The Opening Kickoff: Gators vs. Samford — Itching to Improve - Florida Gators (2024)

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Kickoff for Saturday night's home game against Samford can't get here fast enough for the Gators.

Yes, it has been that kind of week in this football-crazed college town.

Florida's season-opening 41-17 loss to Miami shook the ground underneath Florida Field and rattled a fanbase hungry for the program to reverse its fortunes after three consecutive losing seasons. There is change on the way.

Enter true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, who took over for injured starter Graham Mertz in the final quarter against the Hurricanes. With Mertz still in concussion protocol, Lagway is primed to make his first career start Saturday against Samford, which lost its season opener 38-29 last week at West Georgia.

Of all the subplots attached to Saturday's game, Lagway's first start is the one that has arrived sooner than expected.

UF head coach Billy Napier is ready to see how Lagway responds.

"When you're in there and the bullets are flying, I think that's the scenario where the consequences become real," Napier said.

Captains for Game 2. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/3wA0V5EUi4

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— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 6, 2024

Lagway went 3-for-6 for 31 yards and an interception against the Hurricanes. He added 20 yards on four carries and led UF on a 58-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter.

Lagway arrived at UF in January and entered the season projected to be Mertz's backup and perhaps an occasional change-of-pace option. That plan changed when Mertz was hit and slammed his head on the turf late in the third quarter against Miami.

Napier and the Gators spoke confidently this week that Lagway is ready for the challenge.

"Everything he does is just smooth. It just seems effortless, cool, calm, collected," receiver Eugene Wilson III said. "I feel like a lot of that dynamic will be able to play a factor the rest of the season."

The Gators need something good to happen, and Lagway has an opportunity to lead the way.

In the latest edition ofThe Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-Samford matchup:

THREE STORYLINES

• Florida's loss to Miami cast a dark cloud over the program this week. The only way for some sunshine to break through is to beat Samford and look good doing it. The schedule only gets more difficult from here, and the Gators must win to recapture some confidence and quiet the critics.
• True freshman QB DJ Lagway is set to make his first career start, providing Gators fans a glimpse of what they hope is a crucial piece to a future turnaround. Lagway led the Gators on a scoring drive in his debut and offered a different look in the offense than injured starter Graham Mertz. How will Lagway play with a week to prepare? What will the Gators change offensively to fit his skill set? Is he ready? Those questions and more add an extra layer of intrigue in the season's second game.
• Several newcomers played pivotal roles for the Hurricanes a week ago, none more than transfer QB Cam Ward. Meanwhile, the Gators had several transfers play, but none proved a difference-maker like Ward. UF could use players such as LB Grayson Howard, S DJ Douglas, DB Trikweze Bridges, WR Elijhah Badger and OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson to make statements on Saturday.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

• With Lagway already covered (see above), he needs to be protected. That starts up front, where left tackle Austin Barber and right tackle Kamryn Waites or Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson must be on high alert. Florida's offensive line could use a dominant performance to gain footing before heading into the conference schedule.
• Instead of a player, let's go with an entire unit: Florida's defensive line. The Gators made Miami's offensive line look like the "Great Wall of Florida" and barely touched Cam Ward for most of the afternoon. Tyreak Sapp, T.J. Searcy, Caleb Banks, Kamran James, Cam Jackson, George Gumbs Jr.,Desmond Watson – any or all need to take the field Saturday with the proverbial chip on their shoulder.
• Sophom*ore WR Eugene Wilson III is Florida's most dynamic player with the ball in his hands. Wilson should see the ball plenty against the overmatched Bulldogs, who surrendered 456 yards in their season-opening loss.

THREE DIGITS

6 — Consecutive losses for Gators, their longest losing streak since a seven-game skid to end the 2013 season.
20 —Players to make their UF debuts in the season opener.
9.6 — Yards per carry for senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. in the season opener, highlighted by a 71-yard TD run.

THREE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS LB GRAYSON HOWARD

The transfer from South Carolina led the Gators with six tackles in the loss to Miami. He is better known as Pup Howard to football fans and grew up (gulp!) a Georgia fan because of his father's influence.

Q: How did you get the nickname Pup?
A: It came from when I was in eighth grade. I started practicing with the varsity team going to the next year, and the coach at the time, he said, 'I'm gonna call you 'Pup' because I know one day you'll be a big dog.' So, stuck ever since, and I've been getting called that since freshman year of high school.

