Ja’Kobi Jackson – Syndication Server

Five key factors in Florida football’s dominant victory over LSU

Offense, defense and special teams helped the Gators come up with a much-needed victory at home against the LSU Tigers.

Florida football (5-5, 3-4 SEC) defeated the No. 21 LSU Tigers (6 – 4, 3-3 SEC) by a score of 27-16.

Quarterback DJ Lagway started for the Gators after missing last week’s game due to a left hamstring injury and threw for 226 yards and a touchdown in his return. Freshman running back Jadan Baugh exploded for a 55-yard touchdown run with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to ultimately seal the game.

With help from the defense to seal the game, despite their shakiness on third down stops, the Gators came up with a huge win to keep their bowl-eligibility hopes alive. Florida just needs a win against either Ole Miss next week or the Florida State Seminoles to make a bowl game this season.

Here are five key factors from today’s game.

Defense starts with a bang

Florida’s defense started out the game strong. On LSU’s opening drive, the Tigers moved the ball toward midfield and were faced with a 4th-and-1 situation.

LSU decided to go for it and ran a play toward the outside that was immediately shut down by Dijon Johnson which made the Swamp deafening.

Unfortunately for the Gators’ offense, they were forced to punt because they committed two consecutive penalties to start out their drive. So the great field position went to waste.

Gators bite first

Florida started their second offensive drive on their own 20-yard line and Lagway got away with an almost sure interception on his first attempt. The ball hit the LSU defender right in the hands but he couldn’t make the catch.

A couple of plays later, Lagway completed a 34-yard pass to receiver Chimere Dike that put the Gators at midfield. Then, running back Ja’Kobi Jackson had a big run for 20 yards that placed Florida right outside the red zone.

To cap off the drive, Lagway threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Elijhah Badger who was in one-on-one coverage that gave the Gators an early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Defensive woes on third downs

Florida had a tough time defending the Tigers on their third down attempts.

Over the course of the game, LSU was 13-for-24 on third downs and converted four of them on their fourth possession alone which resulted in a 14-play, 84-yard drive that ended in a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter.

The third-down defensive struggles allowed the Tigers to construct lengthy drives which also allowed them to dominate the time of possession. LSU had the ball for 41:43 compared to Florida’s time of possession of 18:17.

LSU was 8-for-12 on third downs in the first half and it wasn’t like the majority of them were short distances either. A lot of these conversions were on 3rd-and-long situations. But luckily toward the end of the game, Florida’s defense was able to dial in when it mattered most and slowed down those third-down conversions.

Plenty of sacks to go around

The Gators’ defense was all over Garrett Nussmeier throughout the game, especially in the second half.

Florida had a total of seven sacks and it wasn’t just from a couple of players. The sacks were spread out among multiple Gators defenders.

Linebacker Shemar James had two while defensive tackle Caleb Banks, EDGE T.J. Searcy, EDGE George Gumbs Jr. and EDGE Kamran James each came up with a sack.

It was certainly refreshing to see the Gators pass rush being as effective as they were today and it’ll be interesting to see if they can carry it over next week against a high-powered Ole Miss offense.

Special Teams delivered for the Gators

Florida’s offense struggled to find ways to get in the end zone today, but thanks to their fantastic play from junior kicker Trey Smack who kicked 2-for-2 that included a career-long field goal of 55 yards.

And let’s not forget about senior punter Jeremy Crawshaw who had all four of his punts inside the 20-yard line. In a game where field position was critical, the Gators special teams unit played a big part in their victory today.

Up next for the Gators

The Gators play their final home game of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 23. 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.

Billy Napier praises Jabbar Juluke’s impact on Florida’s football RBs

Gators head coach Billy Napier gave praise to Jabbar Juluke and the Florida football running backs during the SEC teleconference.

During Wednesday’s SEC teleconference, Florida football head coach Billy Napier talked about using this week’s bye as a time for improvement and getting players healthy.

However, the Gators head coach also highlighted the team’s running backs, particularly praising running backs coach Jabbar Juluke for the outstanding job he has done with the group.

“Well, Jabbar (Juluke), I think number one, Jabbar, was a high school coach, you know, and I think he has a unique, sincere care for players,” Napier said. “He does a great job mentoring the players, and runs a tight ship, you know. He does a nice job really modeling what you would want from the players, and then he holds them very accountable.”

Napier continued, “I never have to worry about the running backs, I mean, that group is always toeing the line, and they do it off the field, and they have great practice habits.”

As well as serving as the team’s running backs coach, Juluke is also the associate head coach and is currently in his third season with the Gators.

Napier and Juluke coached together at Louisiana from 2018-2021 before coming to Gainesville with Napier.

“He (Juluke) does a good job teaching, and he has got a framework for success,” Napier said. “I mean, I think obviously at Louisiana, we had three NFL backs. We were very productive there with the other players that we had, Chris Smith, Emani Bailey, not to mention the three NFL players, Trey Ragas, Elijah Mitchell, Raymond Calais.”

“And then we come here, we bring Montrell (Johnson) with us, obviously. And then Trevor Etienne, as a rookie, played well for us.”

Napier went on to praise Florida’s running backs room this season.

“And then these guys are the next, next generation, you know,” Napier said. “I think Jadan (Baugh) obviously stepped up for our team in a major way. And there’s a culture in that room. And I think you take guys like Montrell Johnson, they’re good examples to guys like Jadan Baugh who obviously has some ability.

