After its first two Southeastern Conference games against South Carolina and Mississippi State, plenty of questions remain about Florida soccer's potential moving forward. While the question of the team's identity was firmly answered with a positive nonconference slate, it remains to be seen whether the Gators can compete in a tough conference like the SEC.
Those questions are warranted. The Gators have struggled in conference play since the retirement of former coach Becky Burleigh. Under two different head coaches, Florida went 8-29-13, including a winless record in 2022.
With that being said, this version of Florida soccer is unlike any from the past five seasons. For one, they defeated rival Florida State, something that hadn’t happened since 2015. That is a testament to the leadership of head coach Nick Zimmerman and his staff.
Here are two takeaways from the opening two conference matches
Florida’s ruthless attack isn’t going anywhere
Heading into the season, many had inquiries about the type of soccer Florida would play. It’s now evident that the Gators have stuck to what Zimmerman has harped on most: “high risk, high reward.” That approach has not slowed down in SEC play.
Heading into the conference opener, the challenge was going to be difficult, and it did not go the Gators’ way on the scoreboard with a 1-0 loss to South Carolina. But on the scoresheet, Florida’s attack outshot South Carolina 15-10, with several chances hitting the post and failing to fall the Gators’ way.
In the first half against Mississippi State, it appeared that trend would continue when the Gators fell behind 1-0 20 minutes into the match while outshooting the Bulldogs 8-4 at halftime.
The script flipped in the second half when junior defender Skye Barnes converted a penalty kick to end UF’s 182-minute goalless streak, which dated back to the nonconference finale against Wake Forest. After falling behind again, senior forward Kyra Taylor scored Florida’s first open-play goal of the conference slate, securing a 2-2 draw for the Gators.
The two goals came against Mississippi State goalkeeper Jenny Harrison, who had allowed an average of 0.82 goals per match.
The Gators’ defense has shown it can keep them in matches
A question mark after Florida’s first two matches surrounded its defense. Through those fixtures, the Gators’ backline allowed seven goals, including in both matches in which they surrendered two-goal leads produced by the offense.
A big answer was goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel, who faced a tall task in her first career start against reigning national champion Florida State. The fifth-year senior played lights out, making four saves and allowing just one goal. Her performance included a crucial stop on an FSU attacker who found herself one-on-one with Emmanuel.
Along with Emmanuel’s play, the veteran leadership of Hannah Jibril and Barnes has emerged as a steadying presence on defense. Their strong defensive play helped Florida secure two shutouts to close nonconference play.
Newcomers such as freshman Lael Hill and Carlota Martins have also played significant roles in a defensive unit that has allowed Florida to control possession in most of its matches. Martins played 72 minutes against Mississippi State and recorded one shot.
Tatum Borman’s ability to flip the field as the Gators’ primary defensive midfielder, along with her agility and passing ability, has also allowed Florida to maintain its high press.
When Florida fell behind against Mississippi State twice, its defense didn’t crumble. Instead, the Gators have shown significant improvement throughout the campaign, allowing the team to remain competitive even when facing adversity.
What’s Next
UF sits in 11th place in the SEC standings and has two winnable matches this week against both Texas teams. The Gators will host the Longhorns on Thursday before traveling to College Station for a Sunday matinee against the Aggies.
Texas A&M is 0-2 in SEC play, including a 5-0 defeat to No. 4 Vanderbilt in its most recent match. Meanwhile, Texas fought to a 2-2 road draw against No. 8 Tennessee and sits at 5-2-2 (0-1-1 SEC).
If Florida earns two victories this week, it will significantly improve its position in the race for NCAA Tournament consideration.
Kickoff on Thursday is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a junior sports journalism student in his third semester at The Alligator. He currently covers soccer for the Fall 2026 season after previously serving as the softball reporter. Zach also has experience as a play-by-play broadcaster in the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the Winter Garden Squeeze. In his free time, Zach enjoys going to the gym and watching sports, especially his favorite teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Arsenal FC, Houston Astros, Orlando Magic and Orlando City SC. A fun fact about Zach is that he is also an avid WWE fan.
