Florida football head coach Billy Napier didn’t mince words during Monday’s press conference as he previewed Saturday’s rivalry matchup with the Florida State Seminoles.
Coming off a standout win on Senior Day against the Ole Miss Rebels, Napier expressed gratitude for the electric home atmosphere but quickly shifted focus to the formidable task at hand.
Napier emphasized the magnitude of the rivalry, stressing the importance of preparation, maturity and execution against Florida State.
Here are the key takeaways from Napier’s press conference on Monday afternoon as the Gators prepare for this rivalry game.
Opening Statement
“Man, just very thankful for the atmosphere. Ben Hill Griffin, the Swamp. Man, Steve Spurrier Field. Just really special. I thought Saturday, 12, noon kick, 65 degrees, sunshine and just senior day. So very thankful for our fans coming out and doing their part, and I thought they made a significant impact on the game.
“And again, it was complimentary ball. We had a lot of comments about the game afterwards. So, you know, we have no time to play around here, because we’re turning the page.
“Started the process yesterday in preparation for Florida State in a rivalry game, which we all know the magnitude of the game. We have a healthy respect for the personnel. We’re very familiar with the personnel and certainly the success they’ve had as of late. You know, had a heck of a year last year. And regardless of record and regardless of outcomes, you know, this game is always a very significant one.
“So I think it’s really, really important for our players to be able to hit the reset button here and within the walls, execute our routine and prepare the way we have been prepared, and I think we need to continue to improve. So obviously, we have a ton of respect for coach (Mike) Norvell, his history and this makeup of that staff.
“So this is going to be a challenge. Got to go play in their place. We’ve been there before. They beat us the last two years, and we we know the records will be thrown out. So put the ball down. Seven o’clock up there, and we got to get ready to go.”
The importance of the approach vs. FSU
“You know, I think we’ve been pretty good at ignoring the noise and having the right combination of humility and enthusiasm. So obviously, when you’re going through struggle and you’ve had some setbacks, to be able to maintain your enthusiasm is really important. But okay, you experience the success. Can you handle that, you know? Can you ignore maybe the hype? Can you have the right mix of humility with that?
“And I think that’s the key so we’ve had, we have a pretty big number of players that have been on the grass and on the sideline when these guys have been this last two years, so that will contribute. But I think you’re spot on. Do we have enough maturity to get ready to play again, you know? And I think that it’s physical, it’s it’s mental and it’s emotional, because it requires a lot of every person.
“So, you know, I’ve challenged every part of our team, you know, and I think that’s the key, you know, it’s going to be about quantum attack wins across the board. So we think we have to prepare for those individual matchups.”
On the formula for winning football
“Look, I’ve stood up here and said this many times. You have to have a very objective way to sum up the game, evaluate the game. What contributed to winning? What did we overcome? You know, because we were strong in these areas, we overcame these things.
“I think that the LSU game is an indicator. You know, okay, the time of possession, the play count was out of whack because of the third down issues on defense, but because we did play well in the red zone, and we were very explosive on offense, we overcame it.
“So this past game was all about red zone scoring and turnover margin. Those were the two significant stats in the game. Learning how to win is having a comprehensive understanding of what contributes to winning football. And I think that the math problem may be a little different each week, and it’s always a combination of these factors that we talk about every every day.
“So, you know, sometimes you may have some issues in one area, but you overcome it because you’re really strong in another area. So how all those contribute to play winning football, I think, is key, and that’s ultimately for guys in your program, for a number of years, he starts to develop an understanding of why those things are so important.”
Gives credit to DJ Lagway, Graham Mertz and Ryan O’Hara
“The quarterback, you know, I think DJ (Lagway) obviously surpassed my expectations for a rookie. Graham Mertz deserves a lot of credit for that. And Ryan O’Hara, who is an absolutely phenomenal coach and teacher, his contribution the way he goes above and beyond and DJ has been blessed.
“He’s got a ton of physical ability, but he’s also been in the grinder with Ryan and Graham, and has made a bunch of progress as a result of a lot of hard work.”
On O’Hara’s importance working with quarterbacks
“Yeah, I think it’s big. I mean, look, the guys have been working for me for a while, and just continues to evolve. You know, I think that’s the thing I respect. It’s like he doesn’t. He never rests on his laurels. He’s always looking for a little bit, a little better way, another layer of detail. He’s creative. He continues to push the envelope in we grind the quarterback.
“Okay, so, and you know, Ryan (O’Hara) deals with me. So I respect the way he handles that. And obviously, every time I challenge something or try to add more detail to an area, he steps up and does it. In the perfect world all elite football programs, the quarterback sets the tone at all levels, in my opinion.
“So the importance of that position, not only with how they perform, but how they rub off on the other players on the team. This is how we work. This is how we prepare, this is how we communicate, this is how we practice. I think it’s key the quarterbacks got to set the tone.”
On 85-scholarship limit, competitiveness for last 20 spots
“Yeah, I think there’ll be an evolution of the game there, you know, in terms of practice format and then obviously strategy behind how you implement those 20 spots. And who gets those spots and how competitive that will be. That’s my concern, because if we don’t define these things and make it very clear cut, it’ll be manipulated.
“If there’s loopholes, as I say about the players, if there’s wiggle room, they’re going to wiggle, you know. So in this conference, if there’s wiggle room, they’re going to wiggle too. So I think we need clarity about what does that look like.
“And you know, when do we have to declare the 105 can we carry more than 105 in the offseason? Can they participate in revenue sharing? There’s a number of things that need to be cleared up here, so that we can develop a strategy, right, and hammering that home will continue to do that.”
How to watch UF-FSU
The Gators will face the Seminoles inside Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN 2.
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