OXFORD -- DJ Lagway certainly got Ole Miss' attention this past Saturday.
The Florida quarterback returned from a hamstring injury and completed 13 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown in the Gators' 27-16 win over LSU.
This season, the 6-foot-3, 239-pounder has completed 69 of his 118 passes for 1,297 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. It's his combination of size and speed, however, that has No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2 overall, 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference) locked in this week as it prepares for Saturday's 11 a.m. CST showdown with Florida (5-5, 3-4).
"I think he's very athletic," Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery said Tuesday. "I think that's what allows him to be so explosive and he has a nice arm. He gets the ball out relative to his reads, and I think that's what allows him to make plays with his feet. It's the threat of him being able to throw and run."
Ole Miss has terrorized quarterbacks all season, but in particular in recent weeks. That included Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold, Arkansas' Taylen Green and Georgia's Carson Beck. However, Lagway presents special challenges in terms of pursuit, Dottery said.
"I think it's kind of the same mentality," Dottery said. "We have to be able to contain him and keep him in the pocket and keep contain as best we can. I think he's very good and he has a lot of potential."
Dottery said Lagway reminds him a bit of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The Rebels played the Gamecocks in Columbia in October and controlled the freshman during a 31-6 win.
However, the focus this week, Dottery said, is simply on winning.
"I think when our backs are against the wall, we play our best," Dottery said. "Everybody just wants to put it all out and just continue to go. I like it. It's exciting for me."
Monday and Tuesday practice reports are presented by Southern Q-Sauce.
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Bentley feeling fresh late in the season: Ulysses Bentley IV has only had 50 carries so far this season. It's not the workload he wanted or expected, but 10 games into the season, the Ole Miss running back is mostly healthy and fresh.
"You can say it's unusual, but at the same time, my body is feeling good," Bentley said. "Each and every day, I try to go to treatment and get in the cold tub. Even though I'm kind of a little banged up, I always find a way to get myself to feel good."
The Rebels could be adding another weapon in the running game as early as this week, as Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said Monday former LSU running back Logan Diggs has been doing more in practice.
"Obviously, he's a big guy and he brings a lot of power," Bentley said. "We've got a lot of finesse guys, but he definitely brings a lot of power to the running game."
Passing game gaining confidence: With Tre Harris out the last few weeks, Ole Miss' offense was forced to grow. It did just that, putting up big numbers in the last 10 quarters versus Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia.
"We couldn't fall off or we wouldn't be in the position we're in right now," Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee said. "I feel like the offense is in really good position and when Tre comes back, I feel like it's going to be even better."
Lee has 40 catches for 696 yards and a touchdown entering Saturday's game at Florida.
Lee said he is "feeling a lot better" after the Rebels' bye week. He was banged up for the wins over Arkansas and Georgia, but he said he got some rest and massage in during the open date and feels good.
Lee said Harris "has been hard on himself" during his absence, trying to force his way back on to the field.
"He's been doing a lot behind the scenes trying to get back and to make this team better," Lee said.
Davis named Groza semifinalist: Ole Miss football senior kicker Caden Davis has been named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award, as announced by Palm Beach County Sports Commission on Tuesday.
Davis is among 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which has been presented to the top kicker in college football since 1992. The Award is named for Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Groza won four NFL championships with Cleveland and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1954. Although an All-Pro offensive lineman as well, Groza ushered in the notion that there should be a place on an NFL roster for a kicker.
On the season, Davis is 20-of-23 on field goals, including 8-of-10 from 40 yards or further, making him one of four kickers nationally to hit 20 so far this year. Davis has two makes from 50 yards or further, including a career-long 57-yard connection in overtime at LSU that broke the Tiger Stadium record and ranks tied for the third-longest in Ole Miss history.
Davis stands alongside Cloyce Hinton as the lone kickers in Ole Miss history with multiple 55-yard field goals, with Davis also owning a crucial 56-yarder at Tulane in 2023.
Davis went 5-for-5 on field goals in the rain in Ole Miss' historic 28-10 upset victory over No. 2 Georgia, the most by a Rebel kicker since 2015, which earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Earlier this season, Davis broke the Ole Miss single-game record with 10 PATs against Furman, and with 107 points already scored this season, he stands just 17 shy of Jonathan Nichols' 2003 single-season scoring record of 124. In just his second season as a Rebel, Davis ranks seventh among kickers and eighth among all Rebels in career scoring with 206 points. He also ranks tied for sixth in PATs made (92) and tied for seventh in field goals made (38).
Semifinalists will be voted on by a panel of FBS head coaches, SIDs, media members, former Groza finalists, and current NFL kickers to select the three finalists. These finalists will be announced on Tues., Nov. 26 and honored at the 33rd annual Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Banquet on Mon., Dec. 9 in Palm Beach County. The same panel then selects the winner, who will be announced live on ESPN at The Home Depot College Football Awards on Thurs., Dec. 12.
