OGT: FLORIDA vs. Tulane -- Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa) -- December 20, 2024 @ 3:30 PM [ESPN2]

Our last chance to enjoy this 2024 team . . .

 

Florida Gators (7-5, 4-4 SEC) vs. Tulane Green Wave (9-4, 7-1 AAC)
December 20 // 3:30 p.m. ET // Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium (75,000)

ESPN2 Play-by-Play:
Anish Shroff Analyst:
Andrew Ware Reporter:
Paul Carcaterra
Channel (Cox): 27 [HD] Channel (DirecTV): 200 [HD]

Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD:
Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Shane Matthews
Reporter: Tate Casey

Bowl Season Radio National Broadcast:
Play-by-Play: Bill Roth
Analyst: John Denton
Reporter: Bridget Howard
Sirius Channel: 139 or 204

 

SERIES HISTORY:

Overall: Florida leads, 13-6-2

Last Meeting: Florida 63, Tulane 21 (Sept. 15, 1984 - Gainesville)

Recent History: Florida, W11 Florida 11-0-1 since 1947
In Gainesville: Florida leads, 7-2
In New Orleans: Florida leads, 5-3-2
In Tampa: Tied, 1-1


NUMBERS OF NOTE:

5-1 / 32.5 / 6.7

Florida is 5-1 in games started by true freshman QB DJ Lagway, with the lone loss being to No. 2 Georgia, a game which the Gators led prior to Lagway departing due to injury. That means Florida is 5-0 in games Lagway starts and finishes. The Gators are outscoring opponents, 32.5 PPG to 17.5 PPG (195-105), and averaging 6.7 yards per play to opponents’ 4.6 yards per play, in the six games Lagway has started.

 

THE OPENING DRIVE:

• Florida and Tulane match up for the 22nd time and first since 1984 in the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.

• This is Florida’s second appearance in the Gasparilla Bowl, previously playing in the event in 2021 (UCF 29, UF 17).

• Florida and Tulane first faced off on Nov. 18, 1915 in Gainesville, with the Gators prevailing, 14-7.

• After a 2-6-2 start in the series from 1915-1947, Florida has won 11-straight against Tulane for a 13-6-2 series lead.

• The Gators’ last loss to the Green Wave was over 78 years ago - a 27-13 defeat in New Orleans on Oct. 5, 1946.

• This is the third matchup between Florida and Tulane in Tampa (tied at 1-1). Florida is 28-15-3 all-time in Tampa.

• Florida has an all-time record of 24-24 across 48 bowl appearances dating back through 1953.

• The Gators are 8-5 in bowls since 2009 and 10-6 since 2006 - going for their first win since the 2019 Orange Bowl.

• This is Florida’s sixth bowl appearance in the last seven seasons, and ninth in the last 11 campaigns.

• Gators HC Billy Napier is 2-2 all-time in bowl games: 2022 Las Vegas Bowl (L), 2018 Cure Bowl (L), 2019-20 LendingTree Bowl (W), 2020 First Responder Bowl (W).

• Florida closed out the regular season with three-straight victories (def. No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss, FSU) for the first time since the 2019 campaign (def. Vanderbilt, Missouri and FSU).

• Florida has outscored its opponents by 38 points (82-44) across its three-game winning streak (12.7 PPG).

• Florida posted back-to-back upset wins over AP Top 25 opponents (No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss) as an unranked team for the first time since Oct. 11-18, 2003 (No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Arkansas) - first time accomplished in two home games.

• Of the 37 upsets by unranked teams in the regular season, Florida was one of six with multiple top-25 wins.

• This is the first meeting between Napier and Tulane HC Jon Sumrall as head coaches (more on Page 21).

• The Gators have recorded a takeaway in nine-straight games and have forced a turnover in 11 of 12 overall.

• QB DJ Lagwayis set to join Wayne Peace (W, 1980 Tangerine Bowl), Chris Leak (L, 2004 Outback Bowl) and Treon Harris (W, 2015 Birmingham Bowl) as the fourth UF true freshman quarterback to start a bowl game (2-1 record).

