Lagway didn't scrimmage, but there is no reason for worrying

(Photo by Chris Spears)

When the Gators held their first real scrimmage Saturday, DJ Lagway didn’t play. Nor did wide receivers Dallas Wilson, Tre Wilson, Aidan Mizell and Kahleil Jackson, EDGE rusher LJ McCray, linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard, corner Dijon Johnson and safety Aaron Gates.

Should you be worried? Not really. There are still two weeks to get these guys healthy enough to play, three when you consider the season opener is with Long Island University. It would be great to have them all healthy and ready to go against LIU, but the only real necessity on the health front is Lagway. Even though any of Florida’s backup quarterbacks could lead the Gators to a win over the D1AA Sharks, the priority is getting Lagway ready to go. Those reps, even against a bad D1AA team, will pay off once the SEC schedule kicks in with a roadie at LSU in game three.

From all accounts, Lagway has been looking good throwing in practice, so holding him out in the scrimmage wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Napier has decisions to make about who goes into the season opener as the No. 2 and No. 3 quarterback. From various reports, both Warner and Louisville transfer Harrison Bailey split time running the offense and both had some very good moments. It should also be noted that true freshman Trammell Jones continued to show the kind of talent that could move him up the depth chart in a hurry.

Lagway will get plenty of work with all the receivers the next two weeks. Against LIU, he probably will only play a handful of series before Napier gives him the rest of the day off. His work load will certainly increase game two against an improved South Florida team that finished the 2024 season 7-6 with a bowl win over San Jose State.

As for the receivers, Florida is loaded with players capable of stretching defenses and making plays. And, until the Gators get everybody healthy, they can rely heavily on the running game. Jadan Baugh, Ja’Kobi Jackson and KD Daniels apparently had exceptional days running the ball Saturday behind an O-line that continues to impress.

TWO THINGS THAT STILL IRRITATE ME

1. THE SWINDLE IN THE SWAMP IN 2003

The Gators led Florida State 27-24 with a little more than six minutes left in the fourth quarter when Leon Washington fumbled at the Florida 3-yard line. Channing Crowder emerged from the pile with the football but the Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew headed by Jack Childress determined that Washington had recovered his own fumble. Adding to the insanity – this was the fourth fumble of the game that Florida recovered yet somehow FSU was awarded the football – Crowder was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he spiked the football. It took FSU three plays to score and take the lead.

Florida regained the lead at 34-31 on a 25-yard Chris Leak to Ben Troupe touchdown pass with 2:50 remaining, but FSU would score the game-winning touchdown on a Chris Rix to PK Sam touchdown pass with 55 seconds left in the game.

When FSU players started stomping on the big F at midfield after their 38-34 win a brawl broke out that required the police and tear gas to break it up.

Bobby Bowden shrugged his shoulders about the brawl and the officiating but he did say something to the effect of being sorry there was a fight. When asked about all the fumbles that somehow or another were recovered by FSU, Bobby kind of grinned and said he was glad the calls went his way.

Jack Childress and his crew should have been suspended from ever calling another college football game.

Had there been instant replay, the Gators would have wound up with at least three of the four fumbles including the one by Leon Washington.

2. JAMIE LUCKIE’S CASE OF THE RED ASS IN NEW ORLEANS IN 2011

Florida led Butler by 11 (51-40) with 9:26 left in the game. With 9:03 left, Luckie called a jump ball when Butler’s Shelvin Mack drove into the paint and tried to get up a shot. Scottie Wilbekin got both hands on the ball and a held ball was called. Butler coach Brad Stevens disagreed and when Luckie comes by the Butler bench, he said, “You’re a better official than that Jamie.” It happened maybe 8-10 feet in front of Marty Cohen and I on the press row.  

Butler got the ball on the alternating possession but on the inbounds play, Matt Howard scored a layup. He was clearly fouled – by Alex Tyus – but Luckie called Vernon Macklin for the foul. It was the fourth foul on Macklin, who had scored 20 points already. Vern sat the next four minutes during which time Butler got back in the game and eventually own in overtime. The way Vern was dominating the game offensively and with his paint defense, no one will ever convince me that Florida wouldn’t have won the game by anywhere from 12-15 points.

