Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway left the field in a cart after injuring his left hamstring in the first half of Saturday's 34-20 loss to Georgia at EverBank Stadium.
Lagway, who had sparked the Gators' offense in recent weeks, slipped on the turf and slid under safety KJ Bolden's tackle. Lagway immediately grabbed his left hamstring. The Florida team gathered around the cart before he was taken off the field. He was eventually ruled out.
Lagway, from Willis, Texas, threw a 43-yard touchdown to Aidan Mizell to give the Gators a 7-3 lead over the No. 2 Bulldogs with 13:42 left in the half. Florida led 10-3 when Lagway was hurt.
Lagway, ranked the No. 12 recruit in the class of 2024 by ESPN, was replaced by freshman Aidan Warner, a walk-on who joined the team this past spring. Warner completed just 7 of 22 passing attempts for 66 yards to go along with an interception.
Warner spent the 2023 season at Yale but didn't see action. Warner scored on a 9-yard touchdown run in Florida's 45-7 rout of Samford on Sept. 7.
The Gators were already playing without former starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who tore the ACL in his left knee in a 23-17 loss at Tennessee on Oct. 12. Mertz had surgery, which ended his college career.
The Game's Turning Point
The loss of Lagway was a major blow to Florida, which was already playing from behind. The Gators were able to stay in the game for a while, but Georgia's offense eventually wore them down. The Bulldogs scored a pair of late touchdowns within a minute of each other to win 34-20 and stave off an upset bid by rival Florida.
The Impact of Lagway's Absence
Lagway's injury is a major setback for the Gators, who are now down to their third-string quarterback. The Gators' offense struggled mightily in the second half, and it's hard to see how they can be competitive in the SEC without a healthy Lagway.
It's unclear how long Lagway will be out, but his injury could have a major impact on the rest of the season. The Gators have a tough schedule ahead, and they'll need all the help they can get if they want to make a run for a bowl game.
Florida's Future Uncertain
The Gators' defense played well at times, but Georgia's offense was too much to handle. The Bulldogs were able to move the ball with ease, and they were able to capitalize on Florida's mistakes. If Lagway's injury sidelines him next week and beyond, maybe Napier and his staff can find some magic in Warner, who had FBS scholarship offers from the likes of UConn and Coastal Carolina coming out of high school. But it’s a steep hill, especially given the upcoming schedule of Texas, LSU and Ole Miss before the finale against Florida State.
Florida's best hopes of salvaging a bowl rest on an improved defense and strong backfield. Both units played well in spurts Saturday before Georgia's talent finally won out.
The Bulldogs' Struggles
Georgia was heavily favored in this game. Its next two are at Ole Miss, which looked much better on Saturday in a blowout win at Arkansas, and at home against Tennessee. Did the way Georgia played Saturday inspire much confidence? Of course not, especially when its comeback came after Florida had to turn to its third-string quarterback.
We may just need to adjust our expectations for this team. It is not the dominant force of the 2021-22 national championship teams. But there were games last year in which it messed around on the way to an unbeaten regular season. This year, it barely won at Kentucky, didn’t cover the spread against Auburn and Mississippi State and was pushed until late by Florida. But it also won convincingly at Texas, routed Clemson and almost won after trailing at Alabama by 28. What this team lacks in dominance it appears to make up for in resilience, with enough dominance thrown in to remind you it’s still Georgia.
That said, clearly this kind of uneven game — especially from Beck — is unlikely to suffice the next two weeks.
A Closer Look at the Game
Georgia's game-winning drive - if that's what it ends up being - was eerily similar to what happened in Texas, when the Longhorns made it a one-possession game in the third quarter.
Arian Smith, just as he did in Austin, made a huge third-down catch deep in Georgia territory. Smith got open on the right side, this time hauling in a 34-yard pass. Lawson Luckie hauled in a 21-yarder on the next play, and then on another third down Dominic Lovett took a slot screen and scored from 10 yards out.
This Georgia offense can be maddening, but it can also come up big in crunch time.
The Key Stats
Here are some of the key stats from the game:
- Carson Beck: 25-of-40 passing for 309 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
- Aidan Warner: 7-of-22 passing for 66 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
- DJ Lagway: 2-of-6 passing for 47 yards and one touchdown.
What's Next?
This is Georgia's fourth straight win against Florida. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight against the Gators.
