Gators Soccer Makes Statement in Upset Win Over Florida State

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- It only took first-year head coach Nick Zimmerman three matches to make a statement as he takes over the Florida Gators soccer program. And he did it against rival Florida State.

Behind two goals from Kyra Taylor and in front of a Donald R. Dizney Stadium record crowd of 1,632 spectators, the Gators on Sunday knocked off the third-ranked and defending-champion Seminoles, 3-1. The win marked Florida's first against Florida State since 2015 and its first over a top-10 opponent since 2017.

It also gave Florida State, which had won 36 consecutive non-conference games going into Sunday, its first non-conference loss since 2019.

"The fight of this group. We couldn't be more proud," Zimmerman said. "We asked them to compete and they did that. The players, the staff – just incredible. It was an absolute team win. Whether you played 90 minutes or no minutes, the focus was on the team."

THAT’S OUR COACH pic.twitter.com/itHx9ed711
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) August 23, 2026

It was an impressive win for the Gators, which moved to 2-1-0 on the 2026 season. It is also an early signal of what the program can be under Zimmerman.

Since Becky Burleigh's retirement after the 2020 season and not including the current 2-1-0 start, the Gators are 22-46-22, recording four losing seasons in five years under head coaches Tony Amato and Samantha Bohon. Neither won more than six games in a season, something Burleigh did in 25 of her 26 seasons leading the program.

Hoping to turn the once-dominant program around, Florida turned to Zimmerman, who in one season as Mississippi State's head coach, won three games over top-10 opponents. Previously an assistant with the Bulldogs from 2019-24, he helped turn the program into a consistent national contender. The Bulldogs reached four straight NCAA Tournaments and won an SEC regular-season title (2024).

While it is just one win, the historic nature of Zimmerman's second victory with the Gators may be the catalyst needed to spark life into the program as it chases its first conference title since 2015 and first national title.

"This was a huge win for our program, for our organization," Zimmerman said. "We are going to celebrate it, we are going to enjoy it and then get back to work. We move on to the next game."

Florida hosts Jacksonville on Thursday at 6 p.m.

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