It's Great To Be A Florida Gator, says Lagway -- and be on the winning team. (Chris Spears Photo)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Now for the hard part.   We have seen the Gators go off the cliff with the loss to South Florida, self-destruct with the loss to LSU and hit rock bottom with the loss to Miami. We have also seen them rally in ways we probably didn’t expect to play the best game of the Billy Napier era in beating then 9 th -ranked Texas at The Swamp.   In breaking their back-to-back-to-back freefall by knocking Texas completely out of the Associated Press top 25, the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) played the way Napier and the entire civilized world thought they would when the season began. We expected a team capable of playing at a high level but it took five games to get there.   The reasons why the Gators played so poorly the first four games are numerous. They were wildly undisciplined in the loss to South Florida. They played as if they took football lessons by mail order and the delivery truck never arrived in the loss to LSU. Against Miami they were physically whipped.   At the end of a productive off week, Napier gave the Gators a couple of days off and asked them to do some soul searching including evaluating all of what Ron Zook would have described as “noise in the system.” In the south end zone of The Swamp, speaking to the media after beating Texas 29-21 Saturday evening, Napier said, “ I told them after the open date to go home for two days, and you've got to really think about what you've experienced, what you've learned, listen to the noise, listen to it closely, and you've got to know that – we’ve got to know who we are. We'll have an opportunity to change that narrative the next time we compete.  “I wanted them to move forward. When they showed up Sunday, wash it off, flush it, forget about it, let's focus on this one week at a time. That's the key is to get this age group to – tomorrow will be a different set of challenges, right? I think that consistency will be important.” Obviously the self-reflection worked because the Gators were the superior team Saturday in all three phases of the game. The offense put up a season-high 457 yards against a defense that hadn’t allowed more than 269 yards in a game, the same defense that held Ohio State to 14 points and 203 yards. Florida’s defense went beast mode, turning the game into a nightmare for Arch Manning, who was sacked six times, hit eight times and by Texas calculations hurried a whopping 22 times. On special teams, Taylor Spierto sent The Swamp into an absolute frenzy when he blocked a punt that rolled out of the end zone for a safety. Up to that point the crowd of 90,714 had been very loud, but that safety was like turning up the decibels from the same level as Sunday at the GatorNationals to something close to a 747 takeoff. The lid was lifted on The Swamp and loud became louder, reaching a crescendo in the fourth quarter. This was Jarvis Moss blocking the field goal on the last play of South Carolina in 2006 loud. That one got the Gators to Atlanta for the SEC Championship after which they beat Ohio State for the national championship. No championships were at stake Saturday to incite the crowd at The Swamp, but the frustration of three consecutive bad football games was pent up and released. As badly as the Gators needed a win, the Gator Nation needed one, too. In both cases it was a giant exhale of relief. And that brings us to the here and now. The hard part. One win is nice, particularly since it was over the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, but it’s just one win. There are still seven games remaining on a schedule that will be like navigating a minefield chock full of Claymores. It starts with Saturday evening in College Station, the Gators will be facing 5 th -ranked Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC) at Kyle Field. The last time the Aggies were ranked this high was 2012 when Johnny Football (Manziel) was busy turning them into the most entertaining team in America. Oh, by the way, in their season opener that year, the Aggies bit the bullet 20-17 at the hands of Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators. Just as losing to the Gators lit a fire under the Aggies, who went on to win 11 games, winning flipped all the switches for the Gators who went 11-1 in the regular season (11-2 after a bowl loss to Charlie Strong and Louisville), rising as high as No. 3 in the polls. The reality of 2025 is the Aggies have football fever. They believe in the very depth of their hearts that they are on a mission from God to finally win the Southeastern Conference championship. The Aggies have been in the league since 2012 and they’re oh-fer 13 years. The last time they won a conference championship was 1998 when they were coached by R.C. Slocum and still in the Big 12. So, think of what the Gators have waiting for them something similar to what Texas found in The Swamp. Years of pent up frustrations are waiting to be released at Kyle Field which means the Gators will be tasked with doing something they’ve never done since Billy Napier became the head coach – beat a ranked team on the road. And this is just the first step in the journey. If they spring the upset of the Aggies they still have No. 10 Georgia, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 12 Tennessee and No. 25 Florida State ahead with a pair of not insignificant speed bumps in Mississippi State and Kentucky. Navigating that schedule to come up with a winning record is a monumental task. Gator fans and experts alike see it the equivalent of the 12 disciples seeing 5,000 sitting on a hillside at lunch time with only five barley loaves and two fishes to go around. It looks daunting. It is daunting, but there isn’t a team on the schedule that the Gators cannot beat if they play to the same level as they did to beat Texas. It will take that kind of effort week in and week out to not just post a winning record but to also keep Billy Napier from having to figure out how his family is going to squeeze by in the future on $20 million. “I think the challenge will be how we handle this,” Napier said Saturday night. “I think it's going to be extremely important that we – you've got to wake up in the morning and wash all this off. Same people that talk about you are going to be talking good about you, and can you handle that. I think that's the challenge in sport is to be consistent, to be process-oriented, to be motivated by the right things and not have a letdown going forward. “Look, that's a really good team, but just start looking ahead here. Every team is going to be a challenge.”   Every team will be a challenge, but the biggest challenge will be the team Napier takes into battle every single week. Will it be the one that gave away the South Florida game? Will it be the one that could have beaten LSU  if not for that teensy matter of five interceptions? Will it be the one that couldn’t do anything right against Miami?   Or will it be the one that got it all together to play like a team capable of muscling and finessing and elbowing its way to a win against a very good football team? And, can they do it seven straight weeks?   That’s the hard part.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Ohio State 5-0; 2. Miami 5-0; 3. Oregon 5-0; 4. Ole Miss 5-0; 5. Texas A&M 5-0; 6. Oklahoma 5-0; 7. Indiana 5-0; 8. Alabama 4-1; 9. Texas Tech 5-0; 10. Georgia 4-1; 11. LSU, 4-1; 12. Tennessee 4-1; 13. Georgia Tech 5-0; 14. Missouri 5-0; 15. Michigan 4-1; 16. Notre Dame 3-2; 17. Illinois 5-1; 18. BYU 5-0; 19. Virginia 5-1; 20. Vanderbilt 5-1; 21. Arizona State 4-1; 22. Iowa State 5-1; 23. Memphis 6-0; 24. South Florida 4-1; 25. Florida State 3-2   AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Ohio State 5-0; 2. Oregon 5-0; 3. Miami 5-0; 4. Ole Miss 5-0; 5. Texas A&M 5-0; 6. Oklahoma 5-0; 7. Indiana 5-0; 8. Alabama 4-1; 9. Georgia 4-1; 10. Texas Tech 5-0; 11. LSU 4-1; 12. Tennessee 4-1; 13. Georgia Tech 5-0; 14. Missouri 5-0; 15. Michigan 4-1; 16. Notre Dame 3-2; 17. Illinois 5-1; 18. BYU 5-0; 19. Texas 3-2; 20. Vanderbilt 5-1; 21. Iowa State 5-1; 22. Penn State 3-2; 23. Arizona State 4-1; 24. Virginia 5-1; 25. Memphis 6-0

