embrace the adversity, not run from it.
"You've got to really think about what you've experienced, what you've learned, listen to the noise, listen to it closely, and you've got to know that — we've got to know who we are. We'll have an opportunity to change the narrative the next time we compete."
That next time arrived Saturday afternoon when No. 9-ranked Texas, which opened the season ranked No. 1, visited Florida Field for the first time in 85 years. The Gators answered the call and beat the Longhorns, 29-21, to show that while others may have counted them out, they still believe they can play with anybody.
"We did the same thing last year,'' said running back Jadan Baugh, who rushed for 107 yards on 27 carries and one touchdown. "We care."
Jadan Baugh makes a cut during his 107-yard performance in Saturday's win over Texas. (Photo: Bella Rosa/UAA Communications)
Florida made a strong statement on the game's opening drive, marching 84 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Baugh capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. The Gators led 19-7 at halftime as Trey Smack added a 34-yard field goal and freshman receiver Dallas Wilson, who raced from the tunnel carrying a Gators flag in his UF debut, caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback DJ Lagway. The final points of the half came when Taylor Spierto blocked a punt for a safety when the ball rolled out of the back of the end zone.
Wilson continued to shine in the second half, scoring on a 55-yard touchdown reception that put the Gators up, 29-14, with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. Wilson caught a pass along the far sideline at Texas' 37-yard line, then stayed in bounds and bulldozed his way over several Longhorns to electrify the sold-out crowd at The Swamp, starving for a victory as much as the home team.
Wilson, who had 10 catches for 195 yards in the Orange & Blue Game in the spring, missed the first four games due to a foot injury that he suffered in preseason camp. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound returned to action as if never sidelined. Wilson caught six passes for a team-high 111 yards and two scores, becoming the first true freshman receiver in program history to catch a touchdown pass in his debut.
"It meant everything,'' Wilson said. "I had Lag pushing me, I had all the coaches. It was good coming out there with all the guys. It's more than me out there. We've got some great [receivers]. Those guys really opened up the field out there for me."
Meanwhile, Lagway did his part after facing harsh criticism for his 61-yard passing performance in the 26-7 loss at Miami.
"Playing quarterback is hard,'' Baugh said. "We knew, in our locker room, we had to rally around him."
Lagway came up hobbled in the first half, favoring his right foot, but he remained in the game to finish 21 of 28 for 298 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Lagway spent the bye week trying to get up to speed in 11-on-11 drills after an offseason spent dealing with shoulder, abdomen and calf injuries. He then had his foot stepped on by an offensive lineman, which contributed to the loss in Miami.
"It was just a blessing to be out there and compete with my guys,'' Lagway said. "We had momentum. I couldn't let a moment like that go to waste, so I had to go out there and compete with my teammates and lean on my guys to make plays."
Defensive lineman Michai Boireau had one of Florida's season-high six sacks on Saturday against Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. (Photo: Hayli Balgobin/UAA Communications)
While the offense executed at a much higher level than during the three losses – Florida had scored only 33 points during the three-game losing streak – the defense did its part with a punishing effort against Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
Manning completed 16 of 29 attempts for 263 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He spent a lot of time on the turf as the Gators constantly applied pressure, registering a season-high six sacks. Florida had only three coming into the game.
"When a D-line takes over the game like they did today, it makes our job as [defensive backs] easier,'' said cornerback Devin Moore, who had a sack and interception. "It's a great addition to our game for sure. This was probably the most complementary football game we've played this season.
"We knew as a team if we put it all together, we'd be dangerous, and that's kind of what happened."
Napier left the field with a smile, relieved to secure a win and pleased with the way his team responded with a sense of urgency.
The Gators out-gained Texas 457-341, converted 7 of 14 third downs after going 0-for-13 at Miami, and scored all four times in the red zone. Once again, like a season ago when they reeled off four consecutive wins after a 32-point loss to the Longhorns, they rose to the challenge when others wrote their obituary.
Napier wants Saturday to be the start of something, not a flash of lightning in the storm.
"That's the football team I thought we had in the very beginning,'' he said. "You've got to give these kids some credit. That's a football team. They took ownership, and they went back to work. I'm humbled to be a part of it."
Baugh, who entered the postgame press conference as Napier departed, credited Florida's embattled coach for challenging players during the bye week to get away and contemplate what kind of team they were.
"I think we were mentally stressed dealing with everything,'' Baugh said. "We knew we wanted to win. I think that played a big part in us coming back."
They returned to practice in search of improvement, but by the end of the bye week, Napier urged his players to go home, reflect on their current predicament, and avoid putting on headphones to block out the critics.
