Q: What was it like to have a strong game last week?

A: It felt good, you know. I’m taking the right steps in my game. As the season goes on, I’m looking to play better football. At the end of the day, I just want to find ways to get the win for my team.

Q: What area have you improved the most in from your freshman season?

A: Understanding the playbook. I feel like just me playing fast, with me understanding the playbook, it allows me to know what’s going on and not really question am I doing the right thing, am I in the right assignment or anything. I’ll say understanding the scheme of the defense and the playbook really put me ahead.

Q: How important is it for the defense to play with a greater sense of urgency on Saturday?

A: A big part of this week was starting fast, starting fast, whether that’s in practice, whether that’s in workouts, your assignments, just everything, just do it fast, fast, fast. We understand last week we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. We didn’t start out fast as a defense, but this week we’re looking to be better.

Q: You’re an underclassman, but what do homecoming games mean to you?

A: I think it’s big. Seeing our seniors, it’s their last homecoming, so just going out there and playing for them. This is a big moment for them, they’ve put a lot of pain into the program, a lot of work into the program, so just being able to come out and allow them to enjoy the moment and get a win for them.

Q: How difficult is it to block out the outside noise around the program?

A: I wouldn’t say it’s difficult at all. At the end of the day, I feel like whether you’re doing good or bad, people are always going to have something to say, so why pay attention to it? We know what’s going on in the building, we know the work that we put in, so I wouldn’t say that it’s hard at all.

FLORIDA — OUT: RB Duke Clark (upper body), DB Aaron Gates (shoulder, out for season), CB Dijon Johnson (knee, out for season), DL Caleb Banks (foot), DL LJ McCray (foot), RB Treyaun Webb (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE — RB Ja’Kobi Jackson (undisclosed), OL Devon Manuel (undisclosed), S Jordan Castell (undisclosed), CB Cormani McClain (undisclosed), DL Brien Taylor Jr. (undisclosed), TE Tony Livingtson (undisclosed). DOUBTFUL: WR Kahleil Jackson (knee, has not played), DB Jamroc Grimsley (undisclosed, has not played), OL Fletcher Westphal (wrist, has not played). MISSISSIPPI STATE — OUT: RB Fluff Bothwell (leg), DL Will Whitson (undisclosed), OL Brennan Smith (undisclosed), OL Blake Steen (undisclosed). QUESTIONABLE — S Isaac Smith (lower body), OL Albert Reese IV (undisclosed).

NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS

• This is the 57th all-time meeting between the Gators and Mississippi State. Florida leads the series 35-19-2.
• The Gators have won their last two matchups against Mississippi State, beating the Bulldogs on the road in 2018 and 2024. MSU won in its last visit to Gainesville (see below).
• UF receivers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III became the first pair of true freshmen receivers to ever start in the same game for the Gators a week ago at Texas A&M.
• Sophomore linebacker Myles Graham, who has emerged as a team spokesman, leads the Gators with 34 tackles in six games.
• The Gators rushed for a season-low 74 yards against the Aggies after a 159-yard performance against Texas. Meanwhile, Florida is 8 of 37 on third-down conversions over the past three games, with seven of the conversions coming against the Longhorns.
• Gators safety Jordan Castell has started a team-high 30 consecutive games and added his team-leading second interception in the loss to the Aggies.
• The Gators are 3-14 under head coach Billy Napier when the opponent scores first. Florida scored first against Texas A&M, but the Aggies responded two plays later and eventually took control in the second quarter.
• Gators running backs coach Jabbar Juluke is set to return following a three-game suspension from the SEC for his involvement in a pregame altercation between the Gators and LSU on Sept. 13 in Baton Rouge.
• UF redshirt freshman linebacker Charles Emanuel III was awarded a $10,000 scholarship by the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation on Wednesday. Emanuel joined the team as a preferred walk-on in the summer of 2024 after playing at Lake Nona High in Orlando. “Resilience doesn’t just show up when things go wrong. Resilience is built in the moments when you choose not to give up,” Baker Mayfield said in a release. “I know the path to becoming a collegiate football player is different for everyone, and, like it did in my career, can often take unexpected turns. Seeing Charles using his experiences to drive him to be better, both on and off the field, stood out the most to me, and we are so honored to be able to help him achieve his goals and dreams.”
• Former Florida State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, who started and finished 15 of 28 for 140 yards in last season’s loss to the Gators, is now at Mississippi State and serves as starter Blake Shapen‘s backup.
  
   

The Bulldogs visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first time in 15 years, the longest streak among active SEC programs besides second-year league member Oklahoma (never) and longtime rival Georgia (1994, annual game in Jacksonville). Mississippi State’s last trip to Gainesville in 2010 was a highly-touted matchup between second-year Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen and his mentor, Florida coach Urban Meyer. Mississippi State scored 10 points in the first quarter and then held on for a 10-7 victory to spoil UF’s homecoming when Gators kicker Chas Henry missed a 42-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. Flash forward to this week, and Meyer, now a college football analyst for FOX, promoted Mullen, in his first year at UNLV, for the open Penn State job.

WHY GATORS WILL WIN

They come out and play the way they did in their last home game against Texas, setting the tone physically along the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively. They did not do that at Texas A&M, and the Aggies made them pay. The offensive line needs to deliver a bounce-back performance in both the run and pass games.
 
WHY MISSISSIPPI STATE WILL WIN
The Bulldogs’ big-play offense strikes early, taking the crowd out of it and turning fans into critics. Mississippi State runs an up-tempo attack that averages 72.2 snaps, so the Gators will be challenged to keep the Bulldogs grounded and not be forced to play from behind. Florida has been outscored 30-0 in the fourth quarter over the last three games.