Grading Florida Football After Gasparilla Bowl Victory Over Tulane
Offense: C
The Gators' offense struggled to find rhythm early, managing only six points in the first half from two Trey Smack field goals. Costly penalties hampered progress, including a personal foul by Knijeah Harris and a holding call on Austin Barber that derailed a promising second-quarter drive. A DJ Lagway interception on 3rd-and-goal further thwarted a scoring opportunity.
Penalties continued to hurt in the second half, with a holding call on Hayden Hansen nullifying a Jadan Baugh touchdown run. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway showed moments of difficulty against Tulane’s zone coverage but still posted solid stats, going 22-of-35 for 305 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The Gators found some offensive spark in the second half, scoring three touchdowns: a 7-yard pass from Lagway to Tony Livingston, a 27-yard run by KD Daniels off a fumble recovery, and a 9-yard run by walk-on Anthony Rubio.
Defense: A
Florida's defense dominated, holding Tulane to just 194 yards of offense and securing three interceptions. Trikweze Bridges set the tone with a pick on Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson’s first pass, while Alonzo Allen and Myles Graham added interceptions in the second half. Kam James shined in the absence of TJ Searcy and Jack Pyburn, recording three tackles for loss and a sack. The defensive effort was the backbone of Florida's victory.
Special Teams: B
Trey Smack delivered a perfect performance, going 4-for-4 on field goals with successful kicks from 34, 44, 24, and 30 yards. However, the unit showed some vulnerabilities, including allowing a 23-yard punt return and struggling with personnel alignment on a punt, which forced the Gators to burn a timeout.
Coaching: C
Billy Napier’s game management issues persisted, as the Gators used all three timeouts by the 5:19 mark in the first half. Questionable red-zone play-calling also raised concerns. Despite these challenges, Napier guided Florida to its first bowl victory since 2019, a notable milestone in an otherwise uneven performance.
