Billy Napier comes to Austin desperate for bowl eligibility with his job on the line.
Coming off a bye, the No. 5 Texas Longhorns get a battered and bruised Florida Gators team coming to the Forty Acres on Saturday for a morning matchup at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Missing their leading running back, multiple receivers, and now potentially on their third-string quarterback after former consensus five-star prospect DJ Lagway went down last week with a hamstring injury, head coach Billy Napier is scraping the bottom of the barrel against a one-loss Texas team on the road.
“Obviously, this team has dealt with a ton of adversity throughout. I’ve got a lot of respect for how they’ve managed that. They’ve learned how to compete and the effort in which we play with is there. I do think they believe in what they’re doing, they believe in each other and I think we have to take that attention to detail to a different level here and maybe we find four or five more plays a game that make the difference, right? I think that’s where we’re at as a football team,” Napier said this week.
The Gators rely on their running game, especially now that they’re down to their third string quarterback, and their defense who has been excellent at turning the ball over, forcing three picks against the Bulldogs last week in the first half.
“Good to get back on the field this Saturday coming off our second bye,” Texas head coach Sarkisian said on Monday. “Getting ready to play a Florida team that in my opinion has gotten better all year long. They’ve played really good over the last month and a half. Clearly, their record isn’t indicative of how good of a football team Coach Napier has and the job he’s done in developing that team. Should be a great ballgame. Like I said, looking forward to getting back on the field and competing.”
This Florida team has seen weekly improvements, although injuries continue to hold them back throughout the season. The defense is their biggest threat, as they were able to hold Georgia to only 6 points in the first half. However, the defense can’t continue to make stops, when they are constantly on the field.
Down to their last option at quarterback if Lagway can’t play and with a slew of other injuries to major skill positions, Napier is going to have to figure something out fast to keep up with a Texas team that can rack up points and shut down offenses.
Offense
The main thing to look at with this Florida offense is the glaring injuries. Their leading rusher is injured and they have been missing a few receivers all season, so it will be interesting to see what Napier and co-offensive coordinators Rob Sale and Russ Calloway draw up for the rookie.
“I think you prepare for the scheme. Coach Napier has been doing it quite a while — his time at Lafayette and what he’s done at Florida. They’ve got a very intricate scheme, lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of formation adjustments that they that they tax you with. So I think that’s the first part. Again, they’re in a little bit of limbo from a quarterback perspective, but at the end of the day, they’re going to run their offense and that’s what we got to prepare for,” Sarkisian said.
Although running back Montrell Johnson Jr. is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game, the Gators still have a steady stable of running backs and with the glaring disparity at quarterback will likely lean on their running game in this matchup. On the season, the Gators have a 55-45 run-pass split.
The offensive line is more than solid for the Gators. Although they are young, they have been phenomenal at protecting the quarterback this season with only four sacks allowed all season.
Quarterback
The quarterback room has been littered with injuries all season. With the loss of their starting quarterback Graham Mertz against Tennessee in October and now the injury sustained by Lagway last week, the Gators could have to play their third-string redshirt freshman Aidan Warner.
Warner was a three-star prospect out of Florida who spent a season at Yale before landing in Gainesville. At 6’3, 206 pounds, Warner completed 124-of-196 passing attempts (63 percent) with 29 touchdowns to go against six interceptions and received an All-Metro selection as a senior in high school.
Last week in his first appearance against Georgia, Warner struggled, going 7-of-22 passing for 66 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. After going up 10-3 under Lagway, Warner was able to help the Gators drive for 10 points and a tie ballgame mainly behind the rushing of Ja’Kobi Jackson and Jadan Baugh midway through the fourth.
However, four straight drives ending in punts and an interception late in the fourth quarter helped fuel a Bulldogs comeback that the hobbled Gators offense could not match.
The Florida offense will likely rely on their running game, a highlight of the Florida offense all season.
Running back
The running back room has also been plagued by injury after the loss of the team’s leading rusher, senior Montrell Johnson Jr., against Tennessee. Through six games, Johnson totaled 70 carries for 373 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Gators in rushing yards.
After suffering a lower leg injury against the Volunteers, Johnson was listed as questionable for the Kentucky and Georgia games and his availability is still questionable for this Saturday’s game against Texas.
All season the Gator have relied on a steady stable of running backs, and with the loss of Johnson, last week Florida relied on a running back by committee behind junior Ja’Kobi Jackson (5’11, 209 pounds) and freshman Jadan Baugh (6’1, 227 pounds).
Even with Johnson in the lineup, Bough has received a steady workload this season with 70 attempts for 320 yards, and leads Florida with five touchdowns. At 227 pounds, Bough acts as the power back while still maintaining top-end speed and an ability to make defenders miss in the open field.
Last week against the Bulldogs Bough carried the rock 17 times for 64 yards and an average yards per carry of 3.8,
Jackson carried the ball 12 times for 74 yards and a touchdown with an average yards per carry of 6.2. With his smaller size, Jackson acts as the speed back with 48 attempts for 477 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Wide receivers
Another position group that has been limited by injuries is the wide receiving corps after the loss of sophomore receiver Eugene Wilson III when he sustained a season-ending knee injury after Week Eight against Kentucky.
