Florida football head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] opened Week 11 with an attempt to reassure Gators fans (and perhaps boosters) that the program is still headed in the right direction.
Doubt has surrounded Napier since he took over at UF in the fall of 2021. Nearly two years later, the Gators are 11-11 under the former Lousiana head coach and coming off the wrong side of an upset against Arkansas. Napier has dominated the recruiting trail, but wins are the only thing that matters in the SEC.
There’s no doubt that Napier’s seat is growing hotter, but he’s still playing it cool for now. Looking ahead to LSU, he only sees a team that can improve from a game where it hurt itself.
“We’ve got a group here that I think is totally committed to the cause,” Napier opened his Monday press conference. “It’s a coachable group. I think we have a group of players that are really intentional about trying to be great teammates and do their best at their role relative to the team.”
Napier was impressed by his team’s resiliency against Arkansas, despite the eventual loss. The Razorbacks took a 14-0 lead early, but Florida battled back and tied the game before the half.
“I think we’ve been through some experiences,” he said. “It’s important, if we can keep this mindset, then we can take adversity and turn it into an advantage. And for our team in particular, we have to create that attitude and that mindset toward some of the things we’ve been through.”
Florida is facing quite the three-game gauntlet to close out the season. LSU, Missouri and Florida State are all ranked inside the top 20, with the Seminoles being a top-5 program since Week 1.
At least one upset is required to secure bowl eligibility.
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