Florida’s initial SEC Availability Report ahead of Week 11 Texas matchup

Ten members of the Orange and Blue are listed as “out” while six are mentioned as “questionable”, including DJ Lagway in the latter category.

The initial SEC availability report for the Florida Gators ahead of their Southeastern Conference matchup at the Texas Longhorns is out and Billy Napier’s squad has 16 players mentioned.

Of those mentioned on the injured list for Week 11, 10 are listed as “out” while six are mentioned as “questionable”. Among those listed as unavailable is quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who suffered a season-ending injury against the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 7.

Also out for the rest of the fall is defensive back [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., whose injured labrum required surgery that effectively ended his 2024 campaign, and wide receiver Euegene Wilson III, who underwent surgery to repair his injured hip on Tuesday.

Running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag], who also underwent surgery this week, and while it has not yet been determined if his season is over, remains among those listed as “out”.

Florida’s current starting quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] is listed as “questionable” along with running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]., wide receiver Elijhah Badger, defensive back Dijon Johnson, offensive lineman Damieon George Jr. and defensive lineman Cam Jackson.

The rest of the “out” list mirrors that from last week.

How to watch Florida-Texas

Florida will go on the road and face Texas in Austin on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators slip out of SP+ rankings top 25 after UGA loss, but just barely

The Gators come in at No. 26 in ESPN’s SP+ rankings while the special teams somehow leapt up the standings.

Week 10 of the college football schedule was not kind to the Florida Gators. In fact, the sports gods were downright cruel to the Orange and Blue over the course of the 34-20 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville.

After [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s squad came out strong both on offense and defense, the absolute worst-case scenario occurred — true freshman quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], who is replacing incumbent starter [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], went down with an injury that ended the game and possibly the season for the former five-star recruit.

Third-string walk-on QB [autotag]Aidan Warner[/autotag] did his best to pace the Gators on offense while the defense continued its dominant afternoon, but alas, it was not enough to outlast the deep UGA talent pool.

The good news is that the media appears to have judged Florida on a sliding scale based on their performance rather than just the cold, hard results. This includes ESPN’s SP+ ranking, which employs a computer model to determine its standings each week.

Florida football’s SP+ ranking, rating

Last update, Napier and Co. were ranked No. 21 out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools with a 13.0 overall rating following its Week 9 bye. Following Saturday’s results, Florida slipped five spots to No. 26 with an 11.5 overall rating.

On offense, the team inched up a spot from No. 21 and a 35.3 rating to No. 20 and a 34.4 rating; the defense remained at No. 41 while its rating increased from 22.7 to 23.2.

The special teams unit, which spent a few weeks as the top-rated corps in the country at the start of the schedule, somehow jumped back up from No. 11 to No. 4 with a 0.4 rating — the same it has had all season — despite a major field goal attempt mishap.

SP+ rankings top 10 teams

The Ohio State Buckeyes claimed the top spot in the rankings this week, edging out the Texas Longhorns, who held the pole position last week, by just 0.3 points (29.0 vs. 28.7); Georgia, the Ole Miss Rebels and Oregon Ducks round out the top five, respectively. 

The Alabama Crimson Tide come in at No. 6, followed by the Miami Hurricanes, Penn State Nittany LionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively, to round out the top 10 schools.

About SP+ predictions

“SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to ESPN. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.

“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”

What’s next for the Gators?

Florida hits the road to face Texas in Austin on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Media is ready to write Billy Napier’s epitaph, but are they justified?

Is it fair that Billy Napier is on the head coach hot seat after a significant rash of injuries? Even after close games against Tennessee and Georgia?

Saturday’s rivalry matchup was a difficult one for the Gator Nation to stomach as the Florida football program suffered a rollercoaster of emotions en route to a 34-20 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

Much of the game was a drunken mess — as if EverBank Stadium partook in the libations of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party ahead of the kickoff. Both starting quarterbacks suffered on the field in different ways, with Florida’s [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] going down with a potentially devastating injury and Georgia’s Carson Beck tossing a trio of ducks into the Gators’ hands.

