![Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson (6) waits for a drill to start during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5455,h_3068/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01k6nfw151yvjask4e37.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Dallas Wilson (6) waits for a drill to start during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
As the Florida Gators get ready to take on Texas, even the most diehard of Gator fans is going to have a hard time picking Florida in good faith to come away with the victory in The Swamp.
But Vegas oddsmakers seem to think Florida has a chance, as the spread is just 6.5 points.
With that in mind, there are the oddly specific things that need to happen for Florida to pull off the upset over Texas.
DJ Lagway takes three or fewer sacks
Among the very real alarm bells that has stalled out Florida's offense this year has been the inability of the offensive line to hold up. The Gators are near the bottom of the country in sacks allowed and tackles for a loss allowed.
Last season, Lagway took 13 total sacks.
This year he has already taken 11.
What's perhaps even more alarming is that Lagway has already taken 11 sacks, and he has reduced his time to throw in 2025, and he is still eating sacks.
Florida is not the type of offense that recovers if it gets off schedule, so for Florida to have any shot it can't get sacked more than three times.
Dallas Wilson has two catches at least 20 yards down the field
Let's be honest, the wide receivers for Florida haven't done their part either. Part of it is the route combinations they have been handed, but they also just haven't looked like playmakers outside of Vernell Brown III.
If Dallas Wilson is who we hope he is, and he can haul in a deep shot or two, it can open space for all the speedsters Florida has underneath.
Vernell Brown III returns a punt for a touchdown
Florida's realistic pathway to victory is in some form of a rock fight, with a couple of weird plays happening in their favor.
As we saw against USF, Brown III might be Florida's best shot to get anything going once the offense stalls out.
Get a TD from him, and who knows what Florida could pull off this Saturday.
Defense generates three turnovers
Along the lines of Brown III returning a punt, Florida's defense might have to go out and steal this one if Florida is to shock the college football world.
Yes, the defense has been playing well, but it has been in a bend but don't break mode.
If the defense is going to outright win this game, it has to do more than just play well; it has to create a level of havoc it hasn't done to this point.
Make Arch Manning throw a couple of picks and generate a fumble somewhere, and there could be some hope in The Swamp.