The Florida Gators will face a tall task when they take on the No. 5 Texas Longhorns at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Both sides face very different realities in the SEC. However, the Gators are looking forward to playing spoilers on the Horns season. Ahead of the game, head coach Billy Napier made a big statement on the Longhorns, and quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Longhorns (3-1 SEC) arrive fresh off a bye week, while the Gators (2-3) come off a demanding physical loss against the Georgia Bulldogs. However, Texas may have cooled off and Florida could shock them with a strong start. Ahead of the matchup, Napier addressed the key elements within Steve Sarkisian’s roster and made a big statement on Ewers.
“Texas is a very talented roster, I think from top to bottom at every position. It’s elite height, length, speed, athleticism,” Napier stated, per On3. “They have a veteran quarterback and they have a rebuilt skill group around him and a handful of offensive linemen that have really good experience as well.”
Quinn Ewers enters the game with some ground to cover after recent outings. The QB has been affected by the abdominal injury that sidelined him for several weeks in the 2024 NCAA season and his numbers have taken a hit because of it.
Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns watches players warm up before the game against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Since his return on the Red River Rivalry, Ewers has passed for 698 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. During the previous three-game stretch, Ewers had passed for eight TDs and only two turnovers.
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Napier on Sarkisian’s defense
While the offense gets all the attention in The Forty Acres, the defense is a force to be reckoned with, too. The Gators won’t make the mistake of overlooking Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive unit which has proven itself against good offenses in college football.
“Defensively, I think [we’re] really impressed with the overall makeup of that group,” Napier noted. “They’ve got an identity, they’ve got a blueprint. I think they do a good job of playing situational football as well.”
Ewers looking healthy again
Since his return to action, Ewers has looked slower than prior to his injury and it seemed he was playing too cautious. It was not an illusion, Ewers himself confessed it. However, that’s not a concern for Sarkisian who has provided some interesting insight on the Longhorns signal caller’s health.
“I thought Quinn had a good week. He looks fresh, he looks healthy,” Sarkisian said. “He’s really delivering the ball well. I like his base that he’s operating with. Thought he was really intentional with his feet, with his base against Vanderbilt, and it showed.”
