GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A difficult season took another unwanted turn for the Gators when quarterback Graham Mertz hobbled off the field in last week's overtime loss at Tennessee.
A sixth-year senior with the intangibles of an NFL veteran, the loss of Mertz makes a demanding second half of the season even more challenging. For those who shouted the Gators should be starting true freshman DJ Lagway, their wish has been granted in a most unfortunate way.
Lagway will make his Southeastern Conference starting debut on Saturday night when Florida (3-3, 1-2) hosts Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Lagway delivered a memorable performance in his first career start, throwing for 456 yards in Florida's win over Samford with Mertz sidelined due to a concussion.
Once Mertz returned, UF coach Billy Napier utilized both players. Mertz started and got the bulk of the work, but Lagway entered on specific series. The two-quarterback system worked about as well as could have been expected until Mertz's season-ending knee injury.
Over the last three games, Mertz and Lagway combined to complete 69 of 87 passes for 729 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception. That system ended when Mertz felt a pop in his left knee on a scramble at Neyland Stadium.
Two plays later — a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Arlis Boardingham that gave the Gators a 10-0 lead in the third quarter — Mertz limped off the field and slammed his helmet to the turf, knowing he was seriously injured.
Lagway finished the 23-17 overtime loss to the Vols and took over as QB1 in practice this week. The season goes on. Out with the old, in with the new. Napier said it's Lagway's show now.
Boardingham is confident the Gators' offense will continue to move the chains with the talented and inexperienced Lagway at the wheel.
"His growth as a leader and the way he is understanding the game is incredible to see,'' Boardingham said. "To be put in a situation like he was at Tennessee, away game, super loud crowd, high energy, I feel like he handled it well and I think his adaptability is something that's pretty incredible."
In this edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-Kentucky matchup:
THREE STORYLINES
Lagway is set to make his second career start, and first against an FBS team. A five-star recruit from Willis, Texas, Lagway takes over for the injured Mertz. He has split time with Mertz in the last four games in Napier's two-quarterback system. However, it's now Lagway's show. He was great against Samford, but against FBS foes, Lagway has completed 29 of 47 passes for 309 yards with two TDs and four interceptions. The Wildcats defense ranks fourth among FBS programs (251.5 yards per game) and presents a strong test for Lagway in his SEC starting debut.
The Gators had ample opportunity to upset Tennessee last week in Knoxville but failed to deliver in the red zone, putting more pressure on Napier to turn around the program. A win Saturday over Kentucky would lift the Gators back over .500 before a bye week and then games against No. 5 Georgia and No. 1 Texas. Nothing is easy in the SEC, but the Gators really need a win before they embark on one of the most difficult four-game stretches in program history.
Kentucky ran over the Florida defense in last year's 33-14 win at Kroger Field. Tailback Ray Davis, now with the Buffalo Bills, punished the Gators for 280 yards and three TDs. The Wildcats averaged 9.1 yards per rush. Kentucky's offense has not been as productive in 2024 and Florida's defense has shown signs of life the past two games. The Gators limited UCF and Tennessee to 293 yards per game, a drastic improvement from early in the season. Can they keep it up?
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THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
No one has ever doubted Gators DL Tyreak Sapp's enthusiasm. He is a fan favorite and knows how to have fun with the media. However, the 6-foot-3, 272-pound Sapp has started to turn some of that passion into production. He has a team-high 3.5 sacks, including one last week at Tennessee. Sapp has been much more visible on the field of late and the Gators will look for more of the same against Wildcats QB Brock Vandagriff, who is completing just 59.8% of his passes.
Gators LB Grayson Howard has emerged as a consistent playmaker. He recovered a fumble at Tennessee and has 16 tackles in the last three games. Howard ranks second on the team in total tackles (29) and has 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Howard and fellow LB Jaden Robinson (28 tackles) and edge rusher Jack Pyburn (27) have played a critical role in UF's containment and defensive improvement the past two games.
RB Demi Sumo-Karngbaye leads Kentucky in rushing with 380 yards. Most projected Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum to carry a heavy load after Davis departed. However, Trayanum has yet to make his Wildcats debut due to a hand injury. Trayanum reportedly might play on Saturday, which would provide Kentucky another playmaker. In two seasons at Arizona State and two at Ohio State, Trayanum has rushed for 1,157 yards and 13 TDs.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS OL BRANDON CRENSHAW-DICKSON
Crenshaw-Dickson is in his first season at Florida after transferring from San Diego State, where he started 39 games over his career. Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson Q:What was it like to lose Graham Mertz for the rest of the season? A: Man, Graham was one of the first guys that I talked to when I committed here, so our relationship was super close when I first got here. It hurts me personally losing a guy like Graham, especially a leader for not just the offense, but everybody on the team. It hurts a lot.
Q:As a veteran player, what is key to moving past a tough loss like at Tennessee? A: This last game was very frustrating. One big thing Coach Napier said in the locker room was if you guys are not upset or mad that we lost this game, that means you don't care. The energy and the emotions that we brought out in that game, I mean, we all wish we would have won that game.
Q:How has your experience been going from San Diego to here? A: Well, like I've been telling everybody since I got here, I'm not used to how big everybody is for football down here. I love this type of energy. I wish I had this all four years. But it's new to me, so I'm just going to take it in as much as I can. I love how everything has been going so far, and I heard there's a concert [Gator Growl] on Friday, and I wish I could go to that.