• Lagway leads all FBS passers with at least 100 attempts with a 97.3 passing grade on deep throws (20-plus yards).

• Florida started a true freshman QB and RB in Lagway and RB Jadan Baugh for the second time in program history in Week 12 vs. LSU, and is now 2-0 with the only two FBS wins this season while starting a true freshman backfield.

• Florida is one of two teams in the country with two qualified receivers averaging 19.0 yards per catch in WR Elijhah Badger (fifth - 21.3) and WR Chimere Dike (17th - 19.1), with the other being East Carolina.

• Led by first-year senior analyst Joe Houston, Florida ranks eighth in the FBS in net punting (43.05), 17th in punt return average (13.36) and 41st in punt return defense (5.47), and has been inside the top-13 all season in ESPN’s SP+ metric.

• Florida has allowed just 19 sacks, grading as the 18th-best pass blocking team in the nation with a 79.9 PFF grade.

• C Jake Slaughtergrades as the No. 5 center in the FBS (81.2) and has the sixth-best run block grade (79.1).

• Since 2018, Napier is tied for 12th in the FBS with 58 total wins (10th among active head coaches).

• The Gators have won 18 of their last 24 games in The Swamp (including 13 of 18), but are 4-19 in their last 23 contests outside of The Swamp and 4-14 in their last 18 true road games.

• Florida has scored in an NCAA-record 460-consecutive games dating back to 1988.

 

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THE DJ IS ROCKIN' -- THE LAGWAY FILE:

• The top true freshman quarterback and best deep-ball passer in the country resides in Gainesville.

• Making his sixth-career start (5-1) in Week 14, true freshman QB DJ Lagway was 14-of-22 (63.6%) for 133 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for a 135.3 rating, improving to 5-0 in games he starts and finishes.

• Although Lagway was Florida’s fifth true freshman quarterback to start against Florida State, he became the first of that contingent to defeat the Seminoles. • The rookie threw multiple touchdowns for the second-straight week (third time this season) and has passed for nine touchdowns to four interceptions in his six starts.

• Lagway leads all true freshman quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts with a 159.6 rating - 15.8 points higher than the next-closest true freshman passer (Marcel Reed, Texas A&M).

• Lagway has finished with a rating above 135.0 in five-straight games and over 150.0 in six different contests (264.8 vs. Samford, 191.2 vs. MSU, 205.0 vs. UCF, 191.1 vs. UK, 154.1 vs. UGA, 174.8 vs. Ole Miss).

• In Week 13 vs. No. 9 Ole Miss, Lagway completed 10-of-17 passes for 180 yards, two TDs and one pick (174.8 rating) to lead UF to its second-straight top-25 upset (vs. No. 21 LSU, vs. No. 9 Ole Miss).

• Lagway is the third Gators true freshman QB to start at home vs. a Top 25 opponent and the first QB to win, doing so in consecutive weeks with signature victories over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss.

• Lagway leads all qualified FBS passers with a 97.3 grade on deep throws (20-plus yards) this season.

• He has totaled 14 big-time throws to just one turnover-worthy play on deep balls. • Lagway completed his 12th pass of 40-plus yards this year on a 41-yard strike to WR Chimere Dikein Week 13.

• Lagway had five completions of 40-plus yards in each of his first two career starts (vs. Samford, vs. UK).

• No other Florida quarterback has completed five passes of 40-plus yards in a game in the last 20 years.

• Week 13 was the fifth time (fourth QB) a UF true freshman QB beat a top-10 team (first since 2014 vs. UGA).

• Lagway is the second UF true freshman QB to start vs. three ranked teams in a season (other is Chris Leak).

• In his first SEC road game at MSU, 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.

• 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 tied for the seventh-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).

• This season, 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).

• Florida started three different quarterbacks this season for the first time since 2017 (Franks, Zaire, Del Rio).

