By Cord Rankin
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite a season of ups and downs and fans calling for head coach Billy Napier to be fired, the Florida Gators football program is bowl bound, ninth time in the last 11 years.
Florida (7-5, 4-4 SEC) will take on Tulane (9-4, 7-1 AAC) out of the American Athletic Conference in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, Dec. 20 at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
The game will be the second appearance for the Gators in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. In 2021, Florida lost to UCF, 29-17.
The bowl will mark the 22nd game against the Green Wave in program history dating back to 1915. The Gators hold a record of 13-6-2 against Tulane all-time, with the last meeting coming back in 1984. The game will mark the third time the teams have played in Tampa, with the programs splitting those two contests (1920, 1969). Florida has won the last 11 games against the Green Wave.
Florida is making its 49th all-time bowl appearance, entering the matchup with an all-time record of 24-24 in previous bowl games.
COURTESY FLORIDA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane football team (9-4) was selected to participate in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Sunday. The game will be played on Friday, Dec. 20, in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium at 2:30 p.m. CT against Florida (7-5).
This is the sixth time in the last seven years that Tulane has been selected to play in a bowl game (2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 – Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl). Overall, this will be Tulane’s 17th bowl appearance (1932 – Rose Bowl, 1935 – Sugar Bowl, 1939 – Sugar Bowl, 1970 – Liberty Bowl, 1973 – Astro Bluebonnet Bowl, 1979 – Liberty Bowl, 1980 – Hall of Fame Bowl, 1987 – Independence Bowl, 1998 – Liberty Bowl, 2002 – Hawaii Bowl, 2013 – New Orleans, 2018 – Cure Bowl, 2019 – Armed Forces Bowl, 2020 – Famous Idaho Bowl, 2022 – Cotton Bowl, 2023 – Military Bowl and 2024 – Gasparilla Bowl) with the program sporting an all-time record of 7-9 in bowl games.
Tulane will face off with Florida for the 22nd time in school history, but the first time since 1984. This will only be the third time that schools have played against each other since 1969. The Green Wave have lost 11 straight to the Gators. Tulane was a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) from 1933-1965. Florida has been an SEC member since the official founding of the league in 1933. The first time that Tulane and Florida played was in 1915 with the Gators earning a 14-7 victory. Tulane is 3-8 all-time against Florida as a non-conference opponent. This will be the first neutral site contest between the schools.
Tulane is coming in off the team’s third straight AAC Championship Game appearance. The program sports a 32-9 record over the last three seasons. The team’s 32 wins is the fourth-most nationally. The team placed first or second in the AAC this season in 10 different categories including leading the league in third down conversions (52.5), defensive touchdowns (6), completion percentage (65.6), scoring offense (37.2) and passing efficiency defense (111.65). The team also was the national leader in defensive touchdowns.
Tulane had a league-high 18 players selected All-AAC this season including Derrick Graham (First Team – offensive tackle), Shadre Hurst (First Team – offensive guard), Makhi Hughes (First Team – running back), Patrick Jenkins (First Team – defensive line), Mario Williams (Second Team – wide receiver), Josh Remetich (Second Team – offensive guard), Vincent Murphy (Second Team – center), Tyler Grubbs (Second Team – linebacker), Sam Howard (Second Team – linebacker), Bailey Despanie (Second Team – defensive back), Micah Robinson (Second Team – cornerback), Rayshawn Pleasant (Second Team – return specialist), Rashad Green (Third Team – offensive tackle), Alex Bauman (Third Team – tight end), Kameron Hamilton (Third Team – defensive line), Adin Huntington (Third Team – defensive line), Caleb Ransaw (Third Team – cornerback) and Yulkeith Brown (Honorable Mention – wide receiver).
Hughes ranked second in the conference and 10th nationally in rushing with 1,372 yards. He also ran for 15 touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 176 yards and two scores. His 17 total touchdowns placed him third in the conference and 13th nationally. Mensah was 189-for-287 for 2723 yards and 22 touchdown passes. His 166.7 passing efficiency was tops in the conference and placed him sixth nationally.
Grubbs led a balanced Tulane defense with 59 tackles. He had six stops for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Howard totaled 57 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a school-record five fumble recoveries. Matthew Fobbs-White led the team with 7.5 tackles for loss. Hamilton and Jenkins tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks. Robinson and Grubbs tied for the team with two interceptions.
The Green Wave’s football team was chosen for third in the AAC Preseason Media Poll with 362 points plus two first-place votes at the annual conference media day.
The school announced the hiring of Jon Sumrall as the 42nd head coach of the team on December 8, 2023. The Huntsville, Alabama native has been one of the most successful head coaches in the country the last three seasons with a record of 32-8, two Sun Belt Conference championships and a pair of double-digit winning streaks. He was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of Year and was twice named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor. Sumrall returned to Tulane after serving as the Green Wave’s Co-Defensive Coordinator for three years (2012-14). In 2013, he was a crucial part of Tulane’s run to the New Orleans Bowl, the program’s first postseason appearance since 2002 and third since 1988. Sumrall also was named a finalist for FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2024 bowl game, the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the upcoming 2025 baseball season can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane football on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
COURTESY TULANE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