But what matters most are the results. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] fell to 4-4 in his third season in Gainesville with three top-25 matchups on deck and a real chance of missing out on a bowl berth for the second straight season. Not to mention the likely possibility of a fourth-straight campaign ending with a losing record.

Subsequently, many believe the defeat will ultimately be the final nail in the coffin for the Gators skipper. But how fair is that to him, especially given that he has lost not one but two starting quarterbacks to injury this fall?

Media reacts to Florida’s loss of Lagway

It took little time for the media to react to Week 10’s outcome, including Sports Illustrated’s Mike McDaniel who opined that this could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Napier if Lagway is out of action.

“If the Gators don’t have Lagway for games on the road at No. 6 Texas, home against No. 16 LSU or home against No. 19 Ole Miss, Florida’s offense could be in a world of trouble,” McDaniel notes.

USA TODAY Sports writer Matt Hayes was also ready to write Napier’s epitaph on Sunday morning, believing that the damage had been done and the writing was clearly on the wall.

“(I)t’s over now. There’s no coming back from this,” Hayes laments.

“Look, this thing isn’t easy,” he continues. “With a healthy Lagway, Florida may have gotten its biggest win under Napier and the momentum could’ve taken the Gators to a big second half of the season — and Napier to 2025 and another season to figure it out.

“But coaching college football is a brutal undertaking, one that ends in unemployment for nearly every coach. No matter how close you are to turning it around.”

Is Napier’s situation fair to him?

While his peers were penning Napier’s obituary, The Athletic’s Matt Baker took a look at how the injuries complicate the head coach’s hot seat. With incumbent starter [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] sidelined for the rest of his collegiate career and true freshman Lagway’s injury questions still unanswered, the team is a shadow of what it was in August.

“It’s fair to consider the difficulty of possibly starting a third-string quarterback as we judge Napier’s make-or-break third season,” Baker points out. “But it’s also fair to ask why the Gators are left with a walk-on Ivy League transfer in the first place.”

Speaking of fairness, in my prediction ahead of the Florida-Georgia game, I suggested that Napier’s situation will be determined on a sliding scale based on Saturday’s outcome.

“The results… will be judged on a spectrum, and if Florida can at least make a game of it as they did at the Tennessee Volunteers, it could give the program enough of a boost to inspire an upset over one of the following three (ranked) opponents.”

Well, so much for the boost. At the very least, the Florida football program should be making its final decision on Napier with all the facts on hand and the program’s recent improved overall performance cannot be ignored.

But as we all know, life is not fair — and college sports certainly are not either.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

SI labels Lagway injury as ‘final nail in the coffin’ for Napier’s tenure

According to SI, Billy Napier’s tenure with the Gators could be coming to an end after the injury to DJ Lagway.

Florida football fell to 4-4 after a tough loss against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, sparking hot-seat rumors to start circulating around Billy Napier once again.

The Gators were forced to play short-handed against the Bulldogs and still managed to keep it competitive for the majority of the game. Quarterback DJ Lagway was carted off the field in the second quarter due to a leg injury, and Florida managed to be within one score for most of the game, but ultimately, it was too much to overcome.

Sports Illustrated sports writer Mike McDaniel wrote that this could be the “final nail in the coffin” for Napier if Lagway is out for a long period of time.

This is everything McDaniel wrote about Napier being at the top of the list of coaches on the hot seat.

DJ Lagway’s injury could be final nail in the coffin

“The Florida Gators had been quietly stringing together wins after most of the country left third-year coach Billy Napier and his program for dead in September. After all, Florida began the season 1–2 after losses to the then-No. 19 Miami Hurricanes and then-unranked Texas A&M Aggies, and rumors swirled about whether or not Napier would make it out of October.

