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Three takeaways from Florida’s blowout win over Kentucky

Football is fun again! DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh led Florida into a new era on Saturday with a big win over Kentucky.

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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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ win vs. Saints on ‘TNF’

The Broncos defeated the New Orleans Saints 33-10 on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos got a 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

1. Cody Barton had himself a day: The journeyman linebacker ended the game with eight tackles, one sack, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery he returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Barton also had another score earlier in the game negated by a defensive penalty. He’s been a key part of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s squad.

2. The Broncos had a historic day on the ground: Denver finished the game with 225 rushing yards, the team’s best single-game total since 2013. Javonte Williams led the way with 14 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Going up against a hapless Saints defense, Williams arguably looked the best he has since his 2022 knee injury. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix also had a big day rushing with 10 carries for 75 yards. The only hiccup on the ground came when rookie Audric Estime fumbled in the fourth quarter, marking his second career fumble on just his eighth career touch.

3. Ex-Saints came up big for the Broncos: Denver kicker Wil Lutz went 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 3-of-3 on extra point attempts, accounting for 15 points. Broncos linebacker Kwon Alexander also started against his former team after being elevated from the practice squad. The veteran linebacker had one tackle and recovered a fumble.

4. Bo Nix needs to calm down: Nix did a great job making plays with his legs, and he seemed to be more composed and accurate when Denver had built a lead, but he had an ugly start to the game. Nix seemed to have anxious feet in the pocket and he threw a few ugly inaccurate passes early on. He also had a bad throw that should have been intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu just before halftime. Nix got better as the game went on and finished the day with a 61.5% rate and no turnovers, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

5. That meant a lot to Sean Payton: Leading up to the game, Broncos players downplayed it as “just another game,” and Payton didn’t make a big deal about facing his former team, at least not to the media. It clearly was an emotional night for the coach, though, and the players had some extra motivation to win one for Payton in New Orleans. The night could not have gone better for Denver’s coach.

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Raiders now a distant dead last in NFL turnover differential

No team has a worse turnover differential by a considerable margin now.

“And it’s not even close” is a term that is overused these days. Often it’s completely misused. Especially with regard to sports opinions. But sometimes it’s just a fact.

For instance, the Raiders have the worst turnover differential in the NFL…and it’s not even close.

After just six weeks, the Raiders have a turnover differential of -10. That’s NEGATIVE TEN!

They have turned over the ball 12 times this season already — Also league worst. That’s two turnovers per game. Seven of those were interceptions — also a league worst. And they’ve only taken the ball away from an opponent twice.

As of last week, they were actually tied for the worst turnover differential. They and the Tennessee Titans both had a -7 turnover differential. The Titans still have that. While the Raiders added three more turnovers in a blowout loss to the Steelers while not taking the ball away at all.

For a moment, they had an interception — Divine Deablo — but it was wiped away from a roughing the passer penalty on Matthew Butler. Wiping away good plays with penalties was the order of the day for the Raiders last Sunday. As was coughing up the football, of course.

5 takeaways from Broncos’ loss to Chargers in Week 6

The Broncos fell to the Chargers in Week 6. Here are five quick takeaways from the loss.

The Denver Broncos dropped to 3-3 on Sunday following a 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at home. Here are five quick takeaways from Sunday’s game.

1. Pat Surtain’s exit was felt on defense: After PS2 left with a concussion, the secondary allowed Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to have his first 200-yard passing game of 2024. Riley Moss held up well all things considered and Levi Wallace was fine, but Ja’Quan McMillian had a crucial penalty late in the game that hurt the team’s comeback effort. Surtain was missed on Sunday and he seems unlikely to play on Thursday.

2. Javonte Williams had a rough game: Williams averaged less than four yards per carry (3.8), lost a fumble and dropped a pass. Meanwhile, rookie Audric Estime returned from injured reserve and led the team’s backfield with 6.5 yards per carry (on a small sample size of two carries). Perhaps we’ll see more of Estime going forward.

3. The offensive line held up OK: Without right tackle Mike McGlinchey (or fill-in right tackle Alex Palczewski) or center Luke Wattenberg, the offensive line still turned in a respectable performance. Bo Nix often had time to throw, but he didn’t always take advantage of it. Nix was sacked twice, but Matt Peart (right tackle) and Alex Forsyth (center) were serviceable fill-in linemen this week.

4. Devaughn Vele picked up where he left off: Vele led the team in targets (eight) and catches (eight) in Week 1 and then went four straight games inactive, initially due to a ribs injury. After Josh Reynolds (hand) was placed on injured reserve, Vele returned to the lineup and he once again led the team in targets (six) and catches (four), tying with Courtland Sutton in both categories. Nix clearly trusts the rookie WR, and he could be featured in the offense going forward.

