Gator Nation react to the big performances by DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh against Kentucky.
Florida football had one of their best all-around performances of the season as they defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 48-20, in the Swamp.
Quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh were a big part of Florida’s offensive attack against Kentucky. The two true freshmen served as the Gators’ heartbeat on offense.
Lagway was 7-for-13 through the air with 259 yards passing and one interception. Lagway also had 46 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Baugh had 22 carries for 106 yards rushing and five touchdowns. With those five touchdowns, Baugh tied the Florida football program record.
Here’s what Gators fans thought of their performances.
DJ Lagway might mess around and save Napierâs job this season. I am telling you, this kid shouldâve been the starter from Game 1. He makes everyone better.
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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DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh steal the show for the Gators offense in the first half against Kentucky.
In a game under the lights in the Swamp on Saturday night, Florida football hosted the Kentucky Wildcats for its 2024 homecoming game. It was a wild first half, with the Gators leading 27-13 after 30 minutes of play.
To get things started and get the crowd energized was Gators legend running back John L. Williams who served as the game’s honorary Mr. Two Bits. The 1984 SEC Championship team was also honored as well.
Florida received the ball first and as true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway trotted out onto the field, chants of, “DJ Lagway!”, echoed throughout Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
First half overview
The Gators moved down the field in a hurry and with ease on their opening possession. Lagway’s first pass completion was to receiver Eugene Wilson III for a gain of 40 yards and Florida made it into the red zone, but couldn’t punch the ball into the endzone.
Instead, they were forced to attempt a 29-yard field goal which was drilled by Trey Smack to give the Gators an early 3-0 lead.
The Florida defense started out strong and was all over the field as they forced Kentucky to punt on their first two possessions. But, it was the same story for the offense in terms of the struggles to get touchdowns in the red zone.
Florida was marching down the field on their third offensive drive of the half, but as soon as they reached the 20-yard line, the offense stalled. Smack managed to knock in the 33-yard field goal to give Florida a 6-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter.
Kentucky finally got their offense going on their third drive as quarterback Brock Vandagriff connected with receiver Barion Brown for a 45-yard touchdown. However, the game stayed tied 6-6 after Kentucky’s kicker missed the extra point.
With just over eight minutes to go in the first half, Lagway completed a 50-yard throw down the middle of the field to Elijhah Badger to put the Gators on Kentucky’s 7-yard line. That set up a touchdown run by Jadan Baugh to give Florida their first touchdown of the night and a 13-6 lead.
The following drive for Kentucky ended with an interception by defensive back Trikweze Bridges to set the Gators up with possession at midfield. But it didn’t matter because Lagway threw an interception two plays later.
But remarkably, Florida’s defense held their ground as Kentucky was inching towards the goal line and forced a turnover-on-downs. Florida was able to score a touchdown on the ensuing drive thanks to a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Baugh.
Kentucky returned the kickoff immediately after the Gators scored for a 99-yard touchdown.
Florida’s first-half stats
Looking at the first-half stats for the Gators, Lagway was 4-for-11 with 152 yards passing. Lagway also had 40 rushing yards on seven carries.
Baugh really played a perfect first half of football, rushing for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries.
The Gators’ defense forced two interceptions and allowed just 159 total yards in the first half.
Let’s see if Florida can keep it going in the second half.
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Montrell Johnson Jr. highlights a list of key players the Gators will be without against Kentucky Week 8.
Florida football hosts the Kentucky Wildcats in just a matter of minutes and the Gators will be without some of their key players in this SEC matchup.
Running back Montrell Johnson Jr. was listed as questionable throughout the week but he won’t be suiting up tonight against the Wildcats.
Redshirt senior safety Asa Turner was also questionable this week but he will miss yet another game this season. Turner transferred over the offseason from Washington and his only appearance this season came against Miami in Week 1.
Turner has been questionable the last two weeks, so that is a good sign for a return coming soon. With the bye week for Florida next week, Turner should be good to go on Nov. 2 against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville.
Another notable player that not many think about is long snapper Rocco Underwood. Underwood will miss tonight’s game and something to look at is how the backup long snapper, Gannon Burt, will perform with the special teams snaps, particularly during punts.
Players that were listed as questionable for the game but will play are offensive lineman Austin Barber and running back Treyaun Webb.
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.
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CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello predicts the Gators will rebound with a win over Kentucky, covering the -2.5 points spread.
Florida football finds themselves at a pivotal point in their season, coming off a tough loss to the Tennessee Volunteers that stung but also showcased signs of growth.
