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STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Thanks to three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Graham Mertz, Florida leads Mississippi State 28-14 at halftime at Davis Wade Stadium.

The Florida Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC) are looking to end a seven-game losing streak against Power Four opponents that began with a 41-39 win at South Carolina on Oct. 14, 2023.

Mertz again alternates with rookie quarterback DJ Lagway, with Mertz leading five offensive plays for UF compared to two for Lagway.

Mertz (15-16, 147 yards, 3 TDs) was on point for UF, leading Florida to three TD drives, capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Arlis Boardingham, a 20-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marcus Burke and a 35-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hayden Hansen.

Lagway led UF on a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive late in the second quarter, capped by a 10-yard touchdown run by running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, giving UF a 28-7 lead with 1:17 left in the half.

But UF’s defense let up before the end of the half, allowing MSU to put together a quick, six-play, 75-yard touchdown run in 54 seconds. MSU quarterback Blake Shapen capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, cutting UF’s lead to 28-14 with 21 seconds left in the first half.

Florida has a 2-7 road record and a 2-10 away record in the Swamp under head coach Billy Napier, who has a 12-16 overall record in over two seasons as UF’s coach.

“When you’ve experienced a setback and maybe a failure, when things maybe don’t go the way you want them to, there’s adversity,” Napier said. “Do you have the ability to have that same enthusiasm for the work and that same attitude, to maintain that positive energy? I think that’s the challenge.”

Mississippi State (1-2, 0-1 SEC) under new coach Jeff Lebby is fresh off a 41-17 home loss to Toledo. The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Blake Shapen, who ranks third in the SEC in passing and is averaging 278.0 yards per game with 7 TDs and 1 interception on the season.

WATCH FLORIDA FOOTBALL VS MISSISSIPPI STATE ON FUBO (FREE TRIAL)

team	1 quarter	2nd quarter	3rd quarter	4th quarter	Score
Florida	7	21	7	X	35
State of Mississippi	7	7	7	X	21

Quarterback Graham Mertz caps an eight-play, 73-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give Florida a 35-21 lead with 3:37 left in the third quarter. Mertz’s big play was a 28-yard pass to Chimere Dike that put UF in the red zone. Mertz has now completed 18 of 20 passes for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 24 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

After Florida begins the third quarter with a three-and-out, Mississippi State launches a 13-play, 76-yard touchdown attack, cutting UF’s lead to 28-21 with 6:38 left in the first quarter. Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen caps the attack with a 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jordan Mosely.

Florida’s football team heads into the locker room with a 28-14 halftime lead against Mississippi State. The Gators defeated Mississippi State 311-216. Florida will receive the kickoff for the second half.

Mississippi State managed 6 plays and 75 yards in 54 seconds, capped by a 3-yard run by quarterback Blake Shapen, to cut Florida’s lead to 28-14 with 23 seconds left in the first half.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway leads Florida on a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that was capped with a 10-yard touchdown run by Ja’Kobi Jackson to put Florida ahead 28-7. Highlights of the drive for Lagway included a 10-yard snap to convert a third down attempt and a 27-yard pass to Elijhah Badger to put UF in the red zone. Florida 28, Mississippi State 7, 1:17 left in the half.

Florida scores quickly when quarterback Graham Mertz finds tight end Hayden Hansen for a 35-yard touchdown pass and the Gators take a 21-7 lead over MSU with 9:02 left in the second quarter. Chimere Dike gives UF good field position with a 34-yard punt return.

Quarterback Graham Mertz caps a 7-play, 65-yard run with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Burke to give Florida a 14-7 lead over Mississippi State. Mertz completes 13 of 14 passes for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Florida defeated Mississippi State by a narrow margin of 86-84. Freshman DJ Lagway is at quarterback and threw a 15-yard pass to Marcus Burke to end the first quarter.

Mississippi State responds with a touchdown run in which the Bulldogs cover 62 yards in 8 plays, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Davon Booth. Florida 7, Mississippi State 7 with 21 seconds left in the first quarter. UF’s defense had trouble stopping runs up the middle on this one.

Florida’s football team takes an early 7-0 lead. Quarterback Graham Mertz caps a 13-play, 84-yard run with a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Arlis Boardingham. Mertz ran for 23 yards on the run, including a 16-yard run and a 7-yard run in the red zone on third down. Florida 7, Mississippi State 0, 3:39 minutes left in the first quarter.

Mandatory SEC Availability Report for Florida-Mississippi State football team: Wide receiver Tank Hawkins available, 10 players are out for the Gators, including wide receiver Eugene Wilson III, safety Asa Turner, defensive back Aaron Gates and defensive lineman Joey Slackman.

Date: Saturday, September 21
Time: Midday
Location: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (capacity 61,337), Starkville, Mississippi.

History of Florida vs. Mississippi State football

Series record: Florida leads 34-19 (two ties)
Last meeting: Florida defeats Mississippi State 13-6 (September 29, 2018)

Predictions for the Florida vs. Mississippi State football game

Florida will start faster and create more balance on offense. UF’s defense will struggle at times but make enough plays to help the Gators to their first SEC win since defeating South Carolina on Oct. 14, 2023.

Predicting the final result: Florida 35, Mississippi State 24

Betting odds for Florida Football vs Mississippi State

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, September 20

Betting offer: Florida-6

Over/Under: 58.5 points

Weather updates for Florida Football vs. Mississippi State

According to Weather.com, the forecast for the Florida-Mississippi State game at kickoff in Starkville, Mississippi, is a high temperature of 86 degrees with a south wind of 2 miles per hour and a 0% chance of rain.

Tickets for the Florida vs. Mississippi State football game

Tickets for the Florida State University at Mississippi State football game are available through Ticketmaster or secondary markets such as StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek.

VIEW TICKETS FOR EVERY FLORIDA FOOTBALL GAME THIS SEASON

Florida Football Schedule 2024

August 31: Miami (N, 41-17)
September 7: Samford (win, 45-7)
September 14: Texas A&M (N, 33-20)
September 21: at Mississippi State
28 September: Bye
October 5: UCF
October 12: in Tennessee
October 19: Kentucky
October 26: Bye
November 2: Georgia (Jacksonville)
November 9: in Texas
November 16: LSU
November 23: Ole Miss
November 30: at Florida State
Record: 1-2. 0-1 SEC

Mississippi State Football Schedule 2024

August 31: Eastern Kentucky (W, 56-17)
September 7: at Arizona State (N, 30-23)
14 September: Toledo (N, 41-17)
September 21: Florida
September 28: in Texas
5 Oct: Bye
October 12: in Georgia
October 19: Texas A&M
October 26: Arkansas
November 2: UMass
November 9: in Tennessee
16 November: Bye
November 23: Missouri
30 November: at Ole Moss
Record: 1-2, 0-0 SEC

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