Texas Longhorns Open as Big Favorites vs. Florida Gators

The Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators are set to meet for just the fourth time ever.

Zach Dimmitt | Nov 2, 2024

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) looks to pass during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 19, 2024 against the Kentucky Wildcats. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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The Texas Longhorns are on their second bye week of the regular season Saturday before hopping back into SEC play against the Florida Gators on Nov. 9.

Texas (7-1, 3-1) held off then-No. 25 Vanderbilt in a 27-24 win last week for a bounce-back victory after falling to the Georgia Bulldogs at home on Oct. 19. Even with the win, the Longhorns fell one spot to No. 6 in the AP Poll.

Regardless, DraftKings still has Texas as a sizable home favorite against Florida for the first-ever matchup between the two teams as SEC foes, as the sportsbook currently has the Longhorns as 17-point favorites over the Gators.

Texas leads the all-time series 2-0-1, though the last meeting between the programs was happened in 1940 when the Longhorns beat Florida in Gainesville, 26-0.

This season, the Gators (4-3, 2-2) have had their struggles but have found some momentum under true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Florida is coming off a convincing 48-20 win over the Kentucky Wildcats two weeks ago. The Gators will visit No. 2 Georgia on Saturday as 14.5-point road underdogs.

A Willis, Texas native, Lagway will be returning to his home state to take on the Longhorns in Austin. A five-star quarterback recruit in the 2024 class, Lagway stayed true to head coach Billy Napier and the Gators. He's the rest-of-season starter after Graham Mertz suffered a torn ACL in the loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 12.

This season, Lagway has gone 54 of 86 passing for 1,024 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Texas and Florida will kick off from Austin at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.