The Gators now prepare to host the Kentucky Wildcats in the Swamp. The Wildcats rank third in all of college football in total defense, but their offense doesn’t quite make up for it. While Kentucky’s ball-control approach worked in a win at Ole Miss a few weeks ago, their offense has struggled to score.
CBS Sports writer Brandon Marcello analyzed the SEC’s Week 8 matchups and predicted a Florida victory over Kentucky in their Saturday night game. He also leaned towards the Gators spread at minus-2.5 points.
Here is everything Marcello wrote about Florida’s matchup with Kentucky on Saturday.
CBS Sports leans Gators over Wildcats
“Florida is coming off a disappointing loss at Tennessee, but the Gators seem to be playing with more confidence and, more importantly, discipline as coach Billy Napier continues to cook on the hot seat,” Marcello wrote.
“DJ Lagway took over full-time as quarterback after Graham Mertz was lost for the season against the Vols. Lagway performed well in his absence, throwing a beautiful touchdown pass in the final 30 seconds to force overtime. Kentucky will do everything it can with its top-15 defense to confuse and frustrate Lagway, who is still raw and prone to mistakes.”
Marcello continued, “Kentucky can certainly play ball control but it can’t score (114th nationally), so how does that work out on the road? It worked to perfection earlier this season at Ole Miss. The big difference here is The Swamp, which will swallow the Cats. Pick: Florida -2.5″
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.
Head coach Billy Napier understands that the Wildcats defense is a tough group to have your offense play against.
“Ultimately, they’re creating a four-man rush and playing three-deep, four underneath and about dozens of different ways,” Napier said about Kentucky’s defensive scheme during Wednesday’s press conference.
“A lot of zone. Obviously, there’s some situational man coverage and then here come the five-man pressures, the six-man pressures, but overall, there’s a ton of height, length and verified speed on the field and they got some game-wreckers up front.”
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops will likely throw multiple defensive looks towards Lagway and it’ll be crucial for the freshman to figure out the reads.
But, Napier did mention that Lagway’s ability to read defenses has been improving.
“He’s (Lagway) on a different planet,” Napier said. “I think the big thing is the puzzle; he’s got to put the puzzle pieces together – our concept, their concept, the more reps, the better anticipation that he can continue to move quicker and make better decisions. So he’ll get better every day.”
Napier also talked about how Mertz’s presence this season has been beneficial for Lagway in terms of preparation and observations.
“I think he’s had an opportunity to observe Graham (Mertz),” Napier said. “I think that’s been beneficial in terms of what that grind looks like, you know, from a film-study perspective, from a self-discipline, routine standpoint, and then ultimately, you know, the entire process in terms of meetings, walkthrough, arm care, pre-practice, post-practice, you know, how to kind of build momentum and put yourself in position where you can play with confidence, because you prepared the right way.”
The Gators will need Lagway to apply everything he’s learned as they head into this challenging matchup. If he can handle the pressure and make quick, smart decisions, Florida could have a real shot at securing a crucial win against a tough Kentucky defense.
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.
The Gators Wire crew assembled to offer their respective takes on Florida’s homecoming game on Saturday against Kentucky.
The Florida Gators get set to face off with the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday night for the program’s annual homecoming game, which will honor the university’s Southeastern Conference football champions from the 1984 season.
The Orange and Blue have historically dominated this series, running off 31-straight wins â including the epic Chris Doering catch â from 1987 to 2017. However, over the past six meetings, the ‘Cats have collected four wins, including three straights coming into Week 8.
Ahead of what should be a grueling matchup between a pair of struggling SEC schools, the Gators Wire crew assembled to offer their respective takes on the game. Take a look below at what we have to offer.
Itâs the DJ Lagway show in Gainesville
Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Itâs the DJ Lagway show in Gainesville. After finding out that quarterback Graham Mertz will be out for the year due to a torn ACL, Billy Napier announced that Lagway will be the Gators’ starter from here on out.
Now, given that heâs preparing for this game against Kentucky as a starter, I donât expect Lagway to look too conservative with his approach as he did against Tennessee. There werenât enough deep shots and oftentimes, Lagway checked down to the running backs which ultimately didnât really move the offense down the field.
Kentucky is kind of a weird team. Their defense is as good as it gets, but one game, they beat Ole Miss on the road and the next, they lost to Vanderbilt on their home field. I know Vandy has been the surprise of the town, but the Wildcats should be more than capable of winning that game. So I expect them to really tighten up on the defensive side of the ball, which can potentially not be ideal for the freshman Lagway.