“We got good solid play from Ja’Kobi (Jackson) as well. And we’re excited about potentially KD Daniels. KD, he’s starting to become, he’s getting healthier, I would say.”

Napier stressed the importance of maintaining player health and noted that several guys are nearing a return.

“So it’s a good room, you know, we got to keep them healthy,” Napier mentioned. “And obviously, Treyaun Webb is on that list as well, and he’s obviously closer to being available for the game. So (I) feel good about getting healthy over the next couple weeks with that group.”

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.

Montrell Johnson’s injury not a ‘long term issue’, per Billy Napier

Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. isn’t expected to be out for a significant amount of time after suffering an injury.

“We don’t anticipate it being a long term issue,” Florida football head coach Billy Napier said during Monday’s press conference when discussing the severity of running back Montrell Johnson Jr.‘s injury.

Johnson suffered an injury during last week’s game against the Tennessee Volunteers, but it has not been revealed what the injury exactly was. Napier didn’t give a specific timetable for when Johnson will be able to return.

Johnson, a senior from the state of Louisiana, is in his third season with the Gators and has the most rushing yards (373) out of the rest of the team’s running backs.

Johnson put together a solid performance against the Volunteers before leaving the game. He had 12 carries for 85 yards with his longest rush of the night being a total of 23 yards.

If Johnson won’t be ready for Florida’s game this week against Kentucky, it will be expected that running backs Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson will handle the majority of the load in the backfield.

Baugh is a freshman who has 31 carries for 153 yards on the ground this season. Jackson is a redshirt junior who has 19 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns. Both backs are tough, physical runners. But Jackson is a guy who can push through the middle of the field in those short down situations.

Coming up for the Gators

The Gators host the Kentucky Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff is set for 7:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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 2024 Position Preview: Running Backs

Montrell Johnson Jr. looks to carry the load for the Florida Gators offense this season, but who else can step up in the running backs room?

After previewing who the Gators have at quarterback, it’s time to dive into Florida’s running back room for the 2024 season.

Make no mistake, it’s tough to ignore the offseason departure of last year’s starting running back Trevor Etienne, but it looks like the Gators will have plenty of solid playmakers at the running back position this upcoming year.

Montrell Johnson Jr. will look to carry a bulk of the load in the backfield this season despite undergoing knee surgery a few weeks ago.

But for a position that requires a lot of depth, who will fill those backup spots for the Gators?

Starter: No. 1 Montrell Johnson Jr. (Sr.)

Rushing Stats:

Year	GP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	Long	AVG/G
2021	14	162	838	5.2	12	99	59.9
2022	13	155	841	5.4	10	62	64.7
2023	12	152	817	5.4	5	52	68.1
Total	39	469	2,496	5.3	27	99	64.2

Receiving Stats:

Year	GP	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Long	AVG/G
2021	14	6	53	8.8	0	15	3.8
2022	13	12	58	4.8	1	18	4.5
2023	12	30	236	7.9	1	19	19.7
Total	39	48	347	7.2	2	19	14.9

Now with his third season coming up with the Gators, Johnson looks to step into the starting running back role and serve as a leader for the offense.

Johnson is a very versatile back and can bring a lot to the table. He has great vision, can run between the tackles and be a threat with his pass-catching abilities.

However, Johnson lacks speed and open-field elusiveness.

Although Johnson is currently rehabbing from his recent knee surgery, head coach Billy Napier mentioned it as “minor.” With Week 1 against the Miami Hurricanes just a couple weeks away, it’s tough to tell whether Johnson will be ready to play. He is currently listed week to week.

Backups: No. 5 Treyaun Webb (So.) and No. 24 Ja’Kobi Jackson (R-Jr.)

Rushing Stats (Webb):

Year	GP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	Long	AVG/G
2023	11	26	163	6.3	2	43	14.8

Receiving Stats (Webb):

Year	GP	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Long	AVG/G
2023	11	4	18	4.5	0	12	1.6

Treyaun Webb is a sophomore from Jacksonville who has the most experience out of anyone behind Johnson.

After winning a couple of state championships at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, the former four-star recruit played his first season with Florida last year and as a freshman, was able to log a couple of touchdowns.

Expect Webb’s workload to increase a lot more.

Ja’Kobi Jackson transferred from Coahoma (Mississippi) Community College and redshirted last season.

In his last season at Coahoma, Jackson led the team in rushing yards (661), touchdowns (7) and average per game (73.44).

Jackson looks to make it a competitive fight for that backup running back spot.

Freshmen: No. 13 Jadan Baugh (Fr.) and No. 21 KD Daniels (Fr.)

Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels are the two true freshmen in the running backs room.

Baugh was ranked as a four-star recruit out of Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia, and turned some heads after playing well in the Orange & Blue game this past Spring.

Daniels was also a four-star recruit who has been performing well in training camp.

Coming out of West Point, Mississippi, Daniels has plenty of potential and looks to make an impact in the years to come.

Injury/Walk-Ons: No. 27 Cam Carroll (R-Sr.) and No. 25 Anthony Rubio (R-Fr.)

Cam Carroll transferred from Tulane last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury on the last day of fall camp.

It’ll be interesting to see if Carroll will see some time on the field this season, but it’s also tough to take some time away from the guys ahead of him.

Anthony Rubio, son of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, joined the Gators as a walk-on last season. Rubio went to Belen Jesuit in Miami.

I don’t expect these guys to see the field this season.

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.