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Swamp Woes: Miami Hurricanes beat Florida Gators 41-17

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•08/31/24•

ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators opened the 2024 season with their rivalry renewed against No. 19 Miami. And to say it didn’t go as planned for Billy Napier & Co. would be an understatement.

The Hurricanes (1-0) dominated from start to finish — and in every single phase. Simply put, it was a route.

Final score: Miami 41, Florida 17.

This was the Gators’ first meeting with Miami since their 24-20 win in the 2019 opener. But Saturday’s game was no contest and Miami now leads the rivalry series 30-27.

Florida (0-1) has lost six straight games dating back to last season.

Here is a look back at how it all transpired.

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FOURT QUARTER

-Freshman Gators quarterback DJ Lagway threw his first Gators interception with 2:50 remaining in the game.

-Miami recovered an onsides kick, then drove 37 yards before finishing the drive with a 26-yard field goal from Andres Borregales. (41-17, 4:00)

-Florida scored on a 1-yard run by running back Treyaun Webb to cap a nine-play, 58-yard drive. (38-17, 7:14)

-After Florida starting quarterback Graham Mertz was knocked out of the game with an injury late in the third quarter, touted true freshman DJ Lagway got snaps early in the fourth quarter. With Florida trailing 38-10, Lagway’s first play was a handoff to running back Treyaun Webb, who gained 2 yards. He was stopped for a 4-yard loss on second down, then followed that up with an incompletion on third down. Lagway stayed in the game and his first completion came one series later — and 11-yarder to Eugene Wilson. He then followed that up with a 16-yard completion to Wilson on the next play.

THIRD QUARTER

-The rout is on in Gainesville. Ward scrambled out of a potential sack by TJ Searcy and tossed touchdown pass No. 3 to Jacolby George on third-and-11 from the Florida 23. He’s now thrown for over 300 yards. (38-10, 6:08)

-Miami scored on its first drive of the second half and for the fourth time in five possessions, marching 75 yards in six plays. Fletcher finished it off with his second touchdown run. (31-10, 12:25)

SECOND QUARTER

-The Hurricanes responded to Florida’s first score with their third touchdown drive before the half. Ward threw his second TD of the game, this time to Xavier Restrepo from 24 yards, puts Miami back up by 14 points. (24-10, 0:45)

-Trailing by 14, Florida needed a spark on offense and Montrell Johnson Jr. delivered with the biggest play of his career. It was one-play, 71-yard touchdown drive for the Gators as Johnson bounced outside, outraced Miami’s Tyler Baron down the left sideline and took it to the house. (17-10, 3:21)

-Following a turnover on downs by the Gators at the Miami 42, the Hurricanes reached UF territory on a rougher the passer penalty by safety DJ Douglas and Mark Fletcher gave them a two-score lead with his 10-yard touchdown run. (17-3, 6:41)

-Ward rebounded from his pick with a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive, including three consecutive first-down passes. Miami marched to the 5-yard line but couldn’t reach the end zone, going back by a touchdown with a 23-yard field goal by Andres Borregales. (10-3, 9:53)

FIRST QUARTER

-After an interception by linebacker Shemar James set the Florida Gators up on the Miami 33, they couldn’t reach the red zone and settled for a 41-yard field by Trey Smack for their first points of the season. (7-3, 0:21)

-Miami scored on its opening possession with 11-play, 84-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Cam Ward to Cam McCormick (7-0, 6:53). The series was extended with a rougher the passer penalty on third-and-10 by Florida EDGE Justus Boone on Ward ran out of bounds, resulting in first-and-goal for UM.

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