OGT-Florida Gators vs UCF 10/5/24 7:45pm SECN

Florida Gators (2-2, 1-1 SEC) vs UCF Knights (3-1, 1-1 Big 12)
October 5 // 7:45 p.m. ET // Gainesville, Fla.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field (88,548)
Game 5

SEC Network
Play-by-Play: Taylor Zarzour
Analyst: Matt Stinchcomb
Reporter: Tori Petry
Channel (Cox): 68 / 1068 [HD]
Channel (DirecTV): 611 [HD]

Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Shane Matthews
Reporter: Tate Casey
Channel: Local Affiliates
SiriusXM Channel: 374

 

TEAM INFORMATION​

FLORIDA
Head Coach: Billy Napier
Career Record: 53-28 (27-5 Sun Belt) [7th season]
Record at UF: 13-16 (7-11 SEC) [3rd season]
Record vs. UCF: 0-0
Rankings: NR (AP) / NR (Coaches)
2023 Record: 5-7, 3-5 SEC (T-4th in East)

UCF
Head Coach: Gus Malzahn
Career Record: 104-55 (38-27 SEC) [13th season]
Record at UCF: 27-17 (4-7 Big 12) [4th season]
Record vs. UF: 1-1
Rankings: NR (AP) / RV (Coaches)
2023 Record: 6-7, 3-6 Big 12 (T-9th)

SERIES HISTORY​

Overall: Florida leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: UCF 29, Florida 17
(Dec. 23, 2021 - Tampa, Fla.)
Recent History: UCF, W1
In Gainesville: Florida leads, 2-0
In Orlando: N/A
In Tampa: UCF leads, 1-0

 

NUMBERS OF NOTE
6 / 8​

Through four games, Florida had six different wide
receivers catch a touchdown pass during the 2024
season, which tied for first in the SEC. Additionally,
eight different Gators have recorded a receiving
touchdown this season, tied for second in the
SEC: WR Elijhah Badger, WR Eugene Wilson III,
WR Chimere Dike, TE Hayden Hansen, WR Aidan
Mizell, TE Arlis Boardingham, WR Marcus Burke
and WR Tank Hawkins.

 

THE STORYLINE​

• Week 6 marks the fourth all-time meeting between Florida and UCF, including the third in Gainesville.

• Florida is 2-0 vs. the Knights in Gainesville with its lone loss in the series (2-1) coming in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl.

• UCF defeated Florida, 29-17, in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

• The all-time series dates back to 1999 in Gainesville, with the Gators posting wins in 1999 (58-27) and 2006 (42-0).

• In two previous games vs. UCF in Gainesville, the Gators have outscored the Knights by a combined score of 100-27.

• The Gators totaled 500-plus yards and 350-plus passing yards in each of the previous two home meetings with UCF.

• Across the previous two home meetings, UF outgained UCF, 1,138 yards to 600 yards (+538, +269 YPG).

• Florida and UCF are also scheduled to play on Sept. 14, 2030 in Orlando and Sept. 3, 2033 in Gainesville.

• This is the first meeting between UF HC Billy Napier and UCF HC Gus Malzahn as head coaches.

• Napier and Malzahn have coached on opposing sidelines six times with Napier 4-2 (more on Page 9’s ‘Crossing Paths’).

• In Week 4 at Mississippi State (W, 45-28), Florida’s two-QB tandem of Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway finished a combined 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, connecting with 10 different receivers.

• Florida’s 17-point win tied for the team’s largest road victory vs. a Power 5 opponent under Napier (2022 at TAMU).

• The win tied for the third-largest margin of victory by the Gators over a P5 opponent in the Napier era.

• Mertz and Lagway are one of four FBS QB duos with 450-plus passing yards apiece (Texas, W. Kentucky, NC State).

• Led by first-year senior analyst Joe Houston, Florida ranks third in the FBS in net punting (45.54), t-10th in punt return defense (0.50), t-17th in kick return average (24.67) and 20th in punt return average (16.67).

• Florida enters Week 6 ranking 18th in the FBS in passer rating (168.4) and 30th in passing offense (278.5).

• C Jake Slaughter grades No. 1 in the FBS in pass blocking (90.3) and No. 7 overall (78.3) out of 281 FBS centers.

• He pairs with Week 4’s SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in T Austin Barber, who became UF’s first OL to score a TD in 300 games in the win at Mississippi State, as well as one of two FBS OL to score this season (more on Page 4).

