The No. 15 Florida Gators opened the 2024 season in dominant fashion Saturday night, overwhelming Long Island 55-0 before a sold-out Spurrier/Florida Field crowd.
Quarterback DJ Lagway, the 6-foot-3, 247-pound sophomore tabbed as the face of the program, returned from a calf injury that limited him for much of fall camp and quickly looked the part of a franchise quarterback. Lagway completed 15 of 18 passes (83.3%) for 120 yards and three short touchdown tosses — to Eugene Wilson III, Hayden Hansen, and UCLA transfer J. Michael Sturdivant — all in the second quarter as the Gators built a commanding 38-0 halftime lead.
“We wanted to set the tone early, and DJ did a great job executing,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said. “He looked comfortable and confident, which is exactly what we needed.”
Florida wasted no time grabbing control. On the game’s third play from scrimmage, safety Bryce Thornton scooped up a fumble and raced 37 yards for a touchdown — the Gators’ first defensive fumble return for a score since 2020. On UF’s first offensive series, sophomore tailback Jadan Baugh burst through the Sharks defense with a series of bruising runs before capping the drive with a 4-yard score. Baugh finished with 104 yards on just nine carries, his second career 100-yard game.
Though kicker Trey Smack misfired on two field goal tries in the first half, he connected from 56 yards — tied for the second-longest in program history — to stretch the lead to 17-0. From there, Lagway’s three touchdown passes pushed the advantage to 38-0 by the break.
The second half belonged to the backups, led by true freshman quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. of Jacksonville. In his college debut, Jones went 12 of 18 for 131 yards and tossed two touchdown passes — a 4-yarder to tight end Tony Livingston and an 11-yarder to former walk-on Taylor Spierto in the final minute.
Statistically, the Gators left no doubt. Florida outgained LIU 451-86, held a staggering 27-2 edge in first downs (the fewest ever allowed to an opponent), and pitched its first shutout since 2021. Napier’s squad also achieved a rarity: no turnovers and no penalties for the first time since that same season.
For Long Island, a Northeast Conference program in just its seventh year of football, the game was its fourth against a Power Five opponent. The Sharks have yet to score a point in such matchups since 2021, with previous lopsided defeats at West Virginia, Baylor, and TCU.
For Florida, the night marked the highest-scoring game of the Napier era and a clean, dominant start to a season with high expectations.
“We know the real tests are coming,” Napier said. “But it’s always good to see our guys play sharp, disciplined football right out of the gate.”
