WHAT HAPPENED: The Florida defense, maligned since the start of the season, picked a good night to play its best game to date, as the Gators' unit collectively bowed up and proved the catalyst of a 24-13 victory Saturday night over cross-state foe UCF at sold-out Spurrier/Florida Field. Quarterback Graham Mertz passed for 179 yards and a touchdown, tailbacks Ja'Kobi Jackson and Montrell Johnson Jr. each had short running scores, and kicker Trey Smackadded a field goal. All those scores came in the first half, as UF, with its defense shutting down the Knights and their powerful running game, built a 24-3 advantage at the break and held on for a second consecutive victory. UCF came into the game with the nation's No. 4 overall offense, averaging a whopping 543.3 yards per game, including 326.0 on the ground, which ranked second nationally. Facing a UF defense that checked in 113th overall (425.5 per game), as well as 110th against the run (188.75), the Knights managed a season-low 273 yards, with just 108 on the ground on 40 carries. Five sacks of UCF's KJ Jefferson, the Arkansas transfer (and engineer of the Razorbacks' upset win here last season), greatly aided the cause, as he finished just 12 of 22 for 165 yards and an interception. UCF was just four of 12 on third was turned away on both of its fourth-down attempts. Mertz, the sixth-year senior, was an efficient 19-for-23, while freshman DJ Lagway went 4-for-4 for 50 yards in alternating every third series. Neither UF quarterback took a sack on the way to helping the Gators generate 359 total yards and out-rush the Knights with 130 on the ground. UF made a statement early by taking the opening kickoff and marching 75 yards in 15 plays, eating up half the first quarter, with Mertz lobbing a 13-yard TD to wide receiver Elijhah Badger for a lead the home team never gave back. The Knights threatened on their first drive, but the UF defense stiffened and forced them to settle for a 27-yard Grant Reddick field goal. That was it for UCF the rest of the half, while UF scored 17 second-quarter points. Lagway, on his first series, fired a 37-yard bullet to Chimere Dike that set up a 1-yard scoring run by Jackson barely two minutes into the period. A 3-yard, extra-effort plunge from Johnson with 1:50 to go was followed by a fourth-down stop by the Florida defense that set up Lagway for a quick drive that led to a 29-yard Smack field goal for a 24-3 advantage with four seconds to play in the half. UCF took the second-half kickoff and went on a 14-play drive that ate up eight-plus minutes, but a false-start penalty, then sack of Jefferson forced the Knights to kick a second Reddick field goal to make the score 24-6. After a short UF possession and punt, the Knights started deep in their territory with a Jefferson 35-yard completion to tailback RJ Harvey, who finished the drive six plays later with a 13-yard scoring run to make it 24-13 with 7:50 to play. The scoreboard, however, held from there.
UF linebacker R.J. Moten (16) and edge Tyreak Sapp (94) celebrate a shared second-quarter sack Saturday night. (Photo: Victoria Riccobono/UAA Communications)
WHAT IT MEANS: A couple weeks ago, after a lopsided 33-20 home loss to Texas A&M, the Florida fan base was wondering where its next victory (much less two) could come from. The Gators, after winning at Mississippi State two weeks ago, have prevailed in two straight and at least won't have to deal with any trash talk from their younger brothers down the turnpike until they meet again in Orlando in 2030.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The total yardage allowed by the Florida defense was half what UCF usually gained per game, with the Knights' rushing output nearly one-third less than its average. Seven different UF defenders had at least a half-sack, with edge George Gumbs Jr. tallying 1.5. Safety Bryce Thornton had a late interception to ice the game. The Knights' 273 yards marked the third-fewest gained by a Gus Malzahn offense in his 13 seasons as a head coach.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Vanderbilt (two weeks after losing at home to Georgia State) beat No. 1 Alabama earlier in the day. The Commodores entered 0-60 all-time against AP top-five teams. Sorry, couldn't resist.
UP NEXT: Florida (3-2, 1-1) gets back into SEC play ... and in a big, difficult way. The Gators hit the road to face No. 4 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) and more than 102,000 very ornery folks at Neyland Stadium, all of whom will be steamed still after being upset 19-14 late Saturday night at Arkansas. The Volunteers, who have lost 17 of the previous 19 in the Florida series dating to 2005, will be looking to exact nearly two decades of lopsided revenge (including last season's 29-16 upset loss at Gainesville), with arguably their biggest man-to-man advantage and talent discrepancy over that span.