• Florida owns the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, featuring eight Preseason AP Top-20 opponents.

• Dating back to the 2018 season, Napier ranks 15th in the FBS with 53 total victories. He has more wins than Mario Cristobal (52), Mike Norvell (51), Sonny Dykes (50) and Mark Stoops (50) in that time, among others.

• The Gators have won 14 of their last 20 games in The Swamp (including nine of 14), but are 3-16 in their last 19 contests outside The Swamp and 3-12 in their last 15 true road games.

• Florida boasts a 360-117-13 (.748) all-time record at The Swamp, holding the third-highest home winning percentage in the nation since 1990 with a 179-38 (.825) record.
» The Gators have outscored opponents, 8,099 to 3,557 in 217 games inside The Swamp since 1990, putting the average outcome at 37.3 to 16.4 (20.9 points).

• Week 6 vs. UCF marks the ninth straight sellout at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the 13th of the Napier era.

• Florida has scored in 452-consecutive games dating back to 1988 - an NCAA record and 53 games longer than any
other college football team in the history of the sport (
TCU, 399-straight games, active streak).

 

- MERTZ & LAGWAY LEAD TWO-QB SYSTEM -​

• Florida deployed a two-QB system for the second-straight game in Week 4, with QB Graham Mertz handling the first, second, fourth and fifth drives of each half and QB DJ Lagway taking the third and sixth possessions.

• The duo finished 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, hitting 10-different receivers.

• Mertz (218.0) and Lagway (191.2) both delivered a QB rating above 190.

• Mertz has posted his top-two QB ratings as a Gator vs. a P5 team in the last two weeks (197.9, 218.0).

• Mertz threw the only two incompletions (19-of-21, 201 yards, three TDs) in Week 4 to record the third-highest
completion percentage (90.5%) by a Gator ever while Lagway went a perfect 7-for-7 for 76 yards.

• Mertz reached 75 total touchdowns for his career, passing for three scores (62 career passing TDs) while rushing for one (13 career rushing TDs). He was the 10th active FBS player (sixth in P5) to eclipse 60 passing TDs.

• In his first SEC road game, Lagway led two scoring drives starting inside UF’s 10-yard line, becoming the first freshman QB to lead a pair of 90-plus-yard drives in a road SEC tilt since Jalen Hurts in 2016.

• Mertz has posted a completion % above 62.0% with at least one passing touchdown in 13 of his 14 starts at UF.

• The only game he fell short of those marks was the Week 1 loss to Miami.

• Making his first-career start in the Week 2 win over Samford, Lagway passed for the most yards ever (456) by,a Florida true freshman quarterback, breaking Chris Leak’s mark of 269 vs. Kentucky in 2003.

• Lagway’s 456 passing yards are the tied for the second-most in the FBS this season and rank ninth all-time at Florida (most since Emory Jones threw for 464 yards vs. Samford on Nov. 13, 2021).

• Lagway completed 18-of-25 passes (72.0%) highlighted by three touchdowns and a 264.8 rating.

• Lagway became Florida’s first true freshman starter at quarterback since Treon Harris in the 2014 Birmingham Bowl (UF’s seventh true freshman starter at quarterback overall).

• Mertz led the SEC with a program-record 72.9% completion percentage last season (third nationally).

• Mertz has thrown just four interceptions across his last 409 passes.

• Across his last nine games dating back to last season, Mertz has thrown for 2,170 passing yards (241.1 YPG), 193 completions, a 70.2% completion percentage, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions.

• Mertz has started all 46 games he has played since 2020, ranking third among active FBS QBs in that time.

 

- EXPERIENCED JOHNSON JR. LEADS RUSH ATTACK -​

• Entering with three rushing TDs on the season, RB Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed 15 times for 68 yards in Week 4 while adding three catches for 22 yards to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career.

• Florida rushed for a season-high 226 yards, eclipsing 200-plus yards for the first time in the 2024 season.

• Through five games, Johnson Jr. leads Florida with 234 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry.

• Johnson Jr. ranks 17th in the SEC in rushing YPG, t-ninth in rushing TDs and 23rd in yards per carry.

• Johnson Jr.’s 30 career rushing TDs are six more than any other active SEC player and sit t-eighth in the FBS.

• He owns 32 multi-purpose TDs (20 at UF: 18 rushing, two receiving).

