TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway and Florida finished their challenging season on a high note in the Gasparilla Bowl. Despite a shaky first half, Lagway threw for 305 yards and a touchdown in Florida’s 33-8 win over Tulane on Friday. Trey Smack kicked a Gasparilla Bowl record four field goals, with a late TD run from walk-on running back Anthony Rubio sealing the victory for the Gators. Head coach Billy Napier expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, while Tulane struggled without starting quarterback Darian Mensah. Lagway, a true freshman, led the Gators to victory after a slow start to the season, finishing with 2 interceptions but showing promise for the future. Rubio, a redshirt freshman, made a memorable debut in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown to extend Florida’s lead. The Gators’ turnaround was fueled by Lagway’s emergence as the starting quarterback following an injury to Graham Mertz. Tulane, on the other hand, faced challenges and ended the season with three losses, missing out on a shutout only when Ty Thompson threw a late TD pass. Thompson, who may be leaving Tulane, had a mixed performance with 3 interceptions.
The tryout for a chance at claiming the starting quarterback position for the Green Wave did not turn out as expected. The junior player typically excels more in running plays rather than passing, but unfortunately, he struggled in both aspects during the game against the Gators. Looking ahead, Florida is set to kick off the upcoming season with a home game against LIU, while Tulane will be hosting Northwestern. Both teams are scheduled to start their season on August 30th.
For the latest updates and alerts on polls, make sure to stay informed with the AP Top 25 rankings throughout the football season. Sign up to receive notifications here. Stay tuned for all the action in college football by visiting the AP college football page: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
