Samford (0-1) at Florida (0-1), Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
BetMGM College Football Odds: No line.
Series record: Florida leads 3-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Potentially Florida coach Billy Napier’s job. Napier can ill-afford a lackluster effort against the lower-division Bulldogs in the Swamp, not after last week’s 41-17 drubbing at the hands of then-No. 19 Miami. The Gators were dominated on both lines of scrimmage, so outmatched that the home crowd started heading for the exits in third quarter.
KEY MATCHUP
Napier versus a frustrated fanbase. This could be a game in which the Florida faithful show how far they’ve swung from enthusiastic to apathetic in one week. Napier is likely to get booed during pre-game introductions. He is 11-15 in Gainesville, including a six-game skid.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Samford: QB Quincy Crittendon became only the second quarterback in coach Chris Hatcher’s 10-year tenure to throw for 300 yards and rush for 90 more in the same game. He could pose problems for the Gators, who have struggled to slow down dual-threat passers the last few years.
Florida: Freshman QB DJ Lagway makes his first career start, stepping in for injured senior Graham Mertz (concussion). A five-star prospect from Willis, Texas, Lagway was the consensus No. 1 QB recruit in the country last year. He threw for 4,604 and 58 touchdowns as a senior at Willis High. He also led the team in rushing with 957 yards and 16 scores.
FACTS & FIGURES
Samford gave Florida a scare in 2021. The Bulldogs led 42-35 at halftime and set the record for the most points scored against the Gators in any half at Florida Field. … The Bulldogs have 11 current players who saw action in that game, which the Gators won 70-52. … Samford is 2-81-3 against teams from the Southeastern Conference, with the victories coming against Mississippi State in 1909 and 1934. … Florida will be without four defensive starters: safety Asa Turner, cornerback Devin Moore, nickel cornerback Sharif Denson and defensive tackle Joey Slackman. … The Gators have scored in an NCAA-record 449 consecutive games, 53 longer than anyone else in college football history.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
