It was yet another week that Florida football’s offense looked like a shadow of what it was expected to be entering the 2025 campaign.
Once again, quarterback DJ Lagway looked shaky while coach Billy Napier continues his subpar play-calling with the ball in the Gators’ hands. The result was a 26-7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes inside a rainy Hard Rock Stadium during Week 4. The defense came to play, but the unit wore down as the game went on after the offense continued to sputter.
Not many expected the Orange and Blue to prevail on Saturday night, but many expected a tight matchup. For all intents and purposes, the game was close until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, but I would not go so far as to call it competitive. Miami had the upper hand for most of the 40 minutes played.
Along with my opinions, the rest of the Gators Wire crew offers their instant reactions to Florida’s third loss of the season below in good, bad and ugly format. Take a look at what we had to say.
Adam Dubbin
GOOD: The defense kept Florida in this one for the third week in a row, only for the offense to not hold up its end of the bargain. I had my doubts about this unit despite its efforts last week against LSU — Nussmeier and Co. had not been terribly impressive up to that point — but the way they bent but did not break for most of the game against UM was admirable.
Sure, Beck did not look too sharp and the ‘Canes running game seemed to overwhelm the Gators, but there is no doubt which side of the ball is working better for Napier right now.
And about that offense…
BAD: The offense in the first half was an ugly affair. Lagway’s unit totaled 32 yards gained and one first down while putting a goose egg on the board for the first two quarters.
The Gators finally figured out that giving the rock to Baugh was the team’s best bet, and that led to the third-quarter touchdown. But then the Gators’ fourth-down luck finally ran out, and Miami ran away against a worn-out defense.
UGLY: Another loss for the Orange and Blue, dropping it to 1-3 going into the bye next weekend. The team needs five more wins just to qualify for a bowl game, and that prospect is looking grimmer and grimmer after every loss.
Without Lagway playing up to his superlative abilities, Napier’s offensive play-calling is just not cutting it. His failure to bring in an offensive coordinator might prove his undoing when all is said and done.
Aidan Gallardo
GOOD: The defense deserves credit. Once again, just like last week at LSU, Florida’s defense kept the game competitive despite being on the field far too long. They forced Miami into tough drives, made timely stops and gave the offense every chance to respond.
For stretches, the defense looked like the only reason the Gators were still in it, showing grit and physicality even as the game slipped away.
BAD: The offense continues to be a major liability. Florida managed 32 total yards in the first half and finished 0-for-13 on third downs.
Napier leaned heavily on the run, but the offensive line that was hyped coming into the year has been subpar and the passing attack looked helpless. It’s become a troubling pattern across multiple weeks, not just a one-game fluke.
UGLY: Billy Napier. Four years in, Florida football is still plagued by the same mistakes, and patience is running thin. The defense can’t be asked to shoulder the load every week, and Napier’s inability to fix the offense is glaring.
The clock on his tenure isn’t just ticking anymore; for many fans, it has already struck midnight. Unless something changes dramatically, this feels like the beginning of the end.
David Rosenberg
GOOD: Sure, yeah, the defense is good, but we knew that. They’ve played well against good teams with and without Caleb Banks, and they stepped up tonight until they physically couldn’t, but I’m still going to run with the running back tandem of Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson.
A combined 85 yards on 19 carries isn’t anything eye-popping, but the only reason Florida had a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter was they stormed the ball down the field. More of them, please.
BAD: DJ Lagway probably isn’t bad, but he looks like a completely different person than the one we all fell in love with a year ago. He’s sloppy moving in the pocket, doesn’t scramble the way he used to and can’t find the touch on his deep ball.
All of these might get remedied with practice and time, but we’re five weeks into the season. What a disaster this all has been, at every level.
UGLY: All-American linemen moving the ball before the hike. What’s going on? It’s not just a lack of discipline. It’s a complete loss of purpose.
Lagway will not improve if he’s constantly running around for his life. Getting drilled at the line of scrimmage, or behind it is another good way to shorten a career. Gross.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Instant Reactions: Good, Bad and Ugly from Florida football’s road loss v Miami Hurricanes
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Aidan Gallardo and David Rosenberg, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