Iâll give props to Floridaâs defense though. What a turnaround. I mean, they look like a completely different unit out there on the field in recent weeks. With that being said, I expect this game to be ugly. Itâs going to be low-scoring and whoever wins the turnover battle will come out with the victory. Iâm leaning towards the Gators because theyâre playing at home but if they were on the road, Iâd pick Kentucky. â Aidan Gallardo
Florida 24, Kentucky 20
DJ Lagway will explode in this one
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
The remainder of the season looks a lot more grim with the loss of starting quarterback Graham Mertz, but if anyone on the roster can fill his shoes, it is true freshman DJ Lagway.
Kentucky on the other hand has face-planted in SEC play so far and is facing Florida in the Swamp. Sure, they beat the Ole Miss Rebels by three and fought the Georgia Bulldogs to a 13-12 loss, but the South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores both found ways to finish them off.
DJ Lagway will explode in this one and give the Gator Nation something to finally feel confident about in this one. The defense will also continue to improve as it has the past couple of weeks. â Adam Dubbin
Florida 32, Kentucky 21
Florida’s defense has improved greatly
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Florida’s defense has improved greatly over the past two games, and DJ Lagway taking over as the starting quarterback should provide a nice change of pace for the offense.
Still, this Kentucky isn’t to be underestimated. The Wildcats pushed Georgia to the brink, losing 13-12 in a close matchup, and a one-score loss to Vanderbilt isn’t nearly as damning as it would be in seasons past. That 31-6 loss to South Carolina does raise some eyebrows, though.
Kentucky features a solid pass rush and secondary, but it might also have the worst run defense in the SEC. On offense, things are flipped. The Wildcats are near the bottom of the conference in passing but make up for it with a strong run game.
Florida’s game plan here should be simple: establish the run early and let Lagway take more shots downfield once Kentucky stacks the box. Even if Montrell Johnson Jr. isn’t 100% for this game, Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson have both shown enough to confidently hand the ball of to. Getting Treyaun Webb back into the fold would be a nice addition to that position room.
Lastly, and it’s a bit scary to say this, Lagway needs to run a lot of option plays to keep Kentucky guessing. Risking injury isn’t ideal a week after the starter goes down, but Lagway’s feet are explosive. If the Wildcats can’t figure out who to go after, things could get ugly quickly. â David Rosenberg
Florida 24, Kentucky 20
How to watch Gators vs Wildcats
The Gators host the Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this yearâs homecoming game. 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.
Here are the Wednesday odds for Florida football’s homecoming game against the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.
Homecoming is this weekend for the Florida football program and this year’s opponent will be the Kentucky Wildcats â a school the Gators had dominated over three decades until recently. With three days remaining before the big game, some of the latest betting lines have shifted slightly.
The Orange and Blue lost in overtime at the Tennessee Volunteers last weekend in a game that was closer than most expected but remain in dire need of any and every win they can get in the second half of the season.
The Wildcats were tripped up by the Vanderbilt Commodores in Lexington, which stripped them of their 12 votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 7 and continues their free fall from the preseason rankings.
Florida vs. Kentucky football betting odds
The Gators are favored by 1.5 points over the Wildcats â down one point from Monday’s update â according to BetMGM. Here are the full odds as of 2:20 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Team
Spread
Over/Under
Money Line
Kentucky
+1.5
-110
O 42.5
-110
-120
Florida
-1.5
-110
U 42.5
-110
+100
[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]
How to Watch
Hereâs everything you need to watch the Florida Gators take on the Kentucky Wildcats.
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:45 p.m. ET
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
The remainder of the season looks a lot more grim with the loss of starting quarterback Graham Mertz, but if anyone on the roster can fill his shoes, it is true freshman DJ Lagway.
Kentucky on the other hand has face-planted in SEC play so far and is facing Florida in the Swamp. Sure, they beat the Ole Miss Rebels by three and fought the Georgia Bulldogs to a 13-12 loss, but the South Carolina Gamecocks and Vanderbilt Commodores both found ways to finish them off.
DJ Lagway will explode in this one and give the Gator Nation something to finally feel confident in this one. The defense will also continue to improve as it has the past couple of weeks.
Florida 32, Kentucky 21
[gambcom-standard rankid=”6305″ ]
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire
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Legendary running back John L. Williams will serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits this Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Swamp.
One of the best running backs in history for a program that was once known for consistently producing NFL talent will serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits this Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats in the Swamp.
