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Dominant Defense Energizes Gators to Win over FSU

The Gators forced five turnovers in its 31-11 over rival Florida State, which snapped a two-game losing streak in the series.

Cam Parker

Nov 30, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman D'Antre Robinson (35) celebrates a fumble recovery during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman D'Antre Robinson (35) celebrates a fumble recovery during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators have its first winning season since 2020.

Behind a five-takeaway performance from its defense and special teams along with a 99-yard rushing effort from Montrell Johnson Jr., the Gators on Saturday defeated Florida State, 31-11, to end the regular season at 7-5.

Florida's defense dominated with eight fumbles forced, five of which were recovered, to go with eight sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss on the night. The Gators held Florida State to 239 yards of total offense, and the sack total was a season-high and the most by Florida against the Seminoles since 2000.

“Yeah some of those were just takeaway behavior," said UF head coach Billy Napier. "You know, we talked about putting takeaway behavior on the film. Do it in practice, do it in the game. Second, third, fourth, fifth defender in, you know, being around the ball. Population around the ball contributes to turnovers. So the mission here was to come here and put a bunch of identity clips on the tape, and I think we did that.”

The Gator offense struggled to take full advantage with only 368 yards of offense, but the rushing attack, led by Johnson Jr.'s 99 yards and Jadan Baugh's 81 yards, sparked Florida's offense when it needed it the most.

Johnson Jr., behind a game-sealing 65-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, moved over the 3,000-yard mark in his four-year career.

"He worked his tail off to get over the high ankle, the bone bruise. Missed a chunk of the season there in the middle," Napier said. "You could just see in this last week against Ole Miss, when he's on, he's a little different. His patience, his acceleration, his vision. And he showed some finishing speed tonight. So, Montrell, 3,000 yards. I mean, how many backs in the country right now have 3,000 yards rushing. He's taken full advantage, and he's a class act off the field. He's everything you would want in a player to be in terms of representing the program."

The first quarter saw both team's offenses struggles with two punts each on the first two drives. The Gators had accuracy issues from freshman quarterback Lagway, who finished with 133 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, with other drop struggles from receivers. Meanwhile, the FSU offensive line struggled to consistently keep Florida out of the backfield.

It wasn't until the fifth drive where a breakthrough happened with Jack Pyburn forcing a fumble off of FSU freshman quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, which was recovered by D'Antre Robinson at the Seminoles' 14-yard line.

Two plays later, Ja'Kobi Jackson punched it in from one-yard out to put the Gators on the board, 7-0, with 2:28 in the first quarter.

Florida's defense continued it's ferocious first-half with a quick three-and-out on the next possession and another fumble recovery after, this time forced and recovered by Shemar James at the Gators' 29-yard line.

Lagway, after a multitude of drops by receivers, finally found success in the passing game with a strong evasion of a pass rush followed by a 17-yard catch by Chimere Dike. However, miscommunication plagued the Gators late as Lagway was intercepted in the end zone by Azareye'h Thomas.

Receivers Dike and Marcus Burke appeared to run the same deep route leading to the miscommunication. However, both receivers played the redeemer role on the next drive with Dike recording two catches for 46 yards and Burke hauling in a four-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half.

"We were trying to play make it, take it," Napier said. "I thought we managed the clock pretty good there. You know, we didn't start the half very good, so I was disappointed with that. But yeah, I mean to make it two scores and really just kind of extend the lead and get control the game. Although we were in control, the score didn't reflect that. Making it two scores right before the half was big."

Florida State found points on its opening drive of the third quarter with a nine-play, 42-yard drive capped by a field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald. The Seminoles were aided by a 15-yard penalty on Jack Pyburn for unecessary roughness, a 10-yard pass from Kromenhoek where he avoided a sack and a Florida miscue while attempting to recover a fumble.

Florida went three-and-out, but a muffed punt by FSU's Lawayne McCoy led to the Gators' answering with a 30-yard field goal from Trey Smack.

FSU, once again, went on a long drive, this time aided by a 20-yard catch-and-run from Amaree Williams on 4th-and-2 to put the Seminoles on the Gators' 5-yard line. However, a fumble on an exchange two plays later gave Florida the ball back.

Johnson Jr. capitalized with his 65-yard touchdown to give the Gators a three-touchdown lead early in the fourth quarter.

FSU found the end zone for the first time with a two-yard rush from Lawrance Toafili with 3:03 left in the game and converted the two-point attempt, and Florida answered with an eight-yard toss from Lagway to tight end Tony Livingston, the first of his career.

Next up, the Gators wait for its bowl game announcement, and with Early National Signing Day on Dec. 4 and transfer portal opening on Dec. 9, Florida will have its full attention on building its 2025 recruiting class while prepping for postseason play.

"We've done a good job evaluating players and recruiting players. That's not been our issue here. What we needed to do is prove ourselves on the grass, prove to recruits that we can teach and develop players and that our formula works and win," Napier said. "There's nothing that is better for recruiting than winning. Ultimately, I think that's kind of been the final piece of the puzzle is some stability and prove it between the lines that your formula works. And I think we've done that for the last couple of weeks."

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.com of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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