The Florida Gators’ fate turned pale blue after losing against Texas A&M. The program is still searching for direction. Georgia, meanwhile, enters the annual Jacksonville showdown as a 7.5-point favorite, but the margin might not be as comfortable as it looks. At the center of Florida’s inconsistent offense is QB DJ Lagway, whose season has been a tale of raw talent colliding with costly decisions. But make no mistake, Kirby Smart isn’t one to take his opponents lightly.

Through seven games, Lagway has thrown nine interceptions, the most in the SEC, matching his total touchdown passes. But Smart is fully aware that an unguarded moment can flip the script in rivalry week. “[Lagway] He’s big, he’s physical, he’s hard to tackle, uh, he’s elusive, he sees down the field, and he throws a really good deep ball. He’s great with the RPO game. I mean, he’s very talented,” Smart said recently on the Georgia Bulldogs Athletics show, offering rare praise for an opponent. But talent can only take you so far if the injury bug bites.

Lagway had his own set of struggles with injury, dealing with shoulder issues, core issues, and ankle injuries throughout the offseason and even missing out on spring and most of fall camp. Naturally, his production was immensely affected. Best believe Georgia has taken note. During the bye week, the Bulldogs zeroed in on exactly what gives Lagway the most trouble, sustained pressure. A more disciplined and aggressive pass rush has been a key point of emphasis in practice, with the defense preparing to collapse the pocket early and often. The plan is simple, keep Lagway off rhythm, and the mistakes will come.

Still, no amount of film study or defensive prep can fully capture what this matchup means for Lagway himself. The last time he faced Georgia, the game didn’t end on his terms, as he suffered a hamstring injury late in the first half. At that moment, the Gators were leading with a 10-3 score, but after Lagway went down, Georgia won with a 34-20 finish. Now, this game marks Lagway’s redemption game against Kirby Smart’s team. Even he admits it, saying, “Yes, for sure. I’ve been waiting for this game for a long time, and I’m excited to get out there. Like I said, I’m a big, competitive guy. I just love to get out there and really fight with my guys.”

Honestly, a healthy Lagway is a beast. We already saw flashes of that against Texas earlier this season, when he out-dueled Arch Manning by completing 21 of 28 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and just one interception. If that version of Lagway shows up in Jacksonville, Georgia might have more of a fight on its hands than the oddsmakers expect. With Ole Miss and Tennessee on their schedule, winning against Georgia might push them into bowl eligibility this season. Let’s see if DJ Lagway’s charm works for the Gators or not.

Kirby Smart gets real about Florida’s home-game advantage

Georgia has often faced the Florida Gators in Jacksonville when their head coaches were under pressure to keep their jobs. Dan Mullen in 2021, Jim McElwain in 2017, and Will Muschamp in 2014—they all went into the game hoping for a big win but ended up getting fired, and this year, even before getting to face their annual rivals, Billy Napier had to bid goodbye to his team.

Knowing the fact that this is a home game for the Gators, they might have an advantage of the crowd. But with a 50-50 split in the crowd at EverBank Stadium, the hostile crowd won’t be an issue for Kirby Smart’s team. And even he’s not stressing about it. “Well, it depends on what’s going on, you know? I mean, things are going good for Georgia; it gets loud on one side. If things are going good for Florida, it gets loud on one side. But it’s not an SEC type of getting loud, you know; it’s not like a major impact on the game. More so, it’s a little more of a laid-back crowd,”Smart said.

With that, Georgia also leads their all-time series against the Gators, as they have won 7 of their last eight games, including a 4-win streak in a row. And his success at Jacksonville is uncanny; even former Gators coach Steve Spurrier pointed out that “Georgia has won so many in Jacksonville that they’re pretty comfortable there right now, I would say.” 

The Bulldogs can’t afford to stumble here, as according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Georgia holds an 81% chance to reach the College Football Playoff. Also, a 16% shot to win the SEC (third behind Alabama and Texas A&M), and an 8.3% chance to capture the national championship (the fourth-best mark in the nation). This Saturday’s clash will determine whether they can keep their playoff hopes intact.