How Florida's 2025 Opponents Fared in Week 1

Although their offense put forth a strong effort in this game, their defense proved to be equally impressive. They recovered three fumbles on the day and logged one sack. Paving the way for the defense was senior linebacker Jhalyn Shuler, who led the team in tackles with 14. 

USF will have a chance to add another top-25 win to its resume next weekend in Gainesville. 

Three Log Ranked Wins, Another with a Disappointing Loss

Three of Florida’s 2025 opponents added ranked wins to their college football playoff resume this weekend. Those were LSU, Miami and Florida State. The one who fell to a top-25 program was Texas. 

The Longhorns traveled as the No. 1-ranked team in the country to Columbus to face off against No. 3 Ohio State, led by preseason Heisman favorite Arch Manning. 

However, things could not look further from expectations than they did in this game. Manning looked out of sorts against the Buckeyes, finishing the game 17-for-30 with 170 passing yards, 38 rushing yards, a passing touchdown and an interception. In the end, the Longhorns left with a 14-7 loss. 

Florida’s Week 3 opponent, LSU, was in a similar boat as Texas to begin its campaign. The Tigers were scheduled on the road to take on No. 4 Clemson. 

Unlike Texas, though, this contest ended in triumph for the purple and gold with a 17-10 win on the road after erasing a halftime deficit.

Heisman candidate Garrett Nussmeier was 28-for-38 with 230 yards and a touchdown against their ACC opponents. 

Arguably, one of the biggest upsets of the day took place before this game, though. In Tallahassee, Florida State was paired up with Alabama to open its year. Despite the Crimson Tide being ranked No. 8, it was the Seminoles who looked like the top-10 team in this one. 

Florida State handled its foes easily, winning 31-17 and not trailing for a single minute. At one point, they were out in front 24-7. Alabama made it close near the end, but the hosts put the nail in the coffin with a rushing touchdown near the seven-minute mark in the fourth. 

The other in-state rival for the Gators, Miami, had a successful Week 1, too. No. 6 Notre Dame was the first on the docket for the Hurricanes in 2025, and it was a nail-biter. 

Despite controlling the game through the first three quarters, things got hairy near the end for Miami. The Fighting Irish came all the way back from a 21-7 deficit, tying the score at 24 apiece with 3:21 left in the game. Unfortunately for them, it was not enough to overthrow their opponents as the Hurricanes nailed a 47-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining for the final points of the game. 

The final score for this game was 27-24, in favor of Miami.

Florida will travel to Miami on Sept. 20.

All Others Perform as Expected

The remaining six teams on the Gators' schedule all played to their expectations during the weekend. Tennessee beat Syracuse 45-26 behind new quarterback Joey Aguilar. Ole Miss dominated Georgia State 63-7. Texas A&M bested UTSA 42-24. Georgia breezed past Marshall 45-7. Mississippi State defeated Southern Miss 34-17. And, finally, Kentucky edged out Toledo 24-16.