Just two weeks ago it looked as if freshman quarterback DJ Lagway suffered a season ending injury vs Georgia. The rookie couldn’t put any pressure on his leg and had to be carted off the field in the second quarter with the Gators on top.
After an MRI showed the hamstring injury was less significant than they originally thought, Lagway missed one game vs Texas and was back for Florida’s week 12 home game against No.22 LSU.
Lagway had a message for teammates the day after Florida’s embarrassing loss to No.3 Texas.
“I’m playing this week.”
It was clear from the first few plays on Saturday that Lagway wasn’t 100% healthy as he couldn’t swiftly move around in the pocket or take off and run, a large chunk of his game as a dual-threat quarterback.
“There was a lot of stuff going on this week just preparing my body, making sure my body was 100 percent, or just feeling good enough to go out there and play, and also having to prepare on the mental side of it. So it was definitely a challenging week,” Lagway said on his preparation this week.
Despite the lack of mobility in the pocket, Lagway was able to lead Florida past LSU behind seven explosive passing plays, utilizing pure arm strength to pull off some miraculous throws.
“I took it as a challenge,” Lagway said postgame. “I knew I wasn’t 100 percent healthy. I took it as a challenge to prove to myself I could do it and play in the pocket. And I don’t really need to use my legs. I could maneuver in the pocket and make different throws. I feel it was a huge confidence builder for me.”
Five of Lagway’s seven explosive plays went to senior WR Elijhah Badger, including a 36-yard pass that set Florida up at the one-yard line in a tied game. Lagway dropped back to pass, made a pass rusher miss, and fired a strike to Badger on the run.
“Somebody gotta make the play. And why not me? That’s my thought process,” Lagway said on his 4th quarter throw to Badger. “Always want to be a game-changer, want to change the game. When the big plays arrive, I’ve got to make the play. That’s what Coach Napier recruited me for. Blessed to have the opportunity to make the play.”
Florida needed to play well around a limited Lagway in order to win, and they did exactly that as the offensive line didn’t allow a single sack and held LSU to just one tackle for loss. The Gators averaged 6.6 yards per carry without the threat of Lagway as a runner.
“The offensive line played their butt off. We had no sacks. And I was limited today. So it was kudos to those guys,” Lagway said. “Receivers making heck of a play. Tight ends making plays. Tight ends blocking. Running backs making heck of runs, and it was a great offensive effort. And even defense played well. Special teams too. All around great win.”
Lagway completed 13 of 26 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown in Florida’s 27-16 win over LSU. While it wasn’t a perfect game for the freshman, he made big-time plays when his need needed him most.
“I feel like this week taught me a lot, just learning how to truly play in the pocket and maneuver and trust in the O line and trust in all the guys around me. It was a great week. I’m excited for it.
The future is bright at the quarterback position. Lagway has a rare blend of talent and confidence that seemingly increases each and every week.
“My confidence level in this offense has jumped up tremendously,” Lagway said. “Having Coach Napier and Coach O’Hara and Graham Mertz helping me in different situations, and I feel like that’s one part of my game that I want to develop and continue to get better, being a situational expert, as Coach Napier would say. That’s something I continue to work on daily.”
DJ Lagway and the Florida Gators take on No.9 Ole Miss next week inside The Swamp.