GAINESVILLE — Embattled coach Billy Napier said the reeling Gators are “really, really close” to playing winning football even as Florida sits 1-2 approaching their toughest test to date Saturday night at Miami.
A 5-interception night by DJ Lagway at LSU followed a sloppy 11-penalty showing against USF. The two sub-par performances raised questions across the board after Napier insisted throughout the offseason he finally had the talent, coaching staff and infrastructure to produce a College Football Playoff contender.
Instead, Florida finds itself in a deep hole with three consecutive top-10 opponents ahead, beginning with the No. 3 Hurricanes (3-0).
Napier remains undaunted.
“We’re close to being pretty dangerous,” he said Monday. “We just got to keep chipping away at it.”
Florida has significant ground to make up for a chance to compete with Mario Cristobal’s Canes, who are coming off a resounding 49-12 win Saturday against the same USF squad that stunned the Gators 18-16 a week earlier in the Swamp.
Lagway and the Gators are the starting point.
The sophomore signal-caller had more interceptions, including a pivotal pick-