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TAMPA ― Florida football is taking a three-game win streak and a little swagger into its matchup with Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday at Raymond James Stadium (3:30 p.m., ESPN2).
The Florida Gators (7-5) are vying for their first eight-win season since going 8-4 in 2020 and their first bowl win since beating Virginia 36-28 in the 2019 Orange Bowl.
“We’ve gotten to a place where we think we could beat anybody, you know,” Florida football coach Billy Napier said. “I think this team has a ton of confidence. I think that comes from the work. I think they realize the results that they’ve gotten are because of the mindset and the approach they’ve taken towards the work.”
Tulane (9-4) enters the bowl matchup on a two-game losing streak after falling 34-24 to Memphis and 35-14 to Army in the American Athletic Conference title game. The Green Wave are 0-2 against power conference opponents this season, with a 34-27 home loss to Kansas State and a 34-19 road loss at Oklahoma.
Florida will enter the game with the chance to finish off the season strong in its home state and post its first four-game win streak since Napier took over as coach in 2022.
“This game will show our maturity,” Florida defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp said. “How far we’ve grown mentally going into a game with an opponent like this and what we need to do.”
Here are five storylines to watch for Florida against the Green Wave:
How will Florida football mix veterans, younger players into its matchup with the Green Wave?
Several draft-eligible seniors and juniors have opted to play for Florida, including wide receiver Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, defensive linemen Cam Jackson and Tyreak Sapp, defensive back Trikweze Bridges and running back Montrell Johnson Jr.
But Napier said a number of true freshmen who are below the four-game redshirt threshold could…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-football-notch-first-bowl-090454688.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-12-19 09:04:00
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