Billy Napier – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Takeaways from Billy Napier’s midweek press conference ahead of LSU game

Gators head coach Billy Napier gives an update on DJ Lagway and others in his midweek press conference.

During his midweek press conference on Wednesday evening, Florida football head coach Billy Napier addressed several key points ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the LSU Tigers.

Napier emphasized the importance of “talent not being enough” and outlined how consistency, discipline and commitment are key for the Gators to succeed.

Florida’s skipper also addressed questions about players’ injury statuses, bowl eligibility goals and improving defensive fundamentals as he sets a clear expectation for his team to compete at a higher level this weekend.

Napier stressed that these attributes, combined with physical talent, would elevate their performance.

Here are the key takeaways from Napier’s press conference on Wednesday night.

On the impact of becoming bowl eligible

“Well, I think you’re always thinking big picture, but it’s important, like it’s a big picture, but it’s a little process, right? So one of the terms I’ve been using all week from the very beginning of the week, is work as if you’re on a one day contract, and maybe you get to call the night to come back. Maybe you don’t, you know.

“So, if we prepare and train and practice and have the self discipline, as if we were always being observed and we were on a one day contract, and if we do our job well enough and at a high level, you get the call to come back.

“And, you know, let’s focus, be present. Let’s focus on the work and the task at hand. And then, hey, we’ll take a deep breath, eat a good meal, get a good night’s rest. We’ll get the call to come back and come back tomorrow. So we’re completely 100% focused on LSU, nothing else matters. And you know, we just did Wednesday.

“Hopefully we’ll get a callback tonight, and we’re going to show up tomorrow and do Thursday.”

Update on DJ Lagway

“He’s (Lagway) been being able to practice. Obviously he’s modified a little bit, but he’s making progress every day, he is getting closer and closer to being prepared to play. So I do think we are creating a game day environment in terms of the treatment and modifications we’re using, you know, just to make sure he’s comfortable with that.

“So he did work today, and obviously, I think he makes progress. Felt better today than he felt yesterday. We’re hopeful that’ll be the case tomorrow.”

Hoping to play much better than their last game

“What happened this weekend is not acceptable. It’s not good enough, and we certainly know we’re capable of playing better. And look, we’re trying to control the things that we can control.

“You know, our communication, our alignment, our fundamentals and techniques, playing with the right leveraging coverage, our effort and pursuit, and then ultimately playing really good situation in football and making good decisions.

“So we didn’t do much well at all on Saturday. We got to do a lot better this weekend.”

If there’s been a drop off with LSU position players

“No, they’re still loaded. I mean, I think they’ve got, not only the players that are returning, but a couple transfers (from) Alabama, Mississippi State, not to mention (Kyren) Lacy and (Chris) Hilton.

“I mean, the tight end’s (Mason Taylor) one of the better tight ends in the country, but certainly the backs, the freshman back (Caden Durham) has elite track speed, so the combination of skill with the veteran quarterback (Garrett Nussmeier), although he hasn’t been a starter before, he’s played a lot of football, and he’s been around there for a while.”

Update on Montrell Johnson Jr.

“He’s (Johnson) been able to do more this week than he did last week. So, you know, I think he’s day-to-day and I think ultimately, that’s a position where you have a lower-body injury, you got to be 100 percent right to be as effective as you want to be.

“And certainly for him, this one’s personal to him, because he’s from Louisiana, so he’s motivated. He’s practiced. Is he 100%? We’ll see. But we’re going to do what we’ve done in the past. We’re not going to put him out here until he’s ready.”

On the team’s mindset last week vs. Texas

“I think we had a parachute, you know, we went to battle with a parachute on our back, and then as soon as things didn’t go our way, we pulled the parachute. And it was disappointing. And I think we’ve got to challenge the maturity of our team, the consistency of our team.

“We have to be mature enough as competitors and to embrace that and play better. So I think it’s more mindset than anything in my opinion.”

Up next for the Gators

The Gators host the Tigers in college football’s Week 12 on Saturday, Nov. 16. The SEC matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Staff predictions for Florida football’s Week 12 matchup vs. LSU Tigers

The Gators Wire staff offers its predictions for Florida’s home game against LSU on Saturday, with one of us predicting a victory.

Florida football returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this weekend to host the LSU Tigers in a long-time Southeastern Conference rivalry that has lost little luster over the years.

