Florida Gators vs. Texas Longhorns: How to watch, channel, streaming

This summer, Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway and Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning grabbed headlines and were discussed as Heisman Trophy candidates. But four games into the season, neither player has yet lived up to the offseason hype.

So instead of the epic QB duel that was anticipated not too long ago, many now expect a low-scoring, defensive battle when UF and UT face each other Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville.

The Gators, reeling after three straight losses, desperately need a win to begin righting the proverbial ship. For Gators coach Billy Napier, an upset Saturday would cool the seat beneath him, at least temporarily. Meanwhile, No. 9 Texas, which lost to current No. 1 Ohio State in Week 1, does not yet own a Power 4 win. A loss would severely hurt the Longhorns’ chances of making the playoffs.

“Really excited about the challenge of playing this Texas team,” Napier said this week.

How to watch the Florida Gators vs the Texas Longhorns

Date: Sat. Oct. 4
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548), Gainesville, Fla.
TV: ESPN
Stream: Cox 7/1007[HD], DirecTV 8 [HD]
Radio: SiriusXM Channel: 145 [Gator Network]/ TBA [Westwood One]

On The Call — ESPN

Play-by-Play: Bob Wischusen
Analyst: Louis Riddick
Reporter: Kris Budden

On The Call — Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD

Play-by-Play: Sean Kelley
Analyst: Shane Matthews
Reporter: Tate Casey

On the Call — Westwood One

Play-by-Play: Nate Gatter
Analyst: Derek Rackley
Studio Host: Jon Stashower

Betting Lines

BetMGM, On3’s official partner, lists UF as a 5.5-point underdog (-110 for UF). The over/under is 42.5 (-(-110 for UF). The money line is +170 for the Gators and -210 for Texas.

Florida-Texas Game Notes

*UF has never beaten Texas. The Gators are 0-3-1 vs. the Longhorns all time and lost in Austin, Texas, 49-17 last season.
*This is UT’s first trip to Gainesville since Dec. 7, 1940. The Longhorns won that game 26-0.
*The Gators are 27-27-2 all-time in home games vs. top-10 teams. They’re 7-3 in the last 10 matchups against top-10 opponents [2012-present].

*The Longhorns average 438.8 yards and 31.8 points per game. But their most recent contests were against San Jose State, UTEP, and Sam Houston State — three teams with a combined record of 2-11.
*Through four games, Texas QB Arch Manning is 65 of 106 for 888 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He currently ranks 41st nationally in passing efficiency.
*The Gators rank 22nd nationally in total defense (284.2 yards per game) and 24th in scoring defense (16.0 points). But they have just three sacks in four games and are 115th in tackles for loss.

*Florida ranks 113th nationally in total offense (328.2 yards per game) and 98th in scoring (22.0 points). Now the Gators face a Texas defense that ranks second in the nation, allowing just 7.75 points per game.
*On 55 third downs, they’ve only converted 17 times, or 30.9 percent. That ranks just 122nd out of 134 FBS subdivision teams. Texas, at 35.8 percent and 102nd in the country, isn’t much better.

Winning percentages in SEC games for recent UF coaches

Let’s take a quick look at Gators coaches since Steve Spurrier in SEC play.

75.0% (36–12): Urban Meyer—Won two SEC titles and played in three SEC Championship Games.
66.7% (16–8): Ron Zook—Gators tied for first in the SEC East in 2003. 
66.7% (16–8): Jim McElwain—Won two SEC East titles but lost both times in the SEC Championship Game. 
60.0% (21-14): Dan Mullen—One of Mullen’s conference losses came in the 2020 SEC Championship Game against No. 1 Alabama. His teams won one SEC East title and were second twice.
53.1% (17-15): Will Muschamp—UF tied for first in the SEC East with Georgia in 2012.
40.0% (10-15): Billy Napier—His Florida Gators teams were fourth in the SEC East twice and 10th in the league in 2024.

Related Florida Gators content 

—Florida Gators aim to contain Arch Manning, UT offense, Saturday in the Swamp
—A look at the Texas Longhorns with Inside Texas reporter Joe Cook
—How the Gators recovered — or didn’t — from some of their worst starts
—Preseason thoughts vs. in-season reality