The Florida Gators could have folded on Saturday when they entered Austin on a two-game losing streak after suffering blowouts to Mizzou and South Carolina.

Even early in the contest, Texas took an early 17-3 lead on the Gators during the first start for freshman quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. But Florida didn't give up under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, coming back to earn a 27-24 win over the Longhorns.

Just like that, Florida was put back in the rankings amid a 5-2 start with wins over Ole Miss and Texas.

Florida's win over Texas caught the attention of former Gators head coach Urban Meyer. During an appearance on "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" this week, Meyer gave Sumrall the highest praise he could give, saying he sees Sumrall running the program in many ways he ran it.

Meyer also appreciated what Sumrall said after beating Texas, noting that the team "sucked less" in the win over the Longhorns.

Sumrall had quite the appreciation for Meyer too, taking pieces from the Florida two-time national champion head coach when he ran spring football. While the Gators have a ways to go before contending for the national championship, Sumrall is spreading the seeds of belief that could go a long way in setting up UF for big things in 2027.

Meyer thinks Sumrall is cooking up big things in practice during Florida's bye, preparing for a big contest against rival Georgia on Halloween.

A bye week for Florida to get things right

The College Football Playoff is not off the table for Florida after they beat Texas on Saturday. UF has two great wins on its resume with the Longhorns and Rebels.

That will set the Gators up for a big contest against No. 5 Georgia on Oct. 31. The Bulldogs showed they were human in a loss to Auburn on Saturday. With two weeks to prepare, Florida should have a plan for Aaron Philo or Jones to put up points against the Dawgs.

UF has not beaten Georgia since 2020, but this game feels like a potential win for the Gators if they play up to their potential.

After Georgia, the Gators still have to play tricky games against Oklahoma on Nov. 7 and on the road against No. 12 Kentucky on Nov. 14. It's a tall order to expect Florida to win all three of those games, but there's no counting Sumrall's team out.