FSU over Florida 24-15

No. 5 Florida State Seminoles (12-0, 8-0 ACC) capped their regular season with a finale against rival Florida Gators. ( 5-7, 3-5 SEC) inside Ben Hill Griffen Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. Roars could be heard throughout the city as 93,000 screaming fans cheered their teams on. The Seminoles would leave The Swamp with a 24-15 victory over the Gators.

For the second week in a row, a starting quarterback for the Seminoles was injured. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker was attempting to convert a third and 14 and was struck by Jaydon Hill who was later ejected for targeting. Rodemaker would later return. 

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UCF beats UF at the Thrilla’ in the Gaspirilla

UCF coach Gus Malzahn received two celebratory Gatorade baths following the Knights’ 29-17 win over the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.

“Some wins are worth two,” Malzahn said with a smile on his face. “And I think that was worth two, especially with the way that the season went. Our guys showed unbelievable resiliency, toughness and character.”

UCF receiver Ryan O’Keefe did just about everything in leading the Knights to their first win over the Gators.

The junior from Texas finished with a bowl-record 251 all-purpose yards, catching a 54-yard touchdown that put the Knights in control with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium.

“I don’t know how times he touched the ball, but our goal was for him to touch the ball 15 times,” Malzahn said. “He’s one of the best playmakers in college football and he proved that tonight on this stage.”

O’Keefe ended with 110 rushing yards on just 4 carries, 7 catches for 85 yards, and 2 kickoff returns totaling 56 yards. True freshman quarterback Mikey Keene finished 14 of 22 with 144 yards and the 1 touchdown pass to O’Keefe.

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Florida hires Billy Napier as Gators next football coach, replacing Dan Mullen

The University of Florida will hire Louisiana-Lafayette’s Billy Napier as the Gators’ next head football coach and the man to stabilize one of the nation’s top programs for the first time in more than a decade.

Napier will replace Dan Mullen and become the Gators’ fourth head coach since 2014.

“We are humbled and honored to accept this incredible opportunity,” Napier said in a statement released by UF.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin fired Mullen on Nov. 17 after an overtime loss at Missouri continued the program’s stunning downward spiral during the past 12 months. But the school had decided to move on from Mullen before the Gators’ 24-23 loss to the Tigers and met with Napier the week of the game, a source told The Orlando Sentinel last week.

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