Florida 40, Florida State 21
Q. What does it mean to end a tough season against your guys' rival?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, for sure, it's always great to end the season on a good note. I feel like we clicked offensively. We ran the ball at will. I feel like just a great day at the park.
Q. Jadan's performance, have you had a back rush for 250 plus?
JD LAGWAY: Oh, no. Easy day at the ballpark having a guy like him, man. He comes in every single day and works. I'm so excited for him and his future. It's going to be great.
Q. Winning against rivals is important. You're the first quarterback since Tim Tebow to start out 2-0 against Florida State. What does that mean to you?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, for sure, man, that's all I care about. I care about the logo, the brand. University of Florida has done so much for me and my family. I'm truly thankful. I'm just honored to be a part of just great culture here, great fan base, everybody that's around. I'm blessed to be here.
Q. You've reiterated you want to be a Gator going forward. How are you going to reflect on that with the coaching change?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, for sure, obviously want to see who we bring in. At this point I'm a Florida Gator. I'm happy and blessed to be here, so yeah.
Q. What did you think about your play tonight, your performance?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, solid. I made some throws when it was time to make throws. Like I said, man, every single game feel like I'm getting a little better and better. That's all you can ask for. I feel like it was a solid way to go into next year. I'm excited to build off that.
Q. First game with three touchdown passes since the season opener. How far do you think you've come?
JD LAGWAY: Man, I've come so far. Just everything that I've been through this whole year, it's truly a blessing just to be out there and compete with my guys. Just all the tears and all the blood, sweat, everything, just to get to this moment. Truly a blessing. A lot of people don't realize that, how much it took to get on the field. I'm thankful to be able to play football today. It was good.
Q. I'm sure it helps to end the year on a positive note. How do you go about the next few days? Sit back and wait and see?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, I'm really just focused on me. Get right back to work Monday. Big off-season for me. Get to have an off-season, so I'm excited for that. Just use everything to my advantage.
The season didn't go how we wanted it to. Instead of looking back at it, sulking about it, using this extra time to get better, get my body better, work on the things I need to work on.
Q. When you look back at day one, what do you think the biggest thing that you learned from this year was?
JD LAGWAY: Hmm...
Biggest thing I learned from this year, through the good and bad, you have to come to work every day, put your best foot forward. There was days being the first and last one in the building. When things weren't looking bright, when you just want to be at home, be staying away from everybody. But being in the building every single day, just grinding it out.
One thing I realized every rep is priceless. Like Coach Napier always said, this is a practice sport. You can't just go out there and jump out there and play it. You got to practice. You got to go through different situations. I learned so much from that.
I learned how to take better mental reps, you know what I mean? Just seeing how to do things and things like that. I took a lot from just learning how to take care of my body, little things like that.
It's been a hard year, don't get me wrong, but I'm thankful for all of it.
Q. How will that build you as a better athlete?
JD LAGWAY: Man, this year I'll never forget. I know God got something good for me in the future. I'm just excited to take it day by day, use my platform to give Him glory.
Q. What do you think the new coach is going to inherit?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, I feel like he's going to inherit a bunch of hard-working guys, a lot of guys that's been through the fire, a lot of guys that want success and know what that looks like, but being able to get the pieces and things to be able to do that on a consistent level.
I think that's what's new coach is going to get from the guys that return.
Q. Are you excited for the next steps?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, I'm definitely excited just to see who we bring in, things like that.
Like I said, I'm just going to control what I can control. I know who I am as a player, I know what I can do. Just trying to get better at my game and light it up next year, so yeah.
Q. Take us through the third quarter. Defense makes a stop, ball back to you, 17-14 game, you throw the touchdown pass. Tell me a little about that momentum shift at that point.
JD LAGWAY: For sure. We had a package in there to get Aaron Chiles in there. That's who we wanted to get the ball to. They ended up covering him. A good call by Coach O'Hara. We call it our late find. Third or fourth progression, he popped open. I gave him the ball. Good moment for him to get in the end zone and stuff like that.
Q. When you started the season and had some early struggles, was there ever any consideration of shutting it down given the off-season you have?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, no, I never thought about shutting it down even when things don't look great. I kind of knew what I was getting myself into, not having an off-season. If I'm going to have a bad season, I would expect it to be on the season where I didn't have an off-season.
That's what I'm excited about next year. I'm getting right to work. I'm excited. I got my plan, my people around me. We're going to make this thing go. I'm excited to continue each and every day, work on the things I need to work on.
Q. Will you need any off-season work?
JD LAGWAY: No, I came out clean. I'm thankful for that. Thankful for the staff, Paul Silvestri, training room. It's been a long season. They've been with me every step of the way. I'm thankful for those guys up there.
Q. The season just ended, but anything that you thought about going into this off-season that you want to work on the most?
JD LAGWAY: Man, yeah. I've kind of started on the things I want to work on. I'd say after the Kentucky game, after I got benched, I took a day and I kind of sat back to say, all right, off-season coming up. I'm thinking about what do I want to get better at. I might as well start now.
Just working on footwork. I want to get my body right, get back in shape. Willis DJ Lagway 2023 National Player of the Year in shape. Just feel good and have an off-season. That's what I'm excited for.
Q. You have a couple seniors on the offensive line. All the seniors around. What was it like to get them a win to go out on top?
JD LAGWAY: It meant everything to me. They played their butts off. They fought so hard. Amazing leaders. I'm thankful for those guys up front, man. Just true professionals. They showed me and a lot of younger guys how to do it. I'm truly thankful for those guys.
Q. I don't want to focus on the negative, but back to the Kentucky loss, how much of a teaching moment was that for you?
JD LAGWAY: Yeah, for sure. Definitely a teaching moment for sure. Just going through that adversity. Still seeing, being that leader when that time happened, not shutting it down. I feel like my guys still looked at me as the leader. I was there for my guys, helping Tramell. He is going to be a heck of a player. I'm excited for him.
It was just a big learning moment. Slowing things down for myself, getting back to the basics. Nobody is in the room, just doing drops, working on no throws, no receivers, just me by myself, headphones on, working on little things. That's what I'm excited to continue to do.
I feel like the last few weeks it definitely paid off. My footwork in the pocket is getting a little better. I'm excited for the growth, excited to just continue to get better.
Go Gators.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports