Florida Gators demolish Florida State as Jadan Baugh explodes for second-best rushing effort in UF history

Football

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Image Credit: UAA

The best player throughout the 2025 season had his best career game wearing orange & blue as an offensive showcase helmed by sophomore running back Jadan Baugh led the Florida Gators to a 40-21 rivalry victory over the Florida State Seminoles in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday night. While Florida (4-8) completed its fourth losing season in the last five years, it avoided its worst campaign since 1979.

Baugh was put to work in The Swamp, proving to be the bell-cow back most following the program have long known he could be. He registered two touchdowns along with career-highs of 38 carries and 266 yards, becoming the first Gators player to eclipse 200 yards in a single game since Ciatrick Fason in 2004 and just the fifth man to run past that total.

His 266 yards are the most ever against the Noles and second-most in a single game at Florida behind only Emmitt Smith’s 316-yard performance against New Mexico in 1989.

Baugh became the first Florida player to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Kelvin Taylor in 2015 and the 10^th to do so in program history. He is only the third Florida standout to accomplish the feat as an underclassman, the first since Smith in 1987. Baugh’s 38 totes were the third-most in program history behind only Smith’s 39 in 1987 and Errict Rhett’s 41 in 1993.

As the Gators seek to remake their program behind a new leader in 2026, there is no individual player more crucial for the team to retain given Baugh’s effectiveness over the last two seasons.

Freshman linebacker Myles Graham helped Florida start the game on fire defensively with a sack for a three-and-out. Sophomore LB Aaron Chiles laid the wood on a fourth-down stop on the next possession, allowing sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway to connect with J. Michael Sturdivant twice, first for 34 yards and again for a 5-yard touchdown that put the hosts ahead 10-0 in the first quarter.

Florida State took advantage of what appeared to be a dozen missed tackles to score a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, but between those scores, Baugh led an 8:01 scoring drive – UF’s longest of the season – that ended as Lagway hit junior tight end Tony Livingston for a TD.

Junior safety Bryce Thornton registered a sack and forced fumble in the period, but Lagway gave the ball right back to the ‘Noles with a tip-drill interception. Redshirt senior defensive lineman Caleb Banks grabbed the loose ball for a rare highlight during a frustrating, injury-filled season.

Baugh dominated the third quarter with a 20-yard run, a 9-yard rush that induced a facemask and 22-yard touchdown scamper, pushing Florida’s advantage to 31-14. Lagway, meanwhile, finished 15 of 24 with 168 yards and three TD passes.

Freshman EDGE Jayden Woods opened the fourth quarter with a sack, forcing a field goal that FSU missed from 42 yards out while again proving through his breakout campaign that he, like Baugh, is a young player UF must retain in 2026. The Noles did find the end zone again with 3:07 to play.

Senior kicker Trey Smack tacked on a 54-yard field goal in the period, tied for his second longest of the season, becoming the best distance kicker in program history with 10 makes from beyond 50 yards in his career.

Baugh capped the game with a 12-yard touchdown on his 38th carry, putting an exclamation point on a performance that held FSU out of bowl eligibility, before freshman cornerback Ben Hanks III registered the final play of the season, an interception at the 1-yard line.

Odds & ends

Florida improved to 39-28-2 all-time against Florida State with a 23-13-1 record in The Swamp … the Gators have won five of the last seven meetings and three straight games as unranked opponents … interim coach Billy Gonzales won for the first time in that role … Florida’s defense has forced turnovers in 22 of the last 24 games; however, it has allowed 21+ points in nine straight games … the Gators improved to 19-7 at home, 20-3 when leading after the third quarter, 19-7 when leading at halftime, 19-8 when scoring first and 19-5 when rushing for at least 150 yards since the start of Billy Napier’s tenure … Florida is 43-15 against unranked opponents since 2018 … the Gators have scored in 473 consecutive games, an NCAA record

What’s next?

Florida finished the season with a losing record for the fourth time in the last five years, a stretch of mediocrity the program had not experienced in nearly 80 years (1945-49). The victory over Florida State does not mitigate that disaster, but it was a positive note on which to end a taxing campaign.

The Gators now look ahead to a tumultuous offseason as the program welcomes a new head coach and is undoubtedly set for serious roster changes given the transfer portal and NIL rules.