Gators Look To Bounce Back Against Kentucky With Lagway

After a heartbreaking overtime loss at Tennessee last week, the Florida Gators are facing an uphill battle to make a bowl game. A win against Kentucky tonight at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is critical to achieve that goal.

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Can DJ Lagway Step Up?

When he signed his letter of intent last winter, freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was expected to be the future of the Florida program (3-3, 1-2 SEC). 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 starter Graham Mertz suffered a concussion late against Miami.

Lagway set a program record for passing yards by a freshman. That gave UF coach Billy Napier confidence in Lagway’s ability to perform against Kentucky (3-3, 1-3 SEC).  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 tonight:

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

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Defensive Improvements

After a rough start to the season, the Gators defense has improved since the bye week. UCF, which entered its game at Florida with the fourth-ranked overall offense in the country, was held to only 13 points and 273 yards. Last Saturday in Knoxville, 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. Practice has become more intense and the scout team has done a better job simulating the opponent, Napier said:

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. UK followed that up with a 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 the Wildcats in Lexington. That level of inconsistency makes it hard to project how they will fare against the Gators.

The Wildcats have he last three games in the series against the Gators, mostly on the back of a strong rushing attack. However, the ‘Cats only rank 11th 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 a 1.5 point favorite against Florida. The Homecoming contest kicks off at 7:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network and ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

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— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 18, 2024