No. 7 Texas Vs. Florida Live Updates: Grinding Gators Drive Makes It 17-17 To Open Second Half

AUSTIN — In the SEC home opener for the No. 7 Texas Longhorns, the Florida Gators are on the Forty Acres looking to end a two-game losing streak as head coach Steve Sarkisian’s team tries to bounce back from last week’s stunning 27-24 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Will there be any hangover for the Longhorns, who now have less margin for error in their quest to return to the College Football Playoff? Can the offense find more explosive plays and more consistency in the running game? Can the defense force its first turnover in conference play?

Pregame injury report

Listed as probable on Friday, Texas sophomore offensive lineman Jordan Coleman and sophomore defensive lineman Justus Terry were both removed from the pregame player availability report as Terry prepares to make his return after missing four straight games.

For Florida, the significant news for the offense will be whether quarterback Aaron Philo and wide receivers Vernell Brown III and Bailey Stockton are able to play — all three are listed as game-time decisions, setting up the possibility that quarterback Tramell Jones will make his first collegiate start.

Pregame warmups

Although Philo went through pregame warmups, CBS Sports reported that Jones is going to start against the Longhorns.

First quarter

Texas won the toss and made the decision to receive, taking over at the 25-yard line after a touchback.

In 12 personnel to start the game, the Longhorns tested the perimeter with junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo on a push pass for a 10-yard gain. After a three-yard gain by senior running back Hollywood Smothers, senior quarterback Arch Manning connected with junior wide receiver Cam Coleman for a five-yard gain. Smothers moved the chains wby picking up two on 3rd and 2.

A screen pass to freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop only went for two yards, but a shot play to Coleman was more effective in drawing a pass-interference penalty. Under pressure quickly, Manning was able to escape pressure and scramble for six yards, setting up a 32-yard touchdown run by senior running back Raleek Brown, who took the edge and outraced the defense — the first run of more than 21 yards by the Longhorns since Smothers had a 45-yard carry on the first play from scrimmage in the season opener, a span of 195 carries.

The Texas defense was able to force a three and out after Florida tried to return the kickoff and only made it to the 16-yard line after a wide receiver screen for four yards, a run for no gain, and a completion just short of the first-down marker.

The Gators almost pulled off a 74-yard punt down to the goal line, but the coverage unit didn’t field the ball before it bounced off the goal line as it took a turn towards the middle of the field, resulting in a touchback.

Screen passes to Wingo picked up three yards and 11 yards before Manning found junior wide receiver Emmett Mosley V up the sideline on a fake screen for 14 yards. On a 14-yard run by Smothers, Texas picked up an extra 15 yards on a face-mask penalty. Another push pass, this time to Bishop, gained seven yards into the red zone, where the Longhorns tried to run another fake screen that wasn’t open and produced a risky throwaway by Manning. The drive officially stalled on 3rd and 3 when an apparent missed assignment between senior left tackle Trevor Goosby and senior tight end Spencer Shannon resulted in an unblocked defender tackling Smothers for a four-yard loss, forcing Texas to settle for a 38-yard field goal by senior kicker Gianni Spetic and a 10-0 lead.

Returning a short kickoff, two Longhorns were unable to make the tackle on the kickoff, forcing Spetic to make the stop after a 30-yard return to the 35-yard line. Florida had to convert a 3rd and 7 after a three-yard run by running back Jaden Baugh and a pass breakup by Texas senior safety Jelani McDonald, opting for a screen pass to wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. that got close enough to the line to gain that it was ruled a first down prior to a lengthy physical review that overturned the spot.

On 4th and inches, Florida was called for a false start on the quarterback sneak by Jones, sending the punt team onto the field, another good effort by Alec Clark caught by senior Ryan Niblett at his own 5-yard line. Trying to create space off the goal line, Smothers had a big seven-yard gain, followed by a six-yard effort. With Brown into the game, Texas picked up four yards on his first effort and two yards on his second, setting up 3rd and 4. Under some pressure, Manning’s throw sailed over sophomore tight end Nick Townsend.

Senior punter Mac Chiumento wasn’t able to flip the field with a 40-yard punt, allowing Florida to cross midfield with a short scramble by Jones and a good diving catch by Singleton for 12 yards. A four-yard gain by Baugh set up another run that had 15 yards tacked onto the end of it with a block below the waist penalty on sophomore nickel back Graceson Littleton.

Florida drew a penalty for an illegal formation on the next play, stopping the drive’s momentum, and Jones was gang tackled on a designed run that only gained one yard to end the first quarter.

Second quarter

With Texas junior edge Colin Simmons lined up at middle linebacker, the Horns limited a run by Baugh to three yards, then senior defensive tackle Ian Geffrard made a tackle for loss on a screen pass to the Gators running back on 3rd and 11. Florida connected on its 45-yard field goal to get onto the scoreboard.

