The eighth ranked Florida Gators (1-0) knocked off the Miami Hurricanes (0-1) 24-20 on Saturday night in Orlando.
After the Hurricanes got a field goal on the first drive of the game, Florida answered with some fireworks on their first drive. One play after converting a fake field goal attempt into a first down, Gators quarterback Feleipe Franks hit Kadarius Toney for a 66-yard touchdown pass to give Florida a 7-3 lead. Miami hit a field goal in the second quarter to pull within 7-6 before taking a 13-7 lead in the final minute of the half when Jarren Williams hit Braven Jordan for a 25-yard touchdown pass with fourty-five seconds to go.
The Gators answered with a ten-point third quarter of their own, including an 8-yard touchdown pass from Franks to Lamical Perine with thirty seconds to go in the quarter. Miami answered with a 50-yard touchdown run in the first minute of the fourth to take the lead back 20-17. The Gators had one last answer in them, orchestrating a four play, eighty yard drive that ended with Franks running in the score himself to give Florida the 24-20 lead with 8:18 to go. From there Florida's defense did enough to hold on to the 24-20 win and avoid the upset.
Overall Feleipe Franks was inconsistent throughout the game, turning the ball over three times but going 17-for-27 with 254 yards and two touchdowns passing, with a third touchdown on the ground. Jarren Williams went 19-for-30 at quarterback for the Hurricanes, passing for 214 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Both teams will be off next weekend, when most other college football teams make their 2019 debut. The Gators return to action in Gainesville when they host Tennessee-Martin on September 7th at 7:30 PM, while the Miami Hurricanes battle in-conference rival North Carolina on September 7th at 8 PM.