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Florida and Georgia are once again set to square off from Jacksonville Saturday. The Gators enter the contest having won three of their last four games while the Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 in the nation.
The fun storyline in this one is the transfer of RB Trevor Etienne, who is now Georgia’s leading rusher after two years in the Orange and Blue.
UGA has dominated the series of late winning six of the last seven, does that change on Saturday?
The following are our weekly predictions.
Brian Fox: This Florida football team has kind of grown up right in front of us the last few weeks. The defense has played much better than it had the first two games of the year and the offense looked explosive with DJ Lagway behind center against Kentucky. Georgia, however, will present a totally different challenge as they are well versed in all aspects of the game. I want to say something along the lines of, “I think this team can play a similar game to the one in Knoxville…”, but I just don’t see it right now. Maybe they can surprise us. UGA opened as an 18-point favorite but that line has moved to 14.5 per Bet ESPN. Georgia, 38-21.
Ryan Friedwald: This is the biggest test for Billy Napier and the Gators this season. A win here could solidify another year of Billy Napier as the head ball coach and make this Gators team nationally recognized. But, it’s still Georgia. Just like any rivalry, it could go either way, but realistically I think Georgia dominates again. Bulldogs, 42-24.
Florida and Georgia will kickoff from Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville at 3:30 PM (ET).
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The Florida Gators (4-3, 2-2 SEC) and Georgia Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) will meet for the 102nd time on Saturday in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.
Florida trails the overall series against Georgia 44-55-2, and the Bulldogs have been dominant against the Gators lately, winning six of the last seven matchups, including three in a row heading into this year.
“I think we — our guys are well aware of this game,” Florida’s third-year head coach Billy Napier said on Wednesday about the Florida-Georgia rivalry. “You come to play in these games. It’s why you come here. As coaches and players. We’re excited about it.”
The Gators are coming off their best performance of the season on Oct. 19 at home against Kentucky. Florida beat the Wildcats 48-20 thanks to a record-tying five touchdown runs by true freshman Jadan Baugh. Five-star freshman quarterback DJ Lagway also performed well as he went 7-for-14 in the air with 259 yards, including four completions of at least 40 yards.
The freshman pairing may be asked to have a repeat performance against Georgia as senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. has been listed as questionable on Florida’s preliminary injury report for Saturday’s game. Johnson suffered a lower leg injury against Tennessee on Oct. 12 and missed the game against Kentucky. If he is unavailable again, Baugh will get the bulk of the carries against a Bulldogs front seven that has allowed just 3.3 yards per carry this season.
“Ultimately, that’s the challenge,” Napier said about Georgia’s defense. “I think they got good players at all three levels – the best in the country coming out. So this is always one of the bigger tests. These guys do a good job with defense.”
Also listed on the injury report for the Gators this week were cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III, who will both be out against Georgia.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Marshall will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury he sustained against Kentucky. Marshall is Florida’s best cover corner so he will be a big miss for the Gators’ defense. Cormani McClain, the sophomore transfer from Colorado, will most likely be called into action as he replaced Marshall last game and got a pick-6 in his first appearance in the orange and blue.
Wilson will miss his fourth game of the season on Saturday. He did not play against Texas A&M, Mississippi State or UCF with a knee injury, but his absence this week has been linked to a lingering hip problem. Even with the previous missed games, Wilson is still third on the team in receptions and receiving yards. With Wilson being out, transfers Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger have become the top two targets for Lagway and the Florida offense.
“It’s been tested,” Napier said about his team’s depth. “There’s been a lot of weeks where it’s been next man up, whether it’s been the long snapper or a receiver, running back, quarterback, corner, safety. There’s been a number of scenarios where here we go, that guy we’ve been working with for a short amount of time has stepped up.”
Lagway will be making the third start of his career and the second straight against an SEC opponent.
While the running game did most of the work against Kentucky, Lagway showed off his arm on numerous occasions with multiple deep passes downfield. This was something that was lacking in the Gators’ offensive attack with Graham Mertz under center. Mertz suffered a season-ending ACL tear against Tennessee three weeks ago. If Florida is unable to get the ground game going against Georgia, Lagway may need to drop back and throw 30-plus times against a very good defense, something he has yet to do in his young career.