“Entering Saturday, the Gators were winners in three out of their last four games, with their lone loss coming in overtime on the road at the then-No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers. Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was thrust into action against the Volunteers after incumbent starter Graham Mertz tore his ACL in the contest. Lagway nearly led the Gators to a victory in Knoxville, Tennessee, and followed it up by leading Florida to a 48–20 victory the next week at home against the Kentucky Wildcats.

“If Lagway is lost for a significant period of time, it could be the nail in the coffin for the Napier era in Gainesville, Florida. After all, Lagway seemed to be finding his groove in his first season of college action, which was a welcome sight for a Florida offense entering the toughest stretch of its schedule. If the Gators don’t have Lagway for games on the road at No. 6 Texas, home against No. 16 LSU or home against No. 19 Ole Miss, Florida’s offense could be in a world of trouble.

“Napier entered the season on the hot seat, warmed even more after a tough September, but was attempting to reverse course as the calendar turned to November. That task will be even more difficult than envisioned if Lagway can’t play.”

What’s next for the Gators?

Florida will go on the road and face the Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida dealing with crucial injuries against Georgia

Florida’s massive injury report against Georgia features injuries to the Gators top QB, WR, RB and CB

The Florida Gators have been bitten hard by the injury bug ahead of their matchup against Georgia in Jacksonville, and another player has fallen victim. Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. was declared out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

The senior defensive back suffered a labrum injury in the homecoming game against Kentucky, and he will require surgery. The four-year starter for Florida started all seven games this season.

Among the Gators’ injury list is starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who suffered a torn ACL against Tennessee to end his season. Wide receiver Khaleil Jackson suffered a torn ACL in early September.

Wide receiver Eugene Wilson is out against Georgia with a hip injury. Wilson, who hauled in a game-high 11 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown last year against Georgia, is Florida’s top receiving option.

The Gators’ top running back, Montrell Johnson Jr., is questionable. He is dealing with the same lower leg injury that took him out of the Kentucky game.

Overall, nine players are out for the Gators, which is an unbelievable amount. Billy Napier will need his crew to have all hands on deck to end the streak of losses against Georgia.

  • Graham Mertz, QB, Out
  • Ja’Keem Jackson, DB, Out
  • Jason Marshall Jr., DB, Out
  • Eugene Wilson III, WR, Out
  • Asa Turner, DB, Out
  • Kahleil Jackson, WR, Out
  • Devon Manuel, OL, Out
  • Roderick Kearney, OL, Out
  • Jamari Lyons, DL, Out
  • Montrell Johnson Jr., RB, Questionable
  • R.J. Moten, LB, Questionable
  • Damieon George Jr., OL, Questionable

Florida football center talks Week 10 matchup against Georgia

Gators veteran center Jake Slaughter talks about the upcoming matchup with Georgia on Saturday.

Redshirt junior center Jake Slaughter is ready for the challenge this Saturday as Florida football heads to Jacksonville to play the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

Slaughter, playing in his fourth season with the Gators, is the veteran of this offensive line and leads the line in most offensive snaps this season with 425.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Slaughter is ranked seventh in the country among centers in pass blocking with a grade of 85.4. His offensive grade of 77.9 puts him at No. 8 on the list of centers in the nation.

In the Gators’ last game, a home victory against the Kentucky Wildcats, Slaughter had the best PFF run block grade among the team’s offensive line with a 70.5.

Slaughter spoke with the media on Wednesday night and this is what he had to say leading up to the matchup with the Bulldogs.

The challenge of Georgia’s defensive front

“So they’re very multiple. That’s always challenging. You know, we’re a rule-based organization from the bottom up, so you have rules for every type of front, everything they’re going to show you, but they move a lot. It’s a lot of backward plugs.

“They do a little bit of the defensive back stuff, you know, backfield rotating and plugging and playing…It’s challenging, and some you look forward to playing against.”

The improvement of the Gators offensive-line

“I think we’ve taken a lot of great steps forward. I think there’s certainly room to improve in all aspects of our game, but I think we’ve definitely made solid improvements. And, you know, like I said earlier, it’s cohesiveness as a unit. It’s gelling together. You know, then it also comes down to technique and fundamentals that we’ve continued to improve.”

