Baugh's 266 Sparks Florida to Win Over Florida State to End 2025 Season

Jadan Baugh was Florida's first 200-yard rusher in over 20 years as the Gators knocked Florida State out of bowl eligibility.

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh moved past the 1,000-yard mark with a career-high 266 yards against Florida State. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators ended their 2025 season on a high note, knocking rival Florida State out of bowl contention with a 40-21 win inside the Swamp while snapping a four-game losing streak and giving interim head coach Billy Gonzales his first win.

Jadan Baugh rushed for a career-high 266 yards to move past the 1,000-yard mark on the season, while quarterback DJ Lagway tied a career-high with three touchdown passes on 168 yards passing.

Lagway finishes his sophomore campaign with 2,264 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, all higher than his freshman campaign. Baugh's 1,170 yards this season makes him Florida's first 1,000-yard rusher since Kelvin Taylor in 2015 and gives him the seventh-highest single-season total in program history.

Baugh is also Florida's first 200-yard rusher, making him the seventh Gator to do so in program history and first since Ciatrick Fason in 2004. His single-game rushing yardage is the most by a sophomore in school history and second-highest among all rushers.

Career day for Jadan Baugh 💥

27 carries for 182 yards and THE SCORE. pic.twitter.com/JOikJyVn0O

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 30, 2025

Florida's 40 points also marked the first time the Gators scored over 30 points in a game since the 55-0 win over Long Island in Week 1.

Florida took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 23-yard field goal from Trey Smack and a five-yard pass from Lagway to J. Michael Sturdivant, which was set up by a turnover-on-downs by the Seminoles and a 34-yard pass from Lagway to Sturdivant.

Florida State struck back early in the second quarter with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard pass from Thomas Castellanos to Micahi Danzy to make the score 10-7 in favor of Florida, but Florida answered quickly behind clutch running from Baugh.

The sophomore rushed for 46 yards on the drive, which moved him past the 1,000-yard mark on the season, and Lagway hit Tony Livingston for a nine-yard score to give Florida a 17-7 lead with just over five minutes left in the half.

Florida State nearly answered after a 27-yard pass from Castellanos to Lawayne McCoy the Seminoles into the red zone, but a fumble recovered by Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks on the 26-yard line ended the drive.

Banks. pic.twitter.com/gwxYUoqj99

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 29, 2025

The Seminoles recovered quickly, though, as a Lagway pass to Aidan Mizell was tipped and intercepted by Edwin Joseph and returned to Florida's 21-yard line, and Castellanos capitalized shortly after with a four-yard touchdown rush to make it 17-14 with 1:11 left in the half.

Lagway's 14 interceptions this year are the most by a UF quarterback since Rex Grossman threw 17 in 2002.

After a three-and-out to open the second half, Florida's defense came up clutch once again by forcing another turnover on downs, this time at Florida State's 41-yard line. A scramble by Castellanos on 4th-and-1 was short of the line to gain and upheld after a video review.

29 yards across two carries by Baugh and a face mask penalty on Florida State set up Lagway's third touchdown pass of the night, a three-yarder to Hayden Hansen to put the Gators up 24-14, and Baugh added a 22-yard touchdown rush a drive later to make it 31-14.

Smack added a 54-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to make it 34-14 before Castellanos hit McCoy for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:07 left to make it 34-21.

Smack's field goal marked a school record with 10 field goals from at least 50 yards.

Baugh's second touchdown, a 12-yard run, gave Florida a 40-21 lead with 56 seconds left after Smack's extra point was no good, and Ben Hanks III intercepted a pass on the game's final play.

The Gators finish the year 4-8, the most losses since 2013 and least amount of wins since 2017, and now turn its attention to the offseason with a new head coach coming soon.

After Lane Kiffin appeared to be Florida's top choice, Tulane's Jon Sumrall now appears to be the leading candidate for the job after the Gators reportedly moved on from Kiffin. Kiffin will now decide between LSU and staying at Ole Miss.

Sumrall is expected to make his decision on Sunday.

Other possible candidates to know are Washington head coach Jedd Fisch, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key and USF head coach Alex Golesh.