Florida stuns No. 7 Texas 27-24 in Austin behind a backup quarterback as the Longhorns lose again

A week after losing to Oklahoma as the top team in the country, Texas lost again. This time it happened at home.

Unranked Florida beat the No. 7 Longhorns 27-24 on Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The Gators did it with a quarterback making his first career start and without a single turnover. It was Florida's first road win over a top-10 team since 2012.

Texas jumps out early

The Longhorns looked in control in the first half. Raleek Brown broke off a 32-yard touchdown run on the opening drive and Ryan Niblett returned a punt 63 yards for a score in the second quarter. Texas led 17-3.

Florida answered with 18 seconds left before halftime when Tramell Jones Jr. found tight end Lacota Dippre for a 7-yard touchdown. Jones got the start with Aaron Philo out injured.

Florida grinds it out

Jones hit Dippre again from 8 yards out to cap a 15-play drive in the third quarter and tie the game at 17. Patrick Durkin's 28-yard field goal put Florida ahead early in the fourth and Jadan Baugh ran in from 11 yards to make it 27-17 with 6:22 left.

Arch Manning pulled Texas within three on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman after a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V set it up. But on the Longhorns' next drive Florida's Myles Graham sacked Manning and knocked the ball loose. Kanye Clark recovered it with about two minutes left and the Gators knelt out the clock.

"We kept fighting," first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall said. "When things got tough, we flinched the last couple weeks. Our team grew today because we fought."

By the numbers

Jones completed 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Baugh carried 25 times for 91 yards. Florida held the ball for more than 38 minutes, converted both of its fourth-down tries and sacked Manning five times.

Manning went 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown. Texas managed only 13 first downs and was held under 300 yards. "Coming off two losses in a row, it stings," Manning said.

What it means

Florida had lost two straight coming in and now sits at 5-2. Texas falls to 4-2 and hosts No. 9 Mississippi next Saturday. The Gators visit No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 31.