Joel Klatt compares SEC quarterback to Oprah after disastrous Week 3 loss

Joel Klatt torches DJ Lagway with Oprah comparison.

College football analyst Joel Klatt (right) compared Florida quarterback DJ Lagway's five-interception performance against LSU to Oprah's infamous car giveaway moment. | Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway endured the toughest night of his young career in a 20-10 loss at LSU. The sophomore threw five interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, in what was supposed to be a bounce-back game after a home defeat to South Florida.

The turnovers left Florida at 1-2 and sparked criticism from national voices. On Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show, Fox Sports host Joel Klatt used one of his sharpest comparisons yet, invoking Oprah Winfrey when assessing Lagway’s tendency to give the ball away.

“When they get into matchup games or even FBS games, this guy throws interceptions like Oprah hands out cars. You get a car, and you get a car. And I mean DJ Lagway has got to hold on to the football. That’s a massive issue,” Klatt said.

TV legend Oprah Winfrey famously gave out gifts to her audiences annually in episodes called "Oprah's Favorite Things." In 2004's show, she gifted a Pontiac G6 to every audience member and went viral, pointing at the audience and exclaiming, "You get a car! You get a car!.... Everybody gets a car!"

Klatt Rips Florida’s Quarterback Play

Klatt did not hold back on Lagway, who now has 15 interceptions across 13 career games against FBS opponents.

“Florida’s athletic and they’re good. That’s not a bad football team by any stretch of the imagination,” Klatt said. “They happen to have a quarterback that makes it incredibly difficult to win tight ball games because he constantly throws the football to the other team.”

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the team's 20-10 loss to LSU on Saturday. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Klatt also pointed out that Lagway’s five-pick performance dragged Florida into a deeper hole. “They’re right in the middle of their most difficult stretch of the year schedule-wise. And Lagway just threw five interceptions, including a pick-six, in a 20-10 game. You cannot make those throws,” Klatt said.

Even when praising Lagway’s physical tools, Klatt drew a sharp line between potential and performance. “It doesn’t matter what you are at the top end as a quarterback. It matters where your floor is. Because if your floor is so low that your team can’t win games because of your floor, that’s a problem. And that’s what’s going on with Florida and DJ Lagway. Five interceptions is not going to cut it.”

Gators’ Broader Issues Go Beyond One Player

Florida’s problems are not limited to quarterback play. The Gators committed 18 penalties over the past two games, including a holding call that erased an 87-yard touchdown against LSU.

“Billy Napier is in trouble,” Klatt said. “The problem for Napier is they aren’t clean. They don’t take care of the football. They’re not disciplined and you lose. Florida is beating themselves. And that’s why if I’m a Gator fan, I’m so upset, because the team’s floor is a direct reflection of the coach.”

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is at risk of losing his job with the team's slow start to the season. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Napier defended his quarterback, pointing to Lagway’s offseason injuries and his youth, while Lagway himself accepted blame for the miscues. “I’ve never had a performance like that in my life, so it’s kind of hard to process it,” Lagway said. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about, how do you bounce back, and how do you respond?”

With Klatt declaring Florida’s bowl hopes in jeopardy and the Gators searching for stability, Napier’s program faces another critical test on the road. Florida will play at Miami on Saturday.