From the 9:02 point in the game, Butler went to a scratch and claw defense, but Jamie Luckie had a tendency to overlook Gators getting hammered. No autopsy, no foul seemed to be his take on Butler’s defense the rest of the game. Florida never regained its rhythm and Macklin lost his aggressiveness with the fourth foul.

I believe the Gators would have won the national championship if they had gotten to the Final Four. UConn won it with a 53-41 win over Butler in the championship game at Reliant Stadium in Houston. No one will ever convince me that UConn could have beaten the Gators.

There are certain officials that coaches know before the opening tip that it could be a very long game. I’ve talked to plenty of SEC coaches and there is universal agreement that Jamie Luckie was too thin skinned and when he got a case of the red ass, their team was in trouble.

THREE THINGS THAT STILL MAKE ME GO HMMM …

1. WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF CAM NEWTON HAD REMAINED AT UF

Cam Newton was in academic trouble in 2008 when he was the subject of an investigation by the University Police Department. Newton had purchased a stolen computer. Did he know it was hot at the time he bought it? He said he didn’t and a deal was made that if he turned the computer over to the UPD and fingered the guy who sold it to him, he would be off the hook.

When the police arrived he panicked and threw the computer into a dumpster below his second floor dorm room. He was charged with larceny and obstruction of justice, plus suspended from the team. He made a plea deal but made the decision to transfer to Blinn Junior College in Texas where he led the team to the 2009 juco national title. In 2010, Newton led Auburn to 14-0 record and the national championship. He threw for more than 2,800 yards and 30 touchdowns, ran for 1,473 and 20 more.

Florida went 13-1 in 2009, Tim Tebow’s final season. In 2010, the Gators went 8-5 in what was Urban Meyer’s final year on the job. Florida averaged 100 fewer yards and one less touchdown a game, largely due to Meyer being forced to make the offense work with a 3-headed quarterback in John Brantley, Jordan Reed and Trey Burton.

There was more than enough talent on that Florida team. More than 30 players eventually spent at least one year in the NFL. The problem was at quarterback. Brantley was a pocket passer. Reed and Burton could run but couldn’t throw. The Meyer offense only worked well with a dual threat. Put Newton on the field and that team probably makes it to Atlanta. Maybe more.

2. WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF VINCE CARTER HAD SIGNED WITH UF?

As a high school senior at Daytona Beach Mainland, Vince Carter was thought to be the greatest high school basketball player in the history of the state. When it came time to sign scholarship papers, Carter signed with Dean Smith and North Carolina rather than play for Lon Kruger and the Gators.

Kruger was a very good basketball coach who took the Gators to their first Final Four in 1994. From a pure talent standpoint, the 1994 Gators rank close to the bottom of the UF teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament. Andrew DeClerq might be the only player on that team that might have had a role on any of Florida’s five other teams that made a Final Four.

Kruger needed a recruiting breakthrough but Carter said no. Playing for Dean Smith had something to do with it, but Florida’s lack of support and sparse crowds was another factor. Kruger was convinced Florida would never be able to recruit studs to Florida, so he left after the 1995-96 season for Illinois.

Florida took a gamble by hiring this kid named Billy Donovan who had two years of head coaching experience at Marshall. We all know what Billy was able to do, but a lot of people who know Lon Kruger well still wonder out loud what he might have done with the Florida program if he had landed Carter. Lon Kruger won 674 college basketball games as a head coach. He took Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV and Oklahoma to NCAA Tournaments, but the 1994 Gators were the only Kruger-coached team that made the Final Four.

3. IF OLD YELLER HAD TOLD THE TRUTH WOULD HE HAVE KEPT HIS JOB?

On October 23, 2017, Jim McElwain claimed at a press conference that there had been death threats against himself, his players and his family. The Gators were 3-3 at the time, coming off consecutive losses by a grand total of three points to LSU and Texas A&M. McElwain was given a chance to explain himself later that day, but offered nothing in the way of proof.

On Saturday, the Gators were hosed by Georgia, 42-7. Even with a week in which he could have provided even a shred of evidence, McElwain either couldn’t or simply wouldn’t offer anything to back up his story. So, he was fired with cause.

The question worth asking is would Florida have fired him during the season if McElwain had told the truth? Would Scott Stricklin given him the rest of the season to try to right the ship, and if he had turned things around and won games, could that have saved his job?