Austin Barber’s toughness

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Austin Barber is one of the toughest guys in our room, and one of the toughest guys I know. He’ll play through about anything…It says a lot about him as a man, as a football player.”

Loves playing with DJ Lagway

DJ’s (Lagway) just fun to play with man. You know, every time he drops back, there’s potential for him to just make some unreal throw. So, yeah, that plays a lot in the belief. And I don’t want to leave Graham (Mertz) either.

“He’s (Lagway) a lot of fun to play with here. He’s got some swag to him. You know, we look up to him. He proved he can do it, so there’s no doubt in DJ. And he knows he’s got some, you know, some juice behind him.”

The challenges of establishing the run against Georgia’s linebackers

“Yeah, I mean, they’re good in the box. They’re really good. They’ve got linebackers…Well, you know, up front, they’re a good unit. So it’s like, anytime you’re playing against good players, you gotta go for good playing fundamentals and techniques across the board.”

How to watch Florida vs. Georgia

The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida WR Chimere Dike talks Georgia, Lagway, Mertz and more

With the Georgia game looming, Florida wide receiver Chimere Dike covered a range of topics while speaking to the media on Monday.

It’s been an eventful season for [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] at Florida after transferring from Wisconsin.

The former Badger joined his old teammate [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] in Gainesville over the offseason and immediately emerged as a veteran presence in The Swamp. Following Eugene Wilson’s early-season injury, Dike became the go-to target for both Mertz and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], and now he’s one of the only senior skill players on the offense with Mertz recovering from a torn ACL.

Dike spoke to the media on Monday ahead of Florida’s Week 10 matchup with Georgia. Here’s everything he said.

On preparing for first Florida-Georgia game

“Kind of like Tennessee week, B Spikes in the summer, we had Georgia day where some of the new guys came in, the transfers and the the freshmen, and he kind of gave us a feel for it. But just being a college football fan, you definitely know about this game, and my cousin unfortunately went to Georgia.

“No, she has a great education. She’s doing great, but she’s told me about this game as well. Just growing up and it obviously means a lot to our fans and our university, so I’m excited to be able to play (in it).”

On DJ Lagway taking over the starting role

“Yeah, I think for me it’s the poise. To be 19 and be able to play like (that), even the Tennessee game, (during a) big fourth quarter down the stretch and step up in those moments. I think it just shows the kind of competitor he is.

“And then just the way he approaches every single day in the building is also really impressive to me.

“When you can make some of the throws he makes, I’d be confident too. So, you know, he’s definitely a really special player. I’m excited to continue to see him grow and take steps every single week.”

What’s the biggest challenge Saturday?

“I mean, Georgia is a really good football team. I think it’s just, you know, being able to execute our game plan. Obviously, you know, we’re still early in prep, but, you know, they are a well-coached football team. They’re really athletic. They know how to win. So, you know, we have to have a good game.

“We’re going to have to execute and it’s going to be is going to be a battle. But I’m excited and I think that’s, as a competitor, you know, that’s the challenge that you want.”

On bye week preparation

“We had a lot of competitive, good-on-good stuff. I think the first bye week was really good for our team. I think we were able to find kind of our identity a lot. During that time. Obviously, we have a lot of really good teams (on the schedule), and we have a really good team this week. So, I think that we definitely took advantage and, competed and try to take steps forward.

On improving year-to-year despite transfer

“I feel like I’ve been playing good football. My focus is just on executing as much as I can. I feel like I’ve been able to go out there and do different things. But our coaches do a great job preparing me. I have great teammates around me. So, it’s really easy for me to just go out there on Saturdays and have a great attention to detail and play as hard as I can.”

How Florida recruited Dike

“I think it was somewhere where I thought I could make an impact on the field and off the field. I feel like I could be a guy who, you know, made an impact in the locker room (and) in our receiver room with a lot of really young, talented players. That’s something that I take really seriously as well.