 

FLORIDA'S THREE GAME FINISH:

• In the last three games, UF has outscored teams, 82-44, while forcing 12 fumbles (to just one on offense).

• Additional stat comparisons over the last three: 5.1 YPC (3.0 YPC), 18 sacks (six), five rushing TDs (one).

• UF won back-to-back games vs. the top 25 for the first time since Sept. 29-Oct. 6, 2018 (No. 23 MSU, No. 5 LSU).

• The win vs. No. 9 Ole Miss marked UF’s first home victory as a double-digit underdog and UF’s secondlargest upset win overall in the last 45 seasons (behind topping No. 16 LSU as a 14-point road dog in 2016).

• Florida posted back-to-back upset wins vs. AP Top 25 opponents (No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss) as an unranked team for the first time since Oct. 11-18, 2003 (No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Arkansas) - first time in two home games.

• Florida’s victory over No. 9 Ole Miss marked the Gators’ highest-ranked SEC win as an unranked team in over 10 years - since defeating No. 9 Georgia, 38-20, on Nov. 1, 2014 - en route to earning 2024 bowl eligibility.

• Florida delivered its third and fourth wins vs. the AP Top 25 of the Napier era as an unranked team and has won at least one ranked game in all three years of his tenure, including a pair of top-10 victories.

 

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BADGER & DIKE -- AMONG THE BEST IN THE BIZ:

• Florida’s receiving duo of Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike is among the best in the FBS.

• The two Gators are among 11 FBS players averaging over 56.0 yards per game and 19.0 yards per reception.

• Badger and Dike represent one of two FBS receiver duos to eclipse each of those thresholds (East Carolina).

• Badger leads Florida with 789 receiving yards (ninth in SEC), 37 receptions and four receiving touchdowns.

• Badger is fifth in the FBS (second in SEC) with 21.3 YPC and fifth in the SEC with 71.7 YPG.

• Badger’s 789 receiving yards already rank third behind Kadarius Toney (984) and Ricky Pearsall (964) across Florida’s last 10 seasons.

• Badger has caught touchdowns in two of the last three games since returning from injury.

• Meanwhile, Dike ranks fifth in the SEC and 17th in the FBS in YPC (19.1), and 14th in the SEC in YPG (57.3).

• Badger owns three 100-yard games this season (team high) and seven total in his career.

• Florida is one of five SEC teams with multiple receivers with over 55.0 YPG (LSU, Ole Miss, Mizzou, Bama).

• Badger extended his streak to 37-straight games with a catch vs. FSU (10th-longest active streak).

• Badger finished with three catches for a career-high 148 yards (49.3 YPC) in the Week 8 win over Kentucky

 

SLAUGHTER LEADS TOP 20 PASS PRO:

• Florida has not allowed a sack in four separate games this season including the Week 12 win vs. LSU.

• The Gators have given up just 19 sacks all season, which ranks thirdin the SEC and 48th nationally.

• UF grades as the No. 18 pass blocking team in the FBS (79.9) and is third in the SEC behind Texas and Georgia.

• Across the team’s three-game winning streak, Florida has allowed just 12 tackles for loss and six sacks while tallying 34 TFLs and 18 sacks on defense.

• Entering Bowl Season, C Jake Slaughter ranks fifth among FBS centers with an 81.2 grade.

• Slaughter ranks top-25 nationally in both run blocking (sixth, 79.1) and pass blocking (21st, 83.8).

• Slaughter has allowed one sack, one QB hit, six hurries and just eight pressures in 363 pass block snaps.

• RT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson has allowed one sack, zero QB hits and 12 pressures in 337 pass block snaps.

• Crenshaw-Dickson’s 81.1 pass block grade ranks 39th among FBS offensive tackles.

• In Week 4, OL Austin Barber became UF’s first OL with a TD in 300 games.

• Florida has allowed 75 sacks in 37 games under HC Billy Napier, ranking sixth-lowest in the SEC.

