The Florida vs Texas preview for Saturday centers on two teams trying to halt a slide. No. 7 Texas (4-1) hosts Florida (4-2) at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, with both programs coming off losses in Week 6. Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC.
Texas fell to Oklahoma 27-24 in the Red River Rivalry, dropping from its spot atop the rankings to No. 7 in the AP Poll. Florida was beaten 38-19 by South Carolina, its second straight defeat after also losing to Missouri the week before. The Gators enter unranked after consecutive setbacks, while Texas still carries a top-10 ranking into a stretch the program has described as five straight games against SEC opponents that entered the season ranked in the AP Top 25, according to Sports Illustrated.
The matchup also carries a recruiting subplot. Five-star 2027 wide receiver Easton Royal flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida on Sunday, six days before this game, a move Total Apex Sports covered in detail.
Florida Vs Texas Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Venue: DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
- TV: ABC
- Weather: 60 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Florida 41.7, Texas 31.4
- Total yards per game: Florida 473.8, Texas 379.2
- Passing yards per game: Florida 273.5, Texas 237.0
- Rushing yards per game: Florida 200.3, Texas 142.2
- Third-down conversion rate: Florida 45.21%, Texas 44.59%
- Turnover differential: Florida plus-3, Texas plus-1
- Sacks allowed per game: Florida 1.3, Texas 2.4
- Yards per rush attempt: Florida 5.0, Texas 3.7
Florida Gators Outlook
Florida arrives at 4-2 after consecutive losses, falling 45-17 at Missouri before the 38-19 defeat to South Carolina, a game Total Apex Sports detailed in its recap of the Missouri result. Despite the skid, the Gators’ offensive numbers remain strong. Florida is averaging 41.7 points and 473.8 total yards per game, with quarterback Aaron Philo completing 105 of 149 passes for 1,341 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions on the season.
Running back Jadan Baugh has been the engine of that attack, carrying 110 times for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns, a 6.1-yard average that helps explain Florida’s 200.3 rushing yards per game. Wide receiver Dallas Wilson leads the receiving corps with 26 catches for 376 yards and three scores. Florida also holds a turnover margin of plus-3 on the season, a sign the offense has generally protected the ball even during the two-game losing streak.
Texas Longhorns Outlook
Texas enters at 4-1 and 1-1 in conference play after the loss to Oklahoma, a result that dropped the Longhorns from the top of the rankings to No. 7, according to ESPN’s Week 6 takeaways. Quarterback Arch Manning has completed 92 of 146 passes for 1,122 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, including two fourth-quarter picks against Oklahoma, one of them a 42-yard pick-six by Peyton Bowen. The ground game managed just 122 yards on 32 carries, 3.8 yards per attempt, against Oklahoma, close to the team’s season average of 3.7 yards per rush.
Hollywood Smothers leads Texas rushers with 53 carries for 237 yards and two touchdowns, while Cam Coleman paces the receivers with 17 catches for 318 yards and five touchdowns. Freshman running back Derrek Cooper rushed for 41 yards on eight carries against Oklahoma, a 5.1-yard average, and freshman receiver Jermaine Bishop Jr. scored his first touchdown on a 15-yard catch in the fourth quarter of that loss.
Key Matchup
Florida’s rushing attack against Texas’s run defense is the matchup to watch. The Gators are averaging 200.3 rushing yards per game behind Baugh’s 12 touchdowns, while Texas just allowed Oklahoma to average 3.8 yards per carry on 32 attempts. If Florida’s offensive line, which has allowed just 1.3 sacks per game compared to Texas’s 2.4, can open similar room for Baugh, it would stress a Texas front that is coming off a loss where ball security in the fourth quarter proved costly.
On the other side, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and the Longhorns’ pass rush will test a Florida offensive line that has limited sacks allowed this season. How Manning responds after throwing two fourth-quarter interceptions against Oklahoma, including Bowen’s pick-six, will also shape how Texas manages the game against a Florida defense that has forced 10 takeaways through six games.
Players To Watch
Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
Baugh has rushed for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns on 110 carries this season, a 6.1-yard average that makes him the focal point of Florida’s offense heading into Austin.
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Manning threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma, including a pick-six. He has 10 touchdown passes against five interceptions on the season and will look to avoid similar mistakes against a Florida defense with a plus-3 turnover margin.
Derrek Cooper, RB, Texas
The freshman running back posted 41 yards on eight carries against Oklahoma, a 5.1-yard average that outpaced the team’s season rushing rate of 3.7 yards per attempt.
What To Watch
Both teams are trying to stop a one-game or two-game skid. Texas has dropped from No. 1 to No. 7 in the AP Poll and faces a run of ranked SEC opponents, while Florida has fallen out of the rankings entirely after back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina. The Royal recruiting flip adds an outside storyline, but the on-field stakes are about which team rights itself first. Florida’s offense ranks ahead of Texas in points, total yards, rushing yards and third-down efficiency this season, while Texas still holds the higher national ranking entering kickoff.
More College Football news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