Once again, the Florida defense showed up ready to win, and this time it paid off. (Chris Spears photo) By Carlton Reese GatorBait Media It’s time to celebrate a big victory, a crucial victory, but not a program-saving victory. The Florida Gators needed to beat 9 th -ranked Texas Saturday at The Swamp, lest this become the lost season most fans had already written it up as. So, tonight we party and Sunday we bask in the glow of a big win, but Monday we face some sobering realities. Get ready for some cold water: Where was the energy? Not on Saturday, but for the first four games this season? Why not in Baton Rouge, or Miami, or against the South Florida Bulls? On Saturday the Gators were what we thought they were, and their energy and fire had a lot to do with it. Is this now the Billy Napier script? The personality of his teams? Place the rope around the neck of the program, slap the horse out from underneath then have that rope shot just before the death throes ensue? On paper, Florida was every bit as good as LSU, and Miami for that matter. A hobbled D.J. Lagway and an offensive line that somehow thought being labeled ‘great’ meant you didn’t have to actually be great, spelled losses to teams where just showing up and playing at a decent level could have spelled victory. Instead, the Gators are backed into a corner and facing a must-win situation against the team that was the preseason No.1, not much different than in 2024 when a program on its final breath took down LSU and Ole Miss when few believed in them. “That was the team I thought we had in the very beginning,” Napier said after the 29-21 victory. “It’s been a challenge, and you guys know ‘cause you write about it every day. We handled adversity, now can we handle a little bit of success?” He’s talking about College Station next week. When everyone sobers up and remembers Texas A&M comes up next, reality will set in. The Aggies are better than Texas, that much is certain. Why this performance against Texas when the Gators looked so inept – on offense, at least – in their three previous games? Enter Dallas Wilson. His performance Saturday was truly historic, one like never seen by a true freshman in his starting debut since Emmitt Smith tore off 224 yards at Alabama in 1987. Wilson was who we thought he was… and more. His 55-yard touchdown reception that, quite frankly, put the game out of reach for Texas, was something one would expect from a large junior accustomed to stepping on necks in big-time games. He maintained his balance on the sideline, shook off one tackler in the process then dragged another into the end zone. It was the stuff of Larry Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson. Enter a poised D.J. Lagway. Still gimpy, Lagway looked nothing like the blind man that threw five picks at LSU. Perhaps the emergence of Wilson was the rising tide that lifted all the boats, but whatever the reason, Lagway is a different QB: Against Texas, he was who we thought he was. Dare anyone give Billy Napier credit for coaching him up after the nightmare in Baton Rouge? Enter an offensive line that was what we thought it was. This unit was supposed to be a major strength of this team, but in the three losses was more of a turnstile than a plowshare. Against Texas, though, the Florida offensive line had its best performance against a Longhorn defensive front that was supposedly un-blockable. Florida’s 159 yards rushing might not be eye-popping, but against that defense the number is remarkable. Consider, the current No.1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes managed just 77 yards and 2.3 yards per carry against Texas. In addition to rushing yards, the Florida line allowed no sacks and just three tackles for losses. Credit due because credit earned. Florida’s 457 total yards against that defense gives a whole heap of hope moving forward. As for the Florida defense, it has yet to falter this season. That unit is the only reason Florida had chances to win at Baton Rouge and Miami. Against Texas, they were stellar. Most of what the Gators surrendered was late in the game when it was supposed to be over, but wasn’t. The front four was brutal to Texas QB Arch Manning and he was never comfortable even when guiding a furious comeback attempt. Of his 263 yards passing, over half came in the game’s final 19 minutes and never would have happened were it not for his brilliant scrambling out of Gator pressure. Don’t let the final score of this one fool anybody – Florida thoroughly dominated this game. The Gators led 19-7 at half when it felt like 24-0. The lead was still comfortable when Florida took over with 5:08 to play and ran it three times, forcing the Longhorns to burn all three of their timeouts. Manning’s pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. went for 42 yards under duress and set up Texas for a TD with 3:20 remaining. Despite completely controlling a football game, Florida’s victory was in doubt, leading 29-21. Two first downs were all it would take to salt it away and Florida got its first following a pooch kick that Vernell Brown had to fall on at the 5. Then came the decision that could have resulted in Napier’s firing right there on the field. With 1:53 left and Florida trying to kill clock, Napier called timeout. The Gators could have gained zero yards at this point and taken the clock to about 25 seconds; instead, the Longhorns gained possession at their 31-yard line with 55 seconds to play, an eternity in this crazy game. Thankfully, the Gators defense came through again and George Gumbs Jr. sacked Manning at the Florida 42 and time ran out. Time ran out on the Longhorns, but time still hasn’t run out on Napier who has been granted yet another stay of execution. The noose is still around his neck, so it’s not likely he is partying too much or celebrating this win. Perhaps this is a sign of better things coming down the road, but anyone who’s been paying attention the last two years knows not to count on anything. This team can probably beat anybody, yet every game is a potential loss and, in some cases, a likely loss. This win feels nice, but we’ve been here before. We’ve left the date skipping home after being kissed on the lips only to be stabbed in the heart not long after. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may be in College Station.

Napier and company put together a complimentary performance that see the defense and offense answer the call for the first time this season. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst, Host of The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Breakout star Dallas Wilson (Chris Spears photo) Unfortunately, the week leading up to the Florida game was filled with demands from the day job that found this novice writer and football enthusiast pulled in so many directions that my pregame thoughts failed to find the light of day in written form. Had I had the chance to put it on paper my thoughts would have gone along the way that there was no way Napier who is seen as either stubborn, arrogant, or both would make any changes to an offense that in my opinion was stunting the growth of his young quarterback. I also would have noted that while Florida’s defense was taking getting a lot of credit as a unit the numbers suggested that they had not played as well as many believed and there were numbers to support the fact including just three sacks in the first four games. In essence I expected more of the same from an underachieving offense and a coach on his way out the door, that may be the case but not right now. What We Thought: Florida was as low as the program had been all season with a historically low offensive output and a defense that had both hands on the door just barely keeping the monsters out. Texas had outgained Ohio State at home while losing the turnover battle and Arch Manning was just waiting to have his breakout moment as the next great one in the first family of quarterbacks. There would be more of the same from the Gators. Way too many tight ends, closed formations that muddy the waters for Lagway, and an offense that is as predictable as what you see from Chapelfield Middle School where my nephew Andrew is a reserve corner. This would be a quarterback duel as expected but only one player would have a crew chief that understands what his driver needs, and it would not be the orange and blue number 2 sponsored by Gatorade. Manning in just his 7th start would take bull by the horns (pun intended) and with Sarkisian calling the plays expose a good but not great defense and begin his ascension as one of the SEC’s best. What We Got: I have never had a problem admitting I was wrong, and on this day, I missed the mark. I spent the week telling everyone to bet on Texas to cover and when the line went to 5.5, I doubled down on it. That prediction did not age well at all and I myself shamefully am a few bucks lighter. Under Napier, this team continues to show that when all seems lost, they rally around their coach and organization and show up in dramatic fashion. Napier, Lagway, and the Gators came out with one of their best gameplans that saw one tight end and three receivers the majority of the time and formations that allowed for better sight lines for Lagway who may have played his best game of the season. The sophomore quarterback was 21 of 28 for 298 yards and two touchdowns and his performance was aided by the return of what looks to be his new favorite target. Dallas Wilson spent the first four games watching from the sideline waiting for the opportunity to return from injury. Wilson returned on Saturday and lived up to expectations and more hauling in 6 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns, the best debut by any freshman receiver in school history. Wilson who credits his late mother Lisa for his confidence was clearly excited about his performance but more importantly the impact it had on his team.  Defensively the Gators defense did enough to make life uncomfortable for the nation’s most famous quarterback. Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was sending everybody at Arch Manning forcing him to change launch points, throw off his rhythm and forcing him into two key interceptions and sacking him six times. Cornerback Devin Moore in particular had a day with 4 tackles, a sack, and an interception where he clearly baited Manning to take a bite. Florida’s six sacks of Manning were more impressive because they came against an offense that had only given up three all season and only surrendered one to Ohio State to open the season.  The Skinny: Celebrate the win today and get back to work this evening as a trip to Aggie Land looms less than a week from now. Many have stated that that the only way Napier remains employed by the State of Florida is to win six of the next seven games and maybe the bowl game as well. For now, the Gators press on, and it looks like the addition of Wilson and a confident defense may be a major part of the Gators becoming what many thought they would be. The absence of regression will be the key. Under Napier many great performances have been followed by listlessness and headscratchers particularly on the road. Furthermore, while the Gators have done well against some of the SEC’s best pocket passers, quarterbacks who actively participate in the running game continue to give the Gators major issues. It will be interesting to see the fallout from a win, the first against Texas in school history will be in regard to Napier, but for now he bought himself some time to figure out. Never been so happy to be wrong, for now.   Final Score: Florida 29 Texas 21 (Prediction Texas 31 Florida 7)

(Photo by Chris Spears) “Who are those guys?” – Butch Cassidy from the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid   For those wondering if those were impersonators wearing Florida football uniforms Saturday afternoon, Billy Napier had the answer.   “ I would say for me, that's the football team I thought we had in the very beginning, and we finally kind of put it together there and played all three phases very complementary, all parts of the team really good,” Napier said after the Gators (2-3, 1-1 SEC) ended a 3-game losing streak by turning The Swamp into an eardrum shattering outdoor insane asylum by taking down 9 th -ranked Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC), 29-21.   The version of the Gators that took the field and dominated Texas looked nothing like the team that self-destructed at LSU or the one that closely resembled a train wreck two weeks ago at Miami. Against LSU, the Gators turned a perfectly winnable game into a disaster by throwing five interceptions. Against Miami it seemed the Gators were among the worst-coached offensive teams in the country.   And yet, after those two unmitigated disasters, Napier insisted that the Gators were teetering on the verge of becoming a very dangerous team.  Did you believe him? Do you know anyone that did?   So how is it the Gators stuck it to Texas on the ground and through the air offensively? The Gators mounted a season-high 457-yard offensive attack. The offensive line gave Lagway a clean pocket from which he had time to find open receivers downfield. Formerly the master of the 2-inch pass in Florida’s first four games, Lagway looked early and often enough downfield to complete 21-28 passes for 298 yards. Lagway and true freshman Dallas Wilson hooked up six times for 111 yards and touchdowns of 13 and 55 yards. There was also a sensational 60-yard down the middle of the field laser beam of a throw that Vernell Brown III retrieved with a sensational leaping catch.   The Gators ran for 159 yards, methodically wearing down the Texas front seven. In the losses to LSU and Miami the Gators’ combined rushing total was 159 yards (79 vs. LSU, 80 vs. Miami). Jadan Baugh carried 27 times for 107 yards and a TD while true freshman Duke Clark, subbing for the injured Ja’Kobi Jackson, ran nine times for 38 more. The ground game was effective enough and the pass protection so impenetrable that Lagway wasn’t sacked nor was he forced to take off running even once.     How is it the Gators mounted such a fearsome pass rush that preseason all-interplanetary quarterback Arch Manning’s inner transmission seemed permanently jammed in a feets don’t fail me now gear? Manning did throw for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he was also intercepted twice (by Devin Moore and Jordan Castell), sacked six times and forced into bad throws eight times by a relentless rush.   By game’s end, Ron Roberts’ creeper defense had Manning seeing ghosts while trying to figure out where the blitz was coming from. If Manning wasn’t getting hit, he was chased and running for his life. He was able to make things interesting enough that the entire stadium was still filled at the end, posing the imminent danger of a field storming, perhaps thought of but never materialized.   Then there was the play of the special teams. Former walk-on Taylor Spierto blocked a punt that ricocheted through the end zone for a second quarter safety. In addition to two field goals and three extra points, Trey Smack sent six kickoffs sailing through the end zone.   It was as if the Gators were fulfilment of prophecy by the head coach. They were indeed a very dangerous team, which begs us to ask where were they in losses to South Florida, LSU and Miami? All three of those games were winnable but lost because of Murphy’s Law luck – whatever could go wrong did go wrong and always at the most inopportune moments.   Not so against Texas.   Texas was supposed to become the latest and perhaps final unraveling of the Napier coaching era at Florida. Supposedly he was a walking cadaver but did this win breathe life into his career? Did it put a hold on a phone call to movers instructing them to come to the Heavener Center to box up everything in his office and haul it away?   Saturday, Billy Napier gave the finger to everyone who thought Texas would waltz right into The Swamp, blow the doors off the Gators and essentially force Scott Stricklin to fire him. He is certainly safe for at least one more week, but if there is carryover of focus and intensity from the Texas win, the remainder of the schedule could be like dominoes falling.   Napier knows that his fate will be determined by wins and losses, but he couldn’t help but defend his program building approach as he stood at the podium answering questions.   “I think it's more of a big-picture program, organizational philosophy in terms of what we want our program to be about, the investment in people,” Napier said. “We teach values. We prioritize education. We run a tight ship. We don't put up with crap. They're going to do what we ask them to do, and I think they have a healthy respect, and they chose us. They chose that experience. I think that that requires a certain character from that person to sign up for that.”   Fans and boosters can appreciate the high character roster Napier has assembled but they would prefer more victories. They point out that Steve Spurrier went 122-27-1 in 12 years, winning at least nine games every year. Napier went 8-5 last season, his best record at UF. There is plenty of speculation that if Napier can’t exceed last year’s win total he will become the fifth casualty among the six coaches who have followed in the rather lengthy shadow of Spurrier. Only Urban Meyer left on his own volition with a 65-15 record and two national championships. The four who were pink slipped all had winning records, but they didn’t win enough.   With the win against Texas, Napier is still a game below .500 (21-22) and he still has a gauntlet of games that make for a schedule that is as tough as can be found nationally. But, the schedule seems quite a bit more manageable now that the Longhorns have been carved up and sent to the meat market.   Are the Gators capable of beating the 6 th -ranked Aggies in College Station next week? Certainly, if they play as well as they did against Texas. The same can be said about upcoming games with Mississippi State, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida State. Every one of those games is winnable and every one is also losable.   It’s entirely possible Napier could avoid being the latest Florida coaching casualty if he rallies the troops to win enough games to give pause to Stricklin and the boosters who have allegedly pooled resources to buy out the $20 million or so remaining on his contract. How many wins will be enough to convince the doubters that Napier deserves a fifth year? Consensus is the Gators have to go at least 7-5 in the regular season which would require five more wins. Can they win five more?     It took Napier until his 43 rd game as Florida’s head coach before he scored a win over a top ten opponent. He still hasn’t beaten a ranked team on the road. But, he has a team that is capable of laying waste to any and everything that gets in their way, ranked or unranked.   Saturday was huge but it was just one win. Napier needs several more to remain gainfully employed. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tze opined that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The same can be said about football. Every winning streak or turnaround begins with a single win.   One down. How many more to go?   