• Across the last four seasons (2021-24), Florida’s 89 sacks allowed are the 37th-fewest in the FBS and fifthleast in the SEC. During that span, the Gators have out-sacked opponents by a plus-31 margin (120-89).

 

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR'S STELLAR CAREER:

• Owning six rushing TDs, 593 rushing yards, 65.9 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry on the season, RB Montrell Johnson Jr. eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards with a 65-yard TD scamper in the fourth quarter vs. FSU in Week 14, becoming one of 17 active FBS players to do so including one of four in the SEC.

• Johnson Jr. made his second-straight start (eighth of season) back from injury and rushed 10 times for 99 yards (9.9 YPC) and one touchdown in Week 14, marking his 33rd career rushing score (35 total TDs).

• He made his seventh start of the season vs. Ole Miss, rushing 18 times for a season-high 107 yards (5.9 YPC) while scoring his 20th rushing touchdown as a Gator.

• Johnson Jr. rushed for 100-plus yards for the 10th time in his career and eighth time as a Gator in Week 13.

• Johnson Jr. exited in the second half of the Week 7 loss before missing Weeks 8, 10 & 11 to injury.

• Johnson Jr. owns 33 career rushing TDs (21 at Florida), which is the most of any active SEC rusher.

• He has totaled 35 multi-purpose TDs (23 at Florida: 21 rushing, two receiving).

• In Week 4, UF rushed for a season-high 226 yards, eclipsing 200-plus yards for the first time this season.

• Johnson Jr. is tied for eighth in the SEC (t-seventh among RBs) with 21 rushing touchdowns since 2022, including t-fourth among active SEC rushers.

 

NEW BELLCOWS BE BAUGHLIN':

• True freshman RB Jadan Baugh ran 11 times for 81 yards (7.4 YPC) in Week 14 vs. FSU, accounting for four of Florida’s 10 explosive plays with rushes of 21, 12, 27 and 14 yards.

• In Week 13 vs. Ole Miss, Baugh carried 13 times for 46 yards while catching his first receiving TD.

• Baugh’s eight total TDs in the last six games are highlighted by a record-setting, five TD game in Week 8.

• RB Ja’Kobi Jackson put the Gators on the board with his sixth-rushing touchdown of the season vs. FSU.

• Five of Jackson’s six rushing scores have come in SEC play.

• Jackson rushed six times for 37 yards (6.2 YPC) and gave UF its first lead over LSU in Week 12 with a one yard TD rush in the fourth quarter.

• With a season-high 235 ground yards vs. FSU, Florida has combined for 1,515 rushing yards in the last nine games for 168.3 YPG.

• Baugh rushed 88 times for 450 yards in the last six games, with 261 of those yards after contact (58.0%).

• On the season, 371 of Baugh’s team-leading 603 rushing yards have come after contact (61.5%).

• Making his first-career start in Week 8 vs. Kentucky, Baugh scored the first-five rushing TDs of his career and finished with 22 carries for 106 yards (first-career 100-yard game) to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

• Baugh’s five rushing TDs are tied for the most in a game in program history (Trey Burton vs. UK in 2010, Tim Tebow vs. South Carolina in 2007) and are the most ever by a Gator in his first-career start.

• Baugh became the first UF true freshman with at least three rushing TDs in a game since QB Trey Burton also had five vs. Kentucky on Sept. 25, 2010 (five ties true freshman record).

• Jackson scored the first three rushing TDs of his career in three-straight games vs. Texas A&M, MSU and UCF.

• Florida has rushed for 100-plus yards in 11 of 12 games this season and 31 of 37 contests since 2022.

• Florida has scored a rushing TD in 11 of 12 games this season, and 31 of 37 games in the Napier era.

 

YOUTH AND NEW FACES MAKE UP FLORIDA D:

• A mixture of second-year players, highly-touted true freshmen and transfers headline the 2024 UF defense.

• Oregon transfer DB Trikweze Bridges leads the team in tackles with a career-high 69 (37 solo) to carry a stat line of six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one interception and one tackles-for-loss. He ranks 23rd in the SEC in total tackles, fifth among defensive backs.

