Recapping the Good, Bad and Ugly from Florida’s loss to Georgia

Things were running smoothly for the Florida Gators until the injury bug swarmed into Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium, where the Georiga Bulldogs won the war of attrition by a final score of 34-20.

But make no mistake — this game was a lot closer than that final tally. In fact, the Orange and Blue took a one-touchdown lead into the locker room at halftime while preventing the Bulldogs from entering the endzone during the first 30 minutes.

However, everything changed with 5:14 in the first half. From there, it was an uphill battle the rest of the way and Billy Napier’s roster simply did not have the depth to keep up.

The Gators Wire staff reflected on what happened on Saturday and offered their takes in a good, bad and ugly format. Take a look at what we have to offer below.

The defense held its ground

GOOD: The defense held its ground against Georgia. Despite the Gators not being able to do a whole lot on the offensive side of the ball, the defense kept them in it throughout the whole game. Florida forced Carson Beck to throw multiple interceptions and despite the momentum shifting toward Georgia’s side, the Gators were able to swing it right back thanks to the defense.

I mean, what a turnaround on that side of the ball. They look, night and day, like a completely different unit out there.

BAD: Injuries, injuries, injuries. The Gators’ luck with injuries has been painful. Florida had to deal with multiple injuries today against Georgia, with DJ Lagway at the top of that list. But, I’ll get into that in my “ugly” section.
Devin Moore appeared to have injured his lower leg as the first half came to an end and was seen on the sidelines in crutches in the second half.

Then in the third quarter, there was a drive that saw three defensive backs get injured. Jordan Castell, Dijon Johnson and Sharif Denson had to get taken off the field due to injuries. Castell was able to return during that same drive but Johnson and Denson remained out.

The injury bug has hit the Gators and it’s a shame because you have to think this game would’ve turned out differently if they were healthy.

UGLY: I think we all know what the ugly from this game was. With five minutes to go in the first half, Lagway appeared to hurt his left hamstring. He was in the pocket and had a weird fall. Billy Napier said that Lagway’s injury was “pretty significant” which is definitely not a good sign for the Gators.

Lagway was forced to be carted off the field and into the locker room which prompted redshirt freshman Aidan Warner to take over as Florida’s quarterback. We’ll find out more information on the severity of Lagway’s injury but it’s just a brutal blow for this Florida offense. — Aidan Gallardo

I hope the football gods are pleased with themselves

GOOD: The first half was filled with hope unseen against Georgia since the start of the decade, with the defense shutting down the ‘Dawgs while the offense managed to outscore their opponent in the first half. For a while, it looked like this might be THE game for Florida.

Then, of course, THAT happened.

Regardless, the overall effort will probably be seen as a feather in Billy Napier’s cap — especially the emergence of the defensive corps as a formidable group. If not for the “ugly” this might have been a win for the Orange and Blue, but perhaps it will serve as a moral victory (if they even exist).

BAD: The second-half performance was perfectly predictable with the loss of the team’s five-star freshman gunslinger, with Aidan Warner being thrust into a position he simply is not suited for. There was also the botched field goal that presumably led to a 10-point swing that began nailing the coffin shut that pretty much titled the table toward UGA.

UGLY: Injuries, man. Injuries. The Gators may have lost DJ Lagway for the season and Devin Moore was also seen on the sidelines on crutches; others also were forced off the field. It is as if the football deities were just toying with the players like the gods in Clash of the Titans.

And Florida was not alone. Georgia lost former Gator Trevor Etienne as well. I hope the football gods are pleased with themselves. — Adam Dubbin

Did we mention DJ Lagway’s injury yet?

GOOD: DJ Lagway really is the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived, or at least it seemed that way after hitting Aidan Mizell for a 40-yard touchdown to take the lead in the first half. Billy Napier was on his way to saving the program and his own job, and then everything went to… well, you know.

Losing Lagway is the worst-case scenario for this team, and the only hope Florida has at a bowl game is getting him back sooner than expected. Aidan Warner simply doesn’t have it and it’s going to be difficult to win games with him at the helm, considering Florida is in the middle of the gauntlet portion of its schedule.

The defense was also very good for most of the night. They’ve proven themselves over the past four games and deserved to be a part of a win this week. Stuff happens. What a shame.

BAD: I already hit on Warner’s ineptitude (no shade, he’s just not an SEC starter at this point), so let’s go with the botched field goal that allowed Georgia to take its first lead. For a team that prides itself on elite play from the special teams unit, this was proof that the Lagway injury rattled everyone on the roster.

Suddenly, the pressure was no longer on the 19-year-old true freshman. It was on every single one of the players on the field.

Who knows? If Florida hits that field goal, maybe Georgia doesn’t score as quickly for the lead. Maybe the clock works out in Florida’s favor and Warner doesn’t throw that fourth-quarter interception. This whole game is a big “what-if,” but that one play seemed to determine the Gators’ fate.

UGLY: Did we mention DJ Lagway’s injury yet?

Get used to hearing about it because that’s going to dominate the news cycle for the next week or longer. Florida had its best arm since Kyle Trask and maybe its best quarterback since Tim Tebow was taken away this week. Fans left the building as soon as Georgia took the lead.

You hate to see a young player’s season derailed like this. Even more, you hate to see a team’s season derailed like this. If Lagway is done for the season, Florida might not even beat FSU in the finale… — David Rosenberg

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