Billy Napier implores Florida to 'wake up' after first quarter vs. Texas
Through the first quarter against Texas, it looked like Florida had some chances to take the momentum. But the Longhorns broke through – notably on a 4th and 1 in their own territory – to jump out to a 14-0 lead after the first 15 minutes.
Prior to the second quarter, Billy Napier pointed out the “opportunities” the Gators had. He also called on them to “wake up” against the No. 5-ranked team in the country.
Aidan Warner got the start at quarterback in place of DJ Lagway, who was unable to go due to a hamstring injury he suffered last week against Georgia. Napier said Warner needed to get comfortable, but didn’t indicate any further decisions at the quarterback position.
“I think so far in this game, we’ve had some opportunities,” Napier told ABC’s Katie George. “We got them 3rd and 10, we’ve got them 4th and 1 backed up. Again, let the quarterback settle in a little bit. We’ve got to wake up, is what we’ve got to do. Ultimately here, we’ll make the decision in the best interest of the team.”
Warner started the year as Florida’s third-string quarterback behind Graham Mertz and Lagway. However, Mertz went down with a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, which opened the door for Lagway to start as a true freshman.
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But in the first half of last week’s game, Lagway hit the turf after a designed run and immediately grabbed his hamstring. Billy Napier initially said it was “significant,” but optimism grew throughout the week about Lagway’s status because it wasn’t as severe as the program thought at first.
Ultimately, though, the former Five Star Plus+ recruit couldn’t start Saturday. The hope is he’ll be ready for next week’s game against LSU, though.
“Billy Napier tells me that DJ Lagway is not ready to play in today’s game,” George reported to start the broadcast. “Yes, he made a lot of progress this week, but they want to make sure he’s available next Saturday when Florida hosts LSU. So they did not want to risk any kind of setback today. Now, he did go through pregame warmups in case – in case – he’s needed in an emergency situation. But Aidan Warner will start for the Florida Gators here today.”