One of college football’s greatest rivalries renews Saturday as Florida State travels to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators in the 69th Sunshine Showdown between the two programs.
The two programs that were once considered “blue bloods” of college football have undergone significant changes in recent years. The Seminoles seek their sixth win of the season to gain bowl eligibility. The Gators close their 2025 season under interim coach Billy Gonzales, who replaced former head coach Billy Napier after his firing on Oct. 19.
In a somewhat shocking move, FSU announced on Nov. 23 it will retain head coach Mike Norvell for the 2026 season. Norvell’s job security came under scrutiny after the ’Noles went 2-10 in 2024, the program’s worst season since 1974. The announcement stated that Norvell agreed to implement changes after the 5-6 Garnet and Gold struggled for the second consecutive season.
“You lose six games, and it sucks,” Norvell said in a press conference on Nov. 24. “We have absolutely not been close to the expectation of what I have for this team, for what I know is the overall expectation of Florida State football in general.”
Florida State triumphantly opened the 2025 season with a 31-17 upset win over the then-No. 8 Alabama on Aug. 30. Since that victory, things have gone downhill for the Seminoles, going 4-6 the rest of the way, with two of those wins coming against East Texas A&M and Kent State.
A win over UF would earn FSU bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2023 season. The ’Noles last played a bowl game in December 2023 when they lost to Georgia 63-3 in the Orange Bowl.
Florida State holds the NCAA record for most consecutive bowl appearances with 36 straight appearances from 1982 to 2017. A Seminoles loss Saturday would mark the fourth time under Norvell that the team misses a bowl game. It would also mark the second time under his tenure that FSU missed bowl eligibility in consecutive seasons.
The only thing standing in the way of a bowl game for the ’Noles is the Florida Gators. UF enters the game with a 3-8 overall record, already eliminated from any sort of bowl eligibility. The Gators have lost four straight games since the firing of Napier, and will look to end the 2025 nightmare with a win over their rival.
“This week is a huge week. Big game for us, trying to push to go get your sixth win, obviously in a rivalry game,” Norvell said. “You’re going on the road, everything that’s surrounding this game, I mean, it’s huge.”
The Florida offense relies on a strong backfield tandem in sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway and sophomore running back Jadan Baugh. The Gators average 19.9 points per game. Lagway has thrown 13 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, as he has fallen short of tall preseason expectations. Baugh leads the team with 904 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
With the passing game struggling, Baugh has become UF’s workhorse. The front seven for the Garnet and Gold has improved week-by-week at defending the run, most recently limiting North Carolina State sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers to 4 yards per carry. Outside of Baugh, the Florida offense struggles through the air. Expect to see Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White sellout to stop Baugh and force Lagway to beat the Seminoles with his arm.
The Florida defense allows 26.7 points per game, creating a favorable matchup for the Garnet and Gold offense, which averages 34.1 points per game and ranks 24th nationally. Junior wide receiver Duce Robinson, who ranks sixth nationally with 1,021 receiving yards, creates a matchup nightmare for a Gators defense that struggles against the pass.
In UF’s last four losses, they have given up a combined 856 yards on the ground. As good as senior quarterback Tommy Castellanos’ connection to Robinson has been, Florida State’s offense will need to exploit a weak Gators run defense.
Castellanos leads the Seminoles in rushing yards with 490 yards, so UF fans can expect to see him fleeing the pocket often. Junior running back Gavin Sawchuk gets the bulk of the carries for FSU and sits just behind Castellanos with 489 rushing yards.
A run-heavy gameplan for the ’Noles should translate to control in time of possession. The time-of-possession battle has been a recurring issue for Florida this season. The last time the Gators led any opponent in time-of-possession was in the upset win over then-No. 9 Texas.
The Garnet and Gold have been prone to untimely turnovers, especially from Castellanos. Against NCST on Nov. 21, a promising first drive was halted due to a Castellanos overthrow and interception. Florida State’s fate against the Wolfpack was decided by back-to-back muffed punts with under five minutes remaining. Protecting the ball against UF will be amongst Norvell’s top priorities.
“I know our team is capable because I’ve seen us go and play clean football,” Norvell said. “I’ve seen us be able to execute and play at a high level, this week we’ve just got to go do it.”
The Seminoles have won five of the past seven Sunshine Showdowns in Gainesville. FSU won the most recent matchup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, defeating the Gators 24-15 in 2023. Last season, Florida defeated the ’Noles 31-11 at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in November 2024.
For the Gators, not much remains at stake besides reeling in their next head coach. As FSU will retain Norvell for at least one more season, a win over UF in Gainesville would serve as a major highlight in an otherwise disappointing season.
The Gators lead the all-time series 38-28-2. The ’Noles will attempt to take down their in-state rival at 4:30 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“It’s going to be a hard-fought matchup,” Norvell said. “I’m looking forward to it Saturday afternoon.”
Cole Kruger is the Sports Editor for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email their staff at contact@fsview.com.
