The Gator Nation heaved a collective sigh as Arkansas hauled in an overtime touchdown pass that gave Florida its first-ever loss at home to the Razorbacks. The defeat also severely threatened the Orange and Blue’s bowl chances.
Unsurprisingly, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s name has returned to the head coach’s hot seat after a game that once again included coaching mistakes and mental collapses by the players — all of which fall on the staff. Among those adding the second-year skipper to the flames is Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde.
“To the disappointment of some fans, the school administration has little appetite for firing Billy Napier, whose record thus far in Gainesville is 11–11 with difficult upcoming games at LSU, at Missouri and home against Florida State. Florida has been through a spin cycle of Will Muschamp (four years), Jim McElwain (three years) and Dan Mullen (four years), so another quick change is not the answer,” he begins. “Napier has recruiting going in the right direction, and he should get another season to show he can improve the on-field product.”
That does not necessarily mean that there will not be a squeeze if the losing does not stop.
“That said, staff changes should be mandatory,” Forde continued. “Nobody is more disposable than special teams ‘GameChanger’ coordinator Chris Couch, whose units have been a mess this season and reinforced that point at the end of regulation Saturday against Arkansas. Positioned for a 39-yard field goal for the win in the final seconds of regulation, the Gators’ kicking team was hit with an illegal substitution penalty. Pushed back five yards, they missed from 44 and lost in overtime to a 2–6 team.”
But wait, there is more!
“Then there is defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, whose hiring from Southern Mississippi was considered a coup but hasn’t worked out very well. Florida’s 6.76 yards allowed per play in conference games is last in the SEC, and it has given up more than six yards per play in every league game.”
Yikes! Not great, Bob.
Next up for Florida are the LSU Tigers, who host the Gators in Baton Rouge on Saturday, Nov. 11, inside Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on the SEC Network.
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