• Johnson Jr. eclipsed 2,500 career rushing yards and 2,000 all-purpose yards at UF in Week 1.

• Johnson Jr. rushed for 100 yards for the ninth time in his career and for seventh time as a Gator in Week 1.

• Johnson Jr. is tied for ninth in the SEC (seventh among RBs) with 18 rushing touchdowns since 2022, including t-third among active SEC rushers.

• Last season, Johnson Jr. led UF in carries (152) and net rushing yardage (817) for the second-straight year.

• Florida has punched in a rushing touchdown in 11-consecutive games and in 24 of 29 contests since 2022.

 

THE IMPACT OF EUGENE ‘TRE’ WILSON III -​

• WR Eugene Wilson III paced UF with a career-high 141 yards on six catches and one touchdown in Week 2.

• Wilson III ranks 24th nationally with 185 yards after the catch despite missing each of the last two games.

• It marked his first-career 100-yard receiving game and his 141 yards came on 136 yards after the catch.

• It was the ninth time in the last 10 games that Wilson caught at least six passes.

• Wilson III’s 85-yard touchdown was Florida’s longest since Mark Thompson’s 85-yarder vs. Iowa in 2017.

• Since Week 4 vs. Vandy in 2023, Wilson III is averaging 6.9 catches and 69.4 YPG with seven TDs (10 games).

• In his last eight games, he has produced 561 yards on 54 catches including six TDs.

• Wilson III led all FBS true freshmen in receptions per game (6.1) in 2023 while ranking second in catches (61), t-second in receiving TDs (six), fourth in receiving YPG (53.8) and seventh in receiving yards (538).

• Wilson III was the first Florida true freshman to eclipse 500 receiving yards since Antonio Callaway in 2015.

• In Week 10 vs. Arkansas, Wilson III became the first true freshman receiver at Florida to record multiple touchdowns in a contest since Riley Cooper recorded three vs. Western Carolina on Nov. 18, 2006.

• Against Georgia in 2023, Wilson III set a UF freshman record with a career-high 11 receptions.

 

- THE 2024 RECEIVING ROOM -​

• Ten different Gators caught a pass in Week 4 while three caught TDs. Six players caught at least three balls.

• TE Arlis Boardingham put Florida on the board with his first TD reception of the season (fifth of career).

• WR Marcus Burke caught his first-career TD reception to put Florida ahead, 14-7, in the second quarter.

• Burke set a career high with four receptions for 45 yards (t-team high).

• TE Hayden Hansen hauled in his first TD catch of the season (third of career) to extend the UF lead to 21-7.

• WR Aidan Mizell had a career-high five catches for 36 yards and WR Andy Jean made his season debut.

• TE Tony Livingston made his first-career start and set career highs with three catches and 18 yards.

• WR Elijah Badger leads UF with 305 receiving yards (fourth in SEC), 76.3 YPG (fifth), 21.8 YPC (fourth) and 14 catches (25th).

• Badger has now caught a pass in 30-straight games, which ranks t-12th in the FBS.

• UF returned four of its top-five receivers in terms of receptions AND yardage in 2024: Eugene Wilson III (61 for 538), Boardingham (26 for 289), WR Kahleil Jackson (21 for 251) and RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (30 for 236).

• Three of the four to catch multiple TDs last year were freshmen: Wilson III (6), Boardingham (4) and Hansen (2).

• Florida had two 100-yard receivers vs. Samford in Wilson III (6 catches, 141 yards) and Badger (3 catches, 123 yards) for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022 at Vanderbilt (Daejon Reynolds & Justin Shorter).

• In Week 2, WR Tank Hawkins became the first UF true freshman to catch a TD pass for his first-career reception since Caleb Douglas vs. Eastern Washington in 2022

 

- BOLSTERING THE BACKFIELD -​

• Florida has rushed for 100-plus yards in three of four games this season and 23 of 29 contests since 2022.

• RB Ja’Kobi Jackson rushed for a TD for the second-straight game in Week 4 at MSU.

• RB Jadan Baugh ripped off a career-long 32-yard rush in the fourth quarter and finished with a career-high 53 yards rushing on four carries (13.3 YPC) in Week 4.

• Baugh and RB KD Daniels made their college debuts in Week 1 while RB Treyaun Webb scored his third-career TD.

