Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, playing with a strained left hamstring and two defenders closing in on him, made a crucial play in the fourth quarter to secure a 27-16 win over No. 21 LSU. His 36-yard throw to Elijhah Badger set up Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Gators the lead for good.
Florida coach Billy Napier praised Lagway’s performance, calling it an “elite play,” and saying, “God blessed that young man.” Lagway, who had missed the last two games, came through with key plays to help the Gators win their first series against LSU since 2018.
The victory was sealed when Jadan Baugh ran for a 55-yard touchdown with 3:48 left, giving Florida (5-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) a chance to become bowl eligible. This win was significant, as the Gators had lost eight straight games against ranked opponents and were 1-10 under Napier in rivalry matchups.
Napier was proud of his team’s toughness and resilience. He said, “You’ve got to be a tough guy, and you got to be up for the challenge… These guys could have pointed fingers and splintered a long time ago. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
Meanwhile, LSU coach Brian Kelly expressed frustration after his team’s third straight loss. Cameras captured Kelly yelling at receiver Chris Hilton early in the game and later being yelled at by receiver Kyren Lacy. Kelly said, “This is a simple exercise of do you want to fight or not?… There’s a rough spot here that we have to fight through and we have to do it together.”
Florida’s defense played a key role in the victory. They sacked LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier seven times, more than the Tigers had given up in their first nine games combined. Despite being on the field for 92 plays and more than 41 minutes, the defense allowed only 16 points.
Florida linebacker Shemar James said the team was determined to play better after last week’s 49-17 loss to No. 5 Texas, calling it a humbling experience that left a bad taste. The game turned in Florida’s favor late in the third quarter when T.J. Searcy sacked Nussmeier, leading to a fumble that Caleb Banks recovered.
Although Florida’s offense struggled to capitalize on good field position, punter Jeremy Crawshaw pinned LSU inside the 10-yard line. Florida forced a punt, and then Lagway made his critical throw to Badger to set up the winning score.
James also praised Lagway for his leadership and grit, saying, “DJ, he’s a dude for sure… We’re very fortunate to have DJ on our team.”
