Florida Stuns No. 7 Texas 27-24 — Backup QB, 24 Unanswered Points and One Late Fumble Just Wrecked the Longhorns' Season

Final score: Florida 27, No. 7 Texas 24. The unranked Florida Gators walked into Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on Saturday, October 17, fell behind 17-3, scored 24 unanswered points, and held on to stun the Texas Longhorns — a result that has instantly blown up online and left Texas, a team that sat at No. 1 earlier this season, on the brink of missing the College Football Playoff.

What happened in Florida vs. Texas?

Texas started like the favorite it was supposed to be. Raleek Brown opened the scoring with a 32-yard rushing touchdown, Gianni Spetic added a 38-yard field goal, and Ryan Niblett broke a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown to put the Longhorns up 17-3 in the second quarter. At that point, the home crowd had every reason to expect a routine bounce-back win after last week's loss to Oklahoma.

Instead, Florida flipped the entire game. Backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., starting with the Gators' regular starter sidelined, led a 9-play drive just before halftime that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Lacota Dippre. Florida then owned the third quarter — holding the ball for more than 11 minutes of it — and tied the game 17-17 on another Jones-to-Dippre touchdown, this one from 8 yards out at the end of a 15-play, 69-yard drive.

In the fourth quarter, a 28-yard Patrick Durkin field goal gave Florida its first lead, and Jadan Baugh's 11-yard touchdown run pushed it to 27-17 with 6:22 left. Baugh finished with 88 yards on 22 carries.

The finish everyone is sharing

Texas nearly stole it back. Facing 4th-and-6, Arch Manning escaped pressure and hit Emmett Mosley V for 62 yards, then found Cam Coleman for a 9-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 27-24 with about 4:15 remaining.

Texas got the ball back once more with a chance to tie or win — and that is the sequence now looping across social media. On second down, Florida's Myles Graham sacked Manning, the ball came loose, and Kanye Clark recovered for Florida with 1:58 left. Jones then iced the game himself, keeping on a zone read, making Texas safety Jelani McDonald miss, and picking up the first down that let Florida run out the clock.

Why it's blowing up

Three things are fueling the reaction. First, the backup outplayed the headliner: Jones finished 22 of 35 for 155 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, while Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards and one score but had under 100 passing yards until deep into the fourth quarter. Second, this is Texas's second straight loss — after falling to unranked Oklahoma last week — dropping the Longhorns to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the SEC. Third, Florida did it on the road while snapping its own two-game losing streak, improving to 5-2 and 3-2 in the SEC.

The online verdict was swift. Fans ripped Manning's performance against a Florida pass defense that had struggled coming in, and national coverage immediately turned to what the loss means for head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas's playoff hopes.

Key facts

• Final: Florida 27, Texas 24, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
• The swing: Texas led 17-3 in the second quarter; Florida scored the next 24 points.
• Backup QB: Florida's Tramell Jones Jr. went 22 of 35 for 155 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers — both touchdowns to Lacota Dippre.
• The closer: Myles Graham's late sack forced a Manning fumble, recovered by Kanye Clark with 1:58 left.
• Records: Florida 5-2 (3-2 SEC); Texas 4-2 (1-2 SEC), with back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida.

Sources: NBC Sports recap, USA Today, Longhorns Wire (USA Today), The Gainesville Sun, and GatorCountry.

What's next

For Florida, this is a season-changing road win built on ball control, a mistake-free backup quarterback, and a defense that produced the game's biggest play at the exact moment it was needed. For Texas, the math is now brutal: two losses, a struggling offense, and essentially no margin for error left in the SEC or the playoff race. A team that spent a month at No. 1 now has to win out just to stay in the conversation — and after the last two Saturdays, nobody online is assuming that will happen.

FAQ

Who won Florida vs. Texas on October 17, 2026?
Florida won 27-24 on the road in Austin, coming back from a 17-3 deficit against No. 7 Texas.

Who was Florida's quarterback against Texas?
Backup Tramell Jones Jr. started and threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns — both to Lacota Dippre — without a turnover.

How did Texas's final drive end?
Arch Manning was sacked by Myles Graham and fumbled; Florida's Kanye Clark recovered with 1:58 left, and Florida ran out the clock.

What does the loss mean for Texas?
It is Texas's second straight defeat, dropping the Longhorns to 4-2 and 1-2 in the SEC and putting their College Football Playoff hopes in serious danger.