What to Expect from Florida and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl
With the college football regular season now over, bowl season is officially on the horizon. Although the Gasparilla Bowl doesn’t have any implications for the College Football Playoffs, it does have implications on the offseason recruiting and plans for both teams participating in this game. The Florida Gators have been tested all season with a brutal SEC schedule and several key injuries, and yet they ended the regular season strong with three consecutive wins. Tulane comes into this game with a slightly different story, as they started the season slowly and then got hot but have struggled as of late. So, what are the keys to look at for both sides in this bowl game?
Tulane enters this game a little uncertain as they have lost their two most recent matchups by double digits. Additionally, their star quarterback, Darian Mensah, is in the transfer portal and won’t play for Tulane in this bowl game. Now, Tulane’s offense has been wildly explosive all year, as they are 10th in scoring in all of college football, averaging 36 points per game. This is mostly thanks to their amazing rushing attack led by Makhi Hughes, who averages just over 100 yards and a touchdown a game. Now, Tulane has the 67th strength of schedule in the country, which does indicate that they have played a lot of easy opponents this season. The main concern for Tulane will be if their offense can continue to be explosive without their starting quarterback and if they can overcome the general ineffectiveness they have experienced this season when playing against tougher opponents.
For Florida, they have to come into this game amped up. They are riding high on three consecutive victories, including two against SEC powerhouses LSU and Ole Miss. This team has fought tooth and nail with some of the best teams in the country and just came up short several times this season, which prevented them from being considered a serious SEC contender. This program is buzzing, and a strong showing in this bowl game against Tulane could make a big difference when recruiting new players this offseason. The Gators believe they have found their next big-time quarterback with DJ Lagway, and they fully expect him to elevate this program back to national contention over the next few years. I expect Florida to let Lagway show off in this game and handedly walk away with the win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl.
