GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The steady drum beat that reverberated throughout Gator Nation all week finally reached its outro on Thursday night.
Gators coach Billy Napier delivered the final thump on his in-season radio show, confirming the return of quarterback DJ Lagway from a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
"It's good to get some of these guys back,'' Napier said. "There's good energy in the building. I think the quarterback is the biggest piece of the puzzle."
Lagway was injured in the second quarter against Georgia two weeks ago and missed last week's 49-17 loss at Texas, replaced by walk-on redshirt freshman Aidan Warner. However, with No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2) set to visit Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Florida (4-5, 2-4) will have the services of Lagway in its attempt to become bowl-eligible over the final three games of the regular season. The Gators host LSU and Ole Miss, then play at Florida State to close the season. They must win two of their final three to earn a bowl berth.
Lagway replaced injured starter Graham Mertz earlier this season and led the Gators to an impressive 28-point victory over Kentucky on Oct. 19. The Gators were leading then-No. 2 Georgia when Lagway dropped to the turf in Jacksonville and was carted off the field.
In his absence, the Gators struggled for yards with Warner (21 of 50, 228 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT) directing the offense.
The sight of Lagway being carted off the field two weeks ago appeared to spell doom, but the 19-year-old freshman warmed up last week at Texas but did not play. He progressed throughout the week in practice and was removed from the team's injury report on Thursday.
"It turned out to be a little less significant," Napier said. "He has just gotten a little bit better each day. He'll be a little bit different type of player."
Lagway is completing 60.9% of his passes (56 of 92) for 1,071 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. He has added 114 yards rushing as the type of dual-threat quarterback that has given LSU fits this season (see Marcel Reed, Jalen Milroe).
Milroe rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns against LSU a week ago. It will be worth watching Lagway's ability to run Saturday as he returns to the field from the type of soft-tissue injury that can linger.
Still, the Gators are much better with Lagway than without since Mertz's injury. Napier said receiver Elijhah Badger is also set to play Saturday and that the Gators are holding out hope that starting right guard Damieon George Jr., replaced by Bryce Lovett in the starting lineup last week, might be available while dealing with a lower-body injury.
The Gators' most pressing goal is to prove they are better than the team that trailed Texas 42-0 just a little more than 32 minutes into the game last week at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
"We didn't come to play, and obviously the score reflected that," Napier said. "So, you know, that's been my big deal this week is just like, 'look, that's not who we are, you know, and that's not who we want to be, and it's unacceptable.' We got to do better. And Saturday is our next opportunity to do that."
In this edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-LSU matchup:
THREE STORYLINES
The Florida-LSU rivalry has turned one-sided of late. The Gators have lost five in a row to the Tigers, and the memory of Brad Stewart picking off a Joe Burrow pass and returning it for a score to seal a victory in 2018 is starting to turn yellow around the edges. Florida's loss in Baton Rouge a season ago made history for the wrong reasons — LSU had 701 yards of total offense, the most against a UF defense ever. Florida is a home underdog Saturday, but with both teams nursing two-game losing streaks, this looks like a promising opportunity for the Gators to snap their skid against the Tigers.
The return of Lagway (see above) from a left hamstring injury provides a jolt to a Florida team that appeared to need a shot of espresso in Texas. Lagway is the Gators' most exciting development this season and has quickly become a fan favorite. While he is not 100%, his popularity will only grow by Saturday night if he's good enough to beat LSU.
Gators coach Billy Napier and LSU coach Brian Kelly are in their third seasons. Napier is 15-19; Kelly is 26-10. Napier received a vote of confidence two days before the Texas loss and is set to return in 2025. Meanwhile, speculation has bubbled in Baton Rouge about Kelly's future despite a third consecutive 10-win season still a possibility. Hey, it's Southeastern Conference football, where coaches are more famous than state governors and under constant scrutiny.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Since we have covered Lagway's return, he can't beat the Tigers alone. RBs Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson have picked up the slack in the absence of Montrell Johnson Jr. Baugh has now rushed for a team-high 411 yards, and Jackson is third with 343 yards, only 30 shy of matching Johnson's season output. Jackson has led the Gators in rushing the past two games, and Baugh rushed for five touchdowns in the victory over Kentucky. The more yards Baugh and Jackson can rack up Saturday, the better off for the Gators.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier knows his way around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Nussmeier was a teenager when his father, Doug Nussmeier, was Florida's offensive coordinator from 2015-17. He started his prep career at Gainesville's Buchholz High before his father returned to the NFL as an assistant for the Dallas Cowboys. Nussmeier ranks second in the SEC in passing yards (2,866) and likes to sling the ball around the way former Gators QB Rex Grossman, Saturday's Honorary Mr. Two Bits, did during his college career at UF.
Playing off Nussmeier's tendencies, Gators CBs Trikweze Bridges and Cormani McClain will be tested with injured starters Jason Marshall Jr. and Devin Moore sidelined. No UF position group has been depleted as much as the secondary. A month ago, Bridges was a veteran who added versatility, and McClain was a walk-on transfer who was expected to redshirt. Both are now starting at corner with a pair of high-powered SEC offenses set to visit The Swamp in the next two weeks.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS EDGE T.J. SEARCY
Gators sophomore T.J. Searcy, No. 19, following his sack at Texas. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
A sophomore from Thomaston, Ga., Searcy recorded his first sack of the season in last week's loss at Texas.
