Florida’s comeback win over Texas didn’t take show-stopping numbers or an eye-popping stat line. Just tons of grit that catapulted it to arguably its largest win of the season.
The Gators were all but written off as 11.5-point underdogs on the road at Texas, especially with sophomore quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. starting under center for the first time. But rather than crumbling under adversity as it had in the previous two weeks, Florida stormed back from down 14 to secure its first road win over an AP top-10 opponent in over a decade.
Here’s how each offensive position group performed in the 27-24 victory.
Quarterback
Expectations weren’t too high for Jones entering hostile territory for his first career start. But rather than folding under the pressure of facing a top-10 team on the road, Jones led the offense well and remained poised throughout, throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
“Missed plenty of opportunities and throws, but for his first opportunity, even when he didn’t make some throws he needed to make, he kept battling and kept fighting, and that’s when good things happen,” head coach Jon Sumrall said. “I’m proud of him for staying resilient … the thing I’m probably most grateful for is maybe no crazy, dumb decisions.”
With Jones under center, Florida went 8 for 19 on third down and successfully converted two fourth–down tries.
Even when facing pressure from Texas’ front seven, Jones extended plays with his legs and found open receivers. He displayed strong pocket awareness and rushed for 41 yards on 10 carries. He also put the game on ice with a 9-yard scramble on third-and-7 with 1:44 to play.
However, Jones was far from perfect in his first collegiate start. He struggled to make accurate throws downfield and averaged just 4.4 yards per completion. Jones underthrew an open Eric Singleton Jr. on a deep post, and he missed a wide-open Wilson on third-and-11 in the second quarter.
“I take every play as one page in a book,” Jones said. “Every play has its own story. I overthrew Eric in practice, so I was kind of aiming it. I can hit those kind of footballs. I just gotta lay it out there. Eric's a fast guy; he can go get it. So I gotta trust him.”
His long of 17 came at the perfect moment, though, as Jones extended Florida’s final drive of the first half with a 17-yard strike to Dallas Wilson on fourth-and-12. That drive ultimately resulted in a much-needed touchdown that closed the gap from 17-3 to 17-10 entering halftime.
Following the game, Sumrall made it clear that while Jones commanded the offense well, the comeback win wasn’t a “quarterback win,” but a “team win.”
“I’m happy for Tramell and his success,” he said. “He missed plenty of things today. He did some good things today. The success with our team today had more to do than just the quarterback. Our defense played a hell of a lot better. Our O-line played a hell of a lot better. So I’m not taking anything away from Tramell, but today was a team win, not a quarterback win.”
Running backs
In 2025, running back Jadan Baugh took 27 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown in a 29-21 win over No. 9 Texas. On Saturday, he was yet again a key piece of the Gators’ offensive attack, rushing for 91 yards and a score on 25 carries as Florida upset No. 7 Texas 27-24.
“I feel like it was smooth. It was just tough, gritty,” Baugh said of his performance. “Going into the week, they said it's gonna be the hard runs, the ugly runs and I feel like we practice like that all the time. So it was just normal to us.”
With backup running back Duke Clark missing in action, Baugh continued to shoulder the workload as Florida’s explosive workhorse.
He didn’t fare well in the first half, though, and was held to 34 yards on 12 carries. But after trailing 17-10 at the half, Baugh took his remaining 13 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown.
His 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter lifted the Gators ahead 27-17 in the game’s final minutes, and Baugh out-touched running backs London Montgomery and Evan Pryor 25-6.
“Honestly, we're tough. We know that, and bringing that gritty side with us, too, that's something we practice a lot,” Baugh said. “Having those gritty runs, having those tough runs and eventually one of them gonna pop. And as you've seen, it popped.”
Opposing defenses had limited Baugh to just 72 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries through the last two weeks, but he snapped right back into form in the second half on Saturday. He totaled 3.6 yards per carry and spearheaded Florida’s 158-yard rushing attack in the win.
“Everybody was telling me it's gonna pop. It's gonna pop. I wish we would have scored one more time, just like a statement,” Baugh said. “I feel like each week, the last two weeks, everybody was like, oh, we this, we're that. We don't too much listen to it, but we see it. I feel like that drove us a lot more, and we're just ready to come out and make another statement."
Receivers
The Gators have been banged up in the wide receiver room, but their depth was on full display Saturday. After battling through injury throughout the year, Singleton was Jones’ primary target in the win. The senior tallied seven catches for 43 yards, both season-highs. He was also on the receiving end of Jones’ first seven throws. His long of 12 leaves more to be desired from his deep-threat ability, but it’s still a pleasing sight to see Singleton handling a larger workload and slowly get back into form.
Florida was without Vernell Brown III for the third consecutive contest, leaving it without one of its most reliable targets once more. Brown came into the afternoon as a game time decision, but was unable to go despite suiting up on the sideline.
The Gators have not seen a 100-yard receiver since wideout Dallas Wilson’s 106 against Campbell in Week 2. They have leaned on a committee and it paid off Saturday.
Wilson, Florida’s leading wideout, came up with arguably the most important play of the afternoon. The Gators faced a fourth-and-12 that proved to be pivotal down the stretch as Jones connected with Wilson on the near sideline to move the chains down 17-3 with 51 seconds left in the first half. The conversion was good for 17 yards and aided in Florida’s first touchdown of the day.
Outside of the wideouts, Florida’s tight ends also stepped up when the time came. Senior Lacota Dippre added two touchdowns in the win and 15 yards. Saturday was his first multi-score game after finding the end zone three times with James Madison last season.
Offensive line
When a front five lines up opposite the best edge rusher in the country, they may be in for a long afternoon. Even with Texas’ Colin Simmons in front of Florida’s offensive line, the Gators only allowed one sack and kept a relatively clean pocket.
“I thought there was a better strain and a better finish and a better urgency,” Sumrall said. “It wasn’t perfect, never is, but I felt like we had a little bit different mentality.”
Simmons entered the game with 30.5 sacks and 40.5 tackles for loss since 2024, both standing as the most in the FBS in that span. The Dallas native left the contest in the fourth quarter with a leg injury, but logged eight tackles and a sack before exiting.
While Florida notched the massive top-10 win, the game nearly slipped out of its hands early. The Gators continued to struggle with penalties and logged six for 50 yards in the first half alone. The offensive line committed two false starts, including one from TJ Shanahan on fourth-and-1 in the opening frame.
Shanahan, Florida’s senior right guard, logged his worst showing of the season. He earned a Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 44.5. Right tackle Emeka Ugorji also had a rough outing with a grade of 58.2.
Texas totaled 18 sacks heading into Saturday, the fourth-most in the SEC. Considering the stout nature of the Longhorns’ defensive front, Florida stood tall and protected its inexperienced quarterback.
“I thought guys just played with a mentality that you have to play with up front to win, which is physicality and with an edge,” Sumrall said.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @rileyorovitz.
Curan is a senior sports journalism student in his sixth semester at The Alligator. He is currently a sports editor and football beat reporter for the Gators and the Jaguars. He previously served as a men's tennis and sports enterprise reporter, and he is pursuing a public relations minor.
Riley is a junior sports journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and Gators football beat reporter. Currently in her third semester with The Alligator, she has previously covered Gators swim & dive and Gators gymnastics. She is an avid South Florida sports fan and enjoys playing/following all sports in her free time.
