Gators pass Seminoles behind dominant defensive performance

Eight fumbles and eight sacks; That was the storyline of Florida’s 31-11 win over rival Florida State in Week 14. Things weren’t going smoothly for either offense at Doak Campbell Stadium, but the Gators simply made fewer mistakes Saturday night.

FSU won eight times in the contest and lost five times to the Gators’ defense and special teams. Florida’s defense also recorded eight sacks, matching its season high after recording seven sacks two weeks ago against LSU. The eight sacks also marked a rivalry record between UF and FSU.

The Gators finish the 2024 regular season with a record of 7-5, including three straight wins.

It was a slow start for DJ Lagway and Florida’s offense, which suffered a handful of breakdowns and miscommunications during its first five drives. Still, the Gators took a 7-0 lead after Jack Pyburn’s strip sack was recovered by D’Antre Robinson at the FSU 14-yard line.

Florida’s offense found a rhythm just before halftime and engineered a much-needed nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to extend their lead to 14-0, capped by Marcus Burke’s 4-yard touchdown catch.

After Ryan Fitzgerald’s 39-yard field goal and two straight defensive stops for the Noles, the momentum appeared to have shifted in FSU’s favor. Until FSU returner Lawyne McCoy deflected Jeremy Crawshaw’s punt, once again putting Florida in favorable field position. The Gators had to settle for a field goal after starting at the FSU 12-yard line. Still, the Gators led by two touchdowns with about 23 minutes left.

Senior running back Montrell Johnson tied the game on Florida’s next possession, extending Florida’s lead to 24-3 with a 65-yard run with 2:46 left in the third quarter. Johnson surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards with his sixth touchdown run of the 2024 season.

Johnson has been a fixture in Billy Napier’s offense since their time together in Louisiana. In four seasons under Napier, Johnson has averaged at least 5.2 yards per carry and has recorded more than 500 rushing yards in each season, including over 800 in three of four seasons.

Florida State scored a late touchdown to erase a large deficit with 3:25 to play. The game was almost over, but the Gators weren’t done scoring points. Freshman running back Jadan Baugh combined for 41 yards on consecutive runs to get Florida to the goal line with over two minutes left. FSU head coach Mike Norvell called a series of timeouts before DJ Lagway dropped back to pass and hit tight end Tony Livingston for an eight-yard touchdown.

It was a poor night for Lagway, who completed just 14 of 22 passes (63.6%) for 133 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Florida was able to run the ball despite Lagway’s struggles, amassing a season-high 235 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per carry. It was only the second time Florida rushed for more than 200 yards in a game this season (226, Miss State).

Florida is now 5-0 with DJ Lagway starting and finishing the game.

The Gators (7-5, 4-4 SEC) scored on three of their last four possessions to put an end to in-state rival FSU. This meant they ended the season on a high note as they await their bowl match.