Florida football’s 18-16 upset loss to South Florida last Saturday didn’t just sting in the Swamp—it shot Billy Napier straight back onto the hot seat.
In ESPN’s Week 3 panic levels breakdown, Bill Connelly listed the Florida Gators among the teams under the most pressure heading into Saturday’s slate.
Florida has seemingly cooled concerns about Napier’s future after a strong end to last season, winning five straight games dating back to last year.
But the momentum evaporated with a sloppy, penalty-filled loss to the Bulls, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
The Gators now enter one of the most brutal stretches in the country: road trips to No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami, followed by No. 16 Texas A&M and a home matchup with No. 7 Texas.
Connelly wrote that Napier went “from reasonably safe to all but done in a heartbeat” after the USF collapse, noting how field goals, missed chances and penalties derailed what should have been a manageable win.
Here is everything Connelly wrote about Napier and the Gators.
What ESPN said about Billy Napier
“Between Nov. 16 and last Saturday, Florida went 5-0, beating LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State in successive weeks, allowing just 10.4 points per game and, presumably, playing head coach Billy Napier off of the hot seat,” Connelly begins.
“Then the Gators lost to USF. They settled for field goals early and gave up just enough big plays (and horrid penalties) late to lose 18-16. It happened the way a lot of upsets happen, and USF might turn out to be an awesome team. But Florida now faces an absurd run featuring trips to No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Miami and No. 16 Texas A&M, plus a visit from No. 7 Texas, in the next month. Napier went from reasonably safe to all but done in a heartbeat.”
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: ESPN: Billy Napier ‘all but done’ as Florida football faces LSU test in Week 3
Reporting by Aidan Gallardo, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