SEC FOOTBALL No. 5 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC) 44, Kent State (1-4) 0: The unbeaten Sooners warmed up for next Saturday’s Red River Shootout with Texas by holding hapless Kent State to 135 total yards, just 17 on the ground. The Sooners, who came into the game 6 th nationally with 16 sacks, got to the Kent State quarterbacks five times. Michael Hawkins Jr., starting in place of injured John Mateer, threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in his first start since last season. Isaiah Sategna caught four passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns.   No. 6. Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC) 31, Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2 SEC) 9: Rueben Owens ran for 142 of Texas A&M’s 299 rushing yards as the Aggies controlled the football for more than 38 minutes to move to 2-0 in the SEC. Marcel Reed threw for two touchdowns and ran for one more as the Aggies broke open a tight game with 14 fourth quarter points. Texas A&M sacked Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen four times as part of a defensive effort that held the Bulldogs to 77 rushing yards.   No. 10 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) 30, Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC) 14: Alabama outscored Vanderbilt 16-0 in the second half to remain unbeaten in SEC play while handing the Commodores their first loss of the season. Jam Miller, who ran for 136 yards, sealed the win for Alabama with a 20-yard touchdown run with 17 seconds left in the game. Conor Talty kicked three second half field goals for Bama and Ty Simpson threw for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sedrick Alexander scored both Vanderbilt touchdowns, the first on a 65-yard run in the first quarter, the second on a 4-yard pass from Diego Pavia in the second. Vanderbilt sacked Simpson four times.      No. 12 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) 35, Kentucky (2-3, 0-3 SEC) 14: Gunner Stockton accounted for three Georgia touchdowns, one passing and two on the ground, as the Bulldogs rebounded from their loss to Alabama last week with a decisive win over Kentucky, which fell to 0-3 in SEC play. Georgia scored four touchdowns on the ground in addition to the TDP by Stockton, who threw for 245 yards. Kentucky managed only 45 rushing yards the entire game.   Next week: Washington State (3-2) at No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC) No. 5 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. No. 9 Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC), in Dallas FLORIDA (2-3, 1-1 SEC) at No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC) No. 10 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) at No. 19 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC) No. 12 Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) at Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC) South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) at No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC) Arkansas (2-3, 0-2 SEC) at No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC)

(Photo by Chris Spears) By any measure, the 9 th -ranked Texas Longhorns (3-1) should turn Saturday’s encounter with Florida (1-3, 0-1 SEC) into a romp in The Swamp. The Longhorns have one of the best defenses in the country and they’re going against the Gators, who have one of the worst offenses. Yeah, Florida’s offense is bad, but the defense is really good. Just ask LSU and Miami, but as well as the Gators played defensively in those two games, they still lost. The Texas offense is led by Arch Manning, who has yet to evoke memories of uncles Peyton and Eli or grandpa Archie.   So why is it that there is this eerie feeling spreading like the plague that Florida is going to do what it hasn’t all season and play with its hair on fire? That probably has something to do with the shakiness in Las Vegas. When the week began Texas was favored by at least 7.5 points. Here it is Friday and the spread has dropped down to 4.5. Considering Texas is 9 th -ranked and began the season as everybody’s favorite to win the national championship when the season began, the spread gives this game the feel of a pick ‘em.   On paper it shouldn’t be anything close to the quarterback shootout that was anticipated when the season began. Arch Manning was exposed in the loss at Ohio State where he turned ordinary into an art form. He has looked much better in the three games since, but the opponents were bottom of the barrel types. DJ Lagway has spent the first four games of the season showing why it’s important to take the live reps in the spring and the first three weeks of August training camp. While going head-to-head against better defenses than the ones Arch Manning has faced, DJ has struggled with every facet of the game.   Assuming both Manning and Lagway are poised to play well, here are a few things to consider:   1. Arch Manning will have to deal with the loudest and most hostile crowd he’s ever seen. Sure, there were 107,000 at the Horseshoe in Columbus, but Ohio State fans are Romper Room compared to the ones at The Swamp. Ohio State fans are amateurs. Florida fans are the real pros. They can make life miserable for Arch. If he plays well, it will be because he is capable of blocking out the eardrum-shattering noise.   2. At some point DJ has to look like the DJ of last year. He’s averaging 5.4 yards per pass after a year in which he averaged 10.0 as a true freshman. He is due to have a breakout game and what better time to do it than against Texas, which didn’t recruit him even though he was the national player of the year?   3. When will Florida’s offensive line start playing up to the hype? They’ve missed far too many assignments and committed way too many ill-timed, drive-killing penalties. One reason the Gators have been so anemic on offense is because the line has played so poorly. There is no position in sports more important than quarterback in football. If the QB is playing well, he usually inspires everyone else to play better. If DJ is hot Saturday will the offensive line rise to the challenge of protecting him and opening holes for Jadan Baugh?   4. The front seven of the Texas defense is about as good as you will find in college football. One of the chief reasons Texas hasn’t allowed more than 269 yards in a game so far has everything to do with the front seven stuffing everything at the line of scrimmage. They have succeeded at making opponents one-dimensional by taking out the running game. If they dominate the line of scrimmage Saturday it will be a long day for the Gators.   5. The Gators are next to last in the country in sacks with three. It’s mind boggling that the defense has played so well without the benefit of a consistent pass rush. A year ago at Texas, the Gators had only one sack, which contributed mightily to their 49-17 defeat. A week later, that same inept pass rush sacked LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier six times.  Can the Gators stage a similar turnaround with Texas at The Swamp? If they can spend the day in Arch Manning’s face, the Gators have a chance.   6. This team is well aware that Billy Napier’s job is hanging by a thread. Some people are predicting that Napier will get pink slipped on Sunday if Texas blows the doors off the Gators. After the blowout loss to Texas a year ago, Napier had one foot out the door of the Heavener Center but he reversed his fortunes in the next four games, all wins. Will the Gators rise up in support of their beleaguered coach Saturday? One win won’t save Napier’s job, but it’s a start. A 6-2 or 7-1 record the rest of the season seems an impossibility but stranger things have happened.   The Gators are due for a great performance in which they play well in all phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. Texas knows what is at stake. With a schedule that includes Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, (at) Georgia and Texas A&M, they can’t afford a second loss and the pressure that comes with it. Florida can and should play well, but will it be enough to spring the upset? The pick: Texas   SEC FOOTBALL Kent State (1-3) at No. 5 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC): John Mateer is recovering from thumb surgery so he’s out. No big deal there. Oklahoma could clock Kent State with the scout team QB calling the shots. Florida State hosed the Golden Flashes 66-10 a couple of weeks ago. Oklahoma is a 45.5-point favorite. Michael Hawkins Jr. will be the QB and he’ll probably throw for 300-plus yards but nobody will notice unless the bulk of his throws go in the direction of Javonnie Gibson, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer who is finally recovered from a broken leg suffered in the spring. This guy is a stud. When Mateer does come back this will be his go to guy.   The pick: Oklahoma.   Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC) at No. 6 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0 SEC): This looked like a surefire prior to the start of the season, but no longer. Moo U as Mississippi State is known in the state of Mississippi is 4-1, the only loss a white knuckler to Tennessee last week. Because this one is on the road, the Bulldogs are 16.5-point underdogs. No problem for Texas A&M, right? Wrong. Through the years the Aggies have this nasty habit of losing games they shouldn’t, so put them on upset alert. Odds are they’re going to win, but Mississippi State is going to make them sweat. Profusely. The pick: Texas A&M   No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC) at No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): A year ago Alabama did the unthinkable and lost to Vanderbilt. That game was in Nashville, which is the prevailing excuse for Alabama this week as the Crimson Tide preps for a Vandy team that is much, much better than last year. Alabama is an 11.5-point favorite and coming off a huge win at Georgia last week. So, all things point to Alabama avenging the 2024 team with a big win. Except for one teensy little matter. Diego Pavia, who Alabama had no answers for a year ago, is back and he’s already thrown for 13 touchdown passes. Does he have the magic in him to spring the upset a second straight year? Kalen DeBoer better hope not. If he lost to Vandy two straight years Bama fans would hang him in effigy all over the campus in Tuscaloosa. White knuckles will be the order of the day. The pick: Alabama   Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) at No. 12 Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC): Since losing to Alabama last week numerous analysts have concluded that this isn’t your typical Georgia team. The defense is good not great. The offense can wear out a bad team but will struggle against a good one. Georgia is fortunate that this week’s opponent is Kentucky, whose bottom 10 offense will make the Bulldogs look good. Georgia is a 20.5-point fave. If this was the typical Georgia team the spread would be at least 35. My how things have changed. The pick: Georgia   MEANWHILE IN TALLAHASSEE, THE ANNUAL WIDE RIGHT BOWL Third-ranked Miami (4-0) and No. 18 Florida State (3-1, 0-1 SEC) renew their rivalry in the annual Wide Right Bowl, played this year at Doak Campbell Stadium. For the Almost Competitive Conference, this game is high stakes because the Hurricanes and Seminoles are the two highest profile programs. For ACC commish Little Jimmy Phillips everything would have been perfect except FSU did the unthinkable last week by losing to Virginia up in Charlottesville. The ACC needed FSU and Miami to come into the game unbeaten but now it’s an elimination game for Florida State and a blackeye for the league if the Seminoles hand Miami its first loss of the season.   If both teams had come into the game unbeaten, then the loser would still be in playoff contention, but the FSU loss to Virginia created a cosmic shift in the ACC dynamic. If the Seminoles lose Saturday night it might take a miracle of the Walls of Jericho tumbling down proportions for the Seminoles to make the College Football Playoff.  Two losses in a top to bottom weak conference is an almost guarantee that the Seminoles will make the left behind list much as they did in 2023.   A Miami loss does the ACC any good, either. This might be the only game on the Miami schedule that the Hurricanes won’t be prohibitive favorites. Should they lose to FSU they, along with the Seminoles, would play the rest of the games with the pressure of a second loss to an inferior team hanging over their heads.   So who wins it Saturday night? Miami is a 4.5-point favorite on the road. The Hurricanes have a huge offensive line that can pound away at the smaller Seminole defensive front  which couldn’t stop Virginia from running the ball last week. That will be the difference. The pick: Miami

(Photo by Chris Spears) Well before foot hit football quite a few experts circled October 4 as a date in which the Heisman Trophy could be decided. Arch Manning of Texas vs. DJ Langway of Florida. The predicted national champ Texas vs. up and comer with a chance to make the playoff Florida.   My how things have changed. They’ve transformed from can’t miss kids into quarterbacks in desperate need of a signature win. Texas is still in the playoff hunt, but hardly the favorite anymore. Florida is trying to salvage what it can from such a rotten start that Billy Napier is hanging on to his job by fingernails.   Starting with a mediocre performance in a loss to Ohio State, Arch Manning’s Heisman chances took a torpedo to the bow and Texas flunked its chance to show the college football world that it was national championship worthy. Arch has rebounded, putting up decent stats against three horrendously overmatched opponents (San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston). When he goes against Florida Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC) Arch will be facing the best defense he’s seen since Ohio State. He needs a big game in the worst way. His Heisman chances are currently doing a victory lap in the toilet but he can revive his reputation and help Texas get a win against a quality opponent. Sure, the Gators are 1-3 with a coach (Billy Napier) whose fanny is blowtorch hot, but the Florida defense is good enough to create plenty of havoc.   Lagway is showing what a lack of practice will do for you. A shoulder injury kept him out of spring football and from getting enough throwing in during the summer months. A calf injury kept him from live snaps until the week of the season opener with Long Island University. Due to a lack of live reps in practice, Lagway has looked nothing like the playmaker he was as a freshman when he led the Gators to four straight wins at the end of the year. Nothing tells the Lagway story of misery in 2025 quite like these two numbers – 10.0 and 5.6. The 10.0 is what Lagway averaged per pass attempt a year ago. The 5.6 is what he’s averaging this year. You can translate that into a quarterback who was willing to throw the ball downfield as a freshman who has transformed into the master of the 2-inch pass as a sophomore.   Both these quarterbacks need this game to go well Saturday. Forget the Heisman. The way both of them have played it would take a miracle of feeding the 5,000 proportions for either Manning or Lagway to resurface in the Heisman conversation. However, they both have plenty to prove. They need to show they can make plays against outstanding defenses, but more importantly, they need to show they can lead their teams to victory against a good opponent.   So, with Manning and Lagway in the Heisman tank, here are eight candidates to be sitting on the podium in New York when the winner of the 2025 Heisman is announced in December.   Eight at the top: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt : A Heisman candidate from Vandy? Surely you jest! Not! Vandy is 5-0 with Pavia leading the way with 1,211 passing yards for 13 TDs and 294 rushing yards for two more. If he leads Vandy past Alabama this weeks (he did it last year too), his Heisman stock will soar.   Dante Moore, Oregon: The Ducks are 5-0 and ranked No. 2. Moore has thrown for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s got Indiana in two weeks, after that the Ducks look unbeatable. Right now, he’s the favorite on most lists.   John Mateer, Oklahoma: Until he broke his thumb, he was the leader. If he comes back from surgery to not just play Texas next week but win, he probably vaults back into the lead. So far he has thrown for 1,215 yards (in four games) for six touchdowns and he has run for 190 and another five.   Ahmad Hardy, Missouri: Never heard of him? Neither had anyone else until recently. He gained 1,351 yards and scored 13 TDs last year at Louisiana-Monroe for a 5-7 team in the Fun Belt. He has run for more than 100 yards in all five Mizzou games, totaling 730 yards and nine TDs. The schedule gets much tougher the next four games (Alabama, at Auburn, at Vanderbilt and Texas A&M) so we’ll have a better idea then about his Heisman chances.     Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: This is the one guy who was on everybody’s Heisman list when the season began. A lot of people say he is the best football player in the country regardless of position. He has 28 catches for 396 yards and four touchdowns. Ultimately, he’s going to be judged by what he does against Penn State and Michigan.   Fernando Mendoza, Indiana: He’s originally from Miami, transferred from Cal to Indiana. He’s thrown for 1,208 yards and 16 TDs with just one pick, plus he’s run for two. Games at Oregon and Penn State will probably determine if he makes the podium, but right now he’s a legit candidate.   Tristan Chambliss, Ole Miss: He’s come out of nowhere. A year ago he led Ferris State to the Division II title. Now he is 3-0 as a starter with 1,033 passing yards (5 TDPs) and 266 rushing (2 TDs). If he keeps having big games and Ole Miss keeps winning he will be a factor.   Ty Simpson, Alabama: Since the first game loss to FSU, Simpson is 65-84 passing for 884 yards and nine touchdowns without a pick. Winning at Georgia was huge. He has to come up big in the next six games (Vanderbilt, at Missouri, Tennessee, at South Carolina, LSU and Oklahoma) to get an invite to New York.   On the fringe:   Gunner Stockton, Georgia: He was very average in the loss to Alabama and that will stick with the voters. You can’t throw for 130 and lose when the whole world is watching and expect to be a serious candidate. To get back in contention he will have to come up big against Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia Tech.   