What Happened
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway passed for 298 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with true freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson accounting for the better part of those numbers in a spectacular collegiate debut Saturday, as Florida upset No. 9 Texas 29-21 before a sold-out and rollicking crowd at Spurrier/Florida Field that badly needed a game (and result) like this one.
The finish was on the wild side, with the Longhorns scoring on a 1-yard Quintrevion Wisner run with 3:20 to go, then forcing a three-and-out and Gators punt, with UT taking over at its 31 with 54 seconds to go. On first down, UT quarterback Arch Manning was sacked by Kamran James and freshman Jayden Woods for a 12-yard loss, with Manning’s helmet coming off and, by rule, forcing him to the sidelines for one play. Enter backup Matthew Caldwell, who fired a 26-yard completion, with UF also being flagged for a personal foul on the play. The 41-yard gain put UT at the UF 40 and Manning re-entering the game with 18 seconds remaining.
The next (and final) three plays looked this this: incompletion; sack by UF edge George Gumbs Jr.; and a desperation spike by Manning to try (in vain) and stop the clock with one second remaining.
Instead, the game ended and so did Florida’s three-game losing streak.
Lagway, in bouncing back from a three-week run of poor play, completed 21 of 28 passes (75%) and keyed an offense that cranked out 457 total yards against a Longhorns’ defense that began the day ranked fourth overall nationally (211.0 yards per game) — as well as second in scoring (7.8 points per) — and 16th against the pass (151.3 yards per). UF sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh carried a career-high 27 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, as the Gators grounded out 159 yards against the nation’s No. 3 rush defense (just 59.8 per game) and did not allow Lagway to be sacked.
But it was Wilson, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound five-star prospect out of Tampa Bay Tech, who lit up the stadium and introduced himself to Gator Nation in stunning fashion. After missing the season’s first four games with a foot injury, Wilson hauled in six receptions for 111 yards and both of Lagway’s TDs; a 13-yarder in the first half and electrifying 55-yard catch-and-run in the second half that gave UF a 15-point lead with 38 seconds remaining in the third quarter and set up the final and frantic (for the home team and crowd) fourth period.
Texas, which came in averaging 438 yards and 31.8 points a game, was limited to 341 yards, including just 52 on the ground. Manning, the sophomore with Hall-of-Fame family pedigree, completed 16 of 29 passes for 263 yards and a pair of scores, but also threw a pair of interceptions (one in the fourth quarter) and was sacked six times.
The Gators used a near-flawless first half to take a 19-7 lead into the locker room. The lone flaw miscue was a fumble by tight end Hayden Hansen after a completion into Texas territory that led to UT’s only score of the half when UF was threatening to blow the game open.
UF took the opening kickoff and marched 84 yards in a methodical 13 plays, with Baugh scoring on a 5-yard run on third-and-1. The Florida defense forced a Texas punt on the Longhorns’ first possession and answered with another long drive (10 plays, 64 yards) that Trey Smack capped with a 34-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.
The Gators were threatening yet again when Hansen caught a 13-yard pass and coughed up the ball at the Texas 40 on a hit by Ty’Anthony Smith. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. scooped and returned the play to UF 45. Manning’s 33-yard pass to Parker Livingstone got the Longhorns to the 10 and Wisner scored the first of his two TDs on a 5-yard swing pass to make it 10-7.
Lagway, who was playing through some pain, went back to work, with completions of 11 yards to Vernell Brown III, 19 to J. Michael Sturdivant and 18 to Wilson, all mixed with some nice running from backup freshman tailback Duke Clark (9 carries, 38 yards), who was on for injured backup Ja’Kobi Jackson. Lagway finished the drive by firing a 13-yard scoring dart to Wilson to make the score 17-7.
Texas’ next possession was a three-and-out, with UF fifth-year senior and former walk-on Taylor Spierto crashing the protection and blocking Jack Bouwmeester’s punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety and 19-7 advantage.
When the teams went to the locker room, Florida was up in total yards 263 to 87 (with a 113-24 differential on the ground), first downs 17 to five and had a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession.
After the first three possessions of the third quarter ended in punts, the Gators struck midway through the period when Lagway bombed a 60-yard completion to Brown, who made a ridiculous catch in tight coverage at the UT 25. Florida, though, had to settle for Smack’s 38-yard field goal, which kept the lead at two possessions, 22-7. But not for long.
Manning struck for a 38-yard TD pass to Ryan Wingo with 2:43 left in the third, drawing to within 22-14. Lagway and Wilson answered. The former hit the latter on a deep sidelined rout, with Wilson running through defenders and tight-roping the UT sidelines for an incredible 55-yard scoring that made it a 15-point margin again at 29-14.
It held up, but not without a little late-game angst.
What it Means
To say Coach Billy Napier and his team needed a win like this would be a Century Tower-sized understatement. It doesn’t mean the pressure is off, not even close — and not with the schedule the Gators are staring down (read on) — but the team and fan base has a week to feel better about itself. Last year demonstrated that Napier’s players have his back. They do not quit. The Gators showed more of the same against the Longhorns, in improving to 3-9 under Napier against teams ranked in the top 10.
In the Spotlight
Take a wild guess. Wilson’s catches, yards and touchdowns were all single-game records for a UF freshman receiver playing in his first collegiate game. Think about that relative to the superstar wideouts who have come through this program over the years.
Staggering Statistic
For Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian, the loss was his first in 18 games at UT when his team was ranked in the top 10 and facing an unranked opponent. Worth noting, Florida lost 49-17 at Texas last season, a game they trailed at one point 42-0.
Up Next
Florida (2-3, 1-1) gets to enjoy this one for … oh … about 20 minutes, then must begin preparations for next week’s road date at No. 6 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0), making for a fourth top-10 opponent in the Gators’ first six games of the season (with more on the way). The Aggies, who were home against Mississippi State late Saturday night, whipped the Gators 33-20 in Gainesville last season.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu. Find his story archives here.
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