Texas RB Jerrick Gibson Shines vs. Hometown Florida Gators: 'Not Surprising'

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AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns running back and Gainsville, FL. native Jerrick Gibson had the best game of his young college career in Saturday's 49-17 win over his hometown Florida Gators.
Gibson finished with 16 carries for a game-high 100 yards and a touchdown in what marked a bit of a resurgence for the true freshman after he had seen his playing time take a hit following the end of non-conference play. He lost a fumble in the second half, but shook it off and eventually had a season-best 25-yard run on the game's final drive.
Gibson started out his high school career at Gainsville High School before eventually transferring to prestigious IMG Academy. He took an unofficial visit to Florida and attended the program's junior day but ultimately chose the Longhorns.
Texas RB Jerrick Gibson with a 25-yard run to cap off the first 100-yard game of his career.
— Zach Dimmitt (@ZachDimmitt7) November 9, 2024
Finished with 16 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown vs. Florida.#HookEm pic.twitter.com/DTH5g9vCO8
Despite a decrease in snaps recently, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has continued to emphasize that the staff has trust in Gibson, and it showed on Saturday.
"It was a real conscious effort coming into the game to say, 'Hey, let's see Jerrick back in the fold of what it looked like earlier in the year when he kind of had to play, because I think he provides a little different change of pace for us. It's a little bit more of a downhill physical running style."
Texas Longhorns on SI asked running back Jaydon Blue about his reaction to seeing Gibson get that first-career 100-yard game.
"I'm excited, bro," Blue said. "It's not surprising, because he works super hard in practice. He follows me and (Quintrevion Wisner's) lead, and he's always prepared for the moment if he had to get thrown in at some point. So, for Jerrick to have this game, it's not surprising, but I'm very excited to see the strides that he's been making."
Gibson will look to build off of this career-best performance when the Longhorns travel to Fayettville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.
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Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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