THREE DIGITS
5 – Consecutive wins for Gators in homecoming games, longest streak since they won 21 in a row from 1989-2009. 8 – Years since the Gators faced Kentucky unranked in the AP Top 25 (a 45-7 win in 2016). 12 – Seasons at Kentucky for head coach Mark Stoops, making him one of 19 coaches in SEC history to coach at an SEC school for 12 or more seasons.
SEC PLAYER AVAILABILITY REPORT
FLORIDA — OUT: QB Graham Mertz (knee, out for season), LB R.J. Moten (undisclosed), DL Jamari Lyons (ankle, out for season), WR Kahleil Jackson (knee, out for season), CB Ja'Keem Jackson (undisclosed), WR TJ Abrams (undisclosed), RB KD Daniels (undisclosed), OL Devon Manuel (undisclosed), TE Tony Livingston (undisclosed), WR Marcus Burke (undisclosed), RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (lower body), S Asa Turner (knee), LS Rocco Underwood (undisclosed), OL Roderick Kearney (undisclosed). QUESTIONABLE: S Bryce Thornton (undisclosed). KENTUCKY —OUT: DB Maxwell Hairston (undisclosed), LB Jayvant Brown (undisclosed), DL Darrion Henry-Young (undisclosed), DL Tavion Gadson (undisclosed), DL Josaih Hayes (undisclosed). PROBABLE: RB Chip Trayanum (hand), DL Keeshawn Silver (undisclosed), DB Terhyon Nichols (shoulder), OL Gerald Mincey (undisclosed), K Jacob Kauwe (undisclosed).
NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS
Florida and Kentucky are meeting for the 75th time. The Gators own a 53-21 advantage in the all-time series but Kentucky has won three in a row.
The Gators are 29-6 all-time against the Wildcats at home, winning 19 in a row until a loss in 2018. The Wildcats have won four the past six meetings, including two of the last three at Florida Field.
Florida WR Chimere Dike leads the SEC in returning punts (19.6 yards per return). Dike had two returns for 57 yards in last week's loss at Tennessee.
Kentucky is expected to be without injured cornerback Maxwell Hairston for the third consecutive game. Hairston led the SEC with five interceptions a season ago, including two returned for touchdowns.
Wildcats LB D'Eryk Jackson had an interception in the loss to Vanderbilt, Kentucky's only pick through six games.
Kentucky is 2-10 in its last 12 SEC home games, but 6-6 in its last 12 SEC road games. The Wildcats have lost six consecutive conference home games, their most recent win coming over the Gators last season.
Mertz started 48 games in his career between Florida and Wisconsin. He threw for 9,099 yards, with 64 touchdowns and 31 interceptions while completing 64.7% of his passes.
Florida WRs Dike (18.6) and Elijhah Badger (19.8) are the only SEC teammates among qualified receivers averaging more than 18 yards per catch.
Gators RB Montrell Johnson Jr. ranks 10th in the SEC at midseason with 373 yards rushing. Johnson has rushed for at least 800 yards in each of his three previous seasons and at his current pace would finish with 746. However, late Friday Johnson's status on Saturday was downgraded from questionable to out after he left the game with a lower-body injury in the second half against Tennessee.
Kentucky WR Dane Key is sixth in the SEC in receiving yards (452), hauling in 31 passes and two touchdowns. Key has 1,607 receiving yards and 14 TDs in his three seasons with the Wildcats.
A GATORS HOMECOMING
The 1984 Gators, who finished 9-1-1 and won the first SEC championship in school history, return to Florida Field on Saturday to be recognized for their accomplishment. Their story is complicated as detailed in this story on our website Thursday. But there is no denying the '84 Gators remain one of the best teams in program history. The New York Times computer rankings named them the national champion 40 years ago (see below) …
THEY SAID IT
"That's a huge factor that we touched on … and make sure is right because a lot of missed opportunities and it came down to small details, so if we can just refine those details and make sure that we're up on our technique and everything that we know, then those missed opportunities won't happen again." — Billy Napier on Florida converting just 3 of 6 inside the red zone at Tennessee
"He's got a losing record. And at Florida, if you've got a losing record after three years, you're not doing very well, I wouldn't imagine. But we try to stay as positive as we can. I try to always say, 'I think we're ready to win.' I've picked us to win every game this year, but we're 3-3. And I'll pick us again to beat Kentucky, and we'll see what happens." — Former Gators coach Steve Spurrier on Napier's tenure to the Lexington Herald-Leader
"It would be a great feeling, of course, and everybody wants to win. But what happened last year, what they did, it's something I still think about, and as a whole, the defense, it's embarrassing what they did. We just want to come out there and just prove that what we've been doing week by week is just going to keep getting better." — Gators sophomore safety Jordan Castell on beating Kentucky
WHY FLORIDA WILL WIN
Lagway plays a clean game and the defense continues to play disciplined assignment football, which will help prevent a repeat of last year's Running of the Wildcats. Of course, a night game at The Swamp always has its advantages when the Gators get off to a good start and keep fans fired up about what they are watching. Lagway doesn't have to be perfect, but he needs to avoid crucial mistakes that lead to points.
WHY KENTUCKY WILL WIN
The two-quarterback system of Vandagriff and Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt (120 yards rushing) causes Florida's defense problems and leads to rare explosive plays. Kentucky has scored only four offensive touchdowns in its four conference games, so the Gators have plenty of film on what has stopped the Wildcats. Meanwhile, if the defense or special teams chip in with a score, Kentucky's offense might not need to be explosive.
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