Florida football among USA TODAY Sports ‘winners’ after beating UCF

The Florida Gators scored an important win in the Swamp during college football’s Week 6, outlasting the UCF Knights, 24-13, on Saturday night to improve to 3-2 overall.

While the victory over a fellow Sunshine State school was a feel-good moment for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co., it probably did little to change the head coach’s current trajectory out of Gainesville — but it may have helped cool the hot seat underneath him for a spell.

That topic was the focus of USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg’s entry in his winners and losers column on Sunday morning for the Orange and Blue, which he assigned to the former category after the triumph.

“Is beating Central Florida 24-13 the moment that Billy Napier saved his job and booked another season as Florida’s head coach? Let’s get serious,” Myerberg begins.

“Napier is headed toward the end of his tenure after three seasons and the Gators are probably still headed for another year short of the postseason. But let’s give some credit here: UCF had this game circled but never had a chance in what was easily the Gators’ best performance of the season,” he continues.

“Beating the Knights is good for business in general — losing to a program UF views as an in-state upstart would’ve been really tough to swallow — and is the team’s second win in a row heading into a brutal seven-game stretch that includes games against Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.”