On the other side, Georgia is coming off its most important win of the season as the Bulldogs took down No. 1 Texas on the road 30-15 on Oct. 19.
Georgia’s offense is led by fifth-year senior quarterback Carson Beck. Beck was phenomenal last season, leading the SEC in passing yards with 3,941 and a touchdown to interception ratio of 24-to-6. It has not been as easy for him so far this year. Beck has completed 66% of his passes, down from 72% a year ago, and has thrown 15 touchdowns to eight interceptions. Three of those picks came against Texas as he threw for just 175 yards and no scores.
Even with Beck’s struggles this season, Napier and the Gators know what he is capable of.
“This guy is elite,” Napier said about Beck. “He’s an elite quarterback. Been fantastic throughout his career. Really seen a lot of football. Their practice environment, number of variables he’s seen from a front pressure coverage standpoint, and he’s a big, tall, athletic guy that can throw it all over the park.”
Beck has been bailed out this season by his team’s rushing attack, which is led by former Gator Trevor Etienne. Etienne played his first two years in Gainesville, racking up close to 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns while splitting reps with Johnson. Over the summer, Etienne transferred to Florida’s rivals up north and has been putting on a show. He has run for 422 yards and seven scores while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
Napier downplayed the narrative that playing against Etienne will add some extra motivation, but there is no doubt that Florida’s defense will be coming after its former teammate in the backfield all game long.
“It’s already happened a handful of times this year that we played against players on the other side that were on our team in the past,” Napier said. “Look, feels like there is a story each week about scenarios like that. It wasn’t the first and won’t be the last, unfortunately.”
The Florida-Georgia rivalry means a little bit more each and every time the two teams clash, and this year is no different. Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Georgia is currently a 14.5-point favorite over the Gators, according to ESPN Bet.
The Gators played their final match of the season against Tennessee. This game was supposed to be played 31 days ago, but due to Hurricane Helene, it was delayed. The hurricane gave this game some suspense as Tennessee needed to beat Florida in order to make the SEC tournament. Florida looked to spoil the season for their rivals and to get a positive result to send the fans home with a good end to the season.
The first half was a seesaw of possession. The ball flew up and down the pitch finding a different team every couple of seconds. It was a scrappy matchup that didn’t allow for too much possessive play.
Tennessee had some threatening moves during the half. Two of them came from free kicks about 10-15 yards back from the 18-yard box. The Vols didn’t capitalize, but they were knocking on the door.
Florida had opportunities too as their wing play has been the main output of their attack. Pressure from Vera Blom and Lena Bailey allowed the Gators to put in some dangerous balls in the box.
Tennessee was the first to cash in on the scoresheet.
With 2:18 left in the first half, a deflection off the corner kick finds Sarah Greiner, who struck the ball in hopes of finding the back of the net.
The shot is partially blocked by a Gators defender. The ball changed pace and direction, making it extremely frustrating for Goldberg as she couldn’t react quick enough. The Vols take the lead and it couldn’t have come at a better time for them.
With 41:15 left in the second half, a great save by Alexa Goldberg keeps the Gators within one. A wide open strike is low and Goldberg did well to shuffle her feet and make the save.
Goldberg had another save at the 30 minute mark with what felt like a surefire goal. What a save as she stops the ball right on the line. The Vols still lead just 1-0.
The rest of the half was back and forth with Tennessee and Florida both attacking passionately. They both aren’t satisfied with the currents core line and both coaches are making offensive substitutions.
The Vols began to absorb in the last 10 minutes. Florida was applying serious pressure and the Vols were looking for anything to hold on to.
Florida played their best in the last 5 minutes, earning corner kicks and having shots on target. Tennessee was doing everything to avoid having their season ruined in the remaining seconds.
Tennessee closed out the match and earned themselves a spot in the SEC tournament.