“But then on the field, the kind of way they utilize me is kind of the way I envisioned, and, you know, as well, it’s a great university. So it was a pretty easy sell.”

On special teams success

“I think when you, when you get to somewhere new, you just want to work extremely hard. I think I wanted to prove to the guys, you know, how much I cared, and I came into winter workouts and I worked as hard as I can.

‘In spring practice, just continue to improve. Listen to all the coaching points and they put me where they need me. I’ve been blessed to be able to represent this university.”

What would beating Georgia mean?

“Rivalry wins are huge, obviously, especially against a team like Georgia, with their success and, the level of talent, how well coached they are. I think that every single win in the game, the SEC is huge. But I definitely think this is a big one this Saturday, and we understand that.

“But our approach is the same. Just continue to take it one day at a time and be as immersed in the game as we can.”

On locker room chatter ahead of the game

“I spoke to B-Spikes, and obviously, the guys have talked about it too. But, that’s just throughout, like, regular talk. We haven’t necessarily sat down a been like what is important. But, you know, I think that if you’re a college football fan, you know, the importance of this game, it’s one of those rivalries.”

On Eugene Wilson III

“I mean, I’ve said it before. Tre’s special. He’s got an extreme ability to hit his top speed quick and he’s a dynamic playmaker. So, he’s continued to work, and he’s the same guy every single day in the facility. Just continued to make plays and I’m excited.

“I think that whenever he’s involved and he’s making plays that we’re definitely, will have a key to our offense.”

On film review for Georgia’s defense

“You can see by the results that they have that they’re a very good defense. And obviously, through the past couple of years, they’ve been very, very, very good. And I think they have a lot of athletic people up front. Their secondary is disciplined. They’re really physical. They have a lot of really good players back there.

“They’re a disciplined defense as well. So I think that when you have a lot of talented players that you’re well coached, it makes for a good defense. But I think as a competitor, like I said, you want that. You don’t want to go against somebody who’s not prepared, who’s not disciplined. And, I’m excited for the challenge.”

On setting several top speed personal records

“Coach Miles has done a great job of pouring into us. Even during in-season lifting, I feel like I’ve been able to maintain my weight really well and my strength as well. I think that the faster you can be, especially in a conference like the SEC, where I think speed is a little more at the forefront, I think it’s important. So I think definitely helped me.”

On Jadan Baugh

“I remember like, well, the first time you really get a look at running backs is in scrimmages or spring games because they’re running the ball, but it’s kind of, it’s not the same. And that spring game, I was like, oh.

“I’ve been around some good backs. My senior year (of high school), at Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor, I went to every home game. I was an hour away from Wisconsin. So I got to see him every single week. I saw Braelon Allen. Chez Melusi, like Isaac Grant, who just had 100 yards for the Niners.

“(Baugh) has that special ability with this ball at the ball in his hands too. And, like Coach Napier was saying, he’s a great kid. He has high character. And, I think the sky’s the limit for him.”

How the bye week affected DJ Lagway

“I think it was huge for everyone, especially some of the young guys being able to work. But, you know, D.J. took advantage of it, having a great week of practice. I think the more reps you can get, the more comfortable you can be, come Saturday.

“So I think it was it was huge for him. Obviously, I think he’s very well prepared, even before the open day, as you could see. But, I think that it’s just huge for our team to continue to take every single week and get better teams up again.”

On split-squad scrimmages during bye

“I love the feeling of the competition. Not that practices aren’t competitive, but when you see that score on the scoreboard and stuff down the line, it gets the juices flowing a little bit more and we had fun with it.

“One of the days I won. One of the days I lost. So, it was two come from behind victories, too, which is huge.”

On Lagway opening up the deep passing game

“I think that when you can make teams defend the run, you can make them defend the short pass, medium pass and the long ball. It spreads them out. And, I think that if we’re able to have success in all those areas, it’ll be, definitely a lot tougher to defend us.”

On Graham Mertz’s recovery

“Graham’s doing good. I was able to spend a lot of time with them on Sunday. You know, I think that the way he’s handling it is amazing. Like, he’s handling better than I would. His character is something that, as his friend, I’m really proud of him for.