The Bayou Bengals come in ranked 22nd in the US LBM Coaches Poll following a devastating loss at the hand of the Alabama Crimson Tide last weekend. Much like the Gators, the Tigers have suffered quite a few injuries though they still have their starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier under center.

Meanwhile, the Orange and Blue are on their third-string walk-on redshirt freshman signal-caller.

Ahead of this Saturday’s SEC action, the Gators Wire crew assembled to offer their individual takes on the Week 12 matchup between Florida and LSU. Take a look below at our respective takes.

Outcome may hinge on who controls the tempo

Both teams are coming off a disappointing loss and I expect the Gators and Tigers to come out dialed in, particularly on defense. If Florida has any desire to reach a bowl game this season, this has to be a victory because it’s going to be extremely tough to beat Ole Miss next week.

Florida has some question marks at the quarterback position. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] said that [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] has been practicing but we still don’t know how likely it is that he will play on Saturday. In my opinion, without Lagway, this has a Gators loss written all over it.

For Florida to succeed, they’ll need a balanced approach on offense and a solid defensive performance to keep LSU’s receivers in check. Ultimately, the outcome may hinge on who controls the tempo and wins the turnover battle. That’s if this game is somewhat competitive after all. — Aidan Gallardo

LSU 31, Florida 21

Gators have chance of victory if Lagway plays

Once again, there is a heavy “if” hanging over the football team in the form of Lagway, whose condition appears to be good enough to take reps in practice but still touch-and-go as far as risking real-time action. That really puts a wrinkle in these predictions — especially with all of the other injury attrition the team has faced.

If the five-star freshman can even take a quarter or a third of the reps, I think the Gators have a good chance of sneaking out a victory in the Swamp — as long as everyone keeps their shoes on. LSU is also coming off a brutal conference loss and has a long list of injuries as well, so it might be a good time to hunt the Tigers.

However, since Napier’s job is already secured regardless of the season’s outcome, and the risk vs reward with the future of the program simply does not work in favor of playing DJ. Florida will fall short of victory after missing out on key scoring opportunities while the defense spends too long on the field and ends up breaking in the second half. — Adam Dubbin

LSU 27, Florida 21

A change of fortune and a win against LSU

Lagway wants to go and I think he knows this team needs him back on the field. That’s not to say Napier will rush his five-star quarterback back, but rather to point out that a return feels more likely than it did a week ago. In fact, the Gators could get several starters back this week if Napier’s comments on Monday can be read into.

If Florida can get RB Montrell Johnson Jr., CB Devin Moore and OL Damieon George Jr. back, a win at home feels possible. Getting back DB Asa Turner would also be a big addition to a laboring defense, but he’s been questionable for a few weeks and hasn’t played since the season opener against Miami.

Week 11 was the week everything went wrong for Florida, so I’m predicting a change of fortune and a win against LSU. — David Rosenberg

Florida 27, LSU 24

How to watch Florida-LSU on Saturday

The Gators host the Tigers in college football’s Week 12 on Saturday, Nov. 16. The SEC matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida football OL talks first start, versatility and the team’s culture

Gators OL Bryce Lovett talked about his ability to play any position on the offensive line during Monday’s press conference.

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Bryce Lovett got his first career start for Florida football last week against the Texas Longhorns, and his versatility is what caught the Gators’ eye.

“It felt good to be able to step up when one of my brothers went down and going out there, and be able to play hard and play with my teammates,” Lovett said on Monday. “Just felt good overall. Doesn’t matter how the game went.”

Lovett is in his second season with the Gators and although he’s season game action this year, he hasn’t officially started. But with the injury to offensive guard Damieon George Jr., Lovett got his opportunity.

According to 247Sports, Lovett was listed as a top-50 offensive lineman in the Class of 2023 and chose Florida over programs like Arkansas and Kentucky.

The native from Rockledge emphasized the importance of how the team has felt like a close family.

“One of the main things I liked when I was a recruit was the family,” Lovett said. “It’s very family oriented, like it’s like one big family, and he’s (Billy Napier) just continuing to build that and to be closer and closer, and we work together. I mean, we work really hard.”

Lovett continued, “I think that kind of ties into the family and everybody being so close. It’s like, I don’t want to say it’s like something I’ve never seen before, but I’ve never been on a team where it’s been this tight.”

Lovett talked about his versatility on the offensive line. He mentioned that it creates more opportunities for playing time because of the ability to play at multiple positions.

“Well, yeah, I feel like it’s a lot more opportunity, because I have five different options to be honest with you,” Lovett said. “If that makes sense, I play guard, I play tackle, I can play center, and so, if anybody goes down, or if anybody needs a break, I’m willing to go in.”

Lovett went on saying, “If he (Napier) puts me in, I’m ready to go in. So I like staying on standby, not staying on standby, but always being prepared and ready to play any position.”

Lovett will be ready on Saturday against the LSU Tigers if his number is called again.

Up next for the Gators

The Gators host the Tigers in college football’s Week 12 on Saturday, Nov. 16. The SEC matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Takeaways from Billy Napier’s Monday presser ahead of LSU matchup

Billy Napier spoke with the media on Monday as the Gators prepare to host the LSU Tigers on Saturday.

This season has been a bumpy rollercoaster for Florida football and with just three games left in their regular season, the Gators are crawling towards that last game.

Coming off a blowout loss that they’d like to forget about against the Texas Longhorns last Saturday, Florida has a tough task this week as they host the LSU Tigers.

Like the Gators, LSU was blown out last week. The Tigers faced the Alabama Crimson Tide and from the get-go, LSU had no answer for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. So expect their defense to tighten up on Saturday against Florida.

There’s still uncertainty at the quarterback position for the Gators, but if DJ Lagway can’t be ready to play on Saturday, it’ll be a long afternoon for Florida.

Head coach Billy Napier spoke to the media on Monday and here are the takeaways from the press conference.

Napier talks about LSU

“I do think LSU, as usual, has a good football team. I think they’re talented. Obviously, they’ve had their ups and downs throughout the season. Coach (Brian) Kelly runs a good program and overhauled the defensive staff, and certainly a veteran quarterback, although a first-time starter has significant experience, has been in the program, been in the system with (Garrett) Nussmeier, really unique kick returner and punt returner, that can be a challenge. And overall, the personnel that you would expect from an LSU team.”

Napier on if this is the most amount of injuries he’s dealt with

“I think we’re just a little more aware of it, because we did an injury report Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 90 minutes before the game, you know. But look, your depth is always going to be challenged, and when you play initially, with our non-conference schedule, we have played a very competitive schedule, so I think we’re more equipped, probably that we have been playing with threes in some spots.

“So that’s ultimately what I would say. Typically, your twos are going to play every position throughout the year.”

The importance of securing players at QB

“Yeah, I know it’s a position we’re going to add players for sure. Process of doing that, and that can be a challenge when you have a really talented young player, right? So I think it’s important. I mean, it’s a big piece of the puzzle. We’ve been grinding away on it for a long time.”

On how essential recruiting is in November

“Yeah, I think what you’re describing, there is definitely a piece of the puzzle here, down the stretch. I think the combination of early signing period and the portal window paired with November football and how competitive and important these games are, that is one of the more challenging things about college football right now, and I think every coach has expressed that publicly.

“So we have extensive meaning. You know, our personnel department is working around the clock. We may have windows of time where we evaluate players every week, just this, just this week, you know. I’ll be up here Wednesday night. I’ll be up here early Friday morning. Those are my two blocks of time each week. So those guys are grinding around the clock.

“And then obviously the coaches as well. And then that gets fun to me. So yeah, two times a week we have blocks for evaluating players and what you’re describing, it becomes even more. You know, there’s just more, whatever you want to call it, rumors or anticipation. I think some of that starts to ramp up in November.”

Lagway’s progress so far

“Well, the good thing is, we worked him (Lagway) out this morning, and we felt good about what we saw, you know. Soft tissue’s a very subjective injury. But we do anticipate him practicing today.”

Napier expected vote of confidence from Scott Stricklin

“You know, in season, man, I’m grinding. I’m trying to get the most out of our players. You know, what I would say about it is, I think that it’s a reflection of our players, and we don’t get it done, we don’t show signs of improvement. And look, let me say this, I am absolutely not satisfied with how we played.

“Now, we’ve done some good things, but I mean, it’s nowhere close to what it’s got to be consistently for us to be a contender, and that’s ultimately what I’m spending my time on. But any belief or hope or confidence in what we can become is due to the players in the way they perform the last five or six weeks, so we need to continue to improve.”

