Mike Bianchi: In another loss to Georgia, DJ Lagway gets injured and Billy Napier’s luck goes from bad to worse

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — How do you not feel bad for embattled Florida coach Billy Napier?

For some reason, a song from “Hee Haw”— the old cornpone country variety show — popped into my head as I looked down on the field Saturday and saw the grim-faced Napier as injured quarterback DJ Lagway was carted away with an inspired Gators team leading mighty Georgia.

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me, Deep, dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all, Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”

That song pretty much sums up what could be Napier’s fateful final season at Florida.

If it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.

The man simply cannot catch a break.

First he lost starting quarterback Graham Mertz for the season when the Gators were on the verge of upsetting No. 7 Tennessee three weeks ago in Knoxville, Tenn. Mertz, the nation’s leader in completion percentage, blew out his ACL midway through the third quarter after just throwing a touchdown pass to put the Gators up by 10. Florida ended up losing in overtime.

Then came Saturday as the Gators were giving the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs all they wanted late in the second quarter when Lagway, the freshman phenom, tried to cut upfield on a running play and fell to the ground while grabbing his left hamstring. He rolled onto his back as medical personnel and Napier ran onto the field. Lagway was carted away, perhaps taking Napier’s chance of saving his job with him.

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”

I’m not saying the Gators could have beaten Georgia if Lagway had stayed healthy, but they might have. The defense was motivated and forced Georgia quarterback Carson Beck into three interceptions; Florida’s offensive line was pushing Georgia’s vaunted defense off the ball and Lagway already had thrown a perfect…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-bianchi-another-loss-georgia-025200230.html

Author : Orlando Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-11-04 02:52:00

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