News Quanta

Gators cap four-game winning streak with Gasparilla Bowl win


Gators cap four-game winning streak with Gasparilla Bowl win

TAMPA -- Florida closed out a turnaround season with a solid but unspectacular showing.

A 33-8 win against Tulane during the Gasparilla Bowl was still something to celebrate for coach Billy Napier. After all, the victory capped a four-game winning streak after two seasons that ended on skids of three and five games, respectively.

Yet Friday's performance at Raymond James Stadium didn't quite provide a surge of momentum entering a critical offseason for the Gators (8-5) or quell questions about Napier's need to hire an offensive coordinator.

Quarterback DJ Lagway, the player many fans came to see, finished 22 of 35 for 305 yards, his first 300-yard performance against an FBS opponent to take home MVP honors.

The true freshman also threw two first-half interceptions to cost Florida points and highlight his struggles against zone coverage. Both miscues were thrown into the middle field with the intended target in triple coverage.

Lagway's 7-yard touchdown to tight end Tony Livingston with 4:03 left in the third quarter was the Gators' first touchdown, giving them a 16-0 lead following the first three of a bowl-record four field goals by Trey Smack.

Following the touchdown by Livingston, a sophomore from Tampa, Florida's defensive intensity raised another level as Tulane managed just 194 yards.

The Green Wave (9-5) ended a once-promising debut season under Jon Sumrall on a three-game losing streak, but avoided their first shutout loss since 2016 against Temple when Ty Thompson found Mario Williams for a 16-yard touchdown with 29 seconds to go.

Without starting quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Duke three days after the Army loss, the Green Wave were 10-point underdogs with a backup quarterback who hadn't started a game during four seasons.

Sumrall's sense of urgency was evident from the opening snap.

Tulane looked to catch the Gators off guard with a flea-flicker on its first play.

Thompson, an Oregon transfer after the 2023 season and in the transfer portal again, fluttered a pass into the waiting hands of UF's Trikweze Bridges.

Thompson's day didn't get much better. He finished 11 of 29 for 125 yards and 3 interceptions, the second by Gators walk-on linebacker Alfonzo Allen Jr. on a pass broken up by sophomore cornerback Dijon Johnson of Tampa.

Tulane's season-ending fall was precipitous.

The Green Wave sat No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings prior to the season-ended skid. Meanwhile, the Gators were 4-5 after a 49-17 drubbing Nov. 9 at Texas.

Behind Lagway, a suffocating defense and a strong kicking game, Florida closed with its longest winning streak during Napier's three seasons.

The strong-armed, 6-foot-3, 239-pounds Lagway gives the Gators a head start entering the offseason. The 19-year-old also showed Friday in Tampa much work remains.

Lagway's two first-half interceptions matched his season-high during spot duty against Texas A&M.

The second pick was on 3rd-and-goal from the Tulane 4 with Florida leading 6-0 with 3:29 remaining in a first half that ended as the lowest-scoring in the bowl game's 16-year history.

The Green Wave's first interception gave them the ball at UF's 23. Forced to settle for a 35-yard field-goal attempt, Tulane's placekicking woes continued as freshman walk-on Patrick Durkin's effort was wide left.

A Durkin miss and botched snap on another attempt contributed to Tulane's 35-14 loss Dec. 6 at Army during the America Athletic Conference title game.

Previous articleNext article

POPULAR CATEGORY

industry

4446

fun

5658

health

4435

sports

5870