Behind a 266-yard rushing performance from Jadan Baugh, Florida snapped a 4-game losing streak to end the 2025 season on a high note, beating in-state rival Florida State 40-21.
Baugh carried the ball 38 times on what was the second-best rushing day by a Florida player in school history. He also finished with the most rushing yards by a Gator since Emmitt Smith ran for 316 against New Mexico in 1989.
His last run of the day was a 12-yard touchdown on fourth-and-3 with a little less than a minute remaining. Florida had a slim, 3-point lead at the halftime break, but Florida State could do nothing to slow the Gators in the second half.
Quarterback DJ Lagway also threw 3 touchdowns, though he needed just 168 yards through the air to keep the defense honest.
Florida State cracked 400 yards of offense as well, but 2 turnovers and spotty efficiency in the red zone limited the damage. Florida scored 17 straight after halftime to put the game out of reach.
Baugh’s big day pushed him over 1,000 yards for the season. He became Florida’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015, when Kelvin Taylor ran for 1,035 yards. That snapped the SEC’s longest active drought.
It also helped the Gators win their second straight over FSU and their third in 3 years.
With the season over and the attention completely shifting to the next head coach of the program, job No. 1 for the new leading man is clear: Keep Baugh in Gainesville.
Florida 40, FSU 21
Here’s the Florida-FSU box score (use the dropdown menu to select team or player stats), followed by the complete play-by-play:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
