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DJ Lagway lights up the Swamp with 456 yards passing and 3 TDs in 45-7 rout of Samford
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Highly touted freshman DJ Lagway threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate start, and Florida beat lower-division Samford 45-7 on Saturday to give embattled coach Billy Napier a brief reprieve following a season-opening debacle.
Lagway completed his first seven passes while filling in for Graham Mertz (concussion) and showed why he was the consensus No. 1 QB recruit in the country last year. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Texan connected on six passes that gained at least 30 yards - something the Gators (1-1) accomplished a mere 14 times last season.
“He is what we thought he was,” Napier said.
Lagway hooked up with Elijhah Badger for 77 yards. He hit Chimere Dike and Hayden Hansen for 44 and 40 yards, respectively. He found speedster Tank Hawkins in stride for a 36-yard score. He connected with Aidan Mizell for a 41-yard TD. And his shovel pass to Eugene Wilson III turned into an 85-yard score to cap an electric performance in the Swamp.
“Those are accurate, right-in-stride,” Napier said. “It's impressive.”
Lagway broke the school record for passing yards by a freshman, topping Chris Leak’s mark of 268 set in 2003 against Kentucky.
Even though it came against the overmatched Bulldogs (0-2) - 38-point underdogs from the Football Championship Subdivision - Lagway’s outing should at least give Napier pause when it comes to determining playing time at the all-important position moving forward. After all, Lagway did things Mertz hasn’t done in two years since transferring from Wisconsin.
“My mindset was to take advantage of my opportunity, go out there and compete with some heck of players around me," Lagway said.
The Gators led 21-0 following Lagway’s perfectly placed pass to Hawkins in the end zone, and the score could have been more lopsided had freshman running back Jaden Baugh not fumbled at the goal line early.
“We still have a lot of work to do to clean some things up, especially on the defensive side there,” Samford coach Chris Hatcher said.
Samford, which gave the Gators a scare in the Swamp in 2021, avoided a shutout thanks to a 75-yard TD drive in the third.
By then, the Florida faithful had seen enough from Lagway to start chanting his name. And now Napier has a decision to make: go back to Mertz or give a frustrated fanbase a shimmer of hope amid what seemed like a completely dreadful season a week ago?
Then-No. 19 Miami thumped the Gators 41-17 in Gainesville in Week 1, the kind of beatdown that had fans clamoring for Napier to be fired. Napier made it worse two days later by referring to critiques as “what some guy in his basement is saying in rural central Florida on social media.”
No one would need a front-row seat in the Swamp to realize Lagway is special.
He completed 18 of 25 passes and stayed in the game despite getting drilled twice while scrambling. Wilson finished with six receptions for 141 yards, Badger caught three passes for 123 yards, and Montrell Johnson ran 15 times for 67 yards and two scores.
But the night was all about Lagway.
“Oh, man, I love that kid,” defensive end Tyreak Sapp said. "I already knew the night was going to be success for him just by the way he works and the way he carries himself. He carries himself like a starting quarterback. Honestly, I wasn't even surprised.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Samford: The Bulldogs will receive $525,000 for the game, a nice payday that will help fund the entire athletics department. Nonetheless, Samford fell to 2-82-2 against SEC teams, with the last victory coming in 1934.
Florida: Lagway and Wilson could be quite the tandem for at least another year and keeping them together in Gainesville should be a priority for the Gators. Lagway was the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year, and Wilson is on pace to shatter the receiving numbers he put up as a freshman last season.
UP NEXT
Samford: Hosts Alabama State in its home opener on Saturday.
Florida: Hosts Texas A&M in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams Saturday.