The Gators lose their final game in what has been a underwhelming season. The Gators finish with one win in the SEC and 5 points.
Despite the results, there has been much to learn from both the players and Coach Bohon.
“This was a true test of my character. I could’ve easily transferred out of her my sophomore year. Having sticking through with this program gave me such a fight,” said Madison Young. Young was emotional as her time as a Gator ended tonight. “I genuinely believe the lessons it (UF Soccer) taught me changed me for life.”
After a tough season, Coach Bohon took a moment to reflect.
“This is a really valuable lesson for us as coaches as well as the players, that you can’t always control the results but you can control your attitude, your effort, and if you’re a good teammate. I think they felt that there was success this season,” said Coach Bohon.
The preseason USA Today Coaches Poll was released last week and the Florida Gators were listed as the No. 21 team in the country. Florida was also ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll.
This marks the first time the Gators have been ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll since the 2019-20 season when they were No. 6.
Florida had a successful season last year, finishing 24-12 (11-7 SEC) and appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. The Gators also made the SEC Tournament Final for the first time since 2014. They ultimately lost to the Colorado Buffaloes in the first round of March Madness, but Florida is looking for a much deeper run this time around.
In Todd Golden’s third year at the helm for Florida, he and his team are hoping to take that next step and become national title contenders. They will have to do it in a very tough SEC. Including the Gators, there are nine teams ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll, and Florida will have to play all eight of the others.
In the build-up to the regular season opener, the Gators have hosted two “secret scrimmages” in O’Dome. The first came against Florida International and the second against College of Charleston.
The Gators handled FIU 80-49 on Oct. 19 without sophomore Alex Condon, who sat out with an injury sustained in practice. The senior pairing of Will Richard and Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge for Florida as Richard led all scorers with 18 points and Clayton scored 13, with five rebounds, six assists and six steals.
Both Richard and Clayton decided to come back to Gainesville for their senior years and will play huge roles in Florida’s success in 2024. Richard, who will be playing as a wingman this season, averaged over 11 points per game last year and shot 35% from deep. Clayton led the Gators in scoring in 2023 with over 17 points per contest including a team-high 98 3-pointers made on 37% shooting from beyond the arc.
In the second scrimmage against Charleston, it was the Alijah Martin show for the Gators as they won 98-66 on Saturday. The graduate transfer from FAU scored 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting. Martin led the Owls to a Final Four appearance in 2023 and is poised to be a big part of Florida’s offensive attack as the starting shooting guard this season.
Condon, the big man from Perth, Australia, turned lots of heads as a freshman averaging 7.7 points and 6.4 boards per game. Condon has one of the biggest upsides on Florida’s team this year. Sports Illustrated named him as one of 10 potential breakout candidates in the country for the upcoming season.
Thomas Haugh is another guy who is looking for a big sophomore season. The forward from Pennsylvania played in all 36 games for the Gators last year, averaging just under four points per game. In the preseason scrimmage against FIU, Haugh started in place of Condon and racked up 11 points and four rebounds.
An interesting addition to watch for Florida this year will be the sophomore transfer from Washington State, Rueben Chinyelu. The center from Nigeria is projected to start in the middle for the Gators on opening night with Micah Handlogten sitting out this season to recover from a broken leg he suffered in the SEC title game last year. Chinyelu scored 4.7 points with five rebounds and over a block per game as a freshman with the Cougars. He impressed in the scrimmage against FIU, scoring eight points with 10 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
One more guy to keep your eye on in 2024 is Sam Alexis, the junior forward transfer from Chattanooga. Alexis was named to the 2024 All-Southern Conference Third Team and All-Defensive Team as he averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. This presence in the paint is something that Florida will be looking for after losing Tyrese Samuel to the NBA G-League after last year.
With some fascinating new additions and key returners, the 21st-ranked Gators are hopeful they will become a national powerhouse this season. Florida will open its campaign against USF on Monday in the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Sophomore Kennedy Martin earned SEC Player of the Week and SEC Offensive Player of the Week after a record breaking night against the Volunteers. Martin set the program record for kills in a four-set match and tied the all-time high (five setters included) with 31. Additionally, Martin hit at a .542 clip and also recorded eight digs in that match.
