Todd Golden Says Florida 'Guarded Our Butts Off' in Comeback Win vs. Houston

Florida head coach Todd Golden praised his team for "guarding our butts off" in a gritty effort against Houston, rallying from a 12-point deficit to capture the 2025 National Championship.

“We did what we did all year. We stayed our course. We had the best backcourt in America, they had the best frontcourt in America. And like we’ve done all year, we made plays when we needed them the most," Golden told CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson after the win. "We guarded our butts off down the stretch and made every 50-50 winning play.”

"The Gators are Natty, baby! We got the Natty, baby! We got the Natty! Let's go!"

he Houston Cougars led Florida 31-28 at halftime before catching fire early in the second half, building a 12-point lead with 16:24 remaining.

But an 8-0 run quickly brought the Gators back and they tied the game at 51 with just over seven minutes to play. From there, Florida clamped down defensively while Houston's offense stalled, allowing the Gators to take control and seal the victory.

Florida’s Will Richard led the way for the Gators with 18 points and eight rebounds, while forward Alex Condon chipped in 12 points and Walter Clayton Jr. added 11.

In just three short seasons, Golden not only became the second coach in Florida history to win a national title, but also the youngest to cut down the championship nets since Jim Valvano, who led NC State to glory in 1983.