3 years ago, I wrote an article stating that former Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen not only lost the locker room, but the fan base as well. Fast forward to today, and the feeling is that the same thing is happening with current Gators head coach Billy Napier. Now I won’t go as far as to say he’s lost the locker room because the players clearly love him and love playing for him, but the fan base is fed up.
The Gators opened up the 2024 season against Miami in The Swamp, and it didn’t go well at all. Miami dominated Florida on both sides of the ball and it never seemed like the game was close at any point. I’ve watched the Florida Gators play football for almost 32 years and I’ve never seen them look so unprepared, disorganized and physically dominated by an opponent like I did this past Saturday.
Florida couldn’t get in any kind of rhythm on offense and the offensive line was one of the main reasons why. They couldn’t get a push and missed some blocks throughout the whole game. What made it even more disturbing was the fact that Miami’s best defensive player, Rueben Bain Jr., missed the rest of the game after leaving with an injury in the first quarter. The play calling by Billy Napier wasn’t great either as the concepts were too bunched up and weren’t creative at all. The offense needs to be spread out so the playmakers can have a chance to make big plays in space.
The fans have been saying since Napier took the head coaching job that he needed to hire an offensive coordinator to call plays. It was never more evident than this past Saturday. Graham Mertz didn’t play particularly well, as he missed some throws. I can also say he wasn’t put in the best position to succeed either because of the offensive line and lack of creativity with the play calling. True freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway came in after Mertz left with a concussion and was able to move the ball down the field and utilized his legs to get the ball to his playmakers.
Defensively, the line got pushed around all game long and never generated much of a pass rush. The secondary had way too many busted coverages for big plays that led to touchdowns. The only unit that remotely played well was the linebacker unit. Shemar James had an interception and Grayson “Pup” Howard was flying to the football all game. The communication had to improve and guys have to be in the right position at all times.
Changes need to be made for the team to be successful, and it very well could include a change at the head coaching position. We’re 3 years into this regime and the same mistakes keep popping up every week. The Florida Gators football I grew up watching had great leaders from the administration, to the coaching staff and to the players. If the staff wants to save the season and their jobs, they better make some changes and fast. If not, the Gators will be looking for a new head coach for the 2025 season.
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Photo Credit: Nick De La Torre
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