Martin also earned last week’s SEC Player of the Week award.
Taylor Parks was named the SEC’s Freshman of the Week after leading Florida to a .444 hitting percentage and finishing with 40 assists. Parks added seven digs and a block to the ledger in the Gators victory.
This was Parks’ second weekly honor, earning Freshman of the Week on September 2nd.
The Gators will travel to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks Wednesday night. First serve is scheduled for 8:00 PM and will be aired live on SEC Network.
After playing their most complete game of 2024, the Florida Gators will have to face its toughest four-game stretch in recent memory in hopes of making a bowl game.
The Gators, now 4-3 on the season after their blowout victory over the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 19 and a bye this past weekend, will match up with four straight top 20 teams in the AP Poll, the first of which will be No. 2 Georgia in Jacksonville.
This Saturday, the Gators and Bulldogs will meet for the 102nd time as Florida tries to swing the rivalry back in favor of the Sunshine State after losing six of the last seven against Georgia. The Bulldogs will be coming into this game with tons of momentum after their dominant performance against the then No. 1 Texas Longhorns.
After the Georgia matchup, Florida will travel to Austin to take on No. 5 Texas on Nov. 9 as the Gators will try to spoil the Longhorns’ SEC title hopes in their first season in the conference.
Texas has looked like one of, if not the best, teams in the nation this season. However, in their loss to Georgia, the Longhorns showed signs of weakness at home. Florida will hope to exploit the same weaknesses as the Bulldogs did in front of 100,000-plus in Austin. This will be just the fourth ever time Florida and Texas will meet on the gridiron, with the last time coming back in 1940.
The next two games for the Gators after Texas will be at home against LSU on Nov. 16 and Ole Miss on Nov. 23. These are two more teams who have impressed this season and are ranked 16th and 19th respectively.
LSU was beaten by Texas A&M on Saturday and will host Alabama in Death Valley before heading to Gainesville to take on the Gators. The Tigers have owned this rivalry in recent years, including five straight wins over Florida coming into this season.
The final of four straight games against top-20 opponents will come against the Ole Miss Rebels. Sitting at 6-2 right now, the Rebels will play Arkansas and Georgia before the matchup with Florida. The high-flying Lane Kiffin offense of Ole Miss will be a challenge for the Gators, but if Florida can continue to defend as they have in the last two games, it should make for a tightly contested battle.
Coming into this season and after their Week 1 loss to Miami, the fans and media alike did not have high hopes for the Orange and Blue. However, if Florida can pull off an upset against one of its next four ranked opponents and take care of business in the final game of the regular season against a struggling 1-7 Florida State squad, the Gators will be bowl-eligible for the second time in three years under Billy Napier.
The first November test for the Gators will come this Saturday against Georgia at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Gators and the Sooners faced off Sunday in what was a gritty, physical, and passionate game. The Gators are desperate for a result as the past few games have been disappointing. The Sooners look to continue their winning ways after defeating Ole Miss 4-1 on Oct. 23. This is Oklahoma’s last regular season game so they’ll look to head into the post-season with a win today. As for the Gators, it’s a pride match as they aren’t likely to make the SEC tournament as their season hasn’t been as hopeful as they thought.
The first 5 minutes of the match were dominated by Florida as Oklahoma struggled to break through their possession. Florida was playing free-flowing, articulate soccer and the Sooners didn’t have any idea how to stop it.
Despite the dominance from Florida, with 34:36 left in the first half, Oklahoma struck first.
Ella Pappas kept it composed and played a lethal cut-back pass across the box. Her pass found Hadley Murell who put it past Alexa Goldberg to bring the Sooners up a goal. It was a complete surprise due to the tendencies of the match up until that point.
The Gators got back into their game despite being a goal down. The next set of minutes were 95% Gators as Oklahoma only had possession if Florida cleared the ball from their half.