[autotag]John L. Williams[/autotag], who played on the 1984 squad that earned the Florida Gators their first Southeastern Conference football title (which would be later revoked), spent four years in Gainesville from 1982 to 1985, amassing 2,409 yards on the ground on 468 attempts (5.1 average) over 39 games along with 14 touchdowns.
What makes those numbers more impressive is that he shared the workload with another future NFL player Neal Anderson the entire time he spent at UF (as well as Lorenzo Hampton for three years). It did not hurt that they had the “Great Wall of Florida” for their offensive line, making the Gators one of the most formidable opponents during the mid-80s.
Williams played 10 professional seasons â eight with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 1985 NFL draft. He also played two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring.
For his NFL career, Williams finished with 5,006 yards on 1,245 carries for an average of an even four per rush, while finishing second in the Rookie of the Year race in 1986 as well as making two Pro Bowl appearances in 1990 and 1991.
Coming up for the Gators
The Gators host the Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this yearâs homecoming game. 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.
SP+ favors the Gators by a hair against Kentucky this weekend in the Swamp.
Florida football prepares for its annual homecoming game this weekend, with the Kentucky Wildcats serving as this year’s opponent inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The Gators welcome the ‘Cats to the Swamp amidst another frustrating season for Billy Napier’s squad, which enters the matchup an even 3-3 overall with a 1-2 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The next five opponents on the schedule are top-25 programs â four currently in the top 10 â so this is an important game for the Orange and Blue.
The Wildcats have also dealt with mediocrity bringing an identical overall tally into play but only one win in three tries against SEC opponents. Last week, Kentucky was upset by the surprising Vanderbilt Commodores at home.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his SP+ predictions for Week 8 of college football, which narrowly favors UF with a 56% chance of victory by a margin of 2.3 points. The computer model projects a final score of 28.5.
Napier and Co. sit at No. 23 out of 134 FBS schools (12.6 overall rating) in the SP+ rankings coming into Saturdayâs affair while Mark Stoops’ team is 23rd (12.8 overall rating).
âIt is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If youâre lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If youâre strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.â
Coming up for the Gators
The Gators host the Wildcats inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, for this yearâs homecoming game. 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.
Kentucky’s latest home loss to an SEC opponent was an ugly one.
The Kentucky Wildcats fell 20-13 to Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores on a mistake-ridden Saturday night for Mark Stoops’ team at Kroger Field in Lexington.
The loss was Kentucky’s sixth straight at home in SEC play dating back to last year’s 33-14 win over the Florida Gators, who the Wildcats (3-3 overall, 1-3 SEC) will face next Saturday.
Pavia, the toast of college football after leading Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1) to a historic 40-35 upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Nashville a week earlier, completed all but three passes in a 15-of-18 performance for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
Pavia threw his first interception of the year when D’Eryk Jackson came down with a pick in the second quarter.
But it was the mistakes Kentucky made that stood out the most on this night instead of anything Pavia did.
Midway through the third quarter, with Vanderbilt leading 17-7, Kentucky drove to the Commodores’ 1-yard line only to see a false start penalty push them back to the 6.
Two plays later, on fourth down, punter and holder Wilson Berry fumbled a snap on a would-be chip shot field goal for Alex Raynor that would have made it a one-score game. Berry was forced to scramble and attempt an ill-fated pass that was intercepted.
It was a mere microcosm of the unforced errors Kentucky made in its latest home dud against an SEC opponent. The Wildcats were penalized 12 times for 105 yards.
Pavia led the Commodores on a 97-yard touchdown drive on their first possession that was fueled in part by another self-inflicted Kentucky wound.
With the Commodores at their own 15-yard line, Jamon Dumas-Johnson was flagged 15 yards for roughing the passer. The penalty gave Vanderbilt a first down at the 30-yard line. Later, Pavia ended the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to AJ Newberry.
Brock Vandagriff was 15-of-25 for 158 yards and a touchdown pass. His 22-yard touchdown toss to Dane Key came in the fourth quarter and cut the Vanderbilt lead to 20-13, but Berry dropped the snap on the extra point try and had to scramble.
Tailback Demie Sumo-Karngbaye had his fourth rushing touchdown of the season — and the Wildcats’ first score of the night. He capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive that spanned 6:02 with a one-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter.
Vanderbilt never trailed in Saturday’s contest. The Commodores won their second straight in Lexington after knocking off the Wildcats, 24-21, in November 2022.
Next Up
The Wildcats will head to Gainesville for a scheduled 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff (SEC Network) against the Florida Gators in Week 8. Billy Napier’s team fell 23-17 in overtime to the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium Saturday night.
