Florida Gators vs. UCF Knights: Gasparilla Bowl Info, Odds, Stream and More
The Florida Gators will conclude their turbulent 2021 season and the short Greg Knox era of UF football on Thursday night, taking on the UCF Knights in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in a battle for in-state bragging rights.
Florida has compiled a 3-0 record this season against Division 1 in-state programs with wins over FAU, USF and FSU, looking to increase its perfect record in 2021 to 4-0 with a victory over UCF. The Knights, meanwhile, are 1-0 against D-1 in-state competition this year, defeating USF in the War on I-4 in late November.
You can find everything you need to know about the game below.
Florida Gators (6-6) vs. UCF Knights (8-4)
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.
When: Thursday, Dec. 23 at 7:00 P.M. ET
Watch: ESPN | Also available on fuboTV
Weather: 58°, clear skies with a two percent chance of precipitation at kickoff, per Weather.com.
Radio: Gators IMG Sports Network, Sirius Channel: 190 [XM] / 84 [Nat’l]
Odds: Florida is considered a seven-point favorite, per Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 55.5 points.
Series history: Florida leads, 2-0. The Gators defeated the Knights by a score of 42-0 when the programs last met in 2006.
Important stories
- Gasparilla Bowl preview: A game of familiarity
- Gators learning to juggle two coaching staffs in preparation for UCF bout
- Christian Robinson focused on bowl, hasn't discussed future with Billy Napier
- Kaiir Elam undecided on future, explains decision to play in Gasparilla Bowl
- Florida lands Ohio State QB transfer Jack Miller; Analysis
- Former Gators TE Kyle Pitts earns Pro Bowl nod as a rookie
The rundown
After years of internet trash talk between the two fanbases, the Florida Gators will take on the UCF Knights Thursday evening in the Gasparilla Bowl. The matchup preludes a 2-for-1 series between the programs that was agreed upon earlier this year and will begin in Gainesville in 2024.
For UCF, this bowl game offers the Knights a chance to put their stamp on the state, suggesting that they can hang with Florida's Power 5 programs before it moves from the Group of Five's American Conference to the Big 12 in the Power 5. However, the Gators are in the midst of a disappointing season, well below the team's standards, leaving one wondering how much a win for UCF would actually mean.
Ideally for UF, though, the Gators will pull off one final victory for the 2021 season before enduring a culture change and program rebuild. New head coach Billy Napier and the initial members of his coaching staff will be in attendance, not coaching but watching his team compete under interim head coach Greg Knox.
Emory Jones will start at quarterback for one last time before he enters the transfer portal, aided by receiver Jacob Copeland who is also set to enter the portal after the bowl and other upper-class weapons such as Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis, and Kemore Gamble before those players depart as their eligibility reaches its end.
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