Missed tackles, miscommunication vs Texas

“Yeah, all of those were a little bit of some communication errors, some missed assignments. And then I think just in general, on the perimeter, I think we didn’t tackle, well, we missed tackles inside back, or we missed tackles in the secondary. I thought we played with the wrong leverage communications. So yeah, just in general, just basic fundamentals, tackling, leveraging coverage, and obviously some of those guys are, they’re out there.”

Talks about Nussmeier

“First of all, his (Nussmeier) dad is an incredible football coach, one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around. And just a great human being, great family. I can remember when he was, you know, running around the Alabama facility. So, yeah, great high school player.

“I can remember evaluating him coming out. Just incredibly productive. Just a scrappy coach’s son that has a great feel for the game. So waiting his turn is respectable, in my opinion, and then now, obviously, he’s leading their team and has done a good job in that extent.”

Up next for the Gators

The Gators host the Tigers in college football’s Week 12 on Saturday, Nov. 16. The SEC matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida slips in The Athletic’s college football re-rank after Week 11

The Gators suffered only a small slip in The Athletic’s re-rank after college football’s Week 11.

College football’s Week 11 is in the books and with less than a month left of the regular season remaining, many things are becoming clear about this year’s competitive field.

Among those topics are the Florida Gators, who have struggled with injuries this fall and are in danger of recording their fourth-straight season with a losing record — something that would have been unfathomable to think a few years ago.

The latest loss at the Texas Longhorns in Austin was demonstrative of the gap between [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s team and the rest of the college football landscape, much less the Southeastern Conference. As a result, the Orange and Blue lost a little bit of ground in The Athletic’s re-rank after Week 11.

Florida’s re-rank after Week 11

Author Chris Vannini dropped the Gators three spots from No. 51 last week to No. 54 after the loss to the Longhorns. That puts Florida between the No. 53 North Carolina Tar Heels and No. 55 Michigan State Spartans — the two schools that bookended them in last week’s re-rank.

Compare that with USA TODAY Sports, which re-ranked Florida at No. 57 — down 12 spots from the previous week.

As far as fellow SEC schools are concerned, only the Auburn Tigers (No. 69), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 70) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 100) are ranked lower.

The Athletic’s Week 11 Top 10 re-rank

The Oregon Ducks held onto the top perch in the rankings this week, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas, BYU Cougars and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively, to round out the top five.

The Penn State Nittany Lions come in at No. 6 while the Indiana Hoosiers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs wrap up the top 10, respectively.

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host the LSU Tigers in college football’s Week 12. The Southeastern Conference matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators take precipitous plunge in USA TODAY Sports re-rank after Week 11

Florida falls out of the USA TODAY Sports re-rank after the Week 11 loss to the Texas Longhorns.

It was a tough Saturday for Florida football, which fell to the Texas Longhorns on the road in Week 11, 49-17, in a game in which the Gators looked grossly overmatched.

Many of the problems stem from an excessive amount of injuries that have left [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. without many of their top playmakers. Of course, respect needs to be given to the victor — who is among the top teams in the nation this fall — as well.

Following last weekend’s gridiron action, USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg submitted his re-ranking of all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

Florida’s re-rank after Week 11

Myerberg dropped the Gators 12 spots in his Week 11 update, falling from No. 45 to No. 57, which puts Florida between the No. 56 Baylor Bears and No. 58 Boston College Eagles. The Orange and Blue is ahead of just three other SEC programs: Kentucky Wildcats (No. 80), Auburn Tigers (No. 91) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 108).

USA TODAY Sports Week 11 re-rank top 10

The Oregon Ducks remained in the top perch this week followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes, who also stood pat in their position. The Texas Longhorns are behind them at No. 3 while the Penn State Nittany Lions and Tennessee Volunteers, respectively, round out the top five teams.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish come in at No. 6, followed by the Indiana Hoosiers, BYU Cougars, Miami Hurricanes and Alabama Crimson Tide, respectively, to wrap up the top 10.

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host the LSU Tigers in college football’s Week 12. The Southeastern Conference matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Coaching legend Nick Saban praises Billy Napier

College football legend Nick Saban praised Florida’s decision to retain Billy Napier into the 2025 season on ESPN’s College Gameday.

Perhaps the greatest college football head coach of all time — and certainly this generation — Nick Saban praised [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] for his coaching job at Florida this season on ESPN’s College Gameday Saturday.