Carson Beck, Miami: Yes, Las Vegas still has him top two, but he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. The Florida game was a real setback. To get back into serious contention among voters he needs to rip and shred against Florida State this weekend.   Haynes King, Georgia Tech: Tech is unbeaten and the next seven games are very winnable. He’s probably the best pure runner among all college QBs. If GaTech is 11-0 going into the Georgia game, he could at least make the podium.   Tommy Castellanos, Florida State: A lot of the luster was kicked off with the loss at Virginia. He has to come up big against Miami because there isn’t another marquee game on the schedule unless Clemson makes a stunning about face and Florida starts winning.   SEC FOOTBALL No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): The run defense is a concern after Georgia hammered the Tide for 227 yards including gains of 21, 24, 29, 43 and 43 yards. Alabama is giving up 160.5 yards per game on the ground 14 th in the SEC. Vanderbilt is running for 223.4 yards per game. Saturday: No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC)   Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC): While Rhett Lashlee seems to be the favorite of some of the bigger money brokers and interim Bobby Petrino has a big play offense, a name that is starting to pick up serious traction is Jon Sumrall, who is 36-10 as a head coach at Troy and Tulane. He’s a Texarkana native and that could weigh very heavily in his favor.   Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): The Tigers’ issues are all on the offensive side of the ball. The defense is doing just fine, particularly against the run. Opponents are averaging just 88 yards and 2.56 yards per carry. The Tigers have 16 sacks.   No. 12 Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC): How far has Georgia’s defense fallen since Dan Lanning left? The Bulldogs finished No. 2 nationally in defense (267.9 yards) and No. 1 in scoring defense (10.2) in Lanning’s last year. This year under Glen Shumann and despite a cupcake schedule other than Alabama, the Bulldogs are giving up 324 yards per game which is 12 th in the SEC and 19.5 points per game (also 12 th ). Georgia is No. 15 in the SEC with just five sacks (No. 121 nationally). Saturday: Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC)   Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC): Redshirt freshman QB Cutter Boley will be the starter once again Saturday in Athens per HBC Mark Stoops. “The players believe in him,” Stoops said. “He has the talent so he’ll continue to work and get better.” Boley has thrown for 402 yards and two touchdowns.   No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC): During an off week in which the loss to Ole Miss continues to resonate, HBC Brian Kelly said, “We have to get better. I think everybody’s angry. I’m angry. I’m angry at myself for, you know, not having the details in this game that we needed and that starts with us coaching. That starts with teaching, preparing your football team … I think there’s just a lot of disappointment in the way we prepared our team and I take responsibility for that.”   Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC): The starting O-line for Saturday’s game at Texas A&M are LT Jayin James, LG Jacoby Jackson, C Canon Boone, RG Zack Owens and RT Albert Reese. Saturday: at No. 6 Texas A&M   No. 19 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Two numbers stick out when measuring Missouri’s defense – 2.64 and 5.3, as in 2.64 yards per rush attempt by opponents and just 5.3 per pass attempt. The Tigers give up only 66 yards per game on the ground and 141 through the air.   No. 5 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Javonnie Gibson, who caught 70 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago, will make his 2025 debut Saturday. Gibson broke his leg during the spring … With John Mateer recovering from thumb surgery, the Sooners will turn to sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. to run the offense. Hawkins has only limited action this year, but as a true freshman last year he completed 76-120 passes for 783 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday: Kent State (1-3)   No. 3 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Three of the Rebels top four receivers came to Ole Miss via the portal. Harrison Wallace III (17-361, 2 TDs) transferred from Penn State; Deuce Alexander (17-313, 1 TD) transferred from Wake Forest; and tight end Dae’Quan Wright (12-273, 2 TDs) came to Ole Miss from Virginia Tech. Cayden Lee (12-226, 1 TD) is home grown.   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC): The bye week comes at a good time for the Gamecocks for getting healed up and re-tooling the No. 123 offense nationally. The next five games are (at) No. 13 LSU, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 10 Alabama, (at) No. 4 Ole Miss and (at) No. 6 Texas A&M.   No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): The Vols are putting plenty of points on the scoreboard (51 per game), but the high-flying offense is hindered by turnovers. The Vols have thrown five interceptions and fumbled the ball away four times. The nine turnovers are worst in the SEC and No. 122 nationally.   No. 9 Texas (3-1): Florida’s defense will be the toughest the Longhorns have faced since their opening game loss to Ohio State. The Longhorns managed only seven points and 336 yards of offense in that one … Texas averages 202.75 rushing yards per game. Expect Texas to try to wear the Gators out by pounding it up Florida’s gut behind their huge offensive line. The Longhorns have allowed only three sacks all season. Saturday: at FLORIDA (1-3, 0-1 SEC)   No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Saturday’s game could be a flagfest. Texas A&M is next to last in the SEC and No. 125 nationally in penalties with 38 for -309 yards. Saturday opponent Mississippi State is last in the SEC and No. 134 nationally with 47 penalties for -427 yards. Saturday: Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC)   Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC): The Commodores are 10.5-point underdogs at Alabama this weekend. Considering the Dores beat Alabama last year and they’re unbeaten you can bet the farm Clark Lea will be playing the disrespect card to the hilt. Saturday: at No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC)

(Photo by Chris Spears) New year, similar circumstances. Nothing, but nothing scares the hell out of Gator fans quite like that thought.   A year ago, even though he had the endorsement of athletic director Scott Stricklin, Billy Napier had one foot out the door of the Heavener Center when the Gators did the unthinkable and beat LSU, 27-16. From that spark a small, but very effective forest fire began to burn, the end result a 4-game winning streak, an 8-5 record, and a good case of the warm and fuzzies about Billy Napier.   A season later, the Gators are 1-3, their worst start to a season since 1986. Texas is coming to town, ranked 9 th in the country with a defense that hasn’t allowed more than 269 yards in a game so far. There has been no endorsement of Billy Napier from Scott Stricklin. Talk around town is that the lack of a Stricklin vote of confidence is evidence that once again Napier has one foot out the door of the Heavener Center.     Here is what has the entire Gator Nation feeling they are caught in the middle of a no-win situation: (1) If the Gators beat Texas it might crank up the kind of rally that the Gators win enough of the remaining games on the schedule and Napier gets another year; and (2) a blowout loss to Texas might trigger Stricklin to decide enough is enough.   This is a dilemma: Gator fans want to win and hate to lose, but there is a price to be paid for both. Win too much and he stays. Keep on losing and he goes, but recruiting falls apart and the next coach is faced with an incredible rebuild.   NAPIER WILL CONTINUE TO CALL THE PLAYS   Napier put the kibosh on the notion he might be relinquishing the play calling to one of his assistants during the off week. At his Monday press conference, Napier basically dug in his heels to debunk the mere thought that someone else would call plays.     “Well, it's year eight for me [as a head coach], and I think it's the way we've done it,” Napier said. “I think it helped us get here. It helped us, but look, I think there's a lot of guys that are still doing it, too. You could argue both ways here. I watched several of them this weekend.   “So I think each year you're evaluating what is best for the team, for the staff, and certainly I think with who we had coming back. The quarterback, in particular, I think is a huge piece of that puzzle in terms of the verbiage, the system, the dialogue, how you teach the quarterback. I think that's a big piece of the puzzle. And then certain situations present maybe an opportunity for a reset. I think that you're always just evaluating what's best for this team. That's ultimately what drives every decision that we do, no different than a lot of the changes that we've made in the past. I get it.   “There's a lot of teams out there this weekend that struggled, and there's going to be criticism when you're not as productive and that contributes to the team not winning, no different than when you give up a lot of points, there's criticism on the other side. I think we've got to play complementary football. This is a defense that we've worked four years on building and preparing, and they're playing at a high level. We have to continue that, and now we have to get back to playing better on offense. I do think that the kicking game has become a weapon for us, the punt return game, our specialists' play. We've struggled a little bit here the first month, and I think all know that. I know that, our players know that, and certainly our fans know that."   So, there you go. Another year, another game and nothing is going to change. If the Gators turn it around and the offense begins to click, Napier will perhaps be vindicated for his decision to call the plays. If the offense continues to stink, then Napier will go down with the ship.     SEC FOOTBALL No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Quarterback Ty Simpson was the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after completing 24-38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia. Left tackle Kadyn Proctor was selected SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week … Coordinator Ryan Grubb got a shout out from Nick Saban after his offense converted 13 of 19 third downs in the win over Georgia. “This is what I see being really good coaching,” Saban said. Saturday: No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC)   Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a multi-gozillionaire and former Arkansas offensive lineman, is throwing his weight and money behind SMU coach Rhett Lashlee to be the new head coach. Lashley is a former Arkansas quarterback.   Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Speaking of the offensive frustrations the last two games, coordinator Derrick Nix said Monday, “When you do have a negative play on first down and it does set us back, we have not figured out a way to overcome that yet.”   No. 12 Georgia (3-1, 0-1 SEC): Among the things Kirby Smart said he learned about his team in the loss to Alabama are: “We can run the ball and we can stop the run, two things we struggled with last year. So, we’ve got to continue to improve in those areas. We’ve got to lean on those areas but we’ve got a lot of areas we’ve got to get better at.” Saturday: Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC)   Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC): Following the loss to South Carolina, HBC Mark Stoops said, “We’re a better football team. I understand the frustration. I really do … You know bottom line is winning and we’re falling short of that. That’s frustrating.” Saturday: at No. 12 Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 13 LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC): LSU’s running game, which was supposed to be an improvement over last year when the Tigers averaged 116.38 yards per game, has taken a step backwards. After netting just 57 yards against Ole Miss, the Tigers are averaging only 104.8 yards per game, which ranks 15 th in the SEC and No. 121 nationally.   Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC): South Alabama transfer Fluff Bothwell has recorded back-to-back 100-yard games. He ran for 101 yards against Northern Illinois and followed that up with 134 yards against Tennessee. Bothwell leads Mississippi State in rushing with 450 yards and six touchdowns. Saturday: at No. 6 Texas A&M (5-0, 1-0 SEC)   No. 19 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Missouri leads both the Southeastern Conference and nation in average time of possession. The Tigers hold onto the ball for 37:29.40 every game. The Tigers rank second nationally in third down conversions with 45 in 73 third down situations (61.64 percent).   No. 5 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Head coach Brent Venables says quarterback John Mateer is “going to push the limits on everything when it comes to his rehab and getting back.” Mateer had surgery on his thumb after the Auburn game. He’s trying to be back in time to play against Texas October 11. Saturday: Kent State (1-3)   No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): Quarterback Trinidad Chambers, who threw for 314 yards and ran for 71 in the win over LSU, was chosen SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. Patrick Kutas was selected SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week. Punter Oscar Bird was named SEC Freshman of the Week … The coordinator for the Ole Miss offense is Charlie Weis Jr., who spent a year at Florida as a student assistant in 2011 when his dad was the offensive coordinator for Will Muschamp. He has been the OC at Ole Miss since 2022. The Rebels have finished top three or better in the SEC every year with Weis calling the plays.   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC): Bryan Thomas Jr., who had seven tackles and two sacks in the win over Kentucky, was selected SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week … During the off week, the Gamecocks are going to do plenty of work with the offensive line. The Gamecocks are averaging an anemic 99.8 yards per game on the ground, dead last in the SEC and 126 th nationally. The Gamecocks average 2.9 yards per carry. The O-line has allowed 15 sacks for -130 yards in losses.   No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Linebacker Arion Carter was SEC Defensive Player of the Week after registering 17 tackles and breaking up a game-saving pass in overtime against Mississippi State. Defensive end Tyre West, who had three tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble was selected SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week … The Vols are dead last in the SEC in pass defense. The Vols are giving up 259.2 yards per game, which is 113 th nationally.   No. 9 Texas (3-1): Addressing what he sees as Florida’s defensive strength, HBC Steve Sarkisian said Monday, “They can force a quarterback to hold the ball and then that’s where the pressure can get there. If we can get them out of their two-high [safety] look where they’re doubling receivers, then we can try to attack them as best we can with some one-on-one opportunities.” Saturday: at FLORIDA (1-3, 0-1 SEC)   No. 6 Texas A&M (4-1, 1-0 SEC): The Aggies are working on eliminating penalties as they prep for Mississippi State. They’ve been flagged 13 times in each of the last two games. Said HBC Mike Elko, “We should never have false starts. We should never have procedure penalties. We certainly should not have things happening after the whistle. Those are discipline things. I take those all very personally. They are on me. They are the sign of a really poorly coached football team.” Saturday: Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC)   No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Placekicker Brock Taylor, who had two field goals and 6-6 on extra points, was selected SEC Special Teams Player of the Week … Vandy upset Alabama in Nashville last year. This year, College Game Day will be in Tuscaloosa for the Vandy-Bama game. It is the first time since 2008 that Vanderbilt has been part of a Game Day matchup. Saturday: at No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC)

(Photo by Chris Spears) Back in August, when Florida-Texas was being hyped as a shootout between Heisman Trophy favorites DJ Lagway and Arch Manning, nosebleed tickets at The Swamp were going for serious money on the secondary market. They’re still expensive, but with Texas having lost its season opener to Ohio State and Florida’s season on the verge of tanking, much of the luster is gone from the Saturday matchup (3:30 p.m., ABC) between the Gators (1-3, 0-1 SEC) and the 9 th -ranked Longhorns (3-1). It's not difficult to find tickets in the $100 range.   Neither Lagway nor Manning is burning it up although Manning’s stats against a much weaker schedule are much better. Manning is completing 61.3 percent of his passes and averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. He’s thrown nine TDPs and three interceptions, but most of the good numbers have come against the likes of San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston, combined record 2-11. Arch wasn’t so sharp in the season opening loss to Ohio State.   Lagway has completed 83-123 passes (67.5 percent) but only for 690 yards (5.6 per attempt). He has thrown five touchdown passes and six interceptions. Take away game one against D1AA Long Island University and Lagway is 78-105 for 570 yards (5.42 per attempt). Lagway threw five interceptions against LSU and for only 61 yards against Miami. South Florida, LSU and Miami are a combined 11-2.   Florida will present the toughest defense Arch Manning and the Longhorns have faced since the opener with Ohio State. The Gators are No. 22 nationally, giving up just 284 yards and 16 points per game. Can the Gators do what Ohio State did to Arch Manning, which is leave him dazed and confused a good portion of the game?   Florida’s offense ranks 115 th in the nation at 328.3 yards per game. It would seem Florida’s inept offense is playing right into the hands of the Texas defense that has yet to give up more than 269 yards in a game. But are the Longhorns as good defensively as either LSU or Miami?   