Florida football hosted the No. 9 Texas Longhorns in the Swamp on Saturday afternoon and the energy was unmatched. The Gators pulled off the upset at home, winning by a score of 29-21.
From the opening kick, the Florida Gators looked like a completely different football squad than what we were accustomed to seeing in the first few weeks of the season.
Billy Napier got the run game going early, DJ Lagway finally looked comfortable on offense, Dallas Wilson had a record-breaking debut and the Florida defense made life difficult for Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Looks like the bye week gave the Gators a chance to step back and assess what’s been going so wrong in their previous games this season.
Florida can enjoy this one tonight, but the road doesn’t get any easier as they head to Texas A&M next week.
Here are the three top takeaways from Florida’s Week 6 game vs. Texas.
Defense continues to be a force
Going into this one, people didn’t realize the impact that the Florida defense has had this season. The offensive struggles overshadowed this unit’s ability to keep every game within reach for as long as possible.
But the defense kept at it, and left the Texas offense sputtering. Defensive backs Jordan Castell and Devin Moore came up with monumental interceptions and the pass rush was able to tack on six sacks.
The Gators also did a good job of getting off the field, forcing Texas to convert just three of their 11 third downs.
Arch Manning you can’t be SERIOUS!!! pic.twitter.com/KzHR0BdIno
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 4, 2025
Despite missing multiple starters, the defense showed that “next man up mentality” and got the job done.
Give credit to Ron Roberts and this Florida defensive coaching staff because they’ve been a consistent bright spot for this team so far in 2025. They made Manning look like a deer in headlights.
What a debut by Dallas Wilson
Words can’t even describe the impact that Wilson had on Florida’s offense this afternoon and it seems as if Lagway found his new favorite target.
Wilson, a former five-star recruit, had six catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets.
Dallas Wilson. Bang.
Gators respond. pic.twitter.com/I23HkI0nHA
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 4, 2025
On Wilson’s first touchdown, it was the first time in Florida football history that a true freshman scored a receiving touchdown on their first career start.
The Gators found their new weapon on offense and it will be fun to watch Wilson’s trajectory as a player as his career progresses.
Bye week magic?
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this story. Last year, the Gators were absolutely lost and once the bye week came around, they looked like a completely different team.
Well, the same could be said about this year’s team. Although it’s only been one game, the offense looks like they’ve figured out how to move the ball down the field and the team’s energy felt ramped up.
It’s difficult to figure out this Florida squad because of how up-and-down their level of play has been. But at least this victory gives Gator Nation something to cheer about that they’ve been seeking all season long.
Up next for Florida
The Gators head to College Station, Texas, to face the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, Oct. 11. Kickoff time and broadcast information are still to be determined.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Three key takeaways from Florida football’s upset against Texas