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D. Witherspoon
31 RB 26 RuYds, RuTD, 13 ReYds, 3 RECs |
|
D. Lagway
2 QB 456 PaYds, 3 PaTDs, 16 RuYds |
Team Stats | ||
---|---|---|
1st Downs | 17 | 21 |
Rushing | 6 | 9 |
Passing | 7 | 12 |
Penalty | 4 | 0 |
3rd Down Conv | 6-15 | 5-11 |
4th Down Conv | 0-0 | 1-3 |
Total Net Yards | 205 | 632 |
Total Plays | 68 | 62 |
Avg Gain | 3.0 | 10.2 |
Net Yards Rushing | 61 | 166 |
Rush Attempts | 35 | 34 |
Avg Rush Yards | 1.7 | 4.9 |
Yards Passing | 144 | 466 |
Comp. - Att. | 22-33 | 19-28 |
Yards Per Pass | 3.2 | 16.6 |
Penalties - Yards | 3-30 | 6-62 |
Touchdowns | 1 | 6 |
Rushing TDs | 1 | 3 |
Passing TDs | 0 | 3 |
Other | 0 | 0 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Fumbles - Lost | 3-1 | 1-1 |
Int. Thrown | 0 | 0 |
Punts - Avg | 9-40.3 | 2-49.5 |
Return Yards | -5 | 6 |
Punts - Returns | 1--5 | 2-6 |
Kickoffs - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Int. - Returns | 0-0 | 0-0 |
Safeties | 0 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
Q. Crittendon
2 QB
|
Q. Crittendon | 22/31 | 144 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Rias
7 WR
|
D. Rias | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
N. Scalzo
4 QB
|
N. Scalzo | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
D. Witherspoon
31 RB
|
D. Witherspoon | 9 | 26 | 1 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Kelly
20 RB
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M. Kelly | 6 | 17 | 0 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
I. Cousin
15 WR
|
I. Cousin | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Rias
7 WR
|
D. Rias | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Cherry
22 RB
|
K. Cherry | 4 | 7 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. Mason
3 WR
|
E. Mason | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Bennett
28 RB
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J. Bennett | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Crittendon
2 QB
|
Q. Crittendon | 11 | -4 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
N. Scalzo
4 QB
|
N. Scalzo | 1 | -7 | 0 | -7 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
B. Jenkins
12 WR
|
B. Jenkins | 7 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Rias
7 WR
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D. Rias | 5 | 4 | 44 | 0 | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
I. Cousin
15 WR
|
I. Cousin | 3 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
D. Witherspoon
31 RB
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D. Witherspoon | 3 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
P. Bird
84 WR
|
P. Bird | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
E. Mason
3 WR
|
E. Mason | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
J. Barden
82 WR
|
J. Barden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
T. Davenport
33 WR
|
T. Davenport | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Q. Crittendon
2 QB
|
Q. Crittendon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense | T-A | SACK | INT |
N. Martin
5 LB
|
N. Martin | 6-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Douglas
29 S
|
C. Douglas | 4-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Nelson
6 S
|
J. Nelson | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
G. Morris
39 LB
|
G. Morris | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Pollard
1 CB
|
D. Pollard | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Thompson
81 DL
|
J. Thompson | 3-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
M. Steward
9 S
|
M. Steward | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Russell
42 DE
|
J. Russell | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
E. Dearman
24 S
|
E. Dearman | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Johnson
55 DL
|
J. Johnson | 2-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
S. Martin
18 WR
|
S. Martin | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
C. Warren
44 DT
|
C. Warren | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
X. Nurse
22 DE
|
X. Nurse | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Yancey
2 CB
|
J. Yancey | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Mosley
33 LB
|
J. Mosley | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Rainey
91 DL
|
J. Rainey | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Neville
45 LB
|
T. Neville | 1-0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Kicking | FG | LG | XP | PTS |
F. Taylor
87 K
|
F. Taylor | 0/0 | 0 | 1/1 | 1 |
Punting | NO | AVG | IN20 | LG |
W. Thorley
59 P
|
W. Thorley | 9 | 40.3 | 2 | 46 |
Kickoff Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
P. Bird
84 WR
|
P. Bird | 1 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 |
Punt Returns | NO | AVG | LG | TD |
J. Barden 82 WR
|
J. Barden | 1 | -5.0 | -5 | 0 |
Passing | CP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT |
Rushing | ATT | YDS | TD | LG |
M. Johnson Jr.
1 RB
|
M. Johnson Jr. | 15 | 67 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Baugh
13 RB
|
J. Baugh | 4 | 34 | 0 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||
J. Jackson
24 RB
|
J. Jackson | 2 | 18 | 0 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
D. Lagway
2 QB
|
D. Lagway | 5 | 16 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
T. Webb
5 RB
|
T. Webb | 4 | 12 | 0 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
K. Daniels
21 RB
|
K. Daniels | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
A. Warner
16 QB
|
A. Warner | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9 |
Receiving | TAR | REC | YDS | TD | LG |
E. Wilson III
3 WR
|
E. Wilson III | 8 | 6 | 141 | 1 | 85 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
E. Badger
6 WR
|
E. Badger | 4 | 3 | 123 | 0 | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
H. Hansen
89 TE
|
H. Hansen | 2 | 2 | 46 | 0 | 40 |