Florida looked very threatening due to the effort from Lena Bailey who was immense during this period of play. She was winning Florida possession and applying offensive pressure that gave the Sooners a tough time defensively.
After a handball at the edge of the 18-yard box, the Sooners had a chance at goal from the free kick. The shot was the least bit of threatening and the Gators swiftly tried to capitalize on a counter attack, but the Sooners handled their business.
The game started to become a stalemate as the half grew older. Both teams weren’t really applying pressure offensively and majority of the play was within the middle of pitch. Florida looked like the team with the better chances and movements, but Oklahoma still had the lead.
Florida found themselves around 25 yards away with a set piece on the right hand side of the box. After a routine, Florida had the opportunity for a strike but the ball sailed high and the opportunity was missed.
Florida saw one last opportunity off of a counter attack as Butts was driving down the field. A great tackle by a Sooner defender stops the move.
The half ended 1-0 in favor of the Sooners. It was a half owned by Florida with a moment of brilliance from Oklahoma. Unfortunately for Florida, it doesn’t matter how much you dominated in the half when you’re down by one at the end of it.
Interestingly, there were 15 fouls committed in the first half between both teams. This match definitely had a level of physicality to it and both teams aren’t making it easy to get past each other.
The game was still up for grabs, though. Both coaches will probably be delivering very different messages in the locker room at half. It will be surprising if the Gators didn’t come back super aggressive looking for their equalizer.
This was the Gators approach coming out of half time.
“We wanted to play more direct and get more numbers higher up because we anticipated them sitting back a little bit,” said Florida Head Coach, Samatha Bohon.
The second half started and it was Oklahoma taking the game to the Gators. Oklahoma was firing on all cylinders and really giving the Florida defense some trouble. A complete shift from the first half.
Gator Defender, Anna Deleon, had a brilliant goal line clearance to keep the Gators deficit to 1. The pressure from the Sooners in the first five minutes was a reminder to the Gators that they’re trying to score just as much as they are.
The next goal, if one occurs, will likely be the deciding factor in the game as a goal for Oklahoma will make it hard for Florida to climb back and a goal for Florida give them the momentum to win the game. It’s a very tense dilemma in the match and both teams know it.
Florida struggled to get anything going within the first 30 minutes. Oklahoma played shut-down defense and posed an offensive threat at points. The Sooners were in no rush to hurry the pace of play and it was clearly frustrating the Gators.
Oklahoma controlled majority of the half as they were playing as possessive as possible. They were playing keep away from Florida and trying to capitalize on any defensive over commitments.
With 14:16 left in the second half, Florida found their best opportunity of the match. A deflected shot from the goalkeeper almost found its way to the back of the net. A Sooner defender cleared her line at the last moment and conceded a corner.
The last 10 minutes was all Gators as Oklahoma parked the bus. The Sooners were absorbing pressure trying to close out the match and the Gators were hinting for a much needed equalizer.
Florida earned themselves two corners with about four minutes left in the game. Both of them were unsuccessful and the Sooners were back in control.
Oklahoma closed out the game and the Gators fall 1-0 at home. It’s another frustrating loss and the Gators end the week without a point. The Gators are now mathematically out of contention for the SEC tournament, but can ruin Tennessee’s bid to the tournament with a win next Wednesday, Oct 30.
It was a tough night for the Gators after being defeated 3-1 by Alabama. Alabama brought their stuff and Florida just couldn’t handle it.
Right off the bat, Alabama was putting the pressure on. They had five shots and three corner kicks before the 12 minute mark. Two of them forced saves from Florida goalkeeper, Alexa Goldberg. It was full throttle for the home team as they controlled every single aspect of the match. Florida didn’t have an answer for any of the pressure brought by the Crimson Tide. Alabama earned their sixth corner 29 seconds after 12 minutes.
It took the Gators around six minutes to flip the theme of the match so far. They earned themselves a corner kick, but nothing came from it. After the corner, Alabama continued their pressure.
Alabama fired off three more shots. The most notable, a shot by Kate Henderson hit the woodwork and prevented the Tide from going up a goal. It felt like it was only a matter of time before Florida found themselves in a deficit.