5. Bo Nix did his best Tim Tebow impression: Nix (and the entire offense) was invisible for the first half and even the third quarter. After scoring zero points through 45 minutes, Nix led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, but the comeback bid fell short after a failed onside kick attempt. Nix ended the day 19-of-33 passing for 216 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also led the team with 61 rushing yards. If the Broncos are going to get back above .500, they’ll need Nix to start playing like it’s the fourth quarter from the first snap.

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3 takeaways from Packers’ win over Cardinals

Takeaways from the Packers’ win over the Cardinals in Week 6.

The Green Bay Packers did what all good teams must do: take care of business against an overmatched opponent in an impressive way at home. Matt LaFleur’s team raced out to a 24-0 lead in the first half and then used three different takeaways in the second half to secure a comfortable 34-13 win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Since losing to the Vikings, the Packers have navigated a tricky road game and cruised to a comfortable victory at home against NFC West opponents. Now 4-2, the Packers are playing their best football entering a three-game stretch before the bye that includes showdowns with the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions.

Here are three takeaways from the Packers’ win over the Cardinals:

1. Complementary football sparks blowout

Playing complementary football helped the Packers race out to a big advantage and slam the door shut late. How’s this for complementary? After the Packers’ first drive stalled, Daniel Whelan pinned the Cardinals at the 8-yard line with a well-placed punt. The Packers defense then forced a quick three-and-out, and the Cardinals punted from their own end zone. Jayden Reed’s 8-yard return and a 15-yard face mask penalty put the Packers at the Arizona 44-yard line. After an explosive run from Josh Jacobs (14 yards) and Bo Melton (16 yards), Jordan Love finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed on 3rd-and-goal. Great punt, quick stop, field position flip, quick scoring drive. That’s how a team uses all three phases to create a touchdown. The Packers forced punts on four straight drives and scored on four straight drives to build a 24-0 lead in the first half. Then the defense produced three straight takeaways and the offense hammered the final nail with the run game in the second half. Sunday was the perfect game script for the Packers.

2. Rallying around Romeo

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The moment said it all: Right after Romeo Doubs made a 10-yard touchdown catch in the first half, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed and then the whole offense huddled around Doubs to celebrate the score in his return from a one-game suspension. It was a special moment, both for Doubs, who is moving forward following a tough week off the field, and the Packers offense in general, who all rallied around him. Doubs finished with three catches and a pair of scores, including a 20-yarder on a 50/50 ball from Jordan Love in the second half. The Packers still trust him, and Doubs paid off the trust in a few big spots on Sunday. This passing game is better with Doubs in a featured role.

3. Rookie defenders shine

Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Edgerrin Cooper all played big parts in the Packers limiting the Cardinals to 13 points. Williams had a tackle for loss on Kyler Murray and a punch-out forced fumble, creating a turnover. Bullard had eight tackles and was active against the run and in preventing scramble opportunities from Murray on extended plays. Several times, his closing speed forced Murray to turn out of bounds in the open field. Cooper was all over the field, especially against the run and as a blitzer. He made several impressive solo tackles. The Packers are ascending on defense in large part because they are trusting their talented rookie trio more and more. Williams is looking more and more like a full-time deep safety, Bullard is excellent playing near the line of scrimmage and in the slot and Cooper is inching closer and closer to a full-time player at linebacker. Rookies will go through ups and downs, but the true potential of the Packers defense is being elevated by Williams, Bullard and Cooper.

Other tidbits

In the Melton Bowl, Packers receiver Bo Melton rushed two times for 27 yards and caught one pass for six yards, but he also slipped down on an interception in the first half. Max Melton had four tackles…the Packers had four players with a rushing attempt gain 10 or more yards and nine different players catch a pass…tight end Tucker Kraft successfully executed a quarterback sneak after motioning under center…Love threw four touchdown passes, becoming the first Packers quarterback to throw four or more touchdown passes in back-to-back games at Lambeau Field since Brett Favre in 1995…the Packers finished with only one quarterback hit, but Kyler Murray never looked comfortable in the pocket and finished with only 14 rushing yards on seven attempts…tight end Ben Sims had his first explosive play of the season, a 28-yard catch on a wheel route…Dontayvion Wicks left with a shoulder injury and didn’t return…Keisean Nixon had a 39-yard punt return and a 37-yard kickoff return, showcasing his field-flipping return ability.

Three takeaways from Florida’s disappointing loss at Tennessee

Florida had plenty of opportunities to beat Tennessee on Saturday, but the Gators are leaving Knoxville with a loss after a disappointing finish in overtime.

Florida lost a game it should have won against No. 8 Tennessee Saturday night, 23-17, in overtime.

On a night when the Gators’ defense finally stepped up against a good team, the offense couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain, scoring just once in the first half. Florida scored twice in the second half to force overtime, but the offense didn’t play as effectively without [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], who left the game with what looks like a serious injury.

It’s a heartbreaking way for a rivalry game to end, and the loss may have sealed Billy Napier’s fate.

Missed opportunities in the first half

Florida got into the red zone four times in the first half and came away with three points. After kicking a field goal on their second drive, the Gators turned the ball over on downs, fumbled on the 1-yard-line and blew another field goal thanks to an illegal substitution penalty.

What could have been a 16-0 lead at the half wound up being a three-point lead, wasting a strong defensive performance. The fumble was unfortunate, but the other two missed opportunities were completely avoidable. If Billy Napier is still calling plays, he messed up running a sweep with Lagway under center and one yard to gain.

The salt in the wound… Trey Smack drilled his second kick of the evening but it was wiped off because Florida had too many men on the field. That can’t happen, especially if Florida wants to win rivalry games on the road in the SEC.

The defense is improving week-by-week

For a defense that looked completely lost against Miami and Texas A&M, the past two weeks have been solid for Florida. It’s a shame that the defense got scored on in overtime to lose the game, but this loss is hardly on them.

Florida held Tennessee to just 312 total yards on offense. The Volunteers came into this matchup averaging 519 yards per game. Florida got to Tennessee behind the line of scrimmage eight times, including three sacks. The Volunteers had only allowed 24 tackles for loss through its five previous games.

This is the kind of performance that should lead to a win. But it didn’t. The fear now is that the defense will lose some mojo instead of entering the toughest portion of the schedule with a ton of confidence. Film review should remedy some of the hard feelings, but it’s hard to remain optimistic after a loss like this.

Losing Graham Mertz is devastating

Graham Mertz left the game in the third quarter, and that’s bad news for the Gators, even with DJ Lagway in the fold. Lagway will be the better college quarterback when all is said and done, but the true freshman isn’t prepared to take over an SEC team just yet.

Lagway looked overwhelmed on his first drive after taking over for Mertz, and he didn’t get the play off in time when pinned inside Florida’s 10-yard-line on his second drive. Playing in Knoxville isn’t easy, especially when 100,000 fans are screaming over the play call — so much for that in-helmet communication.

It’s good for Lagway to get experience in these kinds of situations, but not in this way. Mertz leading the way and taking pressure off the five-star freshman was working. Now, it might be Lagway’s team to lead.

Hopefully, Mertz isn’t hurt too badly, but a lower-body, non-contact injury is always worrisome.

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to the Swamp on Saturday to host the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 8 for the program’s homecoming game. Game time is once again a late one — starting at 7:45 p.m. ET — while the broadcast will be provided by the SEC Network.

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Good, Bad and Ugly takes from Florida’s overtime loss at Tennessee

The Gators Wire crew offer their instant takeaways in a good, bad and ugly format after the overtime loss at the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 7.

Florida football put up a heckuva fight on Saturday night in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers but simply did not have enough to keep up in a 23-17 overtime loss inside Neyland Stadium.

It was a grueling, low-scoring affair in the first half that caught most by surprise, especially when the Gators walked off the field at halftime with a 3-0 lead. However, there were plenty of points that never made it onto the scoreboard during the first 30 minutes thanks to some questionable playcalling and ballhandling.

In the end, the Orange and Blue were not able to overcome an injury to their starting quarterback and the hostile home crowd pushed its beloved team across the finish line. The Gators Wire crew took it all in and offered their instant takeaways in a good, bad and ugly format below.

The defense proved last week wasn’t a fluke

GOOD: The defense proved last week wasn’t a fluke, shutting Tennessee out in the first half and keeping Florida in it after the break. It’s unfair to count the overtime score against them considering the offense didn’t put up any points. They were trying to force a turnover and couldn’t.

But let’s not forget the five three-and-outs created by the defense, three of which came in the fourth quarter. The Gators executed the plan to perfection, eliminating the Volunteers’ run game for most of the night. Eight tackles for loss, three sacks and two turnovers should lead to a win.

BAD: Coming up short four times in the red zone in a single half can’t happen in a rivalry game, but I’m not going to blame the playcalling. Penalties damned Florida in this one.

