OGT: #9 Texas at FLORIDA -- October 4, 2025 -- 3:30 PM (ESPN)

I'm sorry everyone . . . I completely forgot to do our OGT this week! Here's a shorter version:

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THE STORYLINE . . .

• Six of Florida’s remaining eight games are against AP Top-20 opponents, including five in the top 15.

• Week 6 marks the fifth meeting between Florida and Texas and just the second in the past 84 years, as last year’s matchup in Austin, Tex. represented the first in the series since 1940.

• This is the second showdown all-time between the Gators and Longhorns in Gainesville, following a 26-0 win by Texas nearly 85 years ago on Dec. 7, 1940.

• The first-ever meeting between the two programs was a 7-7 tie in Austin over 100 years ago on Oct. 25, 1924.

• Florida and Texas faced off in consecutive seasons in 1939 in Austin (Texas 12, Florida 0) and 1940 in Gainesville (Texas 26, Florida 0) before an 84-year gap until the next meeting in 2024.

• A victory would give Florida its highest-ranked win and first vs. the AP Top 10 since downing No. 9 Ole Miss in The Swamp, 24-17, on Nov. 23 of last season. Notably, the Gators were not ranked themselves at the time.

• Florida has won each of its last two home games against ranked opponents, having upset No. 21 LSU (W, 27-16) and No. 9 Ole Miss (W, 24-17) as an unranked team in consecutive weeks of last season (Nov. 16-23, 2024).

• An unranked Gators team will now attempt to win their third-straight home game vs. a top-25 opponent.

• Florida is 27-27-2 all-time in 56 home games vs. top-10 teams including a dominant 7-3 record in the last 10 matchups against top-10 foes dating back to 2012.

• HC Billy Napier’s Gators have won four games vs. AP Top 25 teams while unranked including two against the AP Top 10: 2022 vs. No. 7 Utah, 2023 vs. No. 11 Tennessee, 2024 vs. No. 21 LSU, 2024 vs. No. 9 Ole Miss.

• Coaching together at Alabama in 2016 under Nick Saban, Napier and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian face off for the third time as head coaches. Napier took on Sarkisian in the latter’s Texas debut in 2021 while at Louisiana (#19 Texas 38, #23 Louisiana 18) and again in 2024 while with the Gators (more on Page 9).

• The Gators defense has been borderline elite through four games, ranking 22nd in the FBS in total defense (284.3 YPG) and 24th in scoring defense (16.0 PPG). Florida is one of two FBS schools (NIU) to be ranked in the top 50 of both categories including the only program inside the top 40 of each statistic.

• Additionally, the UF defense ranks seventh in the FBS in first down defense (53), 32nd in passing yards allowed (173.0), 33rd in rushing defense (111.3), 36th in third down conversion defense (32.8%) and 38th in passing efficiency defense (115.12). Florida sits inside of the top half of the SEC in each of those categories.

• Florida has three losses despite having allowed just five offensive touchdowns through four games.

• As a result, Florida enters Week 6 boasting the No. 24 defense in the FBS per PFF with an 89.9 grade, featuring the seventh-highest tackling grade (85.7) and 15th-best run defense grade (92.3) in the nation.

• The UF defense is allowing 13.4 offensive PPG over the last eight contests including 12.6 PPG in the last five alone.

• Florida also ranks 21st in the FBS and fourth in the SEC in time of possession (32:29).

• Florida’s all-time, NCAA-record scoring streak currently sits at 465-consecutive games dating back to 1988.

 

ANOTHER RANKED TEAM IN THE SWAMP . . .

• Despite holding a 1-3 record, Florida’s defense has been performing at an elite level in the last eight games dating back to last season. In that span, the Gators defense has surrendered just 107 total points for an average of 13.4 PPG. Meanwhile, Florida has posted 25.4 PPG on offense to outscore opponents by 10.9 PPG.

• On top of that, Florida has won each of its last two games against ranked opponents in The Swamp after taking down No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss in consecutive weeks during the 2024 season.

• Although Florida was unranked in both wins, its average margin of victory was 9.0 points (27-16, 24-17).

• Those victories marked the first time Florida posted back-to-back upset wins over AP Top 25 opponents (No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss) as an unranked team since Oct. 11-18, 2003 (No. 6 LSU, No. 11 Arkansas).

• The win vs. No. 9 Ole Miss marked UF’s first home victory as a double-digit underdog and second-largest upset win overall in the last 45 seasons - behind topping No. 16 LSU as a 14-point road dog in 2016. Florida will now attempt to deliver a similar feat in Week 6 vs. Texas as 7.5-point underdogs.

• There are eight AP Top 20 teams and seven in the AP Top 15 on Florida’s 12-game, regular-season schedule.

• With the No. 1 SOS in the country, Florida was the only team in the nation with four opponents ranked in the Preseason AP Top 10, and was one of four teams (all SEC) with seven ranked in the Preseason Top 25

 

GRADING THE OFFENSIVE LINE . . .

