After stumbling to a 6-7 finish in his debut campaign, the 5-2 Gators have shown considerable growth in year two under Billy Napier. One person who has taken notice is former Heisman winner and Florida legend Tim Tebow. Tebow recently spoke about the improvements he's seen in the program.
"I think you can see the buy-in and belief in the team," Tebow told AllGators.com. "I think we've seen a lot of strides with how the team is improving and taking on more of his identity. This is obviously one of those big next steps here in Jacksonville against an arch-rival in Georgia."
Florida's season got off to a rocky start with a 24-11 loss at Utah. However, the Gators are 5-1 since stumbling out of the gate in Salt Lake City. They made a statement in Week 3 with a decisive 29-16 home win against then-No. 11 Tennessee, kicking off what has since turned into a 3-1 start to SEC play.
Although Florida's offense struggled early, the Gators have recently enjoyed a resurgence from quarterback Graham Mertz,. The Wisconsin transfer has thrown for 1,897 yards and 12 touchdowns with just two interceptions in his first year starting for Florida. His breakout season includes a late-game comeback to help his team beat South Carolina in Week 7. Mertz was one of a dozen transfers that joined the Gators as part of Napier's 2023 class.
Florida heads into the SEC on CBS Game of the Week against Georgia seeking its first victory against the Bulldogs since 2020. That win three years ago accounts for the Gators' lone triumph in the series in the past six meetings.
