JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Another calamitous chapter in the 2024-25 Florida Gators’ season novel was scripted when rising superstar quarterback DJ Lagway went out of the Gators’ 34-20 loss to Georgia due to a left hamstring injury, just 5:01 remaining before halftime.
The rise of the Florida Gators had crafted a turning point in this novella which saw them dominate No. 2 Georgia on both sides of the football until losing Lagway.
Florida took a 10-3 lead when cornerback Devin Moore took the first of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck’s three interceptions when he brought the interception 43 yards to the Bulldogs’ 43-yard line.
On the first play of the new drive, Lagway hit wide receiver Aidan Mizzell with a 43-yard touchdown pass, giving the Gators a 7-3 lead with 13:42 remaining before halftime.
On the next Bulldogs drive, Gators corner Aaron Gates picked off Beck and had a 39-yard return to midfield. Trey Smack then jettisoned a 32-yard field goal as Florida led, 10-3.
Beck’s third interception came in the third quarter when he was popped by Florida linebacker Grayson Howard and defensive end Jack Pyburn secured the interception.
With 5:14 remaining in the first half, the Gators went on their fifth drive of the game and Lagway went off the left side on a quarterback-draw. He dived to get two more yards, but his left leg seemed to split away from his body. He immediately grabbed his left hamstring and was carted off the field.
“Obviously an injury like that, you’re a little upset,” explained wide receiver Chimere Dike, “He’s got a great family. He’s got a lot of teammates around him supporting him. I know he’s going to be more than fine.”
Lagway had taken over after Graham Mertz was injured and lost for the season during Gators’ 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee three weeks ago.
The five-star QB is a superior talent and it seemed just a matter of time until he took over the starting quarterback position. His running/passing ability is adept and he has a depth of on-field knowledge that is higher than the curve for a true freshman quarterback.
“I think our plan was working well, and really continued to work well on defense and the kicking game, and even on offense to some degree at times,” said Florida coach Billy Napier, who noted “soft tissue” damage for Lagway.
Florida’s defense set the tone in allowing Georgia only three punts, two interceptions and a field goal before Lagway was injured. Lagway is a leader and a motivator and his presence can be felt on the defensive side of the ball as it picks up his teammates, no matter the positions.
“We just had to clean the things up,” explained defensive back Trikweze Bridges, who led the Gators with eight tackles. “Beginning of the season just kept going, kept going and believing in ourselves. Block outside noise and whatnot. All we doing is keep going. Every day, every week we are trying to show up and show out.”
Aidan Warner Enters: No knock at all on third-string Gators quarterback Aidan Warner, who came in to supplant Lagway. The Yale transfer wasn’t even expected to be an entity as the season unfolded.
There is the obvious reason why he was set as the third-string signal caller and truthfully, he couldn’t be asked to perform in even close to the same ballpark as Lagway.
Offensively, the Gators had totaled 36 plays for 49 yards until Ja’Kobi Jackson capped a five-play, 55-yard drive that saw him tighten the score at 27-20 via his 15-yard run with 7:29 remaining.
Secondary Injuries: This was an injury-filled game on both sides of the football, but three members of the Florida secondary in Dijon Johnson, Jordan Castell and Sharif Denson left the game with injuries.
“When I saw Dijon Johnson coming off the sideline, I knew then that’s when I was going to have to step up,” said Bridges, who plays nickelback. “We already had talked about it at the beginning of the season and just like this week if anything would happen. So I’m emergency corner. Those times come, I show up.”
