The Florida Gators fell short in their upset bid over the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, losing 23-17 in overtime.
The loss came with an additional sting for the Gators, however, as starting quarterback Graham Mertz left the game midway through the third quarter after suffering a leg injury while throwing a touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham to put Florida up 10-0. Mertz suffered a non-contact injury on the play.
On Monday, Florida’s fears were confirmed as head coach Billy Napier announced that the senior quarterback would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
Gators QB Graham Mertz it out for the season with a torn ACL, Billy Napier announces.
“I want to say how much I appreciate Graham and his impact to this program on and off the field,” Napier says.
— Brandon Zimmerman (@BZSEC) October 14, 2024
Mertz will be replaced by freshman DJ Lagway, who started earlier this season when Mertz missed time with a concussion. Lagway also replaced Mertz for the final 20 minutes of the Tennessee game. He threw an interception on his first pass attempt, but finished the day nine-for-17 with 98 yards and a touchdown pass to go along with the interception. The touchdown came with 29 seconds left when Lagway found Chimere Dike for a game-tying 27-yard touchdown.
Originally a Wisconsin Badger, Mertz transferred to Florida before the 2023 season. Unless he gets a medical redshirt and plays one more season, Mertz’s college career ends with him having gone 793-for-1225 for 9,099 passing yards and 61 touchdowns to 34 interceptions.
