All Gators

Gators Dominate Tulane, Win Gasparilla Bowl

The Florida Gators snapped a three-game bowl losing streak in a 33-8 win over Tulane.

Cam Parker

Florida Gators defensive lineman Desmond Watson (21) tackles Tulane Green Wave quarterback Ty Thompson (7) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Friday, December 20, 2024 in the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Florida Gators defensive lineman Desmond Watson (21) tackles Tulane Green Wave quarterback Ty Thompson (7) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Friday, December 20, 2024 in the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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TAMPA, Fla.-- It wasn't pretty, but the Florida Gators are the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl champions.

Behind a Gasparilla Bowl-record four field goals from Trey Smack, a three-interception effort defensively and three second-half touchdowns from the offense, Florida on Friday concluded its 2024 season with a 33-8 win over Tulane, moving the Gators to an 8-5 finish to the year.

The win gave head coach Billy Napier his first bowl win in his Florida tenure.

“When you are in a leadership position you are only as good as the people you surround
yourself with," he said. "After our first month, I am really proud of how the coaches and players
collaborated to get us back on course. It could have easily gone sideways after the start of the
season, but we got confidence and belief and felt we could play with anyone over the last half of
the season.”

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway threw for a Gasparilla Bowl-record 305 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, which helped the Gators snap a three-game bowl losing streak while extending its current win streak to four games.

A dominant defensive effort for the fourth-straight game paved the way with Florida holding Tulane to 194 yards of total offense and a 1-for-4 finish on fourth-down conversion attempts, and the unit only needed one play to make an impact.

Tulane attempted a flea-flicker with backup quarterback Ty Thompson, who was making his first career start in place of outgoing transfer Darian Mensah despite being in the transfer portal himself. Pressure from the Florida front forced an under-thrown ball, which landed in the hands of defensive back Trikweze Bridges at the 24-yard line.

“One way we have turned it around is by playing good defense and I thought we did that again
today," Napier said. To be a consistent championship contender you have to play really good defense. We went to Tennessee and played pretty good defense and we have kept that going the rest of the
season.”

However, the Florida offense couldn't fully pull its weight in the first half with a two-interception performance from Lagway and zero touchdowns.

The Gators capitalized on the interception with a 34-yard field goal from Trey Smack to open the scoring before Lagway threw an interception on the next drive. Tulane would miss a 35-yard field goal right after.

Behind a 30-yard rushing effort on three carries from Ja'Kobi Jackson and a 17-yard reception from Chimere Dike, Florida was able to drive down the field after the miss, back-to-back penalties from Knijeah Harris for a personal foul and Austin Barber for a hold stifled the drive.

Smack, once again, was able to finish the drive, this time with a 44-yard field goal to put the Gators up 6-0 before Lagway threw an interception in the end zone on a 10-play, 71-yard drive late in the second quarter.

Florida's offense couldn't find the end zone early in the third quarter with Smack drilling his third field goal of the day, a 24-yarder, to finish a 10-play, 59-yard drive, and the Gators defense added to the momentum with an interception from walk-on Baylor transfer Alfonzo Allen Jr., the first of his career.

Lagway finally found the end zone seven plays later with a seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Livingston, and Smack drilled a 30-yard field goal a drive later to give Florida a 19-0 lead in the fourth quarter.

Freshman running back KD Daniels added to the scoring off a 27-yard touchdown run after picking up a Lagway fumble and scampering away for his first-career score before fellow freshman Myles Graham recorded his first-career interception.

Walk-on running back Anthony Rubio capped the Gators' scoring off with a nine-yard rushing touchdown with 1:11 left in the game before Tulane found the scoreboard with a touchdown reception from Mario Williams followed by a two-point conversion.

The win ends a rollercoaster of a 2024 season that saw the Gators start 1-2 before finishing with its first winning record since 2020 after back-to-back wins over ranked opponents in LSU and Ole Miss and a regular season-ending blowout road win over rival FSU.

Now, the Gators turn its attention to the offseason, where transfer portal departures and additions alongside potential coaching changes will be the focus.

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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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