That deficit came, but not on the scoresheet. Florida center back, Daviana Vaka sees red as her challenge didn’t seem ft for referee, Corey Rockwell. The Gators have to play the next 78 minutes with 10 ladies.
After the red card, Alabama was controlling the pace of the game easily. After a few minutes of back and forth play, Alabama found some more shots and Goldberg had to keep her line clean with a save on of them. This led to a Alabama corner.
The corner kick is taken and after a few bounces and ricochets, Alabama is flagged offsides.
Less than a minute later, Alabama wins back possession. A pass by Cameron Silva to Melina Rebimbas and then to Nedya Sawan who puts the ball in the back of the net convincingly to put the Tide up 1-0 with five minutes left to play in the first half.
At the end of the half, the Gators had one shot, one corner, and three saves. Alabama finished the half with 11 shots, 6 corners, and 1 goal. It was a very rough half for the Gators and they had a tough half coming up as well.
The second half began and it was all Alabama. Florida came out aggressive and hungry for a goal, but the Tide just shut it down. They were playing around the Gators and shutting down any moves they had.
Three minutes into the second half, Nadia Ramadan dealt a pass to Gianna Paul who keeps her feet composed and tucks the ball past Goldberg. Paul doubled Alabama’s lead and the Tide were rolling.
The goals didn’t stop there. About six minutes later, Nadia Ramadan played another threatening pass; this time to Itala Gemelli, who puts the ball into the net for Alabama’s third goal. It was a deep deficit for the Gators, who were missing their veteran on the defensive line.
Alabama controlled the pace for the rest of the half. Florida still had some fight left in them.
Njeri Butts finds Delaney Tauzel in the 84th minute to give the Gators a sign of life. A sweet finish by Tauzel brings the deficit to two with five minutes left. The Gators found some juice later in the half and are trying to flip the tide.
Unfortunately for Florida, that goal was all they were getting as Alabama kept a very composed ending to the match. Florida ruined the clean sheet, but that was all they were getting. It was all Alabama this Thursday.
The final game stats for Florida were 4 shots, 1 goal, 5 saves, and 3 corners. For Alabama, they had 20 shots, 3 goals, 0 saves, and 7 corners.
It was a day to forget for the Gators who are now 1-5-2 and a great day to remember for Alabama as they improve to 2-2-5 record. The next match for the Gators is home in Gainesville against Oklahoma who are 1-6-1. It should be a game the Gators can win to get some late season results.
For the first time in history, the Florida Gators started a true freshman at quarterback and running back against an SEC opponent on Saturday, and the pairing did not disappoint.
Florida (4-3, 2-2 SEC) thrashed the Kentucky Wildcats (3-4, 1-4) 48-20 on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on homecoming week.
Quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jaden Baugh both put on dazzling displays to lead the charge in Florida’s highest-scoring game of the season thus far.
“Some of those young players are really good,” said the Gators’ third-year head coach Billy Napier after the game. “Both those kids are incredible people, too. Humble, talented and stepped up. We’re without Graham. We’re without Montrell. Not only did they play well, they were lights out.”
With Montrell Johnson Jr. out with a lower-body injury he sustained the week prior, Baugh had a night to remember in his first career start. He totaled 106 yards on the ground on 22 carries with five scores. This tied a school record for rushing touchdowns in a game with only Tim Tebow and Trey Burton as the others who have amassed five scores on the ground in one contest for the Gators.
Jadan Baugh ties the UF record for most rushing TD in a single game!! @1vibesjay
Baugh had his way with the defensive front of Kentucky that had given up fewer than 90 yards per game on the ground and just four rushing touchdowns total coming into the week.
While all five of his scores came within 10 yards of the goal line, Baugh showed off his burst with a game-high 27-yard gash that brought Florida out from the shadow of their goalpost.
Most of the scoring from Baugh was set up by the fireworks display that was put on by Lagway and his elite arm. In his second career start and first in a conference game, there seemed to be no nerves for the five-star who has been handed the keys to the program following Graham Mertz’s season-ending ACL tear against Tennessee.