Q:Back home for the next two games, what's your message to the home fans? A: Honestly, I think I would just say I appreciate all the love and support they been giving us. Just continue. You know, we're going to get right soon.
Q:Where have you progressed in your second season in the program? A: I feel like I'm just learning the scheme a lot better, learning the defense, as a whole, a lot better. Like when it's time for me to drop in coverage, I know what the back end is doing. That helps me be more confident in my drop and be able to make more plays.
Q:What's your vision for the program after UF's announcement about Coach Napier returning? A: I feel like it'll definitely coming together. I feel like it's just taking a little time. They're fresh into college, just like we was last year. It took us a little time to figure stuff out. After everybody gets everything figured out, I feel like we'll definitely start rolling.
THREE DIGITS
54– Consecutive seasons Florida and LSU have played, a streak that started in 1971. 13 – Sacks allowed by Gators this season, tied for second-fewest in the SEC. 5 – Losses by Florida to teams currently ranked in the top 15, making UF the only team in the country with that distinction.
SEC AVAILABILITY REPORT
FLORIDA — OUT: DL Jamari Lyons (ankle, out for season), WR Kahleil Jackson (knee, out for season), QB Graham Mertz (knee, out for season), WR Eugene Wilson III (hip, out for season), CB Jason Marshall Jr. (shoulder, out for season), CB Devin Moore (knee), S Asa Turner (leg), CB Ja'Keem Jackson (undisclosed), OL Devon Manuel (undisclosed), RB Treyaun Webb (leg), LB Grayson Howard (undisclosed). QUESTIONABLE:Montrell Johnson Jr. (lower body), OL Damieon George Jr. (lower body). LSU —OUT: S Jordan Allen (foot), LB Harold Perkins Jr. (knee), WR Kyle Parker (arm), RB John Emery Jr. (knee), DE Princeton Malbrue (knee), OL Garrett Dellinger (ankle), DT Jacobian Guillory (Achilles). QUESTIONABLE: OL Tyree Adams (abdomen). PROBABLE: WR CJ Daniels (knee), S Deshawn Spears (undisclosed), LB West Weeks (undisclosed).
NEWS, NOTES, NUGGETS
Florida and LSU are meeting for the 71st time overall and 35th time at Florida Field.
The Gators hold a 16-15-3 advantage in Gainesville; LSU leads the all-time series 34-33-3.
The Gators have lost five consecutive games to LSU, their longest losing streak in the rivalry's history. Florida's last win was a 27-19 victory at The Swamp in 2018.
The Gators have averaged 169.7 rushing yards in their last three games against Kentucky, Georgia and Texas. RBs Jadan Baugh (258 yards) and Ja'Kobi Jackson (234) have led the way.
LSU coach Brian Kelly, who is 2-0 against the Gators, is trying to become the first Tigers coach to win his first three meetings against Florida.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier has six turnovers in the last six quarters, including five interceptions. Nussmeier ranks second in the SEC with 2,866 yards passing and 21 TDs, but his 11 INTs rank second in the league behind Georgia's Carson Beck.
Transfer WR Chimere Dike has a team-high 28 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns. A transfer from Wisconsin, Dike is 166 yards shy of matching his career high for receiving yards in a season (689 in 2022).
Former Gators assistants Brad Davis and Corey Raymond are part of Kelly's LSU coaching staff. Davis coaches the offensive line, and Raymond, who was at UF the past two seasons, coaches the secondary.
Florida's five losses have come to teams with a combined 39-7 record: Miami (9-1), Texas A&M (7-2), Tennessee (8-1), Georgia (7-2) and Texas (8-1).
LSU LB Whit Weeks had 17 tackles in last week's loss to Alabama and ranks second in the SEC in tackles per game (10.2).
THEY SAID IT
"Coach Napier, I am a player that committed to his staff and I really seen that culture he brings to the program and what he's built, and what he is continuing to build. I think he's being noticed by athletic director Scott Stricklin and everybody else. I feel like it's something he deserves, on top of something he's earned." — Gators OL Bryce Lovett on head coach Billy Napier continuing as UF's coach
"I'm not in a position to worry about what people are saying about the overall health of the program. We have one of the top recruiting classes in the country. Those things are only going to continue to get better, and a championship program is what we're going to have here." — LSU coach Brian Kelly after back-to-back losses to Texas A&M and Alabama
"One of those balls, we were like, 'Oh yeah, he's back.' He threw a great ball. He threw a great ball down the middle to [Ja'Quavion] Fraziars. It was nice." — Gators DB Trikweze Bridges on QB DJ Lagway at Wednesday's practice
They establish the run game early and open up the play-action deep threat from Lagway, which has been his strength in his brief tenure. How effective Lagway will be on the move remains to be determined, so Baugh and Jackson should get plenty of carries. Meanwhile, the defense has to play much better than at Texas. The Gators sometimes looked lost, and missed tackles and assignments piled up. And don't forget effort. Napier questioned what the Gators put on tape against Texas, and to rebound on Saturday, they need to play with purpose and develop a pass rush, something sorely missing against the Longhorns.
WHY LSU WILL WIN
Nussmeier avoids the turnovers that have plagued him the past two games, and the veteran offensive line provides a clean pocket against UF's rush. If that happens, look for WR Kyren Lacy to have a big day against the Gators' depleted secondary. Lacy has seven TD catches and three 100-yard receiving games. LSU's 28 sacks rank fourth in the SEC, led by eight from DE Bradyn Swinson. The Tigers will want to pressure Lagway and force him to run and test his left hamstring early.
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