After back-to-back Top-25 victories, Florida Gators are beginning to hit their stride. Now comes the Gators’ nemesis, the Florida State Seminoles. Sitting at a lowly 2-9, this has been a season to forget in Tallahassee. Despite making multiple changes at quarterback, the Seminoles’ offense has been one of if not the worst in the country. Florida enters having clinched a bowl game. The Gators are returning to the postseason after a brief hiatus last year. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has injected real life into this team. Starting the year off 1-2, all hope looked lost, and many called for Billy Napier to be fired. After the first bye week, this has been a new team, especially on the defensive side. Now sitting at 6-5, the Gators are building momentum for the offseason. The only thing between the Gators and a winning season is their nemesis, who would love to play spoiler.
Freshmen Contributors
With Lagway leading the way, other freshmen are beginning to step up on both sides of the ball. Running back Jadan Baugh has been one of the focal points of the offense. With veteran Montrell Johnson Jr. dealing with nagging injuries, Baugh has seen a crucial workload. Scoring against both LSU and Ole Miss, he has a bright future in Gainesville. With Johnson leaving Florida after the season, Baugh will receive true starting running back carries next Fall. Defensively, fans have been pleasantly surprised by some of the young talent. Last weekend, Ole Miss was stuffed on two fourth downs in the red zone. On one of the stops, freshman linebacker Myles Graham was right in the middle of it. Hoping to finish with seven wins this season, all eyes will be on the Gators this offseason. With a young roster, they could compete for the SEC sooner rather than later.
Revenge Factor
The Gators have fallen short against their nemesis from Tallahassee in the last two matchups. Both were close games and Florida struggled to finish. The Gators lost both in the fourth quarter. With the game at FSU, the Gators will be eager to give their nemesis one more loss. For coach Napier, he has struggled in beating Florida’s rivals. In his three seasons in Gainesville, he has yet to beat Florida State and Georgia. Picking up his first win against Kentucky earlier this year, he has struggled to pick up key victories. Now, coming off his two biggest wins, he can finish the season on a high note. Florida enters this matchup as 14.5-point favorites signaling the weakness of this FSU squad. A night game, Doak Campbell Stadium should still be packed despite the dismal year. Honoring their seniors, FSU won’t simply roll over and concede to the Gators.
Winning Streak
Three weeks ago, the Gators were sitting at 4-5, coming off an embarrassing loss to the Texas Longhorns. Losing by 32, many fans thought the season was over. Now, to be fair to the team, Florida was trotting out backups due to many injuries. After that game, a fire was lit under this team. They knew they needed to win two of their last three games to make a bowl game. With two of the games taking place against a ranked opponent, Florida needed to pull off an upset. Not only have the Gators already reached six wins, but they also still have a week to spare. Beating LSU and Ole Miss in the Swamp, excitement is brewing in Gainesville. Looking like a real contender the past few games, the future is bright with Lagway at the helm.
Recruiting Swings
Following the win over the LSU Tigers, Florida began to pick up some momentum on the recruiting trail. Florida gained three commits the following week, and the Gators began to compile together a solid class. Now, after the huge upset win over the Rebels, recruiting has gotten even better. Since Saturday, the Gators have landed four commits. Flipping three players from FSU, Napier has been locked in on the recruiting path. They have landed their quarterback for the 2025 class in Tramell Jones. Flipping FSU’s running back commit on Wednesday (11/20), they have shown no signs of slowing down. Moving up to the 17th overall class on 247sports.com, they are gaining steam at the right time. With plenty of players still on the market, fans are hoping for a top-10 class. Napier seems to have righted the ship the last few weeks, and recruits are taking notice.
Final Thoughts
This is a bad Florida State team. Picking up only its second win of the season, FSU handled FCS Charleston Southern. Before this win, the Seminoles had not won a game since September. Beating California on September 21, the Seminoles are sitting dead last in the ACC standings. For a program coming off a 13-1 season, this year has been an absolute disaster. Fortunately, fans are hoping that they found their quarterback of the future in Luke Kromenhoek. Despite the poor season, the Seminoles would love nothing more than to spoil the Gators’ winning streak. This is a game that Florida should win with ease, but it is a rivalry game, and this has been a crazy college season. Don’t be surprised if this game is closer than many expected at halftime. However, Florida should eventually pull away and cruise to a victory over their hated rival.
Prediction: Florida 38 FSU 13
