Gators task Spurrier Jr. to help struggling Lagway

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Gators are turning to Steve Spurrier to assistance hole the team's floundering offense.

Steve Spurrier Jr., anyway.

Interim manager Billy Gonzales said Wednesday the younger Spurrier, who was hired arsenic an violative expert earlier this year, volition beryllium much progressive with backmost DJ Lagway erstwhile the Gators (3-4, 2-2 SEC) play No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) successful Jacksonville connected Nov. 1.

Gonzales volition person choky ends coach/offensive coordinator Russ Callaway signifier the discourtesy alongside quarterbacks manager Ryan O'Hara successful the booth. O'Hara volition beryllium connected the headset calling plays to Lagway.

Spurrier, meanwhile, volition beryllium connected the sideline moving straight with the sophomore quarterback.

"What we're trying to bash close present is tweak a mates things truthful we tin enactment our players successful a amended concern to spell retired and marque plays and execute astatine a higher level," said Gonzales, named the interim aft Billy Napier was fired Sunday. "We each recognize that's what we request to do. So that's the No. 1 extremity for america arsenic a coaching unit close now."

Napier was dismissed, successful ample part, due to the fact that helium failed to get Florida's discourtesy connected way successful his 4 seasons. The Gators totaled a combined 50 points successful losses to South Florida, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M this fall, and they fertile 15th successful the league successful scoring.

Facing the Bulldogs without Napier could amusement however overmuch of a hindrance helium was to an discourtesy that believes it has capable endowment to vie successful the SEC. Gonzales has made it wide helium wants to unfastened things up much and get the shot down the tract to receivers.

Spurrier is simply a portion of the plan. The 54-year-old lad of a Hall of Fame subordinate and manager who is simply a surviving fable successful Gainesville, Spurrier spent the past 2 years astatine Tulsa. He besides worked astatine Mississippi State (2020-22), Washington State (2018-19), Western Kentucky (2017) and Oklahoma (2016). Before that, helium spent a decennary moving nether his celebrated begetter astatine South Carolina (2005-15).

"Whenever you're astir 1 of the top violative minds successful history, it's evidently going to hitch disconnected connected you arsenic well," Gonzales said. "He's been involved, but present he's going to person much of a relation due to the fact that he's going to beryllium down determination connected the tract with the backmost looking successful his eyes and getting a accidental to speech to him and reappraisal the movie that's being relayed.

"It's going to enactment america successful a large concern to assistance DJ and the quarterbacks execute connected the shot field."

Lagway has thrown for 1,513 yards, with 9 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, this play portion playing down a shaky violative line. He has looked amended of precocious arsenic helium moves person to afloat recovering from a derailed offseason that included core-muscle surgery, nagging enarthrosis symptom and a strained calf muscle.

"It's been a agelong journey, and I'm thankful for the bully and the bad," Lagway said. "God ...