“I think that when you’re presented with the challenge, you kind of have two ways to go about it. You can kind of sulk in or you can kind of attack it and grow from it. And he’s definitely doing the latter. I’m excited to see the kind of success that he has going forward.

“I hope I can be there for him during this time. I think that we’re extremely close. We can talk about stuff that maybe we can’t talk about with other people. So, whenever he needs me, I want to be somebody that’s there for him.

“And, he’s doing an amazing job of just still being in the locker room. And being a guy who, you know, DJ can lean on a guy who, the rest of our team can lean on, because obviously he’s a big part and and a huge leader of our team.”

On Mertz setting a timeline to return for Pro Day, catching passes for him

“That would be amazing. I mean, a guy that you went through all these experiences with. The ups and downs. To be able to go out on pro day. Obviously, we have a lot of stuff to take care of before then, but, that’ll be a really cool experience.

“And, hopefully, he’s able to be back by then. That’d be a really special day.”

On Mertz’s impact on Lagway

“I think that anytime you have, as a young guy, at least speaking for myself, when I had players that I thought did it the right way and I was able to learn from them. I think back to my time in Wisconsin, I had three senior receivers in the room, that I was playing with, Danny Davis, Kendrick Pryor and Jack Dunn.

“You know all those guys, I took something from their game and just from how they approached it. So I think that when you have a guy like Graham who is obviously a really talented quarterback, but also is somebody who knows the game, is super smart and is a leader, kind of does things the right way in my opinion.

“A guy like DJ who’s super talented and young, being able to learn from him is something that he can take with his career and obviously kind of put his own spin on it. But I think that is very valuable.”

On mentoring young wide receivers

“I try to be, someone who any of the young guys can lean on. Guys like Tank (Hawkins), TJ (Abrams), a lot of the younger guys. I try to be able to share different things with them. I try to be somebody who they can come to talk to you, but also just as a leader by example and how detailed I am in my preparation and the way I practice things like that.”

How to watch Florida-Georgia

Florida and Georgia face off for a Week 10 rivalry battle in Jacksonville on Saturday, Nov. 2 with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. The pregame festivities will be featured on SEC Nation and the game will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida football’s DJ Lagway leads nation in deep ball accuracy

Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway has a 63.2 completion percentage on balls thrown over 20 yards through the air.

Florida football quarterback DJ Lagway was the most accurate deep ball passer in the country entering Week 9, according to Pro Football Focus.

Lagway, a freshman who took over as the Gators starting quarterback in Week 8 following Graham Mertz’s injury, ranked first in the country in completion percentage (63.2%) on passes that were thrown over 20 yards through the air.

Some notable quarterbacks that follow Lagway are Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen (58.8%), Ohio State’s Will Howard (58.8%), Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke (57.1%) and Penn State’s Drew Allar (55.6%).

Head coach Billy Napier talked about Lagway’s deep ball accuracy during last week’s SEC teleconference.

“Well, I think he (Lagway) – probably what’s unique is just the accuracy of the deep ball,” Napier said about Lagway. “I mean, I think that’s what jumps out to me, is, you know, when he does throw it in the deep part of the field, down the middle of the field, or on the outside third, is his accuracy, and he showed that. He’s got a, a really unique talent that he has, you know, he’s been able to be very accurate with it down the field.”

Through the first seven games of the season, Lagway has thrown for 1,024 yards and five touchdowns at a 63% completion rate. Lagway’s longest throw of the season came in Week 2 of the season when he threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Eugene Wilson III against Samford.

Coming up for Florida

The Gators go up against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators jump up USA TODAY Sports college football re-rank after Week 8

Florida cracks USA TODAY Sports’ re-rank top 50 after its homecoming win over Kentucky.

Florida football defended its home field on homecoming last weekend, routing the visiting Kentucky Wildcats, 48-20, en route to the Gators’ fourth win in seven tries this season and second in four Southeastern Conference matchups.

