Gasparilla Bowl- Florida/UCF- Write Up

I feel that UCF at +7 is a great bet. First off how excited can Florida be to be playing in the Gasparilla Bowl as they don’t even get to leave the state of Florida? They backed into the Postseason getting a win in their final game over rival Florida St to get to 6-6. Florida St was bad all year so how impressive was that win? They have an interim Head Coach in Greg Knox who basically is a baby sitter untill Billy Napier takes over next year. At full strength and with complete focus, Florida is a more talented football team as far as athletes goes. With transfers and opt-outs (including their leading WR Jacob Copeland and leading tackler, Mohamoud Diabate) and the transition the program is going through, motivation and focus will be real questions for Florida, in my opinion. Also, with Junior Emory Jones back at quarterback you never know what you are going to get, like a 3 interception outing his last time out. You also have to take into account he has already entered the transfer portal and will be somewhere else next season, he doesn't really care what he does this game!

For UCF this is a Bowl Game that they will be excited to play and have a chance at knocking off one of the Big Brothers of the state. UCF is the better team defensively ranked #23 in YPP While Florida is #60 They only allowed more than 20 points three times in AAC action with the defense limiting foes to an average of 25.2 points, good for 55th overall in the country. UCF also has a ton of momentum winning 5 out of their last 6 games. Their starting RB Isiah Bowser is back and healthy and star WR Jaylon Robinson is back at practice and trending to start. Mikey Keene, their freshman QB did a great job of filling in for now transfer portal UCLA QB Dillon Gabriel going four straight games without tossing an interception and has accrued 1585 passing yards accompanied by a 16:6 TD to INT ratio.

Give me UCF plus the points!

Goodybag's 5 bag special for Thursday the 23rd. 

@goodybags

 Great write up.. I want to bet on UCF really bad for the points you just made but I’m not sold on Keene.. I think this stage will be too big for him as he struggled with bad teams all year...I think this game comes down to the trenches... 

Nice info

 Good write-up.....

 As for travel, Florida never does. They've only left the state once in the L20 years for an OOC game........& that was at a neutral site.

You do realize UCF knights also wont be leaving florida .

Of course I realize UCF is also not leaving the state. The point I was making, which I thought was very obvious but i'm happy to explain further, is that the expectations are different for Florida. They expect to play in a major bowl, but instead barely made a bowl game and are stuck playing an in-state bowl. Where on the side UCF is motivated to take down a revered football giant of their own state in the Florida Gators. I love the value in getting a touchdown with UCF

UCF outright 

DK, absolutely! Hope everyone gets their bets in. UCF plus the points. It looks like it might fall back to +6.5 before game time...

Florida players had quit on Mullen. They will play hard for Knox. When Mullen left Miss. St before their bowl Knox coached the bowl game vs Louisville and they played hard and won the bowl game. And even though Jones has already announced he's leaving I think he will want to play really well to audition for suitors and also to let Fla. fans how have been hard on him what they are missing. The last thing he wants to do is look bad. If he didn't care then he wouldn't even be sticking around to play in the game. Florida has better athletes at all positions.

Yep, I have to agree with you that Florida def has better athletes, but I still go with UCF. I can't trust Jones. I'm sure he also wanted to play hard in his last outing where he most assuredly knew at that point (even though it wasn't official) that he was going to enter the transfer portal and he tossed 3 picks that game.

All things considered, i'm still going with UCF plus the points! Best of luck to you!

The more motivated team showed up today with more to prove for their coach! 5 bagger!! UCF!