Texas’ hopes of a College Football Playoff berth took a hit on Saturday as they fell 27-24 to Florida at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, dropping their second straight SEC game. The Longhorns dominated early but were outplayed in the second half, a collapse head coach Steve Sarkisian summed up in five words: “We kind of bled out.”
Texas raced to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, holding Florida to just 51 yards in its initial four drives. Backup Florida quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., filling in for the injured Aaron Philo, struggled early. But as the second half unfolded, Florida’s offense found a rhythm, grinding out long drives that wore down the Texas defense.
Florida executed two marathon drives of 14 and 15 plays in the second half, converting every third down on their first possession after halftime. The Gators ran the ball 27 times for 111 yards after the break, a sharp contrast to their early struggles. Jones’ legs proved decisive, with nine runs for 52 yards, including a game-ending scramble that sealed Florida’s victory. Texas defensive coordinator’s initial doubts about Jones’ running ability gave way to grudging respect after his performance.
Sarkisian noted Florida’s steady gains, saying, “They’re getting runs of 3 yards, runs of 5 yards, a completion for 6 yards, a completion of 5 yards. They were converting third downs, they were able to stay on the field. Over time, that means you’re fatigued defensively.” The Longhorns, who had been effective in the first half, were simply unable to stop the Gators’ methodical advances as the clock wound down.
Offensively, Texas struggled to respond. After Florida’s first touchdown of the second half, the Longhorns answered with a brief, three-play, 6-yard drive, ending in a punt. They ran only six plays in the entire third quarter, gaining eight yards and maintaining possession for just over three minutes. That lack of offensive momentum meant Texas’ defense spent more than 38 minutes on the field, exacerbating their fatigue.
Two critical short-yardage attempts by Texas in the second half failed to convert, while Florida managed to convert a crucial first down on the ground late in the game. The Longhorns, who had already stumbled against Oklahoma the previous week, found themselves outmatched by Florida’s physicality and execution.
Running back Hollywood Smothers was one of the few bright spots for Texas, showing effort on the ground, but the team as a whole could not sustain drives or defensive stops when it counted. Sarkisian’s blunt assessment reflected the mood in Austin: “We didn’t play very good football today, outside of about the first quarter.”
The loss leaves Texas with a 4-2 overall record and a 1-2 mark in SEC play, a position that complicates their path toward postseason ambitions. For now, the Longhorns must regroup after being outplayed at home in the second half by a Florida team that took full advantage of every opportunity.
According to Yahoo Sports.