The Gators have yet to put together a winning season under Napier, but Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin has committed to sticking with the head coach into the 2025 season. The decision to bring Napier back for a fourth year has drawn much criticism from a fan base eager to return to the top of the Southeastern Conference, but Saban says it’s the right choice for the Orange and Blue.

“Here’s the thing that I really appreciate: that somebody out there for this administration recognized the fact that Billy Napier has done a heck of a job of coaching this team,” Saban said. “They’ve had a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot to overcome, but yet every game, they start out and they play great in the first half, which tells me they’ve done a great job preparing their team with the players they have.”

One of the biggest reasons Napier still has support is the connection he has with star true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. The former five-star recruit has impressed throughout the season and taken over for senior Graham Mertz, who’s done for the year following an ACL tear.

Lagway is now dealing with his own injury, a Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered in the first half against Georgia. Florida started third-string walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner against Texas on Saturday.

“The quarterback situation is going to be tough to overcome,” said Saban, “but I think (Napier) has built a good nucleus, and most importantly, culture, a culture that can win. If I was a recruit, I would recognize that and say this is a place I’m going to consider.”

Lagway practiced throughout the week and could return as soon as next week against LSU.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators earn spot on USA TODAY Sports Misery Index after Week 11

Between the football’s teams struggles on the field and the allegations surrounding Todd Golden off the court, things are pretty miserable in Gainesville.

Florida football took a beating on Saturday from the Texas Longhorns in their first showdown since 1940, falling flat in Austin to the tune of a 49-17 final score in which the home team left little doubt about which was the better team.

The blowout defeat gives the Gators five losses against four wins with three more games remaining to reach the magic six-win mark. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s crew has suffered a great deal of attrition to the injury bug and a lack of depth has really come back to bite them.

As a result, the Gator Nation continues to lose its patience with the incumbent regime — despite the school pledging allegiance to its third-year skipper — as has the national media. The most recent loss did little to temper emotions, earning a spot on USA TODAY Sports’ misery index on Sunday.

“This has been a season of bloodlust in Gainesville,” author Dan Wolken notes. “Not only do Gators fans want head coach Billy Napier gone, they’re equally done with the athletics director who hired him. But Scott Stricklin’s statement Thursday that Napier would be returning for 2025 presumably ends that debate. Napier will be back, and apparently, Stricklin’s job is safe too.”

As the late Billy Mays used to say, “But wait, there’s more!”

“On Friday, however, Florida’s student newspaper The Alligator reported on disturbing allegations against men’s basketball coach [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] that led to a Title IX investigation. Suddenly, the entire athletic department looks like it’s going up in flames.”

Cue the “everything is fine” meme. Things are certainly not trending in the right direction and Golden’s alleged infractions undo what was once a lone silver lining for Florida’s two top sports.

“It’s impossible to say what this is all going to mean for Florida’s athletic leadership,” Wolken continues, “especially when the university is looking for a new president who would presumably make some of these decisions. Meanwhile, asking fans to have faith in another year of Napier gets awfully difficult after a 49-17 loss to Texas.

“Yes, the Longhorns are a much better program right now, but Florida failing to be competitive after Napier’s vote of confidence will only inflame a large number of Gators fans who believe wholesale changes are necessary to compete in the SEC anytime soon.”

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host LSU in college football’s Week 12. The Southeastern Conference matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Pair of Gators open up about Florida football’s Week 11 loss at Texas

Florida football’s Chimere Dike and Shemar James talk to the media after the Gators’ loss at the Texas Longhorns on Saturday afternoon.

The Texas Longhorns successfully defended their home field on Saturday from the Florida Gators, 49-17, as the two schools faced each other for the first time in 84 years. The loss kept the Orange and Blue winless in all four meetings on the college football gridiron against the Burnt Orange.

There was little doubt which team was the better one, but despite a roster decimated by injuries, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s boys still left everything on the field. Nonetheless, it was not nearly enough to upset one of the top programs in the nation and left Florida 4-5 overall with just a 2-4 mark in SEC play.

Following the Week 11 affair, wide receiver [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] spoke with the media, offering their takes on what transpired that afternoon.

Failing to capitalize on takeaways chances early

Shemar James: “We definitely took a blow on the defensive side of the ball, things weren’t going our way. Kind of like self-inflicted wounds. We preached on that saying, ‘If you give a good team an inch they’ll take a mile.’ We gotta clean that up on our side of the ball and we probably could have came out with a win.”

