Gators head coach Billy Napier had reason to smile on Saturday night. as the Gators turned in their best all-around performance of the season. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Gators Notebook: A Defining Stop, Freshman Phenoms, Improved Defense
Sunday, October 20, 2024 | Football
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By: Noah White, FloridaGators.com Student Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A silence fell over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium almost instantaneously. DJ Lagway's first Southeastern Conference start had gone awry as the Kentucky offense abruptly rose from the bench and wandered onto the field joyously. In the freshman's introduction to starting under the bright lights of SEC football, the crowd expected errors, but when the errors arrived, fans still found themselves unprepared.
In the middle of the second quarter, the jury was still out on Lagway's first start as the Gators' unquestioned quarterback. Florida led 13-6, but there had been swings in the contest, and a win was far from certain as the Gators received the ball again. The UF offense trotted out confidently after having scored on its previous drive. It was ready to open the game up.
Then, disaster struck.
Lagway dropped back and launched the ball downfield the same way he had multiple times in the game already. Meanwhile, 11 seconds and 63 yards later, Kentucky's offense lined up glaring into Steve Spurrier-Florida Field's north end zone, only 11 yards from potentially tying the game.
"One black eye was the pick. Probably forced that one into coverage," Florida head coach Billy Napier said. Florida's defense made a goal-line stand that turned momentum in Saturday's win over Kentucky. (Photo: Bryce Mitchell/UAA Communications)
Lagway's interception didn't come as a surprise (he had four entering the game), but it's rare for an opposing offense to need only one first down to reach the end zone. With momentum quickly shifting, the Gators' defense faced a challenging situation.
In the first half of the season, Florida was inconsistent at stopping the run, the pass, or anything else opposing offenses did. The Gators still rank in the bottom half of the FBS in points allowed per game, much to the fault of their early performances. Recently, though, it has been a different story. In Florida's last two contests, UCF and Tennessee, it allowed a combined 36 points, a far cry from the 27.6 per game it has averaged on the season.
So, when backed up against its goal line, the onlooking crowd had reason to be optimistic about the Florida defense's chances of a stop.
It got just that.
Florida crammed into the middle of the line and halted a Kentucky run on fourth-and-1 at the 2-yard line for no gain. Lagway and company ran back onto the field as the stadium exhaled into the late October air. From there, it only took Florida four plays to score, opening the game up with a 20-6 lead.
"They had it. Definitely could have been a tie game there," Napier said. "That was where the momentum shifted a little bit ... this is a resilient group."
Behind a 58-yard pass to senior receiver Elijhah Badger and three runs by freshman running back Jadan Baugh for 40 yards and the touchdown, Florida responded to the error committed by its young quarterback.
AN EVENING OF DEBUTS
While the Florida-Kentucky contest most notably featured Lagway's first SEC start (although maybe not a "debut" per se), multiple first-time starters and contributors played a role in Florida's dominant victory. The most notable of which may have been Baugh.
The freshman running back joined Lagway as the first true freshman duo to start in the backfield for UF. He immediately made an impact.
The first UF touchdown came on the legs of Baugh, who scampered in from seven yards out in the second quarter. After that, the Wildcats became familiar with one sight: Baugh's back. The Atlanta native found his way into the end zone four more times, finishing with 106 yards and five scores.
"It gave us a lot of confidence [that] we can play with anybody on our schedule," Baugh said of the offense's high-scoring performance.
As night fell over Gainesville and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium began to cool, the game was well in control, allowing the Gators' bench to see some action. With that came a well-reported redshirt freshman onto the field.
Cornerback Cormani McClain stepped into the game following an injury to Jason Marshall Jr. in the third quarter, and it was only a matter of a couple of snaps until he had an effect. Eyeing Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley dropping back, McClain jumped a short route and sprinted into the end zone, putting the cherry on top of the forceful Florida win with a defensive score.
"He can play man coverage," Napier said. "He made an incredible play down there in the corner ... [but] I think there is more room for growth."
It wouldn't be appropriate to discuss Florida freshmen performances without briefly mentioning Lagway. After being named the Gators starter on Monday following Graham Mertz's season-ending ACL tear, Lagway prepared for the Kentucky game like any other.
In his first SEC start, he barely seemed out of place. Lagway completed seven passes in the contest but finished with 259 passing yards for an unheard-of 37 yards per completion. Florida consistently pressed the ball downfield, and the freshman signal caller capitalized on the shots.
"We felt going into the game that maybe there was a lack of respect for the deep part of the field," Napier said. "Those were elite throws."
Napier added that Lagway is improving as Florida faces stronger competition over its next few games.
AN EVOLVING DEFENSE
Florida's defense this season has been a tale of two months.
One can remember not long ago when Miami ran the Gators off the grass of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, when Marcel Reed tossed DJ Douglas out of his shoes in a romp by Texas A&M, and When Mississippi State managed to rush for 240 yards in a loss.
Those days seem a distant memory, and if someone hadn't watched a second of Florida football since then, it'd be accurate to call UF's defense lackluster. However, with October, things have changed, and over Florida's last three performances, its defense has been anything but poor.
Florida held its third consecutive opponent to 23 or fewer points on Saturday night. While not a total that will contend to lead the FBS, it's a much-needed improvement from the 41 and 33 points that Miami and Texas A&M levied on the Gators, respectively.
"Obviously [we were] disappointed how we played early in the year," Napier said. "[I] think in the open date we said, hey, put the ball down, let's call it, and we got to work on our between-play process."
In the September losses, Florida's defense struggled to communicate play calls and often didn't appear prepared when the ball was snapped. Napier noted that his staff focused on simplifying things and making practices more realistic to the in-game process of defensive organization.
Cornerback Devin Moore races toward the end zone on his 52-yard interception return. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
The Gators have reaped the rewards of those adjustments.
Florida finished the Week 7 contest with three interceptions, including McClain's that sealed the game. In addition to their turnover focus, the Gators held up well in fourth-down situations.
Junior cornerback Devin Moore believes Florida's coaching staff is the reason for the defense's improved ability to force timely stops.
"One hundred percent credit to the coaching staff," Moore said. "When you're constantly practicing that every day, you'll get a result on Saturday."
However, while coaching creates the changes, the players sustain them.
"It's one thing to work it every day in practice, but when everybody is holding you accountable for it, you don't want to let your brothers down, even in practice," Moore said. "That's the type of atmosphere we create in practice."
Following a possibly season-adjusting win over Kentucky, the Gators will head into their second bye week of the 2024 campaign. With four ranked contests in the coming month, the first two away from home, UF will need to take advantage of their game-less week to contend with the top level of the SEC. Moore explained the simplicity of Florida's focus during the open date before the leap in competition.
"It's really two things," Moore said. "Get healthy and compete."
