DJ Lagway’s Five Interceptions Doom Gators in Death Valley
Saturday marked a career night for sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway for all the wrong reasons. The second-year quarterback threw a career-high five interceptions, as No. 3 LSU defeated Florida 20-10.
Lagway made his first-career road SEC start Saturday night in Death Valley and looked overwhelmed from the opening drive. He tossed an interception in every quarter, including a crucial third-quarter pick-six.
“I’ve never had a performance like that so it’s hard to process,” Lagway said.
Lagway’s season struggles continue to plague him. Between the turnovers, missed reads, overthrows and taking bad sacks, it was a bad night overall.
Lagway threw the ball 49 times, completing 67 percent of his passes. However, the load became too heavy to carry as Florida gave up on the run game too soon for the second straight week. The Gators only ran the ball 27 times for 79 yards, with running back Jadan Baugh leading the way with 10 carries for 46 yards.
“I think Ja’Kobi [Jackson] had carries too, I think we had 27 rushes, nine of which were DJ [Lagway],” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “76 plays, look, I think some of that was when the game became a two score game. I’d be interested to see what it was at half. It was 13-10 at half.”
Florida got off to a strong start, forcing a three-and-out on LSU’s opening drive and then driving down the field before stalling at the LSU 25-yard line. Florida capped off its first drive with a Trey Smack 45-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
Loading ...For most of the first quarter, Florida controlled the momentum, but costly mistakes staggered any chance of increasing the lead. During Florida’s second drive, Lagway threw one right at LSU cornerback Dashawn Spears for an interception. The following drive, Lagway found Baugh for an 87-yard touchdown pass. However, a holding call on Knijeah Harris negated the score and Florida punted two plays later.
Those mistakes allowed LSU right back in the game with 10 straight points, including a Zavion Thomas 23-yard touchdown pass to take a 10-3 lead. Florida responded nicely with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in an Aidan Mizell 10-yard touchdown reception to knot the game up at 10-10.
With 28 seconds left in the second quarter, Lagway threw another costly interception right into the arms of LSU safety A.J. Haulcy, who returned it to the UF 40-yard line before being brought down, setting the Tigers up to score late in the first half on Damian Ramos’ 45-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 13-10 halftime lead.
Florida’s woes on offense carried into the third quarter. Their first drive went five plays for six yards and ended in a sack, one of three Lagway took on the night. Still trailing by three, Lagway threw a career-high third interception of the night. This one was picked off by Spears for the second time and returned for a 58-yard pick-six that stretched the lead to 20-10.
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Through three quarters, Florida’s offense had 274 total yards, three turnovers and 10 points.
In the fourth, LSU appeared to be in position to drive down the field and put the game out of reach. Nussmeier had just connected with tight end Bauer Sharp for 65 yards to set up the Tigers inside the Gators’ 20-yard line but Florida’s Dijon Johnson came up with a key interception to keep it a two-score game.
On third-and-9, from the LSU 36, Lagway forced a ball into triple coverage in the end zone that resulted in his fourth interception. Lagway’s nightmare continued on the next drive when he tossed his fifth pick of the night, this one into the arms of D.J Pickett.
LSU put the finishing touches on the Gators with a 51-yard Caden Durham rush that allowed the Tigers to kneel the clock out. The loss extends Florida’s Death Valley losing streak to four games.
Lagway’s five interceptions were the most thrown by a Florida quarterback since Rex Grossman threw four in 2002. He finished the night throwing 33 of 49 for 287 yards and one touchdown.
“I think, you know, you guys watched the same game I watched. We have to continue to work through progressions. You know, I think that’s part of it,” Napier said. “Ultimately, I would say if you look at all of them, you could say that was probably the primary deal is that you’ve got to continue to work our way through the progression or get it to the next receiver.”
Florida will have to find a way to regroup quickly before heading to Miami next Saturday for the final leg of its early season road trip.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC
