Gators HC Billy Gonzales’ comments on DJ Lagway’s benching raise serious questions about the program’s future
The Florida Gators suffered arguably their worst loss of the season on Saturday night, falling to the Kentucky Wildcats 38-7. It wasn’t just a bad loss; it was brutal across the board. They didn’t have enough focus on both sides of the football, and they were making poor decisions that resulted in big plays for […]
The Florida Gators suffered arguably their worst loss of the season on Saturday night, falling to the Kentucky Wildcats 38-7.
It wasn’t just a bad loss; it was brutal across the board. They didn’t have enough focus on both sides of the football, and they were making poor decisions that resulted in big plays for Kentucky. The biggest culprit of those was quarterback DJ Lagway, who was benched after halftime in favor of true freshman quarterback Tramell Jones Jr.
Billy Gonzales doesn’t commit to DJ Lagway starting vs. Ole Miss
It was somewhat of a surprise that interim head coach Billy Gonzales ended up benching Lagway, but the play on the field made it far from surprising. He completed 11-of-19 passes for 83 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, while the offense had four total turnovers in a first half that had seven total.
Gonzales was asked after the game about Lagway’s benching and was very honest about it.
“Well, that was my decision,” said Gonzales. “I think we had a rough first half, and I thought it might be good for him just to gather and look at it from a coach’s point from the sideline.”
There is merit to what Gonzales did for Lagway here. Every so often, you have a performance where it just isn’t your day. Lagway had that, and some time to look at the game from a different perspective could end up being what’s best for both him and his development. Where things get interesting is Gonzales’ approach to what comes next for Lagway. He was asked if Lagway would start next week and gave a succinct five-word answer that says everything without saying anything.
“We’ll look at the film,” said Gonzales.
Considering the pedigree and investment with Lagway, having him in a position where he isn’t the starter due to his performance is a rough spot. It is, however, an honest assessment of where the Gators are. Lagway has not played well enough to be the guaranteed starter moving forward, and it could ultimately mean the end of his time in Gainesville.
Is that the best scenario for both parties? It could ultimately become a reality with a completely new coaching staff taking over in Gainesville.
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