FINAL: Gators 31, Florida State 11

FLORIDA 31, FLORIDA STATE 11

What happened

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — DJ Lagway passed for two scores, Montrell Johnson Jr. run for one, and Florida’s defense recovered five Florida State fumbles Saturday night to beat the Seminoles, 31-11, at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida (7-5) capped a winning season by beating FSU (2-10) for the first time since 2021, sending the Seminoles to their first 10-loss season in 50 years.

The Gators put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter when Johnson, the senior tailback who followed the head coach Billy Napier from Louisiana to Florida, ran 65 yards for a touchdown and a 24-3 lead. Johnson finished with 99 yards on 10 carries and eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Lagway finished 14 of 22 for 133 yards, two TDs and an interception to improve to become the first true Gators quarterback to ever win in Tallahassee. Lagway threw another 4-yard TD pass Marcus Burke in the second quarter to put the Gators ahead, 14-0. His final scoring pass was an 8-yard TD toss Tony Livingston at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Gators struck first as the edge rusher Jack Pyburn fired FSU freshman quarterback Luke Kromenhoekwhich forced a fumble that was recovered by the teammate D’Antre Robinson on the Seminoles’ 14. Running back Ja’Kobi Jackson took over from there, ran 13 yards to FSU’s 1, then strolled into the end zone for a 1-yard TD for a 7-0 Florida lead with 2:28 left in the first quarter.

Pyburn’s sack and Robinson’s fumble recovery not only led to Florida’s first score, it set the stage for what was about to happen again and again. Florida recovered five FSU fumbles and recorded eight sacks on a night the Seminoles managed just 239 yards of total offense. Florida gained 368 yards and outgained FSU 14-0 in points off turnovers.

Florida’s best offensive drive came in the second quarter when the Gators extended their lead to 14-0 with 25 seconds left in the first half on Lagway’s 4-yard pass to Burke. The Gators drove 80 yards in nine plays and consumed 2:31 off the clock. Lagway was 4-for-4 for 60 yards on the drive, including a pair of throws to the receiver Chimera Dike it combined for 46 yards.

FSU scored its first points on a 39-yard field goal with Ryan Fitzgerald capping a nine-play, 42-yard drive on the Seminoles’ first possession of the second half. The Seminoles’ only other score came on a 2-yard run Lawrence Toafili with less than four minutes remaining.

After Fitzgerald’s field goal made it 14-3, Rocco Underwood recovered a muffed punt by the Seminoles’ punt returner Lawayne McCoy at FSU’s 12. Trey Smack added a 30-yard FG to put Florida up 17-3 with 6:27 left in the third quarter.

The Gators’ lead was never seriously threatened in the second half as the defense put constant pressure on Kromenhoek and recorded a season-high sack.

What it means

Florida achieves a winning season for the first time in Napier’s three seasons, snapping a streak of three consecutive losing seasons dating back to 2021. Meanwhile, the Gators snapped a two-game skid against FSU and won for the first time in Tallahassee since 2018. More than anything, the Gators held on to the momentum they gained from wins over LSU and Ole Miss at home.

In the limelight

In the first matchup between true freshman quarterbacks in the rivalry’s history, Lagway outplayed Kromenhoek. Lagway wasn’t as big as he has been, but he finished the regular season with a 5-1 record as Florida’s starter. Meanwhile, Kromenhoek went 15 of 28 for 140 yards in his second career start.

Staggering statistics

The Gators finished the regular season on the road, but they took their pass rush with them. Florida, after totaling 10 sacks in back-to-back wins over LSU and Ole Miss, sacked the Seminoles eight times on Saturday. For those counting at home, that’s 18 sacks in the past three games. Florida totaled 20 sacks through its first nine games. Do you want more? The Gators accumulated 36 tackles-for-loss in the last three games.

Next

The Gasparilla Bowl, Gator Bowl and Music City Bowl have been mentioned as possibilities, but the bowl picture remains fluid in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Bowl schedule will be complete by Sunday, December 8th.