Q: Growing up in Jacksonville, what was it like for you to play in 'The Swamp?'
A: It's a little different, especially being [from] real close, just an hour down the road. So, it was definitely different. And also, having my dad here and my brother here making it easy for them to get to the games. It definitely took my game to another level and my preparation to another level.

Q: What prompted you to transfer from South Carolina?
A: God told me that I needed to enter the portal, come home. So, I knew that if I made that decision, that I needed to make an impact and push towards my goals and everything like that. So, I mean, the perfect opportunity was to come here, and like I said, the coaches did a great job with helping me and preparing me to earn a role in this defense.

NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS

• This is the fourth all-time meeting between the Gators and Samford. Florida is 3-0 all-time in the series
• Florida won the last matchup against the Bulldogs 7o-52 in 2021. The 122 combined points were the highest-scoring game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium history.
• Florida is 23-1 against FCS teams since 1981, its only loss to Georgia Southern in 2013. UF has won those games by an average of 38.8 points.
• Sophom*ore WR Eugene Wilson III caught a team-high seven passes for 50 yards in the loss to Miami, the fifth time in eight games Wilson had seven or more receptions.
• Gators DB Sharif Denson, LB Grayson Howard, CB Ja'Keem Jackson, DL Kamran James and DL T.J. Searcy made their first collegiate starts in Week 1.
• Gators S Asa Turner, a transfer from Washington, started the opener and is one of 10 current FBS players to earn a start in six consecutive seasons.
• Gators have lost three consecutive home games and seek to avoid their first four-game losing streak at Florida Field since 1979.
• Former Gators OL coach/offensive coordinator Steve Addazio is working as the analyst on the SEC Network +/ESPN + live stream. Addazio spent the 2005-10 seasons as an assistant on Urban Meyer's UF staff.
• Samford QB Quincy Crittendon passed for 307 yards and rushed for 90 in the season opener at West Georgia.
• Gators co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Russ Callaway played for Samford head coach Chris Hatcher at Valdosta State and was on Hatcher's coaching staff at Murray State and Samford.

INJURY REPORT

GATORS — OUT: DL Jamari Lyons (ankle surgery, out for season), WR Kahleil Jackson (knee surgery, out for season), S Asa Turner (lower body), Devin Moore (upper body). DOUBTFUL: QB Graham Mertz (concussion protocol), DB Sharif Denson (unspecified), DL Joey Slackman (unspecified). QUESTIONABLE: WR Tank Hawkins (shoulder), WR Ja'Quavion Fraziars (knee), WR Andy Jean (wrist), TE Keon Zipperer (knee), RB Cam Carroll (knee). SAMFORD — No injuries to report.

CHARTING THE GATORS

DJ Lagway is set to become the seventh true freshman quarterback to start for the Gators when they face Samford on Saturday. Here is a look at the previous six and how they did:

*In Jacksonville

THEY SAID IT

• "Our fans showed up and did a great job. We need to do our part so that they could have been more of a factor in the game. Certainly, we contributed to that." — Gators head coach Billy Napier on season-opening loss
• "Oh, he's feeling good. This is something he's worked his whole life for. I mean, last week, I wasn't sure if he was going to play or not. I was fine with that. But this is what he wanted. Of course, he wanted to be the starter. He's been a starter all his life. This is what he's been waiting on." — Derek Lagway Sr. on his son to On3.com
• "I don't think it has any bearing on the game. This is going to be the best athletic football team that we play all year, whether they are winning games or not."— Samford head coach Chris Hatcher on facing Gators

THEY WROTE IT

• The door opens for DJ Lagway, and Florida football should push him through, writes David Whitley of the Gainesville Sun.
• Can Billy Napier, Florida Gators, recover from Miami blowout? Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times ponders the question.
• A look at how recent freshman five-star quarterbacks in first career starts have fared from Carter Bahns of 247Sports.

WHY GATORS WILL WIN

The Gators got embarrassed by Miami. That's how head coach Billy Napier and multiple players described the loss. They know there is nothing left to say. Or, as late Raiders owner Al Davis liked to say: "Just win, baby." To do that, the Gators must come out Saturday with fire. They need to be angry and make Samford think again the next time the Gators call for a nice paycheck to visit The Swamp. Yes, the Hurricanes embarrassed the Gators, and that should be enough motivation for Florida to flex its pride and beat up the Bulldogs.

WHY SAMFORD WILL WIN

The Gators show up with the same lackadaisical attitude and spotty execution as they did against the Hurricanes. If that happens and Samford jumps in front, it could be a weird, weird night at The Swamp.