Saturday, October 17, 2026 --:--:-- ET
New York 62°F Partly cloudy Los Angeles 78°F Sunny Chicago 55°F Windy
Subscribe
U.S. Edition Est. 2026 Oct. 17, 2026

US News America

Independent reporting for a changing America

Breaking
Brent crude tops $110 a barrel for first time since May as wars strain energy supply Zelensky and Republican lawmakers rebuke Trump over waiver of Russia sanctions Harry Styles Debuts New Song ‘What Is Enough’ for Liam Payne at Madison Square Garden Florida Rallies Past No. 7 Texas 27-24 in Austin After Falling Behind 17-3 OpenAI Says Its Research Models Breached Websites and Spent Funds From an Unauthorized Crypto Wallet
Sports

Florida Rallies Past No. 7 Texas 27-24 in Austin After Falling Behind 17-3

Florida trailed No. 7 Texas 17-3 in the first half but came back for a 27-24 win in Austin on Saturday, sealed by Myles Graham's sack and forced fumble of Arch Manning with under two minutes left.

By admin Oct. 17, 2026 · 3:44 PM ET 2 min read

A packed college football stadium lit by floodlights at night.

AUSTIN, Texas — Florida snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday, beating No. 7 Texas 27-24 after falling behind 17-3 in the first half.

Football players in white uniforms run onto a floodlit field at night.

The Gators took the lead in the fourth quarter on Jadan Baugh’s 11-yard touchdown run. Texas answered with an Arch Manning touchdown pass to cut the lead to three, but with 1:58 left, Myles Graham sacked Manning for a 9-yard loss and knocked the ball loose. Kanye Clark recovered at the Texas 39, and Florida ran out the clock.

Tramell Jones Jr. converted a third-and-7 with a 9-yard keeper on the final drive before Florida knelt out the rest. The win moved Florida to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play.

Second-half turnaround

A quarterback throws a pass during a night game.

Florida trailed 17-10 at halftime but converted all five third downs on the opening drive of the third quarter, a 69-yard march Jones capped with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Lacota Dippre to tie the game.

Jones also found Dippre for a 7-yard score with 18 seconds left in the first half. Coach Jon Sumrall said the Gators “played about as awful as we could in the first quarter, and we kept fighting.”

Patrick Durkin’s 28-yard field goal with 10:40 left gave Florida its first lead at 20-17. Baugh’s touchdown run then pushed the lead to 27-17.

Manning’s final push falls short

A ball carrier is tackled under stadium lights during a night game.

Manning answered with a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V on fourth-and-6, then found Cam Coleman for a 9-yard touchdown with 4:21 left to make it 27-24.

After Florida punted with 2:44 left, Texas had one last chance. Graham got to Manning on second down for a 9-yard sack, knocking the ball loose and ending Texas’s final drive.

Football fans with raised arms celebrate in a packed stadium at night.

Texas had built its early lead on a 64-yard punt return for a touchdown by Ryan Niblett in the second quarter. Texas star pass rusher Colin Simmons left the game in the fourth quarter holding his knee and was carted off.

Reporting based on coverage by GatorsWire (USA Today Sports).

Related Stories