• Bridges started the last seven games with four-straight starts at corner after his first three were at safety.
» He had his third game of 10-plus tackles vs. Ole Miss, tying his career high (11) for the second time this season
» Bridges had two breakups at Florida State, totaling four in the last three outings (one in each game).

• Along with Bridges, DB Jordan Castell played every snap in back-to-back games vs. LSU (93) & Ole Miss (79).

• Bridges has played every single defensive snap but two in the last three games (246 of 248).

• For the second straight season, Castell leads the team in snaps with 788 after a team-best 751 last season.

• DB Dijon Johnson and DB Bryce Thornton nearly played every snap the last two SEC games (vs. LSU & Ole Miss), as Thornton missed just one while Johnson missed four.

• Against No. 9 Ole Miss, sophomore DBs highlighted the final three plays of the game: first down - pass breakup by DB Sharif Denson, second down- pass breakup by Johnson, third down – game-sealing INT by Thornton.

• Of the 132 starting opportunities on defense this year, a combined 55 (42 %) have come from underclassmen highlighted by five starts each in the last four games consecutively. » Across the last two seasons, 122 out of 264 starts (46%) have been by underclassmen.

• 51% of Florida’s defensive snaps this season have been by underclassmen, as last year 58% were logged by underclassmen, including 25% by freshmen alone. » A combined 54% of defensive snaps have been recorded by underclassmen from 2023-24.

• A total of 15 players made their first UF starts while eight made their first collegiate starts in 2024.

• Out of the 10-most-snaps played on defense for the Gators this year, five are underclassmen and two are offseason transfers in Bridges (second) and EDGE George Gumbs Jr. (10th).
» Others: Castell (first), Johnson (third), Denson (fifth), Thornton (seventh) & ILB Jaden Robinson (ninth

• Gumbs Jr. is second on UF in tackles-for-loss with 8.0 (-41 yards) and sacks with 5.0 (-29 yards) in just his second full season on defense after three seasons at Northern Illinois; one at WR, one at TE and one at DE.

• Four of the Gators top-eight tacklers are by second-year players: Castell (fourth), Robinson (fifth), Thornton (sixth) and ILB Grayson Howard (8th).

• Through just 148 defensive snaps, true freshman EDGE LJ McCray has is third on the team with five QB hurries in addition to 12.0 tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, 0.5 sacks while leading a goal-line stand at MSU in the fourth quarter.

• True freshman / Gator legacy ILB Myles Graham has emerged at linebacker over the last five games. At Florida State, he had two tackles highlighted by one tackle-for-loss, one stop and one QB hurry on the same drive.
» He assisted on tackles to stop No. 9 Ole Miss on fourth down twice in the redzone: 10-yard line & 11-yard line.
» He made his first-career sack vs. No. 2 Georgia, which was a 10-yard loss on third and two in the fourth quarter.
» Graham then forced his first-career fumble at No. 5 Texas that led to a Gators touchdown drive.
» Against No. 21 LSU, he played a season-high 31 snaps and had season-best seven tackles with two stops while grading as the Gators best defensive player and tackler according to PFF.

• Graham has played the second-most snaps (157) among SEC freshman linebackers with fellow freshman LB Aaron Chiles ranking third (113).

• Graham leads all freshman linebackers with nine stops.

 

BANKS CASHING IN:

• DL Caleb Banks led the defensive line efforts and stuffed the stat sheet in wins over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss.

• The Louisville transfer and second-year Gator made seven tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss (-26 yards), 3.5 sacks (-22 yards), two forced fumbles, four quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.

• Prior to those games, he had career stats of 5.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and five QB hurries.

• He joined the Gators in 2023 after only playing 47 career snaps in two seasons for the Cardinals.

• Against No. 9 Ole Miss, he finished with a career-high 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss with a quarterback hurry and pass breakup.

