Florida football bounced back in a major way, defeating the Texas Longhorns 27-24 on the road.
In need of a win, the Gators were without Aaron Philo, Vernell Brown III and Duke Clark. They also lost Bailey Stockton during the game but still found a way to win in Austin.
A lot of the issues that plagued their two-game skid didn't hurt them in the noon contest. The defense showed up in a big way, making Arch look very pedestrian and continuing to help build his lowlights.
After struggling with many of the Gators' third-down conversions, Jadan Baugh returned to his early-season form, helping the Gators convert on third down and keeping drives alive by breaking tackles. London Montgomery filled in for Clark and gave Florida much-needed additional production
on the ground.
Tramell Jones also stepped up big in his first career start, keeping the ball out of harm's way and extending plays with his legs.
With Florida now back in the win column, here are five key takeaways from the Gators' big conference victory over the Longhorns.
Florida's defense put together a great showing
Florida's defense has drawn heavy criticism through the first six weeks of the season, especially during its two-game losing streak, but much of that criticism seems to have been put to rest against the Texas Longhorns.
Florida came into the game against Texas with no hope of winning from the national media. However, Jon Sumrall's squad answered the call, disrupting Texas's offense by sacking Arch Manning five times — something that had serendipitously happened last season when UF upset UT in Gainesville.
The Gator front seven was also active when the ball was on the ground, recording 11 total tackles for loss, 2.5 of them coming from LJ McCray, who missed last season with injury.
Jon Sumrall was reported to have taken an increasing day-to-day involvement with the defense, and it seems to have worked in the Gators' favor.
Tramell Jones Jr. has entered the chat
Last week, I said Jones Jr. deserved a chance to show what he could do in a full-time starting role. Aaron Philo struggled a bit during the two-game skid, and this week on the road in a hostile environment in Texas, Jones Jr. got it.
The second-year playcaller started timid, which was expected in someone's first real meaningful minutes of football since high school. Once he settled in, however, he made key play after key play and never wavered against the pressure.
The Gators gunslinger played a clean game, didn't put the ball in danger and made big plays that put the Orange and Blue in position to win the game.
I know Sumrall said in his post-game that the media tried to create controversy, but they are right: when Philo gets healthy, there will undoubtedly be a heated competition between his two quarterbacks.
The Baugh carrier returns
Jadan Baugh had a rough couple of weeks — which may have directly resulted in Florida football losing those games — but he undoubtedly bounced back Saturday afternoon, finishing the game with 91 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Granted, the All-SEC back only rushed for 3.1 yards per carry, but his contribution in the box score doesn't show how impactful he was when it came to keeping the chains moving.
Baugh came up big in this contest and will need to continue this production next week against a tough Georgia Bulldogs team.
Florida's receiver room is getting thin at the top
Vernell brown III has already been out the past few weeks and again missed the game today, but what also hurts is the unknown injury to Bailey Stockton, who had a lower leg injury during the game against Texas. Stockton returned as a decoy for a few plays but recorded nothing significant after sustaining the non-contact injury.
Micah Mays Jr. made a few catches, but what stands out most to me is Dallas Wilson's lack of contribution in this one.
With injuries piling up in Florida, I expect Wilson to see the ball more. Eric Singleton Jr. should also continue to get touches as the receiver corps deals with attrition.
Alec Clark is a monster
While the Gators looked dead in the water early on, it was Alec Clark who was looking like the unsung hero. The Tulane transfer was able to down the Longhorns inside the 20 twice and would have been a third time had it not been for a miscommunication between Florida's special teams unit.
The Florida punter gave the defense momentum and kept Arch Manning from getting into a rhythm, ultimately helping the Gators walk out of Austin with a big-time win.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Five key takeaways from Florida's massive road win over Texas
