Young Stars give Florida Gators Fighting Chance vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Recent DJ Lagway and Jadan Baugh trends will help the Florida Gators score on the Georgia Bulldogs and keep the game close.

Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway can stretch defenses with his arm and hurt them with his legs. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The SEC annual rivalries are great and this week pits two of the conference's oldest combatants face to face. One is the prohibitive favorite, but perhaps it shouldn’t be.

This year’s Florida versus Georgia game sees the Dawgs favored by 16.5 points, per FanDuel. Due to a few Florida offensive trends, it might be a closer game than the sharps believe.

With DJ Lagway behind center, the Gators find ways to create big passing plays. Lagway’s first SEC start against Kentucky is a great place to provide proof.

Lagway’s 7 of 14 completions end up going for 259 yards, a whopping 18.5 yards per completion. Only seven completions should not be considered ideal, but the overall results are excellent. That brings up the big question when facing Georgia.

Will the Gators be able to consistently run the football against UGA’s vaunted front? It’s ranked 22nd in the nation by allowing only 107.1 yards per contest. If not, the Gators are unlikely to set up play-action passing and the run-pass option game Lagway flourishes with.

UF’s rushing average is 149.7, good for 77th in the country. More importantly, the Gators ran over Kentucky’s defense with 197 yards and five scores, the latter statistic all from freshman running back Jadan Baugh. That’s a trend all Gators fans would like to see more of. If UF can overpower the UK defensive front, perhaps Baugh, Lagway, and the Gators can run on the Dawgs as well. 

That’s where this year’s UF versus UGA game gets even more interesting. The big-play passing attack, mixed with Baugh’s running prowess, gives more chances for Lagway’s dual-threat abilities to shine during critical moments.

Sometimes the biggest plays in a game are finding a way to gut-out a quarterback scramble or designed run that gains a few yards on third down and two. It’s not long run but one that’s pivotal to winning the ball game. 

Perhaps that rushing attempt includes avoiding a defensive end and running over a cornerback, but the task must be completed to keep the drive alive. Lagway has the size, speed, and moxie to make those plays happen. He’s already proving it with his pocket awareness improving and rushing for three first downs during third-down opportunities this season.

The Gators will have to keep the Dawgs off balance to move the football and score, no doubt. The signs are there that it can happen. Further, while UGA’s defense is certainly ultra-talented and could cause UF’s offense several problems throughout the contest, do not discredit the chances of the Gators finding ways to create big plays of their own. 

The oddsmakers see this game becoming a definitive Georgia victory, but recent trends give Florida a shot to keep it close and perhaps even win the football game. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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