The University of Florida (UF) opened their season with a win, on Saturday, Aug. 30, against the Long Island University Sharks with a score of 55-0 at Ben Griffin Hill Stadium, giving the Gators a chance to set the tone for a potentially successful year ahead under Head Coach Billy Napier.
According to Florida Gators.com, when asked about his plan for the game, Napier stated that the team was, “getting Lagway some much-needed reps and getting out of the game healthy before things started to get real.” While the matchup against LIU lacked the firepower of a stronger opponent, it delivered real game experience and increased the team’s confidence. This experience was especially impactful for DJ Lagway, who was the team’s star quarterback and threw three touchdowns. Lagway is the 6’3 sophomore quarterback for the University of Florida this year. Lagway’s passes allowed the team to be leading by 38-0 by the end of the first half, with a completion of 15 out of 18 passes (83.3%).
In addition, two new players to Florida’s roster made their opening debut against LIU, Tramell Jones Jr. and Vernell Brown III. Jones stepped in during the second half. Although he is a freshman and lacks experience, he made up for it with skill. Brown is a true freshman wide receiver, making him the first true freshman to start on offense since 2016.
Also according to Florida Gators.com, Florida dominated the game successfully. Ella Reeves, a junior at Plant High School, was asked about what she thought the outcome would be, Ella answered that, “even though this is my first time going to a UF game, I still had a feeling that they were going to win since LIU is ranked lower and has a smaller team than Florida.” However, although UF won the game, their football program has access to much more resources and recruitment availability compared to the program at LIU which is known for being underfunded.
UF went the entire game without a penalty or turnover, a first since 2021and the gators amassed 451 total yards to LIU’s mere 86. In addition, Florida had a recorded 27 first downs compared to the Sharks’ 2 first downs (Florida Gators.com recap).
Florida (1-0) now prepares for a cross-state showdown against the University of South Florida, scheduled for Saturday, September 6, at 4:15 p.m. However, it looks as though this upcoming game may be more difficult for UF since South Florida is coming off an opening win against Boise State, 34-7, showing that they won’t give up easily. According to On3.com, “UF’s upcoming game has already officially sold out; this is the program’s 14th straight sellout at the Swamp under Napier’s leadership”.
When asked about how she feels about UF’s next matchup against USF, Reeves said, “Although USF will be harder than LIU was for UF to beat, however, USF still isn’t good enough to beat a team like UF.”
Florida’s schedule for 2025 from Gator’s breakdown.com