Only three receivers brought in targets last week against Georgia under freshman quarterback Warner — freshman Aidan Mizell (6’2, 186 pounds), senior Elijhah Badger (6’1, 192 pounds), and senior Chimere Dike (6’0, 195 pounds).
Badger is the team’s leading receiver with 24 receptions for 560 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team in all receiving stats. The senior plays primarily out wide with 80 percent of his snaps on the outside, but can also play in the slot.
Badger acts as the team’s primary deep threat with an average depth of target of 19.1 yards and a long of 77 yards. His most important feature however, are his hands — not a single drop on the year.
Last week he had a down week against the Bulldogs behind the third-string quarterback with only two receptions on five targets for 36 yards. The number one option for Warner against Georgia was Mizell.
Mizell led the team with four receptions on six targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. Injuries have thrust Mizell into a larger role this season — after only one target in the last two games, Mizell has seemingly become the number one target for his fellow freshman quarterback. He’s brought in 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.
The second-leading receiver for the Gators is senior Chimere Dike with 23 receptions on 34 targets for 428 yards and two touchdowns. Dike runs an even split between slot and wide, and acts as the senior presence for this hobbled receiving core. Last week he was certainly bottled up by the Bulldogs with only two receptions for eight yards. Dike’s most impressive attribute is his dynamic ability with the ball with 154 yards after the catch this season. This might be an attribute the young quarterback Warner could rely on — getting the ball to Dike quickly and allowing him to make a play in space.
The question remains, who will be the favorite target if Warner plays?
Tight end
Boardingham seems to be the most reliable of the team’s two receiving tight ends, with Hansen not receiving a single target in the last two games.
Boardingham this year has brought in 15 receptions on 25 targets for 115 yards and two touchdowns. At 6’3 245, his large frame makes him a viable weapon on short pickups and red-zone targets. Despite his size, he can be remarkably quick, lining up all over the field — 44 snaps in the slot, 77 inline, and 21 out wide.
He rarely acts as a blocking tight end, with only four snaps as a pass blocker, and instead is more of just a big wide receiver. His does practically all of his work in the short passing game with an average depth of target of 5.7 yards. He only brought in one catch last week against Georgia, but with the ferocity of this Texas pass rush against a young offensive line, he may become a greater target this week.
Offensive line
The offensive line for the Gators is young, with only one senior on the roster. However, they were able to return four starters from last year. Despite their youth, Florida been phenomenal at protecting the quarterback this year, with only four sacks allowed all season. The Gators play style at some point lends itself to this, as they are very run heavy and get the ball out quick, but that’s still a remarkable stat nonetheless.
The only senior on the roster is not a returning starter — senior San Diego State transfer Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson at right tackle. At 6’7, 322 pounds, Crenshaw-Dickson sets the right edge for the Gators and has been dominant this season with the highest pass-blocking grade on the team. With a PFF grade of 87.3, Dickson has yet to allow a single sack all season. However, he does seem to struggle at times with the count and holding calls, leading the team with six penalties on the year.
Flanking Dickson is junior right guard Damieon George Jr. This will be George’s second year as a starter for Florida after transferring from Alabama in 2022. George has also been great on this right side, not allowing a single sack and only five quarterback hurries on the year. At 6’6, 345 pounds, George has sneaky athleticism and can be a force in both pass blocking and run schemes.
At center is the most senior member of the offense, junior Jake Slaughter. Other than having the perfect last name for a center, Slaughter enters his fourth year with Florida and third as a starter, making him one of the leaders of this unit. Again, not a single sack from Slaughter this season, however he is somewhat smaller for a center. At 6’5, 308 pounds, he logs in as the smallest lineman on the team, but uses his knowledge of the offense to help facilitate this line as one unit.
On his left is sophomore Knijeah Harris in his first year as a starter. He also has yet to allow a sack and can be a force in the run game along the left side. At 6’3, 321 pounds, he has good size for a guard and can create holes for a Gators team that likes to run the ball through the gaps on the left side.
Junior left tackle Austin Barber is the only starting lineman to allow a sack this season with two, however on the blind side this is to be expected. At 6’6, 314 pounds, Barber has massive length and can use his long arms to stay in front of incoming edges. However, three times now this has gotten him into trouble with holding calls on the year.
Defense
The defense for the Florida is what has kept them alive through some rough patches of the season. They can get home to the quarterback, drop back, and turn the ball over through the air, and have been stingy in man and zone coverage with 19 sacks, nine interceptions, and 29 pass deflections for the Gators making their defense a threat for opposing offenses.
With the speed from their edge rushers and talented group of revolving linebackers, Florida defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong runs a 3-3-5 multiple with heavy zone looks to lock down the middle of the field, utilize linebackers in coverage and run support, while blanketing the secondary with their talented safeties.
Defensive line
The edge defenders for the Gators are potentially their most threatening weapons on this defense. Junior Jack Pyburn, junior George Gumbs, and junior Tyreak Sapp have been menaces on the outside and can be game breakers against lax pass protections.
