NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 16: DJ Lagway #2 of the Florida Gators throws a pass during the first half of a game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
The Florida Gators needed a pick-me-up win after getting thumped by Texas a week ago, and true freshman DJ Lagway answered the call by leading the Orange and Blue to a 27-16 victory over the No. 22 LSU Tigers Saturday afternoon.
The offense is far more dangerous with Lagway under center than Aidan Warner or Graham Mertz, and LSU’s defense couldn’t stop the Gators from scoring despite being on the field for just 18 minutes and change.
Florida scored five times — three touchdowns and two field goals — punting just four times and running out the clock at the end of each half. The Gators outplayed the Tigers while running half the amount of plays. If there were ever a win to back up Scott Stricklin’s vote of confidence in Billy Napier, this was it.
Florida still had bad moments throughout the afternoon. LSU converted on third and fourth down seemingly at will, but the Gators’ defense came up big over and over to keep the Tigers off the board. Seven sacks is the big stat of the day, but a depleted secondary also deserves some credit.
Anything is possible with Lagway
What a difference a week makes, huh?
Florida looked at its worst last week against Texas a week ago with third-stringer Aidan Warner leading the offense. The Longhorns took advantage of the quarterback’s lack of experience and shut down the Gators all afternoon.
But the minute DJ Lagway was cleared to play, the odds changed significantly in Florida’s favor. Lagway is explosive, both on the ground and in the air. Even with a bum leg, Lagway’s mobility in the pocket kept plays alive and forced the defense to respect…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-instant-takeaways-floridas-upset-011303770.html
Author : Gators Wire
Publish date : 2024-11-17 01:13:03
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
