The Gators, after an unexpected 18-16 loss to the Bulls in the swamp on September 6, went to the bayous in Week 3, seeking redemption. LSU, on the other hand, was coming off a statement win against Clemson and was already heavily favored. Despite that, considering DJ Lagway’s season-redeeming performance for Napier in 2024, an upset was always on the cards. However, what happened in yesterday’s game was the ultimate low point for Lagway (5 picks) as scrutinizing calls have become intense. Most of all, the trust in Billy Napier is running low as a prominent analyst has come down heavily against the Gators’ head coach.

“We just made too many mistakes to win the game,” said Billy Napier as the game ended 10-20 for the head coach. A game marred by regression from LSU’s offense, Billy Napier could have easily salvaged a hard-fought win. However, from the start, we saw undisciplined plays, poor finishing, and an inability to secure leads in crucial third-down situations. Most importantly, the drives were ending prematurely for Florida as DJ Lagway threw crucial interceptions, starting in the first quarter in a third-and-10 situation. But it’s not all on Lagway.

Former Georgia All-American and CFB Hall of Famer David Pollack sat with analyst Brent Rollins and talked about the humiliating performance by the Gators’ offense. “Lagway stares down wide receivers more than…” said Rollins, and then Pollack completed the sentence, saying, “college guys stare down sorority girls,”.

However, Pollack relayed flaws in the Gators’ running game, a major factor in the loss. “He (Lagway) took off and scrambled a bunch, too. But Baugh’s balls got to be a bigger part of this game. He’s too big. He’s too strong. The running game’s not good enough,” said David Pollack. Moreover, Pollack also highlighted the immature mistakes the offense made in crucial situations.

“It’s just Florida’s dominating the game, but just continuing to make mistakes. And their mantra is pound the rock and hit him over the top, right? But you got to make those plays. Because when you don’t make those plays, now you’re second and ten. And then, you’re consistently in a situation where you’re not at a good distance,” highlighted Pollack. Of course, DJ Lagway must improve, as he continued to throw in double and triple coverages that also resulted in a game-changing pick-six in the third quarter. But the running game was a no-show either.

Florida managed to just gather 79 yards through the ground game, while Jadan Baugh was limited to just 46 rushing yards. It’s, of course, concerning since Napier isn’t using Jadan Baugh fully, a 6’6″ and 231 lbs running back, coming after a 673 rushing yard season in 2024.

We saw Lagway performing well in the ground game, scrambling effectively, but his 5 picks, including a pick-six, along with a shaky performance, overshadowed everything. Other running backs like Ja’Kobi Jackson were greatly limited, accumulating just 13 yards on 7 carries. That said, Billy Napier is not without heavy blame for the loss, according to Pollack.

David Pollack starts calls for Napier to give up play calling

The Gators’ defense was a crucial piece in Baton Rouge, despite offensive regression. Dijon Johnson’s interception was a highlight, whereas George Gumbs Jr and Myles Graham had a great game. Now, the only problem it seems lies in the offense, as Billy Napier took play-calling before the season. But despite the setback, Napier has shown no sign of giving up play-calling to his OC, Russ Callaway.

So far, that decision has wreaked havoc with two losses already, and with a buyout of $19 million, the Gators won’t be too patient with Napier if more losses pile up. In that scenario, Pollack explored the idea of Napier giving up play-calling for good reason.

“Georgia was in third and short of a ton, Tennessee’s trying to get in third and short. They have to do a better job of getting into those situations where Lagway can take off. There is a run past option to it or a pass element to it. We talked about Napier, and like, does he get rid of play-calling duties?” asked David Pollack. While Brent Rollins hesitantly said, “At this point, he’s probably committed,” signaling no change of play-calling from Napier. Napier’s play-calling flaws were quite visible against LSU and even against USF.

Napier didn’t change his strategy despite seeing passing struggles from DJ Lagway and persisted with his pass-heavy approach. For instance, in the first quarter, when Napier deployed RPOs and quick passes, it looked to click. However, the team didn’t look ready for a dynamic change midway. Lastly, Napier’s persistence in stretching the field vertically backfired, leading to easy picks.

For instance, implementing what Napier did in his first quarter 15-yard drive featuring a 20-yard completion to Aidan Mizell that led to a field goal came from a play-action situation could surely have resulted in an optimistic result. For now, it’s hard to predict what lies next for Florida, since the team needs to overcome a mountain and have Miami, Texas, and Texas A&M lined up in the next three games.