• Acting as Johnson Jr.’s primary backup, sophomore Webb rushed 26 times for 163 yards and one touchdown in 2023 while pacing UF with 6.3 yards per carry. He also added four catches for 18 yards.

• Webb is one of seven FBS sophomore running backs to post over 6.2 YPC on at least 25 carries last season.

• True freshman RBs Baugh (No. 342 recruit per On3) and Daniels (No. 168 recruit per On3), along with Coahoma CC transfer Jackson, slot in on the depth chart behind Webb.

• Jackson started nine games at CCC in 2022, leading the team in rushing yards (661), TDs (7) and YPG (73.4).

 

- SLAUGHTER HIGHLIGHTS O-LINE PLAY -​

• As a member of the Preseason Rimington Trophy Watch List, C Jake Slaughter rated as the No. 9 center in the FBS last season (out of 295) with a 77.8 grade, per PFF. He played a grand total of 622 snaps.

• This season, Slaughter ranks eighth out of 281 FBS centers through Week 4 with a 78.3 grade.

• Slaughter leads ALL FBS centers with a 90.3 pass block grade this season.

• Slaughter has not allowed a QB pressure across 236 snaps so far in 2024 (nine in 833 career snaps).

• Slaughter allowed two sacks in the 2023 season opener at Utah, but has not allowed a single sack since then. He allowed just two QB hits all year long, both of which came in the final two weeks of the year.

• In Week 4, OL Austin Barber became UF’s first OL to score a TD in 300 games (Thomas Moody vs. South Carolina on Nov. 11, 2000). He is one of two FBS OL to score this season (Brandon Henderson, Illinois).

• Florida has allowed 61 sacks in 29 games under HC Billy Napier, which ranks ninth-lowest in the SEC.

• Across the last four seasons (2021-24), Florida’s 75 sacks allowed are the t-35th-fewest in the FBS and fourth-least in the SEC. During that span, the Gators have out-sacked opponents by a plus-15 margin (90-75).

 

- OFFENSIVE GRAB BAG -​

• Over the last five seasons (2020-24), Florida ranks 12th in the P5 and sixth in the SEC with 449.1 YPG.

• Since 2018, UF ranks ninth in the P5 in passing efficiency (153.3) and 14th in TD-INT ratio (2.86).

• The Gators have totaled 500-plus yards in seven of the last 26 games and in 19 of their last 53 contests.

• In Week 4 at MSU, the Gators eclipsed 400 yards for the 14th time since the start of 2022 (first of 2024).

• Florida has amassed 400-plus total yards 31 times in its last 51 games including 44 of the last 70 contests.

• With 226 yards at MSU, UF rushed for 200 yards 18 times since 2021 including 12 occasions in the Napier era.

• Florida has scored 40 points 10 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including six times in the Napier era.

• Florida has scored 30 points 21 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including 15 times in the Napier era

 

- YOUTH + NEW FACES MAKE UP FLORIDA D -​

• A mixture of second-year players, highly-touted true freshmen and transfers make up the 2024 Gators defense.

• The trio of sophomore defenders ILB Grayson Howard (1st, 20), DB Jordan Castell (T3, 17) and EDGE T.J. Searcy (T3, 17) are among the Gators top tacklers.

• Howard (3rd, 81.3) and Searcy (2nd, 84.4) are joined by fellow sophomore ILB Jaden Robinson, who owns UF’s best tackler grade (86.2) per PFF.

• They have combined for 375 snaps played and have only missed one tackle combined.

• Oregon transfer DB Trikweze Bridges is second on the team in tackles with 18 as he posted a team and career-high 10 tackles at Mississippi State along with a forced fumble and pass breakup.

• Through four games, eight defensive players have made their first starts for the Gators with six making their first collegiate starts in DB Sharif Denson, DB Aaron Gates, EDGE George Gumbs Jr., ILB Grayson Howard, DB
Ja’Keem Jackson, EDGE Kamran James and EDGE T.J. Searcy.

• Of 44 starting opportunities on defense this year, 22 have been by underclassmen (50%) and nine from transfers

• Castell, Howard and James have all started every game this season

• Additionally, 12 players have made their collegiate debuts and 18 their Florida debuts.

• In Week 1, Howard led the team in tackles with six (three solo) including a solo stop on third down at Florida’s five-yard line to hold Miami to a field goal.
» He earned a PFF grade of 80.5 in Week 1, the highest among Gators defenders.