• Entering the 2025 season, Florida’s offensive line boasted 223 combined games played, which ranked 11th in the FBS and fourth in the SEC behind Auburn (236), Texas A&M (235) and Mississippi State (227).

• The Florida O-line also entered with 109 career starts, which ranked 14th in the FBS and fifth in the SEC.

• Across the last eight games, the Gators have allowed 45 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.

• Returning starters include All-American C Jake Slaughter (13 starts), Preseason First Team All-SEC OL Austin Barber (13), OL Damieon George Jr. (10) and OL Knijeah Harris (13), who combined for 49 starts last season.

• Florida boasts the 16th-best run blocking offensive line in the FBS per PFF (72.0) through Week 5.

• Barber leads Florida with the 14th-best run blocking grade (80.7) among all FBS tackles.

• Barber has allowed nine QB pressures and two hits this season in 246 snaps for a 97.0% block rate.

• Barber, George Jr. and OL Roderick Kearney have yet to surrender a sack this season.

• OL Mark Faircloth has the best overall grade (82.0) on the UF offensive line, ranking second on the Gators in both pass blocking (82.5) and run blocking (79.8).

• OL Caden Jones made his first-career start in Week 3 at LSU in his home state of Louisiana.

• UF offensive linemen did not allow a QB hit in Week 1 while ranking No. 12 in the FBS in run blocking (76.3).

• Florida has allowed 85 sacks in 42 games under HC Billy Napier, which ranks eighth in the SEC.

• In 2024, the Gators allowed just 20 sacks all season, which ranked third in the SEC and 40th nationally.

• UF graded as the No. 11 pass blocking team in the FBS (79.8) and was second in the SEC behind Texas.

 

NUMBERS DON'T LIE -- LAST 8 GAMES ON D . . .

• For the first time in eight games, Florida allowed 20-plus points at No. 4 Miami (26). The last time an opponent scored more than 20 was last year at Texas (49).

• Against the four ranked opponents (#3 LSU, #4 Miami, #9 Ole Miss, #21 LSU) across the stretch, UF has only allowed 72 total points for an average of 18.0 points per game.

• In the last five games, the Gator defense has only given up 53 total points for an average of 10.6 points per game.

• Across the 282 rush attempts in the last eight games, 68 carries have gone for negative yards, 68 attempts have been for negative or zero yards, 98 for one-yard or less as only 24 rushes have eclipsed 10-plus.

• LB Myles Graham has started four of the last eight games and has totaled 35 tackles, 5.0 tackle-for-loss, four quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one interception.

• Have started the last eight games, LB Jaden Robinson has 29 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, two sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

• DB Bryce Thornton has tallied 39 tackles, 1.5 tackle-for-loss, four takeaways (2 INT, 2 FR), five pass breakups, two QB hurries and one forced fumble.

 

THE NATION'S MOST UNDERRATED LB ROOM . . .

• Although Florida’s linebacker room was its lowest-ranked preseason unit per Phil Steele at No. 25, the position group welcomes back LB Grayson Howard, LB Jaden Robinson, LB Myles Graham and LB Aaron Chiles.

• Graham (24) and Robinson (13) have started the first four games of 2025 and are the top tacklers on the defense, as both set career highs in tackles vs. USF. They have also combined for 15 stops this season.

• As a true freshman and Gators legacy player, Graham earned his first-career start in the 2025 opener and led the team in tackles (five) with 1.0 tackle-for-loss, as all five of his tackles were stops.

• Graham currently leads the team in tackles with 24 (13 solo), 10 stops, three quarterback hurries and is tied for first with 2.5 tackles-for-loss.

• At No. 3 LSU, Graham had four tackles (three solo), two pass breakups and one tackle-for-loss.

• Graham emerged in the last six games of the 2024, posting 23 tackles, 1.0 sack, 2.5 TFLs, one interception, one forced fumble and one QB hurry. Prior to that, he owned seven tackles (one solo) and zero TFLs in seven games.

• Graham played the second-most snaps (183) among SEC freshman LBs in 2024 while Chiles ranked third (130).

• Graham also led all SEC freshman linebackers with 10 stops last season.

• Robinson played in all 13 games last season while starting each of the final four contests and started the 2025 season opener, making three solo tackles, 2.0 TFLs and one forced one fumble.

• Robinson recorded 52 tackles (28 solo) and 3.5 sacks in 2024, which ranked fourth on the Gators.

• Chiles played a career-high 30 snaps vs. USF and had two tackles, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry. The solo tackle and QB hurry both occurred on third down, forcing a Bulls punt both times.

• Howard made his season debut in Week 2 and had one tackle after missing the spring and most of fall camp with an injury. The South Carolina transfer has never missed a tackle in his career, per PFF.

• True freshmen LB Ty Jackson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / Seminole Ridge) and LB Myles Johnson (Brewton, Ala. / T.R. Miller) made their collegiate debuts in Week 1. Johnson had four tackles with three stops in 13 snaps played.