STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Graham Mertz passed for three touchdowns and rushed for another to lead Florida over Mississippi State 45-28 on Saturday. The Gators had 503 yards of total offense and completed 93 percent of their passes with Mertz 19 of 21 for 201 yards and DJ Lagway completing all seven of his throws for 76 yards.

The Gators and Bulldogs, at the bottom of SEC power rankings everywhere, each entered Saturday desperate for a win. UF outlasted MSU for a 45-28 victory at Davis Wade Stadium, which had a surprising number of empty seats for an SEC contest.

Florida football (2-2, 1-1 SEC) defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) on the road by a score of 45-28 in what seemed like a must-win game for Billy Napier and his Gators. The cowbells in Starkville, Mississippi were quieted almost immediately as Florida lit up the scoreboard with ease.