Remember, Trey Smack made the field goal at the end of the first half before Florida was called for a penalty that ran out the remainder of the game clock. With those three points, Florida doesn’t go into overtime and likely wins outright with the Dike touchdown catch in the fourth. Then there’s the Jake Slaughter false start in overtime.

Of all people, it was Florida’s best lineman — THE CENTER — who was called for a false start… Smack can make it from 47, but he shouldn’t have had to try it from that far out.

UGLY: Graham Mertz going down with what looks like a serious non-contact injury to his left leg. DJ Lagway is still figuring things out, and losing Mertz puts the offense in a state of uncertainty moving forward. You hate to see something like this happen. Hopefully, he can play again this season. — David Rosenberg

Florida’s defense really held their ground

GOOD: Florida’s defense really held their ground for the most part throughout this game. Whenever the Gators needed a stop on third down or a quick three-and-out from the Tennessee offense, the defense came through.

Tennessee had a lot of quick drives and just 312 yards of total offense. The Gators ended up dominating the time of possession, holding the ball for just under 35 minutes while Tennessee had it for 25 minutes.

The defense forced seven punts and a couple of turnovers but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the game because things on the offensive side of the ball didn’t click.

BAD: The offense kept shooting themselves in the foot. Whether it was turning the ball over in crucial situations or creating predictable play calls, the Gators’ offense was frustrating to watch. A mix of runs up the middle, read-options and screen passes found no success in moving the ball down the field.

There just weren’t enough throws down the field and unfortunately, you can’t win games in the SEC with conservative playcalling. That’s the bottom line.

UGLY: Graham Mertz might have suffered a very serious injury. Mertz was seen limping to the sideline after throwing a touchdown in the third quarter. What was weird about it was that it was a non-contact injury. Mertz threw the ball and all of a sudden went down to the ground in pain, holding onto his lower leg.

Toward the end of the fourth quarter, Mertz was seen with crutches on the sidelines, hugging coaches and players. While there’s no information released on the injury or severity, that is not a good sign for the Florida Gators. — Aidan Gallardo

It was a valiant effort overall for the Gators

GOOD: It was a valiant effort overall for the Gators and they pushed a superior team to the brink on their home field. Despite losing their starting quarterback to injury, they kept fighting until the final horn.

Unfortunately, Florida just ran out of juice after 60 minutes and faltered in the end. While there are no moral victories in completive sports, there was certainly a lot to build on from this Saturday’s performance.

BAD: Neither team was able to get a lot going on the ground — until UT’s late push in the grand scheme of things. The Gators really needed to establish their running game to open up passing options, but aside from a few nice runs, the rushing corps was held in check.

Florida also missed out on some huge opportunities that must be capitalized on against a top-10 team. Fumbling the ball at the goal line — among other giveaways — prevented the Gators from separating themselves from the Vols when it mattered the most.

UGLY: Graham Mertz’s injury may have ended any hope for Billy Napier to hold onto his job past this fall. It could also very well prevent Florida from earning a bowl bid — which was already a major question mark.

We will see what the injury reports say after he is properly evaluated, but with all due respect to an incredibly talented DJ Lagway, this team is up poop creek without a paddle if Graham is done. — Adam Dubbin

Next up for Florida

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ 34-18 win over Raiders

The Broncos have won three straight. Are they legit? Here are five takeaways from the team’s latest victory.

The Denver Broncos snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Las Vegas Raiders with a 34-18 win over their division rivals on Sunday. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

1. Pat Surtain is a DPOY candidate: After shutting down top wide receivers in the first four games of the season, PS2 had a game-altering 100-yard pick-six against the Raiders on Sunday to help swing the game. He later grabbed a second interception. Surtain is an early contender for Defensive Player of the Year.

2. Javonte Williams is back: Williams struggled in the team’s first three games, but he’s been solid over the last two weeks. After rushing for 77 yards last week, Williams led the Broncos in carries (13), rushing yards (61), receptions (five) and receiving yards (50) on Sunday. He has emerged as a key part of the team’s offense.

3. Riley Moss is a rising star: Surtain gets the spotlight, understandably so, but Moss has also been brilliant this season. The first-year starter is not only holding up in coverage but excelling in coverage, and he secured his first career interception against the Raiders in Week 5.

4. Bo Nix’s sideline outburst was not a bad thing: After failing to connect with Troy Franklin on a deep pass in the third quarter, Nix was caught on camera in a heated exchange with coach Sean Payton on the sideline. The Broncos scored two more touchdowns after that incident and Payton did not seem bothered by the QB’s fiery outburst. “He works his tail off and I am that way [too],” Payton said. All good between coach and QB.

