FINAL: Georgia Bulldogs Down Florida Gators, 34-20, Behind Second-Half Surge

The Florida Gators lost more than just a 34-20 football game on Saturday against Georgia after DJ Lagway went down with a serious hamstring injury.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Dillon Bell (86) signals a first down during the first half at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday, November 2, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- A three-interception performance, a 13-6 halftime lead and tie game midway through the fourth quarter were not enough against No. 2 Georgia for the Florida Gators, which lost more than just a 34-20 ballgame on Saturday.

True freshman starting quarterback DJ Lagway, who was making his second-straight start in place of Graham Mertz, was carted off the field in the second quarter with a significant hamstring injury. He was 2-for-6 with 47 yards and a touchdown at the time of his injury, which occurred on a three-yard run with the Gators leading 10-3.

He later returned to the sideline in street clothes and on crutches. Florida will have an update on Lagway, who will have a MRI on Sunday, next week.

In Lagway's place, walk-on transfer Aidan Warner went 7-for-22 for 66 yards. Despite helping lead a game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, an interception thrown with 3:56 left in the game led to a Georgia touchdown to seal the win.

"I'm proud of Aidan," said UF head coach Billy Napier. "I have confidence in him. He's done a great job since he start taking reps a couple weeks ago. For him to do what he did today, you know, I think there is something to be said for that.

Lagway wasn't the only significant injury. Already missing starters in corner Jason Marshall Jr. and receiver Eugene Wilson III, Florida saw both starting corners Devin Moore and Dijon Johnson leave the game due to lower body injuries and guard Damieon George Jr. exit after an injury late in the game.

"Obviously there is a bunch of football here that could be done better. I was proud of a lot of the players that stepped up," Napier said. "We went into the game with some injuries. We had some injuries throughout the game. But I do think the players that had opportunities really stepped up and did a great job for the team."

Georgia opened the scoring on its second drive with a 13-play, 83-yard drive in which Beck accounted for 61 yards through the air. Peyton Woodring knocked a 23-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Florida got its answer, though, shortly after with back-to-back interceptions off of Beck leading to 10 points.

After a Gator punt, a Devin Moore interception led to a 43-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to Aidan Mizell one play later. On the ensuing drive, Aaron Gates returned an interception 38-yards to Florida's 49-yard line leading to a 32-yard field goal from Trey Smack.

"I think the rush and the coverage are working well together," Napier said. "I think we've been able to make them hold it a little bit. I think we done a good job sewing up some of our zone concepts and principles. You know, just I think we've gotten better at every level of the defense."

Georgia added a 53-yard field goal from Woodring with 43 seconds left in the first half, making the score 10-6 in favor of Florida, but the Gators kept the foot on the gas offensively despite time being against them.

Ja'Kobi Jackson, who got the start at running back, rushed for 32 yards on three carries, and Warner added an eight-yard pass on fourth down to Chimere Dike to set Florida up on Georgia's 35-yard line. Smack added a 53-yard field goal with two seconds left to give Florida a 13-6 lead heading into the locker room.

Beck threw his third interception, this time courtesy of Jack Pyburn, on Georgia's first drive of the second half, but Florida's offense was stifled for the third quarter. The Bulldogs' offense, however, found life after the miscue.

Dillon Bell recorded a 33-yard rush, and Beck passed for 42 yards on the next drive, which ended in a two-yard rushing touchdown by Nate Frazier to tie the game, and bad only got worse for the Gators.

Despite a long drive, Florida saw its 51-yard field goal attempt botched on a poor snap by Rocco Underwood, which went past holder Crawshaw and rolled all the way to Florida's 36-yard line, where it was recovered by the Bulldogs' Jalon Walker.

"Yeah, one of many plays where maybe a player had an opportunity to make a play and he didn't necessarily do it," Napier said. "I mean, never comes down to just one play. We probably played 180 plays out there today and there were multiple opportunities for us to get it done. Special teams are a team effort, and on that play, we did not execute."

Beck then hit Cash Jones for a 22-yard score to take a seven-point lead near the end of the third quarter. The Bulldogs out-gained Florida's offense 136-10 in the third quarter. Florida, however, regained some, but not all, of its lost momentum in the fourth.

The Gators went on a five-play, 55-yard drive to tie the game behind a 15-yard rush from Jackson. Georgia, however, remained consistent.

Beck completed five passes, two of which came from 34 yards on third down and 21 yards on back-to-back plays before hitting Dominic Lovett for a 10-yard score.

Needing an answer, Florida instead saw its hopes ripped away. Warner threw an interception on the Gators' first play, and Georgia's Dwight Phillips Jr. scored from four yards out to seal the win.

The Gators, now 4-4 in Billy Napier's third season, remain away from The Swamp next week with another matchup against a top-ten team with a road matchup at Texas. Kickoff from Austin is at noon.