Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- The Big Board: One month to go
- October Superlatives
- Former Florida Player Feedback: 10 Observations
- Recruit Reaction: I thought the atmosphere was electric
- Parental Perspective: Florida Football Commits Parental RoundTable
- OTM: Is there a path to a fourth year
- Ranking UF’s commits from least to most likely to jump ship
- What names are on your Coaching Hot Board
Inside the Gators’ Ben McLeish and Mark Wheeler take a closer look at Saturday’s match-up between Florida and No. 5 Texas, including thoughts on whether or not DJ Lagway should play, Gators players to keep an eye on, as well as offering up a score prediction.
Should Lagway play even if he is cleared to go?
McLeish: No, unless he is 100% healthy. I know the Gators will want a chance to win every game they play this season. But they have to look at the big picture. DJ Lagway is the future of Florida football. The Gators can’t risk him sustaining a major injury, especially in a game that they’d be the heavy underdogs even if he played. Yes, leaving Lagway out basically guarantees a loss. But this is the hardest game left on the schedule. If Lagway is healthy, he can play the final three games of the season and fight for bowl eligibility. LSU and Ole Miss at home are much more winnable games than Texas on the road.
Wheeler: If he is completely healthy, of course DJ Lagway should play. I don’t know how you would justify holding him out otherwise. If he isn’t 100%, fully healed, no questions asked, then no, you hold him out because any little twing could turn a week long injury into a season long issue. The bigger question is, after seeing his play last week, does the staff stick with Aidan Warner if he struggles anywhere near as badly as he did against Georgia? You can’t tell me that Clay Millen, who has played in multiple DI games, couldn’t have made a couple of those terrible misses by Warner. That was one hell of a story; parents who are alumni, transferring in from an Ivy League program, etc… However, if UF gets even average quarterback play from him against Georgia, they win.
Can the defense make it a contested game?
McLeish: Absolutely. And I think they can do it the same way they did against Georgia. Turnovers. Quinn Ewers is having a disappointing season, and the Gators defense has the ability to exploit this. Texas will struggle to score early on. Even if Aidan Warner is starting, I think the Gators will be within 10 points of Texas after the first half. However, there’s only so much the defense can do if they’re on the field the entire game. They will get tired. The offense will have to hold their own if the Gators truly want to keep the game close.
Wheeler: Florida’s defense held in spots, and did have the three interceptions, but I would hold off on going overboard praising the unit. Yes, the UF offense stalling in the second half did hinder the UF defense, but Georgia still scored 34 points, on 456-yards and 25 touchdowns. Yes, the injuries in the secondary hurt, but UF also gave up almost 150 yards on the ground and there wasn’t much of a pass rush to speak of for the Gators. So, how does that translate to this weekend? It’s hard to say because while Texas has better offensive numbers than Georgia, they also haven’t really played much of a schedule. What you have to worry about on the road, especially when traveling to a place like Texas, is the home crowd playing an oversized role in the game. An 11 a.m. local start might negate some of that advantage.
Key Players for Florida? Texas?
McLeish: For Florida, I think the most important player to watch will be whoever starts at quarterback, whether that’s Aidan Warner or a banged up DJ Lagway. Will Warner look better than he did last week? Will Lagway’s play be affected by his injury? If the Gators want any shot at winning this game, they’re going to need solid quarterback play. Defensively, Jack Pyburn has been one of the most consistent players this season. He had a big interception last week and has been one of the Gators best tacklers all season. Florida will need a solid performance from him to limit the Longhorns’ offense.
For Texas, tight end Gunnar Helm has been the most reliable receiver. Expect Quinn Ewers to target him early and often. The Gators will need to cover him well on third down plays and in the red zone. On defense, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. has clearly been the Longhorns best player. He leads the team in sacks and tackles and can wreck the Florida gameplan.
Wheeler: There’s no need for a lengthy response. It is simple enough. It all depends on whoever plays quarterback for Florida. If it’s DJ Lagway, UF has a chance. If it’s Aidan Warner, they likely don’t.
It’s the same situation for Texas in that quarterback is the questionmark. Neither Quinn Ewers nor Arch Manning have lived up to the pre-season hype. If they struggle, Florida stands a chance. If they don’t, it won’t be pretty.
Prediction
McLeish: Normally, it’s hard to make a prediction when you don’t even know who the starting quarterback will be. But I’m willing to predict that the Longhorns will beat the Gators regardless of who they have in at quarterback. The Texas offense will initially struggle. But the Gators will be unable to consistently move the ball down the field, giving Texas good field position and time of possession. The game might be close in the first half, but Texas will break free in the third quarter, destroying any hopes of a huge Florida upset. Texas 31-16
Wheeler: IF DJ Lagway plays, the guess is his ability to hit the longball will keep it close, if he doesn’t, it’s going to get ugly. I’ll split the difference. Texas 27-21
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