After one of the most exciting starts for Florida football in years, the tide turned for the Gators against Missouri and South Carolina. Now with two straight Southeastern Conference losses under its belt, UF embarks on its toughest stretch of the season.
And it starts with the No. 7 Texas Longhorns.
With Texas having just recently joined the SEC, the pair has faced off only twice this century and split the meetings. In the high point of its 2025 campaign, Florida topped the Longhorns 29-21 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, avenging a 49-17 loss in 2024.
The No. 2 team in this year’s SEC preseason poll, the Longhorns have returned many of the key weapons that led them to finish 9-3 last season. At the forefront is quarterback Arch Manning.
The redshirt junior has struggled with consistency through his time as Texas’ starting quarterback, but is inarguably a threat to the Gators’ already-struggling defense. Through the season so far, he’s completed 92 of 146 passes for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, earning a 65.5 quarterback rating.
“The thing that's unique about Arch, he's a Manning, which means he's a quarterback that throws the football and understands the game at a high level, but I think the thing that people forget … he's an unbelievable runner,” Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said.
He’s totaled 102 yards on 39 rushing attempts this season.
Manning also has a solid group of receivers that will test a Florida secondary that fell flat against the Gamecocks. However, the biggest test for Florida will be Texas’ defense, which ranks No. 13 in the nation.
The Longhorns boast the No. 20 rushing defense in the FBS. This will pose a massive challenge to star running back Jadan Baugh, who has been kept relatively quiet over the past two games. After averaging 150 yards on the ground through Florida’s first four games, he logged 13 against Missouri and 59 against South Carolina. He will look to rebound against one of the toughest fronts the Gators will face all season (Missouri ranks No. 8 in rushing defense, and Georgia ranks No. 6).
The Longhorns’ passing defense doesn’t let up much either, presenting itself as one of the top units in the SEC. With quarterback Aaron Philo questionable with a shoulder injury and backup Tramell Jones Jr. possibly gearing up to make his first-career collegiate start, the signal caller and an elite Gators wide receiver corps will also face their toughest challenge yet.
Texas’ red zone defense has been key to its success. It’s ranked No. 29 in the nation, the highest of any team Florida has faced so far. With the Gators struggling to convert offensively in the red zone over their last two contests, they will surely be tested further Saturday.
Edge rusher Colin Simmons headlines the efforts.
He leads the FBS in sacks, posting nine solo (9.5 total) through five games, and in tackles for loss, recording 12 total for 87 yards. He also leads the SEC in forced fumbles, averaging 0.40 per game.
“He's ‘wow’ good,” Sumrall said Monday. “I really started to watch the tape last night, I'm like, ‘all right, I'm just gonna turn this off. I don't even want to watch this guy anymore right now.’ So he's a really good player, their front is physical, they're sound on defense.”
Meanwhile, Texas’ run game is where it falters. Led by the duo of junior Hollywood Smothers and senior Raleek Brown, its rushing offense ranks fifth-worst in the SEC, something Florida will rely on its defense to exploit. The Gators stifled the run well Saturday despite the Gamecocks’ rushing offense leading the SEC coming into the contest, and they will look for that dominance to carry over.
The Longhorns are captained by head coach Steve Sarkisian. Emerging as one of the most prominent coaches in college football in his six years at Texas, he has led the program to the College Football Playoff in two of the past three seasons.
Like Florida, the Longhorns have already endured their fair share of ups and downs this season. Texas reached its high of the year so far when it defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State, sparking a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter. However, the team comes off a gut-punching 27-24 loss to rival Oklahoma on Saturday. The loss dethroned Texas as the No. 1 team in the country.
With that, both Florida and Texas come into the Week 7 matchup with plenty to prove.
“The human psyche part of, what are you dealing with, what's the other side dealing with, it's a real part of the game,” Sumrall said. “Anytime you're coming off of a defeat, you have a bad taste in your mouth, and that's all of us … You have to recognize what the psyche of your football team is, and then also what's the other side got going on? And they lost a tough one.”
The Gators and Longhorns face off Saturday at noon ET at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.
Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @avadicecca24.
Ava DiCecca is a senior sports and media journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and football beat reporter. Now in her fifth semester with The Alligator, she previously served as the Summer 2026 assistant sports editor, Spring 2026 sports editor, Gators volleyball beat reporter and an enterprise writer. In her free time, she watches Boston sports (Brad Marchand we still love you).