Defensive frustrations after weeks of improvement

James: “It’s the game of football. You can be on high and before you know it, it’s a roller coaster game, so, we just got to get back in the film room and get better.”

What 2nd-half effort says about Florida

Chimere Dike: “Yeah, this team has obviously been through loads of adversity, I’m proud of the guys for going out there and battling in the second half, a lot of teams would have gave up, but at the same time we gotta execute better, we gotta improve.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t take care of what we needed to, like you said we had self-inflicted wounds, and when you play a team like Texas you can’t do that.”

Did week of prep help Aidan Warner?

Dike: “I think anytime you’re a young player, when you’re able to have game reps against a really good football team, it’s one of those things you can learn from. He came out there and competed for four quarters, and I know he’s going to continue to get better and take steps forward.”

Florida’s failures in red zone

Dike: “Yeah, I mean, I think when you have red zone trips — especially on the road against a good team, you know, down some bodies — I think it’s important to capitalize and we didn’t. I think that was the story of the first half. Those are things you need to cash in on.”

Opinions on Aidan Warner’s performance

Dike: “I think Aidan did a really good job. I think there was a lot of guys who could have done things better around him, myself included. When you have a young quarterback like that you have to help him as much as you can. I think he competed for four quarters, I think he threw some really good balls.

“When you looked at him he never looked like he was gonna give up or was out of it, so I’m proud of him, proud of the way he competed.”

Did he think DJ Lagway would play?

Dike: “I knew DJ was going to do everything he could to get on the field, he was progressing throughout the week. That kid loves competing, he loves the University of Florida.

“He wanted to be out there, but it just was the best thing for us that he wasn’t. I’m looking forward to him continuing to take strides and get healthy.”

Frustration with injuries, rotation, depth

James: “It’s frustrating a little bit, but that’s the game of football. It’s a tough game. Guys will get banged up. But it really just comes down to capitalizing.

“We got to come up with the right mentality. We got some really good two’s and three’s that came in the game and played pretty well. It just came down to being ready for the moment and executing.”

On Myles Graham’s development

James: “He’s getting better each and every week from the first week to this week. He’s been improving, taking good strides. Getting things right and communicating. I expect that from Myles.”

On staying together to finish the season strong

James: “Like you said, stay together. Staying together, that’s what will get us over this hump and get some wins at the end of the year.”

On how much the injuries contributed

Dike: “Yeah, we were down, but like he said, it’s a next-man-up mentality. Regardless of how many people were out, we didn’t execute to our ability. We didn’t take advantage of the opportunities we had.

“Obviously, it’s tough kind of being down, but hopefully we can get guys back healthy and guys continue to come back, but at the end of the day, we didn’t take care of what we needed to. We can’t really make any excuses.”

On Chimere Dike being underrated

Dike: “I’ve played a lot of college football. I was confident coming to the SEC. I have great coaches around me, teammates that believe in me, and I just try to go out there and play as hard as I can.

“It’s an honor to play for the University of Florida. It’s a dream come true for me. So, just every day I try go out there and work as hard as I can.”

Reacting to announcement keeping Napier

Dike: “Yeah, I love Coach Napier. He’s the reason why I came here. Obviously my relationship with Graham, just getting to sit down and talk to him.

“He’s wanting to build a program. I have full belief in him, and it’s unwavering. Today was obviously tough, but our team’s going in the right direction. With all the young guys with an opportunity to improve, and excited to see him in the future.”

James: “I’ve been here since the beginning with Coach Napier. He actually recruited me, so I was excited to see that letter. It was kind of a relief to know that he’ll have another year, you know, so we can develop under him as well.

“I’m just excited for Coach Napier.”

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host the LSU Tigers in college football’s Week 12. The Southeastern Conference matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Everything Billy Napier said after blowout loss at Texas in Week 11

Here’s what Florida’s skipper had to offer following Texas’ blowout of Florida on the college football gridiron.

It was an ugly scene in Austin during college football’s Week 11, where the Texas Longhorns whipped the Florida Gators, 49-17, in the two schools’ first meeting since 1940 and as mutual members of the Southeastern Conference.

