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Series meetings, recording and more

Vaseline November 9, 2024

Texas Football first faced Florida 100 years ago, but since then the two have not become well-known opponents on the playing field.

When the No. 5 Longhorns, a newcomer to the SEC, host the Gators on Saturday at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, it will be just the fourth-ever meeting between the programs. It also marks the first time in 84 years since the teams played in Gainesville, Florida, in 1940.

Texas (7-1, 3-1 SEC) starts as a 21.5-point favorite over the Gators (4-4, 2-3), who could be without five-star freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. The Longhorns will look to build on a 27-24 win over Vanderbilt last time out two weeks ago, while the Gators are coming off a 34-20 loss to the Bulldogs.

Here’s what you need to know about the history of Texas Football vs. Florida:

Texas Football History vs. Florida Football History

The Longhorns and Gators first faced off on October 25, 1924, a 7-7 tie. According to the Pensacola News, Texas stopped Florida from scoring at the last minute on the goal line to tie the game in front of 10,000 fans. Both teams scored on “five-yard forward passes” in the second quarter. The Gators scored first and have since been outscored 45-0 by Texas.

The teams next faced each other in 1939 and 1940, with home games alternating between Austin and Gainesville. On September 30, 1939, the Longhorns scored a 12-0 victory in Austin. The next year, Texas defeated Florida 26-0 in Gainesville.

Florida is 0-1-1 in Austin vs. the Longhorns and 0-1 in Gainesville.

Record in Texas vs. Florida

Series record: Texas leads the series 2-0-1
Texas’s latest win: 1940 (26-0 at Gainesville)
Florida’s latest win: has never beaten Texas

Texas and Florida had agreed to a home-and-home non-conference series in 2019 for games in 2030 and 2031. However, when the Longhorns joined the SEC prior to this season, the future series was canceled.

Here’s a look at the football games played between the Longhorns and the Gators:

October 25, 1924 (Austin): Texas 7, Florida 7 (tie)
September 30, 1939 (Austin): Texas 12, Florida0
December 7, 1940 (Gainesville): Texel 26Florida0

Steve Sarkisian vs. Billy Napier

Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian and Florida coach Billy Napier were part of Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in 2016. Sarkisian served as the offensive analyst before becoming the offensive coordinator for the national championship game, while Napier was the wide receivers coach.

The coaches faced off in 2021 when Texas and Louisiana played their season opener in Austin. Sarkisian’s Longhorns defeated Napier’s Ragin’ Cajuns 38-18. Napier led Louisiana to 13 straight wins to end the season, including a 36–21 victory over Marshall in the New Orleans Bowl. Napier accepted the Florida coaching job on November 28, 2021.