Interim Florida head coach Billy Gonzales expressed support for his struggling quarterback, DJ Lagway. However, he didn’t close the door on a potential change at the position.

Lagway was 11-of-19 for 83 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a 38-7 loss at Kentucky on Saturday. He was benched in the second half and replaced with freshman Tramell Jones, Jr., who was 9-of-17 passing for 60 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.

Gonzales was asked on Monday if it was an open competition at quarterback and he did not give a decisive yes or no answer. He did, however, say that Lagway will be the first-team quarterback in practice today.

“There’s competition everywhere,” Gonzales said. “And there should be competition.”

While stopping short of declaring Lagway the starter for this Saturday’s game at Ole Miss, Gonzales described Lagway’s benching against Kentucky as more of a one-game situation.

Gonzales switched sports to describe the dynamic. He said he told Lagway that it’s similar to a star MLB pitcher having a bad game.

“I said, ‘You’ve got an amazing amount of talent. You’re a great quarterback,’” Gonzales recalled. “In Major League Baseball, if a pitcher is struggling, what do you do? You get the next guy in. It doesn’t mean that he’s not a great pitcher. It just means it wasn’t his day.”

Gonzales said he also told Lagway that it’s on the coaching staff to put him in position to succeed, as well as to pull him when a bad day snowballs like it did on Saturday.

“I said, ‘You’re a great player, but I’m not going to let somebody just continue to struggle. I wanted to bring you out and let you re-focus, let you gather, and let you learn,’” Gonzales said. “Hopefully, it’s a learning experience that’s going to make you better for this week against Ole Miss.”

Asked directly a second time if it was an open quarterback competition or if Lagway would be the starter against Ole Miss, Gonzales skirted a direct answer.

“He’s going to take 1 reps when we go out to practice today,” Gonzales replied. “But again, competition is great for everybody.”

Ole Miss, 9-1 overall, is currently ranked No. 6 in the AP Top 25.

HISTORIC LOW: Saturday's loss to Kentucky marked a 74-year low for the Florida football program. READ MORE

DEFIANT AFTER LOSS: Following the loss, Billy Gonzales and his players struck a defiant tone, vowing to do better going forward. READ MORE