The ‘Horns came out strong but an early stop in the red zone by the Gators gave Billy Napier and Co. some early confidence… which was quickly evaporated later that quarter. The Orange and Blue did not score its first points until 7:03 in the third quarter and by that time the home team had run out to an insurmountable lead.

After the dust settled from the SEC gridiron action, Florida’s head coach spoke with the sports media about the events that unfurled inside Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium this weekend.

Opening statement

“OK, we — look we struggled to get anything going early. Obviously, a first half where they have 353 yards, about 10 yards a play. Felt like the rush and the coverage never married up and then we didn’t tackle very well. Just overall, fundamentals and technique.

“Obviously, in the back end, we struggled to keep up with them and tackle. You’re not going to win turning the ball over four times against a team like that. We had two tipped interceptions, we had a fumble, short field missed field goal. Any chance of momentum, we missed a field goal early.

“Look, I do think the kids continue to play with fortitude in the second half but not good enough. I think, overall, it got out of hand in the first half. You looked up and the game was over. We have to evaluate the effort, we have to evaluate the point of attack, issues that we had and we just have to flat-out play better.

“I didn’t think we defended them very well. Obviously, Aidan fought his tail off out there today. Some good things for a guy making his first start against a really good defense, one of the better defenses in the country. Good to see him move the team a little bit in the second half.

“But again, we rushed the ball but in general, we had no continuity. You go into the game understanding that you’re playing with your third quarterback and you know you have to defend them and we did not do that. I think we lost a little bit of our steam there because of that.

“Just in general, not good enough. Period.”

On DJ Lagway’s progress throughout the week:

“I think that he got better each day. A little bit better with each opportunity. I do think that he probably felt as good as he’s felt since the injury today pregame. That’s kind of what he voiced to me. But not quite ready.

“I think there was risk with putting him out there with a soft-tissue injury. All of the metrics said he’s not quite ready to do it but we’re hopeful. He’s made some progress and we’ll get a good feel for it early next week.”

On Florida’s depleted secondary

“And the guys that are playing are banged up. Let me tell you something, I appreciate the toughness. DD, Cormani, Trikweze, they played today through some things.

“But just in general I didn’t think we covered well, and again, the rush is not landing. The loose plays, the perimeter tackling, we didn’t play the perimeter plays well at all – and obviously that’s the secondary.”

On a lack of effort when trailing

“Yeah, I think early … we had some chances. Look, we had 3rd-and-10, fourth-and-one, I thought they had it to us early, to be honest. But yeah, just early in general we didn’t do enough to slow them down.

“Then we go fumbling and bang, bang you look up and it’s 14-0. Then here we go, we’re moving down there and we have an opportunity to make it 14-3 and we miss a field goal. I think that affected the momentum a little bit, no question about it.”

On whether the team needs to be deeper

“Some of these scenarios we’re talking about is a third-team guy. So the two areas that have been banged, the secondary and obviously at quarterback. I think outside of that we’ve survived it to some degree.

“I just think the running backs have performed. We haven’t really had any injuries, or depth issues, at any other positions.”

On the defensive effort

“I didn’t think we tackled well. I didn’t think we played the perimeter plays well. And I don’t think when it was pocket-pass, we’re not landing. We didn’t affect the quarterback.

“That’s one of the things we’ve been doing well. We’ve been affecting the quarterback, and the rush and coverage have been working well together. We did not do that well today. That paired with some of the tackling and the way we played on the perimeter, that’s when you look up and it’s 10 yards a play in the first half.”

On Texas’ playmakers

“Good skill, really good skill at receiver, at running back. It’s a talented group. And obviously, when you don’t affect the quarterback and he’s able to work his way all the way through the progressions and throw completions, that’s when they cause problems for you.”

On a sense of frustration with the defense

“There’s no question about it. There’s no question about it.”

On AD Scott Stricklin’s vote of confidence

“First of all, I’m thankful for our players. I think you ultimately answer questions with players. We would not have made some of the progress we made over the last four, five, six weeks without a great group of players relative to what I’ve talked before, the character there at the core of that group, their leadership.

“Obviously, the staff has done a good job. Again, I do think when you look at the roster as a whole, we have a ton of young talent that I think will continue to develop. They’re learning, they’re going through this experience, and I think that will prove beneficial in the future.”

Next up for Florida

The Gators return to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to host the LSU Tigers in college football’s Week 12. The Southeastern Conference matchup will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.