DJ Lagway shines in bounce-back effort as Florida upsets No. 9 Texas
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — DJ Lagway looked like the version of himself that Florida expected to see in his sophomore season. He has struggled to start the year after dealing with a multitude of offseason injuries, but he and the crowd of weapons on the Florida offense could lead to brighter days ahead for the Gators.
Lagway threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns to lead Florida to a 29–21 upset victory over No. 9 Texas on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Both of Lagway’s touchdown passes went to 6-foot-3 freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson. The former five-star prospect caught six passes for 111 yards in his much-anticipated college debut. He flashed his physicality with a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown, tightroping the sideline while shrugging off defenders along the sideline.
(Noah Lantor-The Independent Florida Alligator)
“He’s a big, physical player,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said. “He’s got unique play strength, big frame. Just a total creature from a testing perspective, and then he has a competitive spirit that’s second to none.”
Expectations were high for Wilson, but he delivered — setting school records for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns in a debut.
“The expectations, it wasn’t really a big deal for me,” Wilson said. “It’s just a good belief. Everybody believed in everybody, so it was good coming out there with all the guys.”
Despite the Gators’ early-season struggles, the 90,714 fans at “The Swamp” created a hostile environment for sophomore quarterback Arch Manning and the Longhorns.
Texas has struggled to start the season, despite being ranked the number one team in the country in the preseason. They are yet to find a true identity on offense behind Arch Manning. Running Back Quintrevion Wisner, coming off the injury report this week, had the potential to add another level to this Texas offense, but he was held to only 11 yards on eight carries.
With the Longhorns unable to establish the run, the offense became one-dimensional. Manning threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted twice. He nearly threw a Third to seal the game, but video review showed that cornerback Cormani McClain did not secure the catch after hitting the ground.
“I thought he competed his heart out,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Our entire team did. Most people thought we were probably dead and gone. We fought all the way back and had a chance there at the end.”
The win likely cools Napier’s hot seat — for now. Florida opened the season 1–3 with losses to USF, LSU, and Miami, leading to questions about Napier’s job security. But the Gators now enter SEC play 1–0 and with momentum ahead of a brutal midseason stretch that includes four top-15 opponents over the next six weeks. It will likely take a couple of key wins for Napier to win back the Gator faithful.
Texas will look to bounce back next week in the annual Allstate Red River Rivalry against No. 6 Oklahoma, which may be without injured quarterback John Mateer. Texas will have to play a much more complete game to compete with a hot Oklahoma Sooners squad.
Mason Garcia
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Associate Write
