5 winners and one big loser from Florida's remarkable upset win over No. 7 Texas

The Florida Gators were left for dead, but instead they showed plenty of life in a 27-24 upset win over No. 7 Texas.  With the win, a two-game losing streak is snapped, and all the things that the Gators hope to accomplish this season are still on the table.

How rare was this win for Florida? It's the first time since September 29, 2018, that the Gators won a true road game against a ranked opponent, beating No. 23 Mississippi State at Davis-Wade Stadium, and their first road win over a top-10 team since beating No. 10 FSU at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 24, 2012. 

Here are five winners and one loser from the Gators' big win in Austin. 

Winner: Tramell Jones shows what he's made of

It'll be interesting to see how Jon Sumrall and Buster Faulkner operate the quarterback spot in the coming weeks. We all knew that Jones had better tools than Philo, and as Faulkner got more comfortable with what his quarterback could do, the offense looked much more comfortable. Jones also showed some mettle as a runner, both on scrambles and moving within the pocket to buy more time. 

The numbers weren't anything particularly great, but he protected the ball and took advantage of the plays that were there. Jones didn't need to be great, but he needed to give the Gators a chance to win and he did more than that.

Sumrall doesn't want a quarterback controversy and there might not be one. But there's going to be plenty of chatter among fans about which player gives Florida its best chance to win moving forward. 

"I love both our quarterbacks. This guy (Jones), and both of them, the way they’ve handled themselves through external people wanting to create a controversy or BS — love the way they’ve handled themselves," he said.

Winner: Jon Sumrall's message is being heard

We were all right to wonder how the Gators would respond after two tough losses, and Sumrall openly challenged his team's toughness and questioned how hard they competed against Missouri and South Carolina. Florida fell 17-3 in the first half, and it looked like more of the same, but the Gators decided today wasn't the day to lay down, and instead they fought back and ran off 24 straight points and executed a full takeover of Texas.

Winner: Jadan Baugh finds his groove again

There wasn't much space for Baugh to get big gains against the Longhorns' defense, so he had to fight hard to make the little ones count. As the game went on, Baugh's short gains turned into more productive gains. And as the Longhorns' defense began wearing down, Baugh's 11-yard touchdown run put the game away. After Baugh's amazing start to the season, a 25-carry, 91-yard game doesn't look like anything special on paper, but the effort and toughness of the run game made all the difference. 

Winner: Florida's pass rush can be dynamic when it's right

Fans have been waiting patiently for LJ McCray to show something, and in Week 7 of his junior season, the former five-star recruit from Daytona Beach recorded career highs in sacks (1.5) and tackles for loss (2.5). It was part of a charge that got to Arch Manning five times and forced him into a fumble that Kanye Clark recovered. Florida needed a stellar outing from its defense and McCray, Brendan Bett, Myles Graham, and the rest of the Gators' front made sure it happened.

Winner: Bailey Stockton didn't have time to bleed

Stockton was questionable coming into Saturday's game against Texas, but on the first drive of the second half, Jones threw a swing pass to the Georgia Tech transfer, who made a cut and then collapsed to the turf without being touched. Although he was able to leave the field under his own power, when Stockton began trying to jog on the sidelines, he immediately grabbed his foot in pain. 

He was taken to the locker room, but returned to the field and eventually back to the game and, in Stockton’s first play back on the field, he was blocking on a pass play to the perimeter. Stockton finished with four catches for 31 yards, but the numbers pale in comparison to the message he sent by battling through an injury, getting back in the game, and getting his hands dirty.

Loser: Steve Sarkisian.is the biggest loser

In the words of Nelson Muntz: HA HA!

Has there been a bigger fraud in college football? Time and time again, Sarkisian has been handed everything on a silver platter, and it's led to nothing. If Saturday's results lead to Texas making a move, all that needs to be said is, "You're welcome."

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