Not only did the Orange and Blue tag a W in the win column, both the offense and defense looked solid on Saturday night. Freshman quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], who made his first SEC start with [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] out for the season, showcased his rocket-launcher arm; fellow freshman running back [autotag]Jaden Baugh[/autotag] rushed for five touchdowns, tying the Florida single-game record held by [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] and Trey Burton.

The secondary also matched the team total for interceptions all last season in just one game, including a pick six.

As a result of the Week 8 triumph, Florida saw its stock rise in many of the polls and rankings, including USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg’s re-rank of all 134 FBS schools.

Florida’s Week 8 re-rank position

Myerberg came away impressed with the win but still is bearish on the Gators overall, lifting them 11 spots to No. 45 this week. That puts Florida between the No. 44 Tulane Green Wave and No. 46 Western Kentucky Colonels.

Billy Napier’s squad is ahead of four other SEC programs in the rankings, with the Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 53), Kentucky (No. 64), Auburn Tigers (No. 90) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 107) lagging behind.

USA TODAY Sports Week 8 re-rank top 10

The Oregon Ducks claimed the top spot this week after the currently second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs dethroned the now-seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns. The Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions and Miami Hurricanes, respectively, wrap up the top five.

Coming in sixth are Iowa State Cyclones, followed by Texas, the Clemson Tigers, LSU Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively, to cap the top 10.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Florida climbs back into Football Power Index top 25 after Week 8 win

According to ESPN’s FPI rankings, the Florida Gators are a top-25 college football team after whipping the Wildcats at home.

Florida football scored a crucial win on its homecoming weekend this Saturday, opening up the offense while displaying some tenacious defense to uncork a 48-20 rout of the visiting Kentucky Wildcats.

The victory puts the Gators back over the .500 mark with a 4-3 overall record and an even 2-2 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Things will get much harder after next week’s bye, but for now, there is plenty to rejoice.

While the ‘Cats have not been particularly sharp this fall, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s squad showed continued improvements on the field and did not skip a beat after losing QB1 [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] for the season. Freshman [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] led the charge, not just on the scoreboard but also up the postgame rankings as well.

Florida football’s FPI ranking, rating

According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Florida moved up five spots from No. 27 to No. 22, putting the Orange and Blue back in the top 25 while its overall FPI rating improved by 2.6 points from 8.7 to 11.3 following the victory. That puts the Gators between the No. 21 Boise State Broncos and No. 23 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Florida is now given a 55.8% chance of winning six games this fall — up from 33.8% last week — along with a 0.2% chance of winning out, as well as a 0% chance of winning the conference, a microscopic 0.4% chance of making the College Football Playoffs, a 0.1% chance of making the championship game and a 0% chance of winning the national title. The FPI’s final record predicts currently sits at 5.7-6.3.

SEC teams in FPI

The top five programs in the rankings got a bit of a shakeup, with the Texas Longhorns (27.2 rating) falling to No. 2 overall after getting beat by the still-No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs (22.9) on Saturday. The Alabama Crimson Tide (23.2) are wedged between the two despite taking their second loss of the season, remaining at No. 3 while the Ole Miss Rebels (22.1) also stood pat at No. 5.

The Tennessee Volunteers (21.0), who beat ‘Bama in Knoxville, moved up a spot to No. 6 to wrap up the SEC teams in the top 10. The rest of the top 25 is represented by LSU Tigers (12th, 16.9), Texas A&M Aggies (14th, 15.7), Missouri Tigers (20th, 12.2), Florida and South Carolina (11.1).

The remainder of the conference schools in the FPI are the Oklahoma Sooners (29th, 8.7), Arkansas Razorbacks (31st, 7.7), Auburn Tigers (32nd, 7.4), Kentucky Wildcats (41st, 5.7), Vanderbilt Commodores (42nd, 5.4) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (60th, 2.0).

About ESPN’s FPI

“The Football Power Index is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.

“FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

Coming up for Florida

The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.