Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Quarterback D.J. Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh are looking impressive already.
The Florida Gators pulled off their fourth win of the season this past weekend, cruising past the Kentucky Wildcats 48-20 to improve to 2-2 in conference play.
It was a dominant performance on multiple fronts, as the Gators blasted forward with a 24-point second quarter before cruising through the second half for a blowout victory.
The 48 points were a season-high, and it came while the Gators experienced a significant change, as 2024 five-star D.J. Lagway was elevated to the starting quarterback role after Graham Mertz announced that his season was over following a torn ACL in Florida’s 23-17 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers last week.
Lagway, a 6’3”, 240-pound true freshman, had made his first career start back in Week 2 against Samford, throwing for 456 yards and three touchdowns on 18 of 25 passing, and had since been rotating in with Mertz over the past few weeks.
Against Kentucky, Lagway was an explosive machine, tossing for 259 yards on just seven completions.
Additionally, he looked to use his legs on several occasions, ending with 46 yards on 10 carries (including sacks).
DJ LAGWAY HUGE PLAY
Great blocking, first of all, and then Lagway does a nice job scanning the field and finding Dike for the deep strike. pic.twitter.com/QpbkN034gT
— InAllKindsOfWeather.com (@AllKindsWeather) October 20, 2024
However, he ended with zero touchdowns. Why? Well, he was complemented by four-star running back Jadan Baugh, as the true freshman stepped into the starting role following an injury to top back Montrell Johnson.
As a result, Baugh took advantage of his opportunities, going for 106 yards and five touchdowns on 22 carries against the SEC’s third-best run defense in a monster day for the freshman.
Baugh had seen his opportunities slowly increase as the season went along, earning 12 carries against Tennessee, but this was by far his most volume of the season, which he capitalized on with great production.
Heading into the season, many questioned how well Florida could play this year, as they faced one of, if not the, toughest schedules in the entire country. But, so far, thanks to wins over Samford, Mississippi State, UCF and now Kentucky, the Gators are 4-3 heading into the brutal part of their schedule.
Things don’t get easier at all from here though, as Florida plays four straight ranked opponents, with No. 2 Georgia, No. 5 Texas, No. 8 LSU, and No. 18 Ole Miss coming in consecutive weeks.
Still, things are trending in the right direction for the Gators, who have had to go to their talented true freshmen on offense due to injuries, and have been rewarded with quality play against tough opponents so far.
These next four matchups will be a great test for Lagway and Co. as they try and navigate some muddy waters, but the five-star recruit is showing glimpses of his potential every week, which can only be a good sign for the Gators going forward.
In addition, it seems like Florida may have found a diamond in the rough with Baugh’s emergence, and one can only assume that the four-star freshman will continue to be a focal part of the offense, even as top back Montrell Johnson returns to the fold.
While it didn’t look that way in an ugly 41-17 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the opener, things are looking bright for the future for the Gators at the moment.
