TALLAHASSEE – On a 45-degree night in northern Florida, the 2024 Florida Gators’ 180-degree turn was completed.

In an autumn of ups and downs, calm and chaos, fits and fits, the Gators went from weak to faltering to formidable. A team that no one wanted to recognize in early September became a team that no one wanted to play against by the end of November.

And after Saturday night’s 31-11 win over struggling FSU, they can certainly claim to be the best team in the state. Granted, Miami can offer a compelling rebuttal with its 10-2 record and opener against Florida in Gainesville, but ask yourself:

How would a rematch turn out after Miami’s defense was exposed and its aura shattered (two losses in the last three games) even as the Gators (7-5) were rejuvenated by a rookie quarterback?

“Yes,” coach Billy Napier said when asked if he thinks the Gators can play with anyone in the country right now. “Put the ball down. I mean, we played against all the good teams. We know what they look like. …. I wouldn’t bet against us, I would say.”

The atmosphere surrounding Napier’s team is as prevalent as the smell of cigars wafting from the Gators’ locker room late Saturday night. Even on a night where the offense was less than optimal, Florida still dominated, capitalizing on the early momentum and never relinquishing it.

The Gators sacked FSU true freshman Luke Kromenhoek eight times and turned five lost fumbles by ‘Noles into 17 points. This extended their streak of games with at least one takeaway to nine. Offensively, quarterback DJ Lagway was mostly pedestrian (14 of 22, 133 yards, two touchdowns, one INT), but still delivered a few jaw-dropping snippets.

“I thought we were completely out of control defensively,” said Napier, whose team posted season highs in sacks and tackles for loss (14).

“I think we didn’t have our fastball on offense. I think it was obvious we had some missed opportunities there and I think it could have been worse I would say. … Obviously, I think overall we’ll look back on this and see that we need to play better around the quarterback. But overall a good ball.”

Of course, Lagway’s surrealism was overshadowed by his team’s opportunism in front of the modest 55,107 spectators at Doak Campbell Stadium.

The third sack that Kromenhoek took came from his blind side. Edge rusher Jack Pyburn’s hit released the ball and D’Antre Robinson recovered at FSU’s 14. Two plays later, Ja’Kobi Jackson trotted into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Florida lead.

While that turnover set the tone of the game, a microcosm of the Noles’ night came late in the third when a 13-play, 68-yard drive ended when Kam Davis mishandled a simple backfield throw from Kromenhoek, George Gumbs used 7 for the Gators.

Six plays later, Gators senior Montrell Johnson rushed up the middle for a 65-yard TD, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark for his career.

“It’s a disappointing end to a terrible season,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “That’s the best way I can put it.”

Then there was Lagway. On his signature play of the night, he found himself caught in the grasp of 330-pound defensive tackle Darrell Jackson as his bag collapsed but somehow broke free. He rolled right and found Chimere Dike for a 17-yard gain.

“I kept shooting,” he said. “I felt like I was being pushed away from him, so I pushed him backwards. My helmet was totally broken, I really couldn’t see anything (Dike). I just threw it in one place. He was there.”

The drive ended when Lagway’s deep ball – near two confused Gator receivers – was intercepted by Azareye’h Thomas in the corner of the end zone. But on its next possession, Lagway went 4 of 4 for 60 yards, hit Dike across the middle for 25 yards to the FSU 2 and set up his 4-yard scoring throw to Marcus Burke to give Florida a 14-0 lead .

Meanwhile, the ‘Noles (2-10) finished their worst season in a half-century heading into 2025.

Hours before kickoff Saturday, UCF confirmed that embattled coach Gus Malzahn had resigned following reports that he had become Norvell’s offensive coordinator. Norvell did not confirm Malzahn by name but hinted that an announcement was imminent.

It remains uncertain whether he has decided on his quarterback for next fall.

In a virtual audition for the 2025 starting job, Kromenhoek (15 of 28, 140 yards; 32 rushing yards) showed off his own athleticism and escape ability while constantly being harassed.

Kromenhoek was involved in at least three of FSU’s five lost fumbles and led FSU’s only scoring drive late in the fourth quarter.

“That’s being fixed,” Norvell said. “It will be an immediate and quick solution. And we will ensure that every person who enters this program is fully engaged in this process to achieve what it takes to get better.”

The Gators’ trial, once vilified, is making noticeable progress.

“We have some momentum, but there is still a lot of work to do here to get where we want to be,” Napier said. “But it’s good to have some momentum here and obviously we need to carry that momentum with us to prepare for the bowl game.”

Contact Joey Knight at [email protected]. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls

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