TAMPA (SNN-TV) – Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on last night.
Florida quarterback Emory Jones, playing in his final game with the Gators before entering the transfer portal, completed 14 of 36 passes for 171 yards. He also ran for 62 yards on 10 carries.
Florida was led by interim coach Greg Knox, who took over when Dan Mullen was fired before the regular-season finale against Florida State.
The match up was the first time the time the two teams played since Florida won 42-0 during its 2006 national championship season.
The announced crowd at Raymond James Stadium was a Gasparilla Bowl record of over 63,000.
With the loss, the 6-7 Gators finished with its first losing record since 2017.