AUSTIN, Texas — Quinn Ewers passed for 333 yards and five touchdowns and Texas No. 5’s 49-17 rout of Florida on Saturday, two days after third-year Gators coach Billy Napier received a public statement of support from the school’s athletic director. .

Ewers connected on open passes to Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm for touchdowns in the first quarter. Quintrevion Wisner took a screen pass 50 yards for a score before Ewers connected with Golden again for a 32-yard strike in the second.

Texas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 5 CFP) led 35-0 at halftime.

Coach Steve Sarkisian said the Longhorns have struggled to find their offensive rhythm in recent weeks, but they made big play after big play against the Gators. Texas had 12 plays of 20+ yards.

“The explosiveness of the offense came out today,” Sarkisian said.

Wide receiver Isaiah Bond returned to the lineup after missing a game with an ankle injury and had a 44-yard run on a misdirection play and a 34-yard touchdown off a screen pass.

“We want people to feel our speed. We want people to fear our speed,” Sarkisian said.

Ewers’ easy day could have been even bigger if not for some deep throws thrown by the receivers. He was replaced by Arch Manning in the third quarter after his fifth touchdown pass.

The five TDs were a career high for Ewers and a school record. The big numbers on a short afternoon were a confidence boost for a quarterback who was briefly suspended two games ago in a loss to Georgia and played with an abdominal injury.

“Who wouldn’t be confident after that performance by the entire offense?” Ewers said. “I just try to put the ball in the hands of the players and they make all the plays.”

Florida (4-5, 2-4) started Yale transfer Aidan Warner at quarterback as freshman DJ Lagway is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Warner, who was the team’s third-stringer when the season began, was 12 of 25 passing for 132 yards and two interceptions.

“He got out of control in the first half. You look up and it’s game over,” Napier said. “Aidan fought his tail out there today. … You go into the game understanding you’re playing the third quarterback and you know you have to defend him, and we didn’t do that.”

Take away

Florida: Going on the road will only raise questions about athletic director Scott Stricklin’s decision to give Napier such a public statement of support for another season. The loss drops Napier’s record to 15-19. Tough, close losses to rivals Tennessee and Georgia had suggested the program was improving, even if it wasn’t winning, but the Gators were overwhelmed by Texas.

“I’m grateful for our players,” Napier said of the vote of confidence. “I think when you look at the roster as a whole, we have a lot of young talent that I think will continue to develop. They’re learning, they’re going through this experience, and I think that’s going to prove beneficial in the future.”

Texas: After allowing 11 sacks over the last two games, the offensive line protected Ewers well most of the day. He was sacked on the opening drive, but was rarely harassed again. Some quick reads and short passes also kept up the pressure. Texas wants to avoid hitting Ewers that could aggravate his abdominal strain.

Implications of the survey

Texas has put together the kind of impressive performance that can be important for late season rankings and playoff implications. The Longhorns should move up after losing the no. 4 in Miami over Georgia Tech.

Setting the tone

The game was still 0-0 when Texas converted a fourth-and-1 from its own 24 and got a first down by inches. The drive ended with the game’s first touchdown.

“I believe in our players,” Sarkisian said. “I really didn’t blink. I was going for it.”

Further on

Florida hosts No. 14 LSU next Saturday.

Texas plays at Arkansas next Saturday.