Florida played its best game under Billy Napier on Saturday night, defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 48-20 to advance to 4-3 overall on the year.
The offense looked revitalized with [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] under center, the defense looked better than it ever has under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and a four-touchdown margin usually means happy times for the victors.
The best part about the win is that Lagway didn’t need to throw a single touchdown to win the game by 28 points. Sure, he handed a few scores to fellow true freshman [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] with deep balls that placed Florida in the red zone, but there have been plenty of times when the Gators haven’t scored those touchdowns in a similar situation.
Not only was this win badly needed, but it’s a breath of fresh air before the bye week that will give a young team confidence against the toughest four-game slate in the country coming out of the break.
DJ Lagway has arrived
Lagway’s future has always been incredibly bright, but no one expected him to carve up an SEC secondary like this on his first go. Putting up 400-plus yards against an FCS team is one thing, but this was a deep ball clinic from start to finish.
He made one bad decision in the second quarter, which led to an interception, but it didn’t shake his confidence at all. Lagway ended the day with six completions over 20 yards, five of which went for 40 or more. That’s the kind of performance that changes the way defenses play against a team.
The SEC is on notice, and Lagway might already be the best deep-ball threat in the conference.
Batman has to have a Robin
If Lagway is the Dark Knight sent to save Gotham, Jadan Baugh is the Robin by his side. Okay, it’s not the best analogy, but the point is that teams aren’t going to be able to exclusively focus on the passing game or run game when playing Florida.
Baugh is also a true freshman, and he just tied a school record with five touchdowns in his second career start. Montrell Johnson Jr. is still the lead back on this team, but he’ll be elsewhere in a year and there’s no need to rush him back with Baugh looking as good as he did. Baugh had three rushes for 10 or more yards this week — a 27-yarder, a 16-yarder and a 10-yard touchdown.
It’s going to be fun to watch Baugh and Lagway grow alongside each other.
The defense is legit
There have been flashes of greatness from Florida’s defense over the past few years, but this might be the best three-game stretch put together since the pandemic season.
Forcing three turnovers is always good for a defense’s confidence, especially considering the guys who came away with the interceptions. Junior linebacker Shemar James caught the first off a tipped pass, sophomore cornerback Devin Moore caught the second and former five-star recruit Cormani McClain took the final one to the house.
James has had ups and downs this year after entering the season as one of the defensive leaders of the team, Moore has dealt with injuries his entire career and McClain has hardly played after transferring from Colorado as a walk-on — although, it’s hard to see him not being on scholarship next year. All three of these players deserved a moment.
The bad news is that Florida’s top corner, Jason Marshall Jr., got hurt and returned to the field with his arm in a sling. That probably means he’s out for a bit, but McClain made his case for more playing time. Moore now moves into the No. 1 spot until Marshall is back, but he’s showed a ton of promise when healthy.
Getting Ja’Keem Jackson back would give the Gators a formidable threesome at corner, and let’s not forget about Dijon Johnson.
BONUS: Billy Napier’s hot seat cooled off
It’s trendy among Florida fans to hate anything and everything Billy Napier does, but the facts are that he recruited several talented players and they all believe in him. Saturday night was the first time we saw that belief turn into results, and the guy deserves some credit.
Napier could still get the axe at the end of the season, but a 6-6 regular-season finish should keep him in Gainesville another year. To reach six wins, Florida has to beat Florida State at the end of the year and pull off one upset against Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss or Texas.
It won’t be easy to get there but if Florida plays like it did tonight, a bowl game is within reach. Don’t get it twisted. The seat warmers are still on, but Napier’s vision was realized today and that turns things down a notch in this writer’s eyes.
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