5. The Broncos might be legit: The two teams that beat Denver this season are a combined 6-4 and the Broncos have now won three straight games, putting the team into the early playoff hunt. With an impressive defense and Nix trending up, Denver suddenly looks like the real deal.

Up next for the Broncos is another home game against a division rival, this time against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6.

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Three takeaways from the Commanders’ first half against Cleveland

A great first half for the Commanders defense.

The Commanders lead the Browns 24-3 at halftime in front of an almost all-Burgundy crowd at Northwest Stadium. Cleveland was able to limit red-hot Jayden Daniels to a 7-16 start, but he bounced back with a 44-yard touchdown to end the half.

Here are three takeaways from the first half:

Washington’s defense has it’s best half of the season

The Commander’s defense has been their Achilles heel all season but they’ve managed to get off the field on every third down. On three of those third downs, Washington got to Watson — linebacker Frankie Luvu in action on the first two, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen credited with a half sack on the second, and linebacker Bobby Wagner on the last before the half.

Allen’s improvement has been noticeable and is affecting the entire front seven. There was some backlash over the start to his season, but after making strides last week against the Cardinals he had two quarterback hits and four tackles on top of the half sack.

Daniels adjusts to a slow passing start

“Man is when the fun starts,” Jayden Daniels said when asked about the Brown’s defense. Cleveland was able to slow Daniels down initially, but he was unable to eventually find his success against defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s aggressive nature. As first seen on his 66-yard completion to Terry McLaurin and then before the half to Dyami Brown for a 41-yard touchdown — snapping his 7/16 start.

His legs have also exposed Schwartz’s man coverage, as Daniels already has 47 rushing yards. His 262 rushing yards are the most ever by a quarterback in their first five career games.

The running game continues to flex its muscles

The duo of Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler is showing its potential so far, with 78 total yards on top of Robinson’s two touchdowns. As Daniels has been able to expose the blitz, the offensive line did a fantastic job on trap runs — Ekeler was able to break away for a 57-yard run, which was the most by a Washington running back since 2019.

Other than Zadarius Smith’s first sack, the offensive line has held its own. Most noticeably, rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman has won his fair share of battles against All-Pro Myles Garrett.

Three takeaways from Florida football’s win over UCF in the Swamp

Florida went to halftime against UCF with a 21-point lead, but a goose egg in the second half made a strong win look a lot closer than it really was.

Florida (3-2) took care of business against UCF (2-3) in Week Six, 24-13, to move back over .500 on the season.

The tandem of [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] under center continues to be effective, and they seem to be playing off each other better by the week. But the big story this week for Florida is the defense, which finally showed up and played like an SEC defense should.

This win felt bigger than a two-point victory, though. Florida had control for most of the evening, and the clock just burned away in the second half.

Florida’s defense finally shows up

UCF kicked a field goal to get on the board early, but the Knights only got 11 plays off over the following three drives. Florida’s defense wreaked havoc, consistently getting behind the line of scrimmage. Over the entire game, the Gators racked up seven tackles for loss, five sacks and allowed just one touchdown.

By the time the Knights found the end zone, the game was all but over. More importantly, Florida stalled the two longest drives of the night for UCF — the 12-play, four-minute field goal drive to begin the game and a 14-play, eight-minute drive to start the second half with another field goal.

Capping it all off was a game-sealing interception from safety Bryce Thornton, who has missed time this season battling injury.

Statement first half

Almost everything went right for the Gators in the first half. Taking a 24-3 lead into the break had The Swamp rocking, and it’s hard to find any negatives with the Orange and Blue’s first two quarters.

Mertz and Lagway combined for 172 yards on 16-of-20 passing, including a touchdown pass to Elijhah Badger from the veteran quarterback. Lagway had his moment, too, finding Chimere Dike for a 37-yard gain and setting up a touchdown run from Montrell Johnson Jr.

Speaking of Johnson, the third-year Gators starter busted a big 34-yard run to set up a field goal right before halftime. He only ran the ball twice in the second half, but he finished the night with a 5.4-yard average over 10 attempts. If Florida’s going to find long-term success this year, they’ll need Johnson to hold that average for an entire game.

No points in the second half

As good as this win felt, it’s hard to ignore the goose egg put up by Florida in the second half. Good teams score in all four quarters, even if the opponent takes up 8 minutes to kick a field goal.

Florida didn’t need to maintain its three-touchdown lead after halftime to win comfortably, but putting up 108 yards over an entire half isn’t the best look. Had KJ Jefferson worked some magic instead of throwing an interception, UCF could have been a field goal away from tying it.

With several top-25 teams coming up on the schedule, it would have been nice to see the Gators keep their foot on the gas pedal instead of just holding off the Knights.

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