Florida football’s incumbent starting quarterback Graham Mertz earned a prestigious honor after leading the Gators to a Week 4 win at the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The accolade comes as he recovers from a season-opening concussion sustained against the Miami Hurricanes.
While Mertz played two weeks ago against the Texas A&M Aggies, he split time with true freshman DJ Lagway. Last Saturday, he got a bulk of the reps against an SEC opponent and did not disappoint the Gator Nation.
He scored four total touchdowns in the win — three passing and one rushing. There is no doubt that his arm is what led the Orange and Blue to victory in enemy territory.
The redshirt senior went 19-for-21 passing for a 90.5% completion percentage — the third-best single-game mark by a quarterback in school history. His combined production with Lagway’s 7-for-7 effort gave the QB corps a 92.8% rate, marking the highest single-game completion rate in program history.
About the Manning Award
The Manning Award was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in 2004 to honor the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. It is the only quarterback award that includes the candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting.
Since the Manning Award started recognizing Stars of the Week in 2011, 538 different quarterbacks from 133 schools have been recognized, with 66 players honored during the 2023 season.
Up next for the Gators
The Gators will be out of action for Week 5 due to their bye week. Florida’s next opponent will be the UCF Knights on Oct. 5 at 7:15 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida’s starting QB named Manning Award Star of the Week