Both Lagway and Manning need to play well in this game. Manning still has a chance to get back in the Heisman race if he can put up stout numbers in the eight SEC games remaining on the Texas schedule.   Lagway’s Heisman chances are long since gone, but he can still salvage his season. He’s just a sophomore so a strong finish would set things up for a junior year in which he once again is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country.   So what’s it going to be Saturday? A shootout hardly seems in the works. A boring defensive struggle seems far more likely. Despite its top ten ranking, Texas is only a 7.5-point favorite.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Ohio State 4-0; 2. Oregon 5-0; 3. Miami 4-0; 4. Ole Miss 5-0; 5. Oklahoma 4-0; 6. Texas A&M 4-0; 7. Penn State 3-1; 8. Indiana 5-0; 9. Texas 3-1; 10. Alabama 3-1; 11. Texas Tech 4-0; 12. Georgia 3-1; 13. LSU 4-1; 14. Iowa State 5-0; 15. Tennessee 4-1; 16. Vanderbilt 5-0; 17. Georgia Tech 5-0; 18. Florida State 3-1; 19. Missouri 5-0; 20. Michigan 3-1; 21. Notre Dame 2-2; 22. Illinois 4-1; 23. BYU 4-0; 24. Virginia 4-1; 25. Arizona State 4-1   AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Ohio State 4-0; 2. Oregon 5-0; 3. Miami 4-0; 4. Ole Miss 5-0; 5. Texas A&M 4-0; 6. Penn State 3-1; 7. Texas 3-1; 8. Oklahoma 4-0; 9. Indiana 5-0; 10. Georgia 3-1; 11. Alabama 3-1; 12. Iowa State 5-0; 13. LSU 4-1; 14. Texas Tech 4-0; 15. Tennessee 4-1; 16. Georgia Tech 5-0; 17. Vanderbilt 5-0; 18. Missouri 5-0; 19. Florida State 3-1; 20. Michigan 3-1; 21. Notre Dame 2-2; 22. Illinois 4-1; 23. BYU 4-0; 24. Arizona State 4-1; 25. Utah 4-1   SEC FOOTBALL No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC): The Crimson Tide got just enough in the run game (117 yards) to keep the pressure off QB Ty Simpson. Simpson, who has yet to throw an interception this season, completed 24-38 passes for 276 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown … Linebacker Qua Russaw suffered a foot injury against Georgia that will require surgery. No timeline yet on his anticipated return date. Saturday: No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC)   Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC): Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino takes over as head coach now that Sam Pittman has been fired. Petrino was the head coach of the Razorbacks from 2008-2011, compiling a 34-17 record that included a 10-win season in 2010 and an 11-2 record in 2012.   Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Auburn’s offensive line struggled mightily against Texas A&M. In addition to being flagged for four false starts and an illegal shift, they allowed five sacks. Auburn has averaged 2.17 rushing yards per carry in the last two games. The 2-game totals are 119 yards on 69 carries, a dismal 1.72 yards per carry.   No. 12 Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC): Rather than kick a fourth quarter field goal that would have tied the game at 24-24, Kirby Smart elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 but Cash Jones was stopped short of the first down. Defending the decision, HBC Kirby Smart said, “I’d do that 10 out of 10 times in terms of going for it.” … The opening line for Saturday’s game with Kentucky favors Georgia by 48.5 points. Saturday: Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC)   Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC): It will be interesting to see if Kentucky sticks with redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley this week. In the loss to South Carolina, Boley had a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and a pick six interception. Zach Calzada, who started the first two games, has been sidelined with a shoulder injury. If he is healthy would HBC Mark Stoops put him back in the starting lineup? Saturday: at Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC)   No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC): From College Football Report: “LSU’s offense is still trash and there’s honestly no excuses left for Brian Kelly at this point.” The LSU offense managed only 57 yards on the ground in the loss to Ole Miss. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 197 yards against the Rebels, is averaging only 6.8 yards per pass attempt.   Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC): The Bulldogs threw an interception and fumbled the ball away in their overtime loss to Tennessee. The Vols took advantage of the turnovers to score touchdowns. “We gave them 14 points, so that’s the game right there,” MSU coach Jeff Lebby said. Saturday: at Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0)   No. 19 Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC): At 15 games, Missouri now owns the longest home winning streak in the SEC … Wide receiver Kevin Coleman has caught 39 passes, which leads the SEC … Missouri ranks No. 1 nationally in total defense (203.8 yards per game) and No. 4 in offense (547.6 yards per game).   No. 5 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC): It is being reported that the surgery on quarterback John Mateer’s broken thumb went so well that it is entirely possible he could be back on the field for the Texas game on October 11 … Mateer won’t be necessary this week. The Sooners are 45.5-point favorites to embarrass Kent State … The Sooners lead the SEC and nation in third down defense, having allowed just 10 third down conversions in 56 tries.  Saturday: Kent State (1-3)   No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC): In his three starts at quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss is averaging 324.7 passing yards and 81.7 yards on the ground. The Ole Miss offense averages 530.6 yards and 40.6 points per game …  The Rebels have one of the most explosive 1-2 punches at wide receiver in Harrison Wallace III (17-361, 2 TDs) and Deuce Alexander (17-313, 1 TD).   South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC): South Carolina’s defense carried the load in the win over Kentucky with six sacks, four forced turnovers and just 232 yards allowed … South Carolina’s offense, which ranks dead last in the SEC, had its best game in terms of yardage – just 341 yards.   No. 15 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC): The Vols had five sacks against Mississippi State. Through five games they lead the country with 20. In 13 games a year ago, the Vols registered only 29 sacks … Joey Aguilar has thrown for 1,506 yards and 13 touchdowns for the 4-1 Vols. Meanwhile over at UCLA, Nico Iamaleava has thrown for 788 yards and four touchdowns for the 0-4 Bruins.   No. 9 Texas (3-1): The Texas defense has yet to give up 300 yards in a single game. The Longhorns are allowing just 211 yards and 7.8 points per game … Arch Manning has thrown for 888 yards (8.4 per attempt) and nine touchdowns (3 picks). Saturday: at FLORIDA (1-3, 0-1 SEC)   No. 6 Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC): Le’Veon Moss ran for 139 yards and a TD in the win over Auburn, setting a personal single game record … Wide receiver Mario Craver has caught 24 passes for 477 yards and four TDs while KC Concepcion has 20 catches for 340 yards and three TDs.     No. 16 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC): Counting the bowl win last year, the Commodores have won six consecutive games. They put their winning streak on the line at Alabama next Saturday where they open as 10.5-point underdogs … The Commodores are averaging 494.4 yards per game. A year ago, even though they went 7-6 and won a bowl game, they averaged only 318.4 yards per game. Saturday: at No. 10 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC)   IT'S ONLY MONEY: ARKANSAS FIRES SAM PITTMAN   Sam Pittman was fired by Arkansas Sunday, the morning after the Razorbacks were poleaxed by Notre Dame, 56-13, in Fayetteville. The firing wasn’t exactly unexpected. Ever since a loss to Ole Miss began a 3-game losing streak, it has pretty much been a case of when not if Pittman would be pink slipped.   Pittman is 63 years old and Arkansas is the only head coaching job he’s ever had. He was 32-34 since taking over the program in 2020.   The buyout clause in Pittman’s contract was rather unique. Since 2021, Pittman was 29-27 so he’s owed $9.8 million. If he had a sub-.500 record since 2021 at the time of his firing, Pittman would have only been owed $6.9 million. Of course, given the number of gozillionaires who are Arkansas boosters, the extra $2.9 million is tip money.   OKIE STATE FIRES TODD GRANTHAM Last week, Oklahoma State fired head coach Mike Gundy. Following Saturday’s 45-27 loss to Baylor, a game in which Okie State allowed 612 yards, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham joined Gundy on the unemployment line. Grantham was hired by Gundy in the offseason. He brought in his own assistant coaches, but obviously things didn’t click because in four games Oklahoma State was giving up 473 yards and 35 points per game.   Grantham was Dan Mullen’s defensive coordinator at Florida from 2018-21. His 2019 defense finished ninth in the nation, but a year later the Gators plummeted down to No. 83, allowing 124 more yards per game.