• Gumbs Jr. recorded three solo tackles, which all were tackles-for-loss, including a solo sack for an eight-yard loss along with a QB hurry vs. Samford in Week 2.
» He ranks second on the team with 3.0 tackles-for-loss (-15 yards) and t-second in sacks with 1.0 (-8 yards) in his second season as a defense player after three seasons at Northern Illinois - 1 at WR, 1 at TE and 1 at DE.

• After only playing four games and redshirting last season, DB Aaron Gates flashed in Weeks 2 & 3.
» Against Samford, he had two tackles with a fumble recovery on the opening drive and a pass breakup.
» He recorded his first-career tackle-for-loss against Texas A&M (-2 yards) and had a solo tackle that held an Aggie pass to zero yards, all coming in the opening drive of the game.

• Denson got the start in Week 4 vs. Mississippi State for an injured Gates at STAR and had an all-around performance.
» He had career-bests with seven tackles (five solo), 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a strip sack, forced fumble and a pass breakup.

• Through four games and 57 snaps, true freshman EDGE LJ McCray has six tackles, two quarterback hurries, and 0.5 tackles-for-loss while leading a goal-line stand at Mississippi State in the fourth quarter.

• In Week 4 at Mississippi State, true freshman and the 2023 MaxPreps Maryland HS Player of the Year, ILB Aaron Chiles, collected his first-career sack for a loss of 10 yards.

 

- CASTELL IMPRESSIVE FROM DAY ONE -​

• UF true freshman S Jordan Castell began his legacy among Gator Nation in his first season.

• Playing in all 12 games in 2023, he started the last 11 contests of the campaign. In his first start vs. McNeese in Week 2, he tallied three tackles and played the most snaps among defensive players (27).

• The first-year player finished as the team-leader in tackles with 60 total; 30 assisted and 30 solo.

• He also added 1.5 tackles-for-loss (-11 yards), three pass breakups and one interception.

• Castell’s season performance in tackles ranked tied for 35th in the SEC and fourth among true freshmen, trailing Alabama’s Caleb Downs (99), South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore (76) and Texas A&M’s Taurean York (66).

• He collected a trio of postseason honors in being named Freshman All-SEC, ESPN All-America and CFN
Freshman All-America Honorable Mention.

• Castell was also named to the FWWA (Football Writers Association of America) Midseason Freshman All-America Watch List.

• The Orlando native played the most defensive snaps on the team with 660 and was one of two UF players (Jason Marshall Jr. / 651) to play 600-plus snaps.

• There were only 51 total defensive plays that Castell did not play.

• He accumulated a total of 751 snaps played in 2023 (51 on special teams), marking the only defensive player to play in 700-plus snaps.

• According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Castell finished with a 75.7 grade, ranking fifth among FBS true freshman and second in the SEC behind Alabama’s Caleb Downs.

• His Week 3 performance in the 29-16 victory over No. 11 Tennessee earned him a pair of weekly honors in SEC Freshman of the Week and Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week.

• He had his first of two double-digit tackle games with a team-high 10 tackles and one pass breakup.

• Against Arkansas, Castell recorded his first-career interception to end Arkansas’ last drive of the first quarter and also finished with a career-high 11 tackles

• He was the first UF true freshman to register an interception since Marshall Jr. vs. Florida State in 2021.

 

- HOUSTON’S GAMECHANGERS AMONG NATION’S BEST -​

• This offseason, the Gatoatars added senior special teams analyst Joe Houston to the fold. He comes from the New England Patriots after spending four seasons (2020-23) as a special teams assistant.ns (2

• Houston has helped launch the Gators to rank No. 1 in the FBS in special teams for the third-consecutive week by ESPN’s SP+ metric while ranking nationally in multiple categories.

• Florida ranks third in the FBS in net punting (45.54), t-10th in punt return defense (0.50), t-17th in kick return average (24.67) and 20th in punt return average (16.67).

• P Jeremy Crawshaw is the NCAA’s active career leader in punt average at 46.5, leading by a 1.1 yards.

• In 13 punts this season, Crawshaw is averaging 45.69 yards per punt with four of 50-plus yards, seven inside the 20-yard line and two 61-yard punts.

• Against Texas A&M, he had one punt downed at the one-yard and another at the eight-yard line.

• Crawshaw set the single-season program record with 48.9 yards per punt last season and was named an AP All-SEC Second Team selection.