• Banks sacked Jaxson Dart for a 7-yard loss on third down to force an Ole Miss punt on their opening drive.

• In the fourth quarter, Banks forced the Rebels to punt again with two third down stops: one was tackle-for-loss (-4 yards) on an option play and he also contributed to a sack (-6 yards).

• Banks had three tackles, 1.0 sack, two forced fumbles, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery vs. LSU.

• According to PFF, he has led all DTs in quarterback pressures the last two weeks with eight vs. LSU and even against Ole Miss.

 

JUST HOW GOOD WERE THE LAST 3 WEEKS:

• After allowing its most points (49) in a game this season at Texas, the Gators defense is back on track, grabbing momentum from when it started in Week 5 vs. UCF, putting together its best stretch statistically.

• In the past three games, Florida has combined for 34 tackles-for-loss, 18 sacks, 15 pass breakups, 13 quarterback hurries, eight forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and two interceptions while only allowing 14.7 points per game.

• Florida jumped from 47th to t-seventh in the FBS in sacks and 78th to t-24th in TFLs to finish the regular-season.

• The 18 sacks and 34 tackles-for-loss were both the most in the FBS across the last three weeks of the regular season (3 GP).

• In the last three games, opponents reached the redzone seven times and only scored 14 total points (2 FG, 1 TD).
» The four other red zone trips featured two fourth down stops, one fumble recovery and one missed field goal.

• UF has forced -150 rushing yards in the final three weeks (3 GP), the most by an FBS team (opponents = 3.0 YPC).
» Against FSU, the Seminoles averaged just 2.25 YPC and had 99 total rushing yards, marking the eighth time this season Florida has limited a team to under 150 rushing yards in a game.
» UF allowed its first rushing touchdown in two weeks at FSU in the fourth quarter - FSU’s lone touchdown of the game.
» The Gators are one of eight teams to only allow one rushing score in the final three weeks of the regular season (3 GP).
» Over the last three games, when opponents rush the ball, there is a 28% chance it will go for negative yards and a 31% mark for zero or negative yards.
» Florid held opponents to 368 total net rushing yards with the longest rush at 35 yards.

• In seven of the last eight games, the Gators have not allowed an opponent to rush over 150 yards.

• The season-high in sacks (8) and tackles-for-loss (14) came at FSU, the Gators’ most in the last five seasons.

• EDGE Tyreak Sapp led the effort with his third-consecutive game of 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack.

• Sapp leads the team in tackles-for-loss (13.0) and sacks (7.0), already tripling his career totals across two seasons of just 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks.
» He ranks as the third-highest-graded SEC edge defender and is 12th in FBS per Pro Football Focus.

• Florida forced and recovered five fumbles vs. FSU, the team’s most since at least 2000 and one back of the program record of six – last occurred vs. Vanderbilt in 1993.
» The five total takeaways were a season high and sixth-most since 1996 in single game for UF.
» Five turnovers gained is just one behind the most in the FBS (six) this season by six different schools.

• A total of three takeaways were obtained by Florida vs. No. 9 Ole Miss: two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
» DB Bryce Thornton picked off Jaxson Dart in the endzone with 1:32 remaining and then sealed the win with a second interception with 0:17 left. His 14 tackles (5 solo) were a career-high and most in a game by a Gator this season. Thornton’s two interceptions made him one of five SEC players to have two in conference play this season.

• Florida had a six-sack performance against an LSU offensive line that entered the week fourth in the FBS (first in the SEC) in sacks allowed per game, and entered the game allowing six sacks all season.

• The defensive efforts vs. the No. 21 Tigers earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for LB Shemar James, who had a team-high 11 tackles (five solo), a career-high two sacks and two pass breakups.

• LSU was held to an average of 2.9 yards per carry and 128 total rushing yards.
» Florida forced -62 rushing yards, a season-high and tied for eighth-most by an SEC team (29th in FBS this season).
» In the second half, LSU was held to 52 total rushing yards on 24 attempts (2.2 YPC).