Florida Gators quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. did what most thought he couldn't, leading the Gators to an upset win over the No. 7 Texas Longhorns at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. 

"...for his first opportunity, even when he didn’t make some throws he needed to make, he kept battling and kept fighting, and that’s when good things happen," Gators head coach Jon Sumrall said. "I’m proud of him for staying resilient..."

Despite a slow first half for Jones Jr. and the Gators offense, the sophomore quarterback elevated his game in the second half. He led the offense to 17 second-half points and sealed the win on the final drive with a nine-yard gain to move the chains one last time. 

Jones Jr. totaled 196 yards against the Longhorns’ defense in his first career start. He threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards. 

Second year #Gators QB Tramell Jones in his first career start, on the road, against a vaunted Texas defense:

🐊22/35 | 155 yards | 2 TD | 0 INT
🐊10 ATT for 41 yards rushing. 4 for 9+ yards.
🐊Only sacked ONE time!

Not a perfect performance but some really impressive plays⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NXdGAXCwXa

— Dylan Olive (@DylanOlive_UF) October 17, 2026

While his numbers will not blow the average stat sheet reader away, his film showcased several positive plays. Here are Jones Jr.'s three most important plays from Saturday's win. 

Using His Legs to Get One Final First Down

Jones Jr. surprised many with how quick and mobile he was against the Longhorns. He suffered a left ankle injury in his senior season of high school, missing the rest of the campaign. 

Two years later, Jones Jr. showed no worries about tucking the ball and putting his head down. 

On Florida's biggest drive of the game, the sophomore opted to keep the ball on a quarterback read on third and nine. That was a bold call by the inexperienced quarterback, but it paid off as he made one defender miss in the backfield before getting the nine yards needed for the first down. This run put the game to bed, as the offense came out in victory formation on the next play. 

tramell jones; florida vs texas pic.twitter.com/a7gaZOpZwz

— ◇ (@F0RGIAT0) October 17, 2026

It could be considered the most important play for the Gators' offense. With the Longhorns holding one timeout and 1:51 left, no first down for the Gators would have given the hosts life. Instead, Jones Jr. put the nail in the coffin himself to get his first career win as a starter. 

Sparking Life into the Offense in the First Half

Florida's offense looked sluggish in the first period. Drives stalled out. The run game was missing. The passing game was nonexistent. 

That all changed after the Gators' final drive in the first half. 

A fourth-down stop by the defense gave the Gators' offense the ball near the 50-yard line, needing nine plays to get into the end zone. 

The most crucial play on the drive, though, came three plays before the touchdown. Jones Jr. faced a 4th-and-12 on the Texas 36-yard line. He got it and more, completing a 17-yard pass to star receiver Dallas Wilson. 

This is an NFL throw from @TramellJonesJr and an NFL catch from @18Dallaswilson‼️🐊 pic.twitter.com/ZpDrWHstEf

— Gator Guy Billy (@GatorGuyBilly) October 17, 2026

It wasn't an easy pass for Jones Jr. He hurled the ball to the far side, just over the Longhorns defender's outstretched arms and into Wilson's hands to move the chains. 

Florida scored 17 unanswered points after this drive to capture a 27-17 lead in the final quarter. Without this throw from Jones Jr., it is hard to imagine the Gators going on this run. 

Coming out of Halftime Hot

Although it took eight minutes to get in the end zone, Florida tied the game 17-17 on the first drive of the second half. Jones Jr. completed seven of his eight passes on the drive for 48 yards and a touchdown. He was also 5-for-5 on third down, with 42 passing yards and a touchdown.

"I think he started to do some things better in the second half and just take what’s there," Sumrall said of the third-down offense in the second half. "Don’t have to do anything crazy, put the ball in play, give guys opportunities, and get the ball in the hands of our playmakers, and that helped out."

After driving to the Texas eight-yard line, the Gators needed only three yards for a first down. However, Jones Jr. wanted all eight. Scrambling around the pocket, he eventually found a wide-open Lacotta Dipre in the end zone to tie the game. 

Tramell Jones Jr. leads Florida down the field on an 8 MINUTE drive and finds Lacota Dippre for the touchdown.

Tie game in Austin 🐊👀 pic.twitter.com/BkkjjZljLQ

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) October 17, 2026

It was important for the Gators to keep the momentum rolling in their favor coming out of halftime. Jones Jr. finishing off the drive with seven points rather than three let them do just that. 

The Gators are off this week before taking on the Georgia Bulldogs on Halloween. While Sumrall hasn't committed to a starting quarterback for that game, Jones Jr. has certainly staked his claim.