The Florida Gators pulled off their fourth win of the season this previous weekend, cruising previous the Kentucky Wildcats 48-20 to enhance to 2-2 in convention play.
It was a dominant efficiency on a number of fronts, because the Gators blasted ahead with a 24-point second quarter earlier than cruising by way of the second half for a blowout victory.
The 48 factors have been a season-high, and it got here whereas the Gators skilled a big change, as 2024 five-star D.J. Lagway was elevated to the beginning quarterback function after Graham Mertz introduced that his season was over following a torn ACL in Florida’s 23-17 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers final week.
Lagway, a 6’3”, 240-pound true freshman, had made his first profession begin again in Week 2 in opposition to Samford, throwing for 456 yards and three touchdowns on 18 of 25 passing, and had since been rotating in with Mertz over the previous few weeks.
In opposition to Kentucky, Lagway was an explosive machine, tossing for 259 yards on simply seven completions.
Moreover, he seemed to make use of his legs on a number of events, ending with 46 yards on 10 carries (together with sacks).
DJ LAGWAY HUGE PLAY
Nice blocking, to start with, after which Lagway does a pleasant job scanning the sector and discovering Dike for the deep strike. pic.twitter.com/QpbkN034gT
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) October 20, 2024
Nevertheless, he ended with zero touchdowns. Why? Properly, he was complemented by four-star operating again Jadan Baugh, because the true freshman stepped into the beginning function following an harm to prime again Montrell Johnson.
Because of this, Baugh took benefit of his alternatives, going for 106 yards and 5 touchdowns on 22 carries in opposition to the SEC’s third-best run protection in a monster day for the freshman.
Baugh had seen his alternatives slowly improve because the season went alongside, incomes 12 carries in opposition to Tennessee, however this was by far his most quantity of the season, which he capitalized on with nice manufacturing.
Heading into the season, many questioned how effectively Florida may play this 12 months, as they confronted one in every of, if not the, hardest schedules in all the nation. However, up to now, due to wins over Samford, Mississippi State, UCF and now Kentucky, the Gators are 4-3 heading into the brutal a part of their schedule.
Issues don’t get simpler in any respect from right here although, as Florida performs 4 straight ranked opponents, with No. 2 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 LSU, and No. 18 Ole Miss coming in consecutive weeks.
Nonetheless, issues are trending in the fitting route for the Gators, who’ve needed to go to their gifted true freshmen on offense as a consequence of accidents, and have been rewarded with high quality play in opposition to powerful opponents up to now.
These subsequent 4 matchups might be an important take a look at for Lagway and Co. as they try to navigate some muddy waters, however the five-star recruit is displaying glimpses of his potential each week, which might solely be signal for the Gators going ahead.
As well as, it looks like Florida might have discovered a diamond within the tough with Baugh’s emergence, and one can solely assume that the four-star freshman will proceed to be a focal a part of the offense, at the same time as prime again Montrell Johnson returns to the fold.
Whereas it didn’t look that approach in an unpleasant 41-17 loss to the Miami Hurricanes within the opener, issues are trying shiny for the long run for the Gators in the intervening time.
