Florida upsets No. 9 Texas 29-21 as Longhorns drop to 3-2 ahead of rivalry game vs. No. 5 Oklahoma

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Texas and Arch Manning do not look like national title contenders.

The No. 9 Longhorns fell to 3-2 with a 29-21 loss at Florida on Saturday. Texas’ offense struggled mightily for much of the game as Florida’s defensive front wreaked havoc with Texas’ offensive line.

Texas’ offense finally got on track in the third quarter as Manning avoided two rushers and stepped up in the pocket to find a wide-open Ryan Wingo for a 38-yard TD to cut Florida’s lead to 22-14.

The Gators immediately responded and pushed the lead back to 15 points, however. DJ Lagway found freshman Dallas Wilson down the sideline and Wilson ran over multiple defenders as he scored on a 55-yard TD.

Texas's chances of coming back took a huge hit after Wilson’s score thanks to anan overthrow by Manning that was intercepted by Jordan Castell in Gators territory.

After cutting the Gators' lead to eight with less than four minutes to go, Texas got the ball back needing a TD and a 2-point conversion with 55 seconds to go. But Manning was sacked shortly after Texas got past midfield and time expired before Manning's third-down spike attempt hit the ground. 

That third-quarter TD catch was Wilson’s second touchdown of the day after he caught a 13-yard TD in the second quarter that extended Florida’s lead to 10. Saturday’s game was the four-star recruit’s first in a Gators uniform after he missed Florida’s first four games of the season because of a left foot injury he suffered in fall camp.

Wilson was part of a recruiting class that ranked 10th in the country in 2025 and also included receiver Vernell Brown III. As they both were on the field simultaneously for the first time all season, you could see the tantalizing potential of Florida’s offense with QB DJ Lagway.

You could also see why Florida now may be in even more of a coaching conundrum. The Gators are still under .500 at 2-3 after losses to South Florida, LSU and Miami in September. But Florida showed no quit at the end of a disappointing season in 2024 under coach Billy Napier and clearly haven’t quit on 2025.

Napier entered the 2025 season with tenuous job security as Florida’s schedule was one of the toughest in the SEC. But if Florida continues to play like it did on Saturday it’s more than capable of beating one or more of the four ranked teams remaining on its schedule. And each of those wins will make it more and more difficult for Florida’s administrators to justify a coaching change.

Texas gets No. 5 Oklahoma in Week 7

Texas entered the 2025 season with four new starters on the offensive line. That inexperience showed in the Swamp on Saturday as Florida consistently got pressure on Manning.

Between its first TD drive of the game and Manning’s pass to Wingo, it’d be kind to say that Texas’ offense was stuck in neutral. The Longhorns ran a combined 13 plays for 15 yards and had a punt blocked that turned into a Florida safety and two points before the end of the first half.

Don’t get us wrong, Florida’s got talent on the defensive line. But if the Longhorns can’t reliably block the Gators, how is Texas going to fare against Oklahoma next week at the Cotton Bowl? The Sooners set a school record with 10 sacks in their win against Auburn and are 5-0 after beating Kent State on Saturday.