The season was Galen Hall's fifth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team.

During an October game against the Memphis State Tigers, star running back Emmitt Smith injured his knee and was unable to play for a month.

Florida lost the Memphis State contest and the next three as well, with the Gator offense unable to score a single touchdown while Smith was sidelined.

The offense under coordinator Lynn Amadee struggled all season, with Gator quarterbacks combining to throw three touchdowns and 17 interceptions,[2] leading one Florida sports columnist to dub the offense the "Amadeeville Horror".

As of the conclusion of the 2023 season, Florida's 16-0 loss to Auburn on October 29, 1988 is the last time the Gators suffered a shutout, and Florida has scored in an all-time NCAA record 457 consecutive games.