After Texas made major special teams miscues in the two previous games, Florida tried a surprise onside kick recovered by sophomore tight end Emaree Winston without much drama. The drive started well for the Longhorns with a six-yard run by Brown, but a Gators linebacker got a free run at Brown on second down to inflict a four-yard loss, and Manning tried to complete a difficult throw down the sideline to Coleman instead of waiting for Mosley to come open on an out route, sending Chiumento onto the field for 47-yard punt.

Trying to get back into the game quickly, Florida took a play-action shot play on first down and Jones had Singleton open, but the ball was underthrown enough for Texas senior cornerback Bo Mascoe to recover and make a play on it. When the second-down run by the Gators was stopped for a loss, the Longhorns defense was able to tee up pressure on third down, resulting in a big hit on Jones and an incomplete pass.

With Florida punting from its own 15-yard line, Texas special teams coordinator Jeff Banks opted for a return instead of a punt block and Niblett made the decision pay off, making a player miss and finding a seam across the field for a 63-yard punt return touchdown. Notable on the play — the Gators use an offensive linemen in their shield who was the last player with a chance of getting Niblett to the ground and he never even got close to the speedy return man.

The third career punt return touchdown by Niblett ties the school record.

An 11-yard completion on second down moved the chains for Florida, but a false start put them off schedule, leading to a 3rd and 14. Jones found some space to scramble for 13 yards when Simmons used an inside move that caused him to lose contain, affording Baugh a chance to convert by bouncing a run to his right. A screen to Singleton picked up another first down before Simmons tackled Baugh for a loss. On second down, Jones threw incomplete, missing badly over the middle. On 3rd and 12, Florida had to call a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty.

Jones had a receiver open over the middle, but the throw was inaccurate and the Gators had to punt in Longhorns territory, an effort by Clark that was downed at the 3-yard line.

Opening the drive in 12 personnel, Texas ran away from its two big tight ends and Smothers bounced the run behind Goosby for a 21-yard gain. Trying to find space in the middle only produced two yards, and Brown entered the game, getting close tot he first-down marker on a seven-yard run. With three runnings back in the game on 3rd and 1, a designed run for Manning behind sophomore running back Michael Terry picked up eight yards.

Then Manning’s decision making let him down. Standing in the pocket too long, Manning took a sack and fumbled before nearly throwing an interception on a post route when the post safety was run into by the cornerback in coverage.

An explosive screen to Bishop got Goosby out in front blocking to get close to the marker on 3rd and 16, initially ruled a first down before review overturned the spot to set up 4th and 1 in the same formation and personnel grouping from the previous third down, but this time the handoff was stopped in the backfield for a turnover on downs.

A missed tackle on a jet sweep to Singleton resulted in an eight-yard gain heading into the two-minute timeout and a tough run by Baugh up the middle after the break for seven yards. Another run by Baugh picked up four, but good coverage from Texas sophomore cornerback Kade Phillips had good coverage against Dallas Wilson on a back-shoulder fade down the sideline. Penalties continued to be a problem for Florida, turning 3rd and 6 into 3rd and 11 thanks to a false start. Defending a crossing route, McDonald threw Singleton to the ground for a yard loss, putting the Gators into a difficult position at the 36-yard line.

Going for it on 4th and 12, Mascoe had good coverage against Wilson and thought he forced an incompletion, but Wilson made the catch down the sideline. On a quarterback draw, Jones made senior linebacker Rasheem Biles miss in the backfield to gain 14 yards up the middle. After Baugh was dropped for a two-yard loss, the Gators called timeout with 23 seconds remaining and the ball on the 7-yard line with one timeout left.

A play-action pass schemed tight end Lacota Dippre open in the end zone for an easy pass and catch to make it 17-10 at halftime.

Third quarter

Florida started the second half with another effective kickoff return for 24 yards to the 31-yard line. On 3rd and 6, Jones was able to stand in the pocket and connect with wide receiver Bailey Stockton for a 14-yard gain out to near midfield.

A run by Baugh and a scramble by Jones set up 3rd and 3, a screen pass that moved the chains when Littleton missed a tackle in the open field. Baugh picked up three yards on first down, but the second-down play was stopped when Stockton went down with a non-contact injury. Florida converted another third down when Phillips got turned around in coverage on a seven-yard completion to Wilson.

A false start on the Gators made it 1st and 15, then Baugh picked up four yards to the edge on a toss play. From an empty formation, Jones completed a short pass for six yards to set up 3rd and 6, a completion on a slant for the drive’s third third-down conversion. Baugh’s two-yard run to sideline pushed the drive past its seven-minute mark as Florida’s lead back carried it again for five yards. On 3rd and 3 from the 8-yard line, the Gators called a timeout at the 6:55 mark of the third quarter as Simmons received medical attention on the sideline.

Despite the timeout, the Texas defense wasn’t on the same page after a shift and motion from Florida as two players were wide open in or near the end zone over the middle with Jones choosing to target Dippre for his second touchdown of the game to tie it at 17-17.