USAT projects same bowl game, different opponent for Florida after Week 9

The University of Florida Gators football team currently holds a record of 5-3 this season after suffering a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta on Saturday. With four games remaining in their schedule, the Gators require only a single victory to secure a spot in the postseason, a contrast to their absence from a bowl game last year.

Erick Smith, a USA TODAY Sports writer, has consistently projected Florida to play in the Gator Bowl for the past four weeks, a prediction that remains unchanged following the Week 9 defeat. This time, however, Smith has identified a new opponent: the Louisville Cardinals.

Florida has participated in the Gator Bowl nine times since 1952, securing seven victories in those appearances. In 2012, under head coach Will Muschamp's first season, the Gators emerged victorious against Ohio State with a score of 24-17. The last Gator Bowl loss for Florida occurred in 1975, when Maryland dominated the game with a 13-0 shutout of Doug Dickey's squad. Their most recent loss in a Gator Bowl game was held in 1975, with Maryland shutting down Doug Dickey's team, 13-0.

The Gators and Cardinals have crossed paths three times in collegiate football, with Florida emerging victorious in the initial two matchups, one of which took place at home in 1980 (13-0) and another in 1982 (31-17). Their only defeat in these games was a 33-23 loss in the 2013 Sugar Bowl.