• The 46.7 yards per attempt made Crawshaw the all-time program leader in career average punting yardage, passing Johnny Townsend (46.2) and Tommy Townsend (44.8).

• He has punted 144 times in his career for an average of 46.6 per attempt, 14 60-plus yards, 59 50-plus yards, 58 inside the 20-yard line and 51 fair catches. His 144 attempts now rank ninth all-time at UF, passing Bill Conover.

• True Freshman RB Jadan Baugh has shined as the Gators primary kick returner, averaging 30.0 yards per return in four attempts. He is one of two SEC players to own two 30-yard plus kick returns and one of 27 in the FBS, holding the honor as of one of three freshmen to accomplish the feat.
» He highlighted his collegiate debut with a 35-yard kickoff return against Miami, which marked Florida’s longest kickoff return since 2022.
» Baugh had another 30-plus yard kick return with a 31-yarder in Week 2 vs. Samford and then added two
27-yard returns vs. Texas A&M despite receiving both in the endzone.

• Veteran WR Chimere Dike has been productive in both phases of the punt game.
» He ranks third in the SEC and 10th in the FBS in yards per return with 16.7, owning a long of 35 yards.
» The 35-yard return at Mississippi State tied his career high and set up a two-play, 44-yard TD drive.
» Dike downed a punt vs. Texas A&M on the one-yard line and one on the three-yard line against Miami.

• K Trey Smack took over kicking duties in Florida’s 29-16 win vs. No. 11 Tennessee in Week 3 last season and went on to be a Lou Groza Award Semifinalist, making 17-of-21 FGs (81.0%) with a pair of 54-yarders.

• Smack is a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 16-for-16 on PATs so far in the 2024 season.

• He made all five FG attempts vs. Charlotte [23, 23, 27, 36, 54] last year and drilled seven touchbacks on all seven attempts. He became the first Gator to make five field goals in a single game since Eddy Pineiro in 2017.

• Smack was also perfect in kickoffs for three-straight weeks with 13-consecutive touchbacks vs. Tennessee and Charlotte, then again vs. No. 1 Georgia, going 4-for-4.

• LS Rocco Underwood owns two solo tackles on punts highlighted by holding an MSU return to zero yards.

• Underwood is tied for the FBS lead with two tackles at the LS position as one of five LS with two solo tackles.

 

- 2023 YOUTH MOVEMENT LOOKBACK -​

• The 2023 Florida defense featured a majority of underclassmen (two seasons or fewer) making an impact.

• Then-freshman S Jordan Castell finished as the team-leader in tackles with 60 while LB Shemar James ranked second with 55 and Bryce Thornton seventh with 34.

• James (5.5) ranked second in TFLs while true freshmen EGDE T.J. Searcy (3.5) and S Bryce Thornton (3.5) tied for sixth. RS freshman DL Jamari Lyons (2.5) placed 10th.

• Searcy was UF’s best tackler with a 87.5 PFF grade, as he did not miss a tackle across 250 defensive snaps.

• Freshmen CB Ja’Keem Jackson and Castell were third on the team in pass breakups with three each.

• The duo of Castell (660 snaps) and James (395 snaps) ranked first and seventh in total defensive snaps.

• A combined 56 starts came from players in their second season or less.

• 24 starts were made by true freshmen on both offense and defense - Castell (11), Eugene Wilson III (7), Thornton (4), OL Knijeah Harris (1) and LB Jaden Robinson (1).

• Castell started at safety in each of the last 11 games as fellow true freshman Thornton started alongside him four times, signifying Florida’s first game starting two true freshmen at safety in the last 25 years (Week 6 vs.
Vandy). The duo started again vs. Arkansas along with first-year Robinson.

• The 15 combined starts by Castell and Thornton were the most in the FBS by true-freshman DBs.

• Florida’s true freshman DBs accounted for 1,759 total snaps - again the most in the FBS.

• Then-freshman CB Aaron Gates made his collegiate debut and made two crucial plays at South Carolina - a tackle to stop a two-point conversion and an interception on the lateral on the last play of the game.

• The debut by Gates marked the 11th out of 12 Class of 2023 defensive players to play last season and the 17th out of 21 total signees to appear in a game.

• Eight of the 12 played in all 12 games while the class totaled 1,969 defensive snaps: (EDGE Kelby Collins, Castell, CB Sharif Denson, EDGE Kamran James, CB Dijon Johnson, Robinson, Searcy and Thornton).