Without Mertz, Gators Hope To Bounce Back Versus Kentucky

After a heartbreaking overtime loss at Tennessee last week, the Florida Gators (3-3, 1-2 SEC) are facing an uphill battle to make a bowl game. A win over Kentucky (3-3, 1-3 SEC) this week is critical to achieve that goal.

Can DJ Lagway Step Up?

When he signed his letter of intent last winter, DJ Lagway was expected to be the future of the Florida program. However, he wasn’t expected to be thrust into the starting role so soon. Lagway has taken snaps in every game this season, including a start against Samford after Mertz suffered a concussion late against Miami.

He set a new program record for passing yards by a freshman. That gave Billy Napier confidence in Lagway’s ability to perform against Kentucky. Napier praised his “ability to raise his level at crucial moments,” and said his reps in practice and games will help him on the field Saturday.

Tight end Arlis Boardingham also expressed optimism about Lagway filling Mertz’s shoes, both on and off the field. He said that Lagway has grown as a leader over the course of the season and that his “understanding of the game is incredible to see.”

Defensive Improvements

After a rough start to the season, the Gators defense has noticeably improved since the bye week. Central Florida, who entered their game versus Florida with the fourth-ranked overall offense in the country, were held to only 13 points and 273 yards. The next week, the Gators held the fifth-ranked Tennessee offense to 312 yards and 17 points in regulation.

When asked how his defensive unit had taken that leap, Napier said the players and coaches collaborated well during the bye to eliminate the most pressing issues. Additionally, he said practice has become more intense and the scout team has done a better job simulating their opponent.

Wildcats Inconsistent But Dangerous

Six weeks in, it’s still difficult to tell how good Kentucky is. South Carolina blew out the Wildcats in Week 2. They followed that up with an extremely narrow 13-12 loss to Georgia. Two weeks later, Kentucky again threatened a top 10 team, this time finishing the deal and leaving Oxford with a 20-17 win over then-No. 6 Ole Miss. After that performance, Vanderbilt stunned them at home. That level of inconsistency makes it hard to project how they will fare against the Gators.

The Wildcats won the last three games in the series, mostly on the back of a strong rushing attack. However, they only rank eleventh in the SEC in rushing yards this season. Their passing game is even worse, ranking only ahead of Oklahoma in yards per game. Kentucky’s strength this season has been defense, only allowing 251.5 yards per game (third in the SEC) and the fourth-least points per game. If the Gators hope to win, they’ll need to perform better on offense than they have the past two weeks.

Kentucky is currently a 1.5 point favorite over Florida. The homecoming contest will kick off at 7:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network.