Coming off a rough couple of games and bye week, No. 5 Texas looks to gain its confidence back and find its rhythm in this weekend’s game against Florida.
Florida is currently 4–4, but it hasn’t had an easy schedule by any means. The Gators’ four losses have been to teams that are currently in the AP top 25: No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Miami, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 15 Texas A&M.
Although the game will likely end in a win for the Longhorns simply because the Gator offense doesn’t have the power to test the Longhorn defense, the Gators will not make it easy for the Longhorns.
Here are the keys to the matchup this weekend:
Take advantage of Florida’s quarterback situation
Florida has racked up an unfortunate amount of injuries on their roster this year. Oct. 12, starting redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending ACL tear, leaving freshman quarterback DJ Lagway to step in.
Lagway was performing well. In last week’s game against No. 2 Georgia, Lagway threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to take the lead 7-3 in the second quarter. However, not long after the touchdown, Lagway was carted off the field with a hamstring injury, and third-string preferred walk-on quarterback Aidan Warner took his place.
An unexpected appearance against Georgia is like getting thrown into the deep end of a pool after just learning how to swim. In his performance, Warner threw for 66 yards with one interception, completing seven of 22 passes.
If Warner steps on the field, Texas needs to effectively stop the run game and force Florida to call passing plays. If it can do that, then Texas will need to be ready to take advantage of an inexperienced quarterback, putting pressure on the offensive line and intercepting bad throws.
However, after an MRI scan, Lagway’s injury was not as severe as expected. Florida’s head coach Billy Napier said there is a chance that Lagway will make a return to the field this weekend.
If Lagway leads the team, the Texas secondary will need to be ready. Lagway likes to get the ball out quickly, but he isn’t consistent yet with hitting his marks, throwing six touchdowns with five interceptions so far this season.
Lagway will be determined to succeed in this game if he plays. Not only will he want to prove himself after injury, but he will be close to home in Willis, Texas.
Stay strong against a decent Florida defense
Florida’s defense has kept it in the game of several tougher matchups this season. They were able to shut down a Tennessee offense on the road, forcing the game to go into overtime before losing 17-23.
In last week’s game against the Bulldogs, the Gator defense limited them for a large part of the game, with the secondary causing three interceptions. The Gators are ranked fifth in the SEC for interceptions with nine total this season.
Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers will need to stay calm and composed in the game to ensure a Texas win, not giving the ball to the Florida defense.