If the name “Sapp” sounds familiar, its because it is. Tyreak Sapp, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, has made waves in his third year with the Gators with 25 total tackles, and four sacks on the season. At 6’3, 272 pounds, Sapp has size and speed that can make him a game wrecker on many different alignments along the defensive line. He lines up in the B gap, as well as inside and outside of tackles on both the right and left side.
He’s 272 pounds with a 4.76 40 time, so watch out for No. 94 along the outside.
Gumbs is the other major threat beside Sapp for the Florida pass rush. With 279 snaps, he leads the defensive line in time on the field and is taking advantage of the time spent. Three sacks, two quarterback hits, nine pressures, and 14 total tackles on his own. At 6’4, 249 pounds, like Sapp he has incredible speed on the outside and can swim his way around opposing pass blockers.
Speed and athleticism are the name of the game for the Gators on the front line, allowing for their linebackers to be used creatively in coverage and in run support.
Linebackers
The Gators Linebacker core is led by sophomore middle linebacker Grayson Howard. At 6’4, 238 pounds, Howard can line up in coverage and as a right outside linebacker, but his greatest attributes are in his run defense and his tackling. PFF scored him with an 85.7 in run defense and the highest grade on the team in tackling with 87.5.
This season he has totaled 25 tackles with only one miss. The guy is electric in the open field against opposing ball carriers and has the speed and strength to shut down run games. He is primarily used in run defense and pass coverage, with some pass rush sprinkled in there, but look for him to either be clogging running lanes or setting a zone in the middle of the field in cover two zones.
Junior linebacker Shemar James flanks Howard in both run support and coverage in the middle of the field. He sometimes assists in pass rush in blitz packages, but is primarily utilized as a coverage linebacker with 168 of his snaps lined up in either zone or man coverage against tight ends and running backs. So far this year he has brought in an interception and accounted for 14 defensive stops.
He can be beat by overwhelming speed however, with a reception percentage of 75 percent by opposing pass catchers.
Secondary
The Florida secondary usually has five defensive backs and safeties on the field at all times in the 3-3-5 scheme. This unit is led by sophomore safety Jordan Castell, senior defensive back Trikweze Bridges, and senior corner Jason Marshall Jr.
Castell can fly all over the field from the safety position. At 6’2, 210 pounds, he lines up primarily in free safety, but is also utilized in the box, in man coverage in on slot receivers, and even in pass rush with a single sack on the year. The guy acts as a Swiss Army knife for the Gators,and leads the team in snaps with a whopping 483. He’s almost always on the field.
Although he has yet to bring in an interception this season, he has accounted for five pass breakups on the year. He hangs back and instead of jumping balls, he maintains his position and stops big plays downfield.
Castell is also great in the open field, with 31 tackles on the season and only four missed tackles. When ball carriers get to the second level, Castell is often called on to make the big play saving touchdown in the secondary.
The leading tackler on the team goes is Trikweze Bridges, the 6’2, 200-pound senior transfer from Oregon. In his first season with the Gators he has totaled a team-high 41 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles. Bridges can lay the hit stick from the defensive back position in the open field.
Finally, the third member of this secondary to look out for is Marshall — the 6’1, 201-pound senior from Miami has become a staple of this Florida secondary and acts as the team’s lock-down corner against opposing pass catchers. On 18 targets, he has only allowed nine receptions for 115 yards and a single touchdown on the year.
He does primarily all of his work outside against opposing offenses best receiver in man coverage, and can be a menace with hand fighting and staying in position to not let speedy receivers get behind him.
Special Teams
Kicker
Trey Smack handles the kicking duties for the Gators, and has been efficient all season — 29-of-29 in PATs and 81.8 percent on field goals, he has been steady and reliable for the Gators. He’s gone 3-of-4 from 40-plus yards and 1-of-2 from 50-plus yards, so he has the leg to hit deep ones whenever Napier calls his name.
Returner
The punt-return duties are handled by Dike this season with nine returns for 175 yards and a long of 35 yards. He has yet to house one yet, but can make players miss in the open field with his top-end speed.
The kickoff return duties are handled primarily by Baugh with eight returns for 193 yards and a long of 36 yards.
Overview
Overall, with the injuries that Florida has sustained on the offensive side of the ball, I think this game should look a lot like the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma this year. The game might start off slow as the Texas offense figures out the defense. However, the Longhorns defense should have no issues bottling up this Florida offense whether Lagway plays through injury or Warner receives his first start.
On defense the answer is simple. The game plan should be to make the quarterbacks uncomfortable while limiting the run game and forcing throws into tight windows, leading to sacks and interceptions.
On offense, the Longhorns need to mitigate the pass rush from Sapp and Gumbs. The Gators have great run support from their linebackers so it might be difficult to establish the rush early, but if the Horns can keep quarterback Quinn Ewers clean and give him time, he should be able to balance the offense and drive down the field methodically.
Run the ball, bring the safeties down, and look for the big play up top.
This game will likely start slow, just like the Oklahoma game, and Florida’s game last week against Georgia. However, this defense cannot remain dominant if they are always on the field — it needs to force three and outs by winning on first and second down, forcing throws on third and long.