Lagway practicing, LSU-UF point spread continues to shrink

QB DJ Lagway (2) practicing, could play against LSU (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears)

Perhaps buoyed by the continued encouraging news that DJ Lagway might be healthy enough to play Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., ABC) when the Florida Gators (4-5, 2-4 SEC) face 21st-ranked LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC), the oddsmakers in Las Vegas closed the gap a little bit more on their point spread. Tuesday night, LSU was a 4.5-point favorite, but more money moved to Florida on Wednesday as Billy Napier twice (SEC Coaches Teleconference; Wednesday evening press conference) offered news that Lagway continues to look as if he will be declared fit to play. As of Wednesday evening, LSU was a 4-point favorite.

“Yeah, he's been able to practice,” Napier said Wednesday evening. “Obviously he's modified a little bit, but he's making progress every day. He is getting closer and closer to being prepared to play. So I do think we are creating a game-day environment in terms of the treatment and modifications we're using, you know, just to make sure he's comfortable with that. So he did work today, and obviously I think he made progress – he’s felt better today than he felt yesterday. We're hopeful that'll be the case tomorrow.”

With Lagway at quarterback, LSU’s safeties will have to back up a few steps instead of giving an 8-in-the-box defensive look. The threat of Lagway throwing the deep ball should open up Florida’s improving running game with Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson. In the last three games, Baugh has carried 58 times for 258 yards and six touchdowns. Jackson has carried 40 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games. Baugh had a 106-yard, 5-touchdown game against Kentucky while Jackson gained 116 and scored a TD last week against Texas.

The running threat could be even better if Montrell Johnson Jr. is able to play. He’s missed the last three games after suffering a knee injury against Tennessee. Napier was encouraged that Johnson could be available to play against LSU.

“He's been able to do more this week than he did last week,” Napier said of his senior running back, who is 131 yards shy of 3,000 career rushing yards. “So, you know, I think he’s day-to-day, you know, and I think ultimately, that's a position where you have a lower body injury, you got to be 100 percent, right, to be as effective as you want to be. And certainly for him, this one’s personal to him, because he's from Louisiana, so he's motivated. He's practiced, you know. Is he 100 percent? We'll see, but we're going to do what we've done in the past. We're not going to put him out there until he's ready.”

An effective running game could be what the Gators need to spring the upset and move them within a game of bowl eligibility. LSU is one of the worst teams in the SEC defending the run (Tigers allow 150.78 yards per game). If the threat of Lagway opens a few more creases in the defense for Florida’s running game to be effective, it will eat up clock and keep the UF defense off the field.

That’s important because LSU has difficulty sustaining a running game. The Tigers are dead last in the SEC and 114th nationally running the ball at 114 yards per game. The Tigers are increasingly reliant on their passing game, which has had issues of its own lately.

Through LSU’s first four games, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had thrown for 1,243 yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Against D1AA Nicholls State he threw for 302 yards and six touchdowns. In the last five games, Nussmeier has thrown for an impressive 1,623 yards, but his touchdown pass-to-interception ratio has plummeted. He’s thrown eight TDPs while completing nine passes to opponents. In LSU’s last two games, losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, Nussmeier has three touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Making those totals more significant is a running game that has produced only 128 yards on 47 carries combined in the two losses. Without better help from the run game, the Tigers have become very one-dimensional, which could be a real help to the Gators, who were gouged for 210 yards on the ground along with 352 through the air by Texas last week.

Florida injury report

Out: CB Ja’Keem Jackson, CB Jason Marshall Jr., WR Tre Wilson, RB Treyaun Webb, ILB Grayson Howard, QB Graham Mertz, S Asa Turner, WR Kahleil Jackson, CB Devin Moore, OT Devon Manuel, DL Jamari Lyons

Questionable: RB Montrell Johnson Jr., QB DJ Lagway, WR Elijhah Badger, OG Damieon George Jr.

GATORS ON NOVEMBER SIGNING DAY

Gymnastics: Ly Bui (5-star, Swisher, Iowa); Amelia Disidore (4-star, Overland Park, KS); Maddy Dorbin (5-star, Lilburn, GA); Jocelyn Sasson (5-star, Clermont, FL)

Lacrosse: MF Autumn Blair (Downington, PA); D Anna DiMartile (Fort Washington, PA Upper Darby); MF Molly Doran (Camilus, NY West Genesee); Attack/Draw Allison Fling (Sykesville, MD Century); MF Caroline Hoskins (Towson, MD St. Paul’s School for Girls); Attack Blythe Noyes (Marietta, GA Pope); MF Kennedy Richardson (Richmond, VA Collegiate); G Maya Hoskin (Cold Spring Harbor, NY); MF Alexa Stone (Alexandria, VA Bishop Ireton); MF Emma Sweeney (Haymarket, VA Pope Paul VI); MF Jameson Swords (Dallas, TX Prosper)

Softball: SS Kalie Matsuno (4-star, Cerritos, CA Los Alamitos); OF Kylie Shaw (4-star, Estero, FL Evangelical Christian); C Makenna Bellaire (4-star, Lutz, FL Land O’Lakes)

Soccer: GK Lily Holden (St. Augustine, FL Bartram Trail); F Katie Johnson (Edmond, OK Bishop McGuinness); D Victoria Madison (Tampa, FL, Hillsborough); D Ava Paolini (San Marcos, CA); F Sophia Sindelar (Rocky River, OH); MF Kai Tsakiris (Corona del Mar, CA)

Volleyball: Middle blocker De’Andrea McMillian (4-star, Mansfield, TX)

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 9 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC): RG Jaeden Roberts, who left the game injured against LSU, is expected to be in the lineup Saturday when Bama plays D1AA Mercer (9-1).

Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC): The Razorbacks, who play host to No. 3 Texas Saturday, have improved offensively by nearly 160 yards per game under coordinator Bobby Petrino. A year ago Arkansas averaged 326.5 yards per game. This year they’re averaging 483.6 per game, 191.2 rushing and 292.3 passing.

Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC): Quarterback Payton Thorne (shoulder) is questionable for Saturday’s game with Louisiana-Monroe). Thorne has thrown for 1,825 yards (8.6 per attempt) and 13 touchdowns (7 interceptions) while running for 176 yards and two TDs.

No. 11 Georgia (7-2, 4-2 SEC): The Bulldogs are ranked 12th in the College Football Playoff poll, which Paul Finebaum says is embarrassing for the people who vote. “Are they watching football games or are they just looking at these thousand data points and just coming up with some conclusion?” Finebaum asked on ESPN’s First Take show.

Kentucky (3-6, 1-6 SEC): The Wildcats are one of three SEC schools that have been to eight consecutive postseason games. Georgia and Alabama are the other two. The Wildcats have to go 3-0 the rest of the way to become bowl eligible.

No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC): The Tigers have given up 553 rushing yards in their last two games, 242 to Texas A&M and 311 to Alabama. Texas A&M scored five rushing touchdowns against LSU while Alabama scored six.

Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC): The Bulldogs are spending $5.335 million on assistant coaches with defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler paid $1 million.

No. 24 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC): QB Brady Cook (wrist, lower leg) is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game with South Carolina. Cook has thrown for 1,575 yards (7.2 per attempt) and seven TDs with only one pick this season. He has run for four more touchdowns.

Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC): Athletic director Joe Castiglione told the Tulsa World, “... we truly believe in Coach (Brent) Venables and our team” in a statement to try to quell rumors that Venables job is on the line.

No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): Quarterback Jaxson Dart and defensive tackle Walter Nolen have been named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Award. Dart is fourth nationally in passing with 3,409 yards (11.4 per attempt) and 22 touchdowns (4 picks) with another 304 with three touchdowns on the ground. Nolen has 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

South Carolina (6-3, 3-3 SEC): Offensive lineman Josiah Thompson is listed as probable for Saturday’s game with Missouri. Thompson has been starting at left tackle as a true freshman.

No. 6 Tennessee (7-1, 5-1 SEC): QB Nico Iamaleava (concussion protocol) is questionable for Saturday’s game at No. 11 Georgia. Iamaleava has thrown for 1,879 yards (8.5 per attempt) with 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions. He has run for 215 yards and a TD.

No. 3 Texas (8-1, 5-1 SEC): Edge rusher Colton Vasek and linebacker Morice Blackwell are listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game against Arkansas in Little Rock. Blackwell has been in on 21 tackles this seaosn while Vasek has 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.

No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC): With running back Le’Veon Bell done for the year, the Aggies are expected to lean more heavily on QB Marcel Reed as a runner. Reed has run for 334 yards and five touchdowns in addition to throwing for 861 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.

Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC): The Commodores are using the bye week to rest QB Diego Pavia, who is among 20 Vandy players missing practice this week while nursing injuries.

SEC BASKETBALL

Wednesday’s scores

No. 5 Auburn (3-0) 79, Kent State (2-1) 56: Johni Broome filled up the box score with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.

No. 11 Tennessee (3-0) 92, Montana (2-2) 57: Igor Milicic Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals while Zakai Ziegler had 11 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot to pace the Vols.

No. 18 Arkansas (2-1) 65, Troy (2-1) 49: Adou Thiero had 19 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot while Zvonimir Ivisic had 19 points, two rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals for Arkansas.

Vanderbilt (3-0) 85, California (2-1) 69: Grant Huffman scored 18 points to lead Vandy to a 3-0 start with a blowout win over California.

Today’s games

Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Missouri (2-1)

LSU (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0)

Friday’s games

No. 20 FLORIDA (3-0) at Florida State (3-0)

No. 2 Alabama (3-0) at No. 13 Purdue (3-0)

Georgia (3-0) at Georgia Tech (2-1)

Ohio State (2-0) at No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1)

Saturday’s games

Stetson (1-2) at Oklahoma (2-0)

South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0)

Jackson State (0-3) at Vanderbilt (2-0)

Colorado State (3-0) at No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0)

Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Texas (2-1)

Sunday’s games

Austin Peay (3-0) at No. 12 Tennessee (2-0)

Utah (3-0) at Mississippi State (3-0)