GAINESVILLE — Sometimes, the end for a coach is gradual. His team has more lows than highs, but they mostly play with poise and don’t beat themselves. They simply are outmanned and with the program spinning their collective wheels, a change is made.
And then there is what Florida coach Billy Napier experienced Saturday night in The Swamp.
In a snap of the fingers, the outlook on the Gators’ program in general and Napier’s status in particular crystallized.
As soon as USF, a 19-point road beagle, flooded the field after a game-winning field goal gave it a stunning 18-16 win over No. 14 Florida, Napier’s figurative seat was doused with lighter fluid and had a match thrown on it.
Forty games into his tenure and two games into his fourth year, it might be over for Napier. And it probably should be nearing completion.
What we heard since spring practice was Florida was on the right track, had the depth chart to win in the SEC and was led by an accountable set of players who could handle adversity.
What we saw against USF: None of that.
And that falls on Napier.
Imagine being athletic director Scott Stricklin as he watched this eyesore. He hired Napier and has offered unwavering support (for example, he announced Napier’s 2025 return on Nov. 7, 2024, via statement to silence the speculation), impressed with his recruiting and how he interacts with boosters and administrators. But this is a program that is at best standing still, which in the SEC means you’re moving backward.
“I think I’m more concerned with doing my job and helping lead these young men,” Napier said when asked about the outside noise. “Right now, it’s more about today and what to do about tomorrow and that’s what we have to be consumed with.”
How many tomorrows Napier has in the UF big chair is seriously in question. Saturday night proved that this is a team that makes bad mistakes at bad times.
Programs headed in the right direction don’t …
Have a player ejected for spitting, get caught looking at the sideline as the football is being snapped to allow a 66-yard touchdown pass, commit 11 penalties totaling 103 yards, punt six times in seven second-half possessions, airmail a punt snap that results in a safety, call a timeout immediately after a television timeout and use only 27 seconds of the clock while nursing a one-point lead with under three minutes remaining.
Whew, get all that?
Credit to USF for accepting what was handed to it, a signature win for coach Alex Golesh (he will be on my Gators hot board when/if the job opens along with Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham). The Bulls weren’t great, either, but they drove 87 yards over the final 2:25 to kick the winning 20-yard field goal.
Kicker Nico Gramatica booted the field goal and may have kicked a UF coaching change into gear.
“The vibe in the locker room, we’re definitely heartbroken, sad, mad,” UF quarterback DJ Lagway said. “We left a lot of points on the board and did a lot of things we shouldn’t have.”
Ultimately, if Napier is axed this fall, what fans and media will point to is how these Gators are a tease. They drive down the field, but settle for field goals (1 for 3 in red zone). They make stops on early downs, but then miss a tackle. And they commit no penalties one week and the aforementioned 10 the following week.
Already, these Gators are maddening — just ask the fans who booed them late in the third quarter and at game’s end. This is a fan base who pays hundreds of dollars to greet players on the field after they get off the bus for crying out loud. They love the Gators, but hate what they’re seeing. It is money wasted.
This is the program of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, who won a combined three national championships.
This is the program of The Swamp being an intimidating cauldron for opponents.
This is the program of star-laden rosters winning at least 10 games a whopping 16 times from 1991-2019.
Now? Barreling toward a fifth consecutive year with at least five losses for the first time since 1935-42.
Lagway was supposed to be the North Star for this UF team, but despite what he insists, he doesn’t look 100% with his throwing shoulder. UF right now is a dink and dunk passing offense — Lagway had four completions totaling 110 yards … and the other 19 totaled 112 yards.
The problem for Napier’s case is he isn’t doing Lagway any favors. Lagway is still a young quarterback and young quarterbacks often have mechanics that come and go. Yet he was asked regularly to perform half rollouts and throw while his body was still moving, like on his third-quarter interception. In time, Lagway will be better, but Napier doesn’t have time. He needs to re-think his play-calling strategy.
UF’s final drive summed up things up.
Gramatica missed a 58-yard field goal, giving UF possession at its 40-yard line and 2:52 remaining. It led 16-15. On first down, Lagway threw incomplete. Clock stopped. On second down, Jadan Baugh ran for 2 yards (USF used its first timeout). And on third down, Lagway threw incomplete. Clock stopped.
The smart play was to run it three consecutive times. If Baugh gains the first down, great. If he doesn’t, at least USF will have no timeouts to use on its final drive. Instead, the Bulls took advantage of two UF penalties (including Brendan Bett’s ejection for spitting on an opponent; Napier should suspend him for the LSU game). They called timeouts with 22 and three seconds remaining. USF was precise in its execution.
And now things get really difficult for the Gators. At No 3 LSU. At No. 5 Miami. A week off. Home to No. 7 Texas. And at No. 19 Texas A&M. They won’t be favored in any of those games. Yes, 1-5 should be on the table.
“We created it; we deserve it,” Napier said. “If you play football like that, you’re going to be criticized. It comes with the territory. The only thing you do is go get it fixed.”
After Saturday night, Napier deserves only a few more opportunities to get it fixed.
O’Halloran can be reached at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Gators coach Billy Napier’s rocky tenure may be nearing end after loss to USF
Reporting by Ryan O’Halloran, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
