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The Florida Gators (2-2, 1-1 SEC) seek to build upon its first victory in SEC play against Mississippi State with a home matchup against rival UCF (3-1, 1-1 Big 12) on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The Gators’ 45-28 road win over the Bulldogs on Sept. 21 was monumental in getting the squad back in the right headspace. The offense accumulated over 500 total yards, 226 of which came on the ground.

Montrell Johnson, Treyaun Webb and Jadan Baugh earned 40+ rushing yards on the day. The Gators’ offensive line dominated the outmatched Bulldogs in the trenches after a slow first quarter. A successful rushing attack led to an equally effective play action attack, and the Florida offense was seemingly unstoppable.

Mississippi State, though, has one of the worst defenses in the country. The unit allowed 35.5 PPG to non-FCS opponents heading into its matchup against Florida.

Regardless, the win was a huge momentum boost heading into a bye week, which came at a critical time. The team has been riddled with injuries to start the season, but one key player who did not appear in the Mississippi State game may be able to return for this weekend’s matchup.

Eugene Wilson III, who did not play in the Gators’ first two bouts of SEC play, took reps in practice on Wednesday afternoon, according to head coach Billy Napier. However, it is still unknown if he will start against UCF this weekend.

Florida returns to its challenging schedule on Saturday as UCF quarterback KJ Jefferson attempts to exploit the Gators’ defense for a second straight year.

Jefferson, who transferred to UCF from Arkansas in the offseason, made his first appearance in The Swamp last season. He gashed Florida’s defense for 300 total yards and three touchdowns, leading Arkansas to a 39-36 overtime win. The loss effectively shut the Gators out of bowl eligibility in the long run.

The 6’3, 247 lbs quarterback is surrounded by elite talent on offense. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson is a player to keep an eye on this Saturday. The fifth-year senior was a 2023 All-Big 12 honorable mention and recorded six catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns in UCF’s 35-34 week three win over TCU.

Running back RJ Harvey is UCF’s most versatile offensive athlete. He’s rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games and had nearly 100 receiving yards in the Knights’ loss to Colorado. The senior from Orlando, Florida, is also averaging seven yards per carry.

UCF’s offense is heavily dependent upon its strong ground attack, which is led by the two-headed monster of Jefferson and Harvey. It struggled against Colorado due to the offensive line’s inability to get a significant push, resulting in a 48-21 loss at the hands of Deion Sanders.

The key to victory for Florida this weekend will be to stop the UCF’s rushing attack. This, however, will be a notable challenge. The Gators’ defense allowed 240 rushing yards to a Mississippi State team which accumulated a mere 56 yards on the ground against Toledo. Furthermore, the front seven has consistently struggled against the run throughout the season.

Napier announced on Monday that he would continue to utilize both Mertz and DJ Lagway at quarterback. Both will have the opportunity to shine against a reeling UCF secondary that has allowed 252 passing yards per game and seven touchdowns in its last two games.