Steve Sarkisian’s Texas lost to Florida 29–21 earlier last month, ending a three-game winning streak. Obviously, that loss stung for a team that wants to carve its CFP path with a 7-2 overall record. But it seemed to highlight Florida’s roster strength to Sarkisian, especially alongside his own team’s offensive struggles. Probably that’s why, despite Florida’s tough time with a 3-5 record and fired coach, Sarkisian confessed a big fact about that rival team.

On Sunday, Inside Texas shared Sarkisian’s take on the Florida loss. “I was definitely disappointed by the way we played in Gainesville. I felt like we were better than we played in that game,” said the Texas HC. “I also knew Florida was better than people probably gave them credit for, and they probably still don’t give them credit for it. Florida’s got some real players, so whoever gets that job is going to get a pretty good roster. Hopefully they’ve got enough money to keep it.”

And he isn’t wrong. From the opening drive, Florida dictated the tone of that game. The Gators marched 84 yards in 13 plays, chewing nearly seven minutes off the clock, and Texas never quite recovered from there. Every time the Longhorns tried to build momentum, Florida answered, whether through explosive gains from DJ Lagway or constantly pressuring Arch Manning. They sacked him six times, while Texas RBs only managed 15 yards on 11 carries. Besides, several missed opportunities and penalties handed the victory to Florida.

In that game against the Longhorns, seven Florida players got in on the action, led by Brien Taylor Jr., who notched 1.5 sacks. It was his first as a Gator, and with that he also recorded 3 tackles. Due to that dominant performance, he got a 76.3 PFF grade as the third-best player on defense. “That guy’s going to make a lot more plays this season,” said edge rusher Tyreak Sapp.

But not only Taylor, Devin Moore also made history, delivering his first career sack with a punishing hit on Manning. Then there was DT Michai Boireau, LB Jaden Robinson, edge rushers Jayden Woods and Kamran James, and many more who joined in that triumph. Now, while this team has no permanent HC, Sarkisian’s words of respect could help the team shine moving forward.

Although Gators interim HC Billy Gonzales effectively did his duty, UCLA’s interim HC Tim Skipper, with his Florida ties, appears to be a potential candidate.

Can Florida bounce back with an interim HC?

The 54 YO Gonzales made his head coaching debut as a Gator on Saturday when Florida faced rival Georgia at EverBank Stadium. Under his direction Florida didn’t win that game against Georgia and failed 24-20. But the coach once tasted the victory with the Gators. He won two BCS national titles with them in his first season under Urban Meyer. Still, the program is searching for a steady hand, and Tim Skipper could be one of the candidates.

At UCLA, Skipper, a former UF RBs coach, took over for DeShaun Foster and quickly made his mark. Under his guidance, the Bruins have gone 3-1, including a stunning upset win over PSU. But it’s not just about the scoreboard success. Skipper knows the Florida program inside out, having spent 2015–2018 there.

During his tenure, Tim Skipper inherited a talented but young group of RBs at Florida. There was Kelvin Taylor, redshirt freshman Adam Lane, freshman Brandon Powell, and more. Skipper embraced the challenge, praising OC McElwain’s creative system. “He likes to use them in every single form, shape you can think of,” said Skipper. “You might be labeled as a running back, but you can end up anywhere. We played to the strengths the kids had.”

Before that, Skipper’s coaching pedigree was undeniable. At Fresno State, he developed standout Ryan Mathews into a first-round NFL pick. To cap it off, he helped LB Shaquil Barrett earn Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors at Colorado State. That’s why once Doug Nussmeier, Florida’s OC, praised him, stating, “The guy’s a phenomenal coach. Look at the production he had and how he connected with players.”

Now, we’ll see who the Florida AD chooses as the next HC at the end of the season.