Pat Dooley's Six Pack recaps Florida football's Orange and Blue game (2024)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

For a guy who was a four-star recruit, Jadan Baugh didn’t get a lot of hype coming in. In fact, they spelled his name wrong on an earlier release. But the freshman from Atlanta who weighs 237 pounds is all thighs and moves. Baugh definitely made some guys miss, and he looks like an SEC back. So does redshirt freshman Treyaun Webb.

Baugh had 60 rushing yards in the first half and 77 for the game.

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

And they were not disappointed as the freshman quarterback threw deep on two of the first three plays of the game. He threw some laser strikes, but it’s difficult to know just how effective he will be running the ball because the quarterbacks wore black non-contact jerseys.

He did look like Anthony Richardson (as a freshman) running around out there and throwing darts. It’s just that some of them hit the tires of the car outside (Young Frankensteinreference.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

We knew that from last year, but Florida’s biggest issue heading into this portal window is to find complements for a guy who could be a superstar in the SEC. On Saturday, he had eight catches for 128 yards including a 60-yard TD catch. “We’re going to get our money’s worth out of Trey Wilson I promise you that,” said Napier.

Florida fans were hoping to see more of transfer Chimere Dike, but he was targeted only four times and caught two passes. But Marcus Burke had a nice day with three catches for 63 yards.

“He’s grown up so much since we got here two years ago,” Napier said. “He finished the spring strong.”

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Hey, the defense had two interceptions. That’s a news bulletin considering the Gators had three interceptions all of last year. Now, you may have concerns about the passes that Lagway and Graham Mertz threw because they were poor decisions, but guys made plays on defense.

Especially Sharif Denson stepping in front of a Mertz pass. I don’t know that we saw that all year last year. “Two phenomenal plays,” Napier said.

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

That’s two spring games in a row Smack has made the game-winner, this one from 37 yards. He was 3-for-3 on the day.

Florida did not show a lot on special teams, fair catching all punts. But Aidan Mizell looked like he could have broken a couple of kickoff returns if they had not blown them dead.

Napier understands special teams and situational play were not Florida’s strengths last year. The Gators have worked hard on both areas this spring. The reason the Orange team had those three points to start the game was Lagway turning it on when the OT period was about the advantage.

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Look, spring games are spring games. They are forgotten almost as soon as they are over.

But it was such a nice game you wondered why everybody doesn’t play in April.

Napier knows that he has his best team since he arrived at Florida and Saturday’s crowd of 48,000 was another indication (as were the lines to get in the stadium two hours before the game) of how much the fans want him to succeed.

Florida did a great job of making the whole day special, including the Florida Victorious autograph session afterwards.

“The guys coming back understand the expectations,” Napier said.

Top photos from Florida football’s 2024 Orange and Blue game

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