While he was not asked to throw the ball too often against the Wildcats, Lagway rose to the occasion when he was. Lagway finished 7-for-14 in the air with 259 yards and an interception. An average of 37 yards per completion is something that Florida fans have been waiting to see in the Billy Napier era, which has been dominated by short, low-risk throws.
Lagway definitely took some risks on Saturday but more often than not, they paid off. On the opening drive, while rolling to his left, Lagway heaved a perfect ball that was caught by Eugene Wilson III who made his way to the red zone. This set up a field goal to open the scoring.
The freshman phenom’s favorite target on the night was Arizona State transfer, Elijhah Badger. The pair connected three times, once for 40 yards, one time for 50 and another for 58 as the Kentucky secondary was no match for the speed of Badger and ball placement of Lagway.
— Stadium and Gale: A Florida Gators Podcast (@StadiumAndGale) October 20, 2024
The QB also completed two passes to Wisconsin transfer Chimere Dike with the longest being 44 yards downfield. This was the second time this season Lagway has completed five passes of at least 40 yards with the other coming in his only previous start against Samford. He is the only quarterback in the last 20 years to have that many 40+ yard completions in a game for the Gators, and he’s now done it twice.
If Lagway and Baugh can continue to show off that kind of talent and ability the rest of this season and beyond, there is a lot to be excited about in Gainesville. While this year hasn’t gone the way some Florida fans would’ve hoped so far, there is no doubt that the future is bright in the backfield for the Gators.
The Florida Gators welcome Kentucky into the Swamp for Homecoming Saturday. Florida enters the game 3-3 overall and 1-2 in SEC play while the Wildcats sit at 1-3 in league play but with the same overall record.
Kentucky is coming off a 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt while the Gators fell to Tennessee in overtime a week ago.
Florida enters the matchup with true freshman DJ Lagway taking over under center after Graham Mertz suffered a season ending injury against the Volunteers.
The following are our staff’s predictions for the Florida – Kentucky game.
Brian Fox: Kentucky will do everything they can to limit the number of possessions in this game, so Florida better make them count. Just a month ago, the Wildcats held Georgia to 13 points in a 13-12 defeat. But which Gators team shows up Saturday? The one that has shown significant improvement the last few weeks, including a dominant defensive effort a week ago or the one that was boat-raced out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Texas A&M? I’m hopeful that the offense shows more explosive plays than we’ve seen with Lagway getting all the reps moving forward. I don’t trust it, but I’ll take Florida, 24-14.
Ryan Friedwald: After a frustrating loss last Saturday, there is a feeling of redemption in the air. The Gators defense performed the best this season last week and hopefully the defense can at least match the intensity of this Kentucky defense. The biggest question mark is how will Lagway handle this defense? He had promising drives against Tennessee after Mertz’s injury and I believe he begins his legacy this Saturday. Kentucky has had lots of success against Florida, but they are coming off a loss to Vanderbilt, a game they should’ve won despite their ability to ruin their own games with silly mistakes. Florida has something to prove this weekend and I think they will. Florida, 24-17.
Aiden Wacksman: Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has completely outclassed Billy Napier in head-to-head matchups. The Wildcats own a 2-0 record over the Gators in the Napier era and won both games by 10+ points. Even worse, the Florida offense has yet to score over 20 points against Kentucky in the last two seasons. For this game, I am not extremely concerned about our defensive unit as it is coming off two-straight dominant performances. Plus, Kentucky’s offense is averaging roughly 13 PPG against SEC opponents. The Wildcats’ defense, though, has proven stout in SEC play by holding Georgia to 13 points and Ole Miss to 17. DJ Lagway’s first SEC start presents quite the challenge, and while I hope he has an excellent performance, I see the Wildcats’ defense paving the way for a Kentucky win. Kentucky, 24-17.
The Gators and Wildcats will kick off from The Swamp at 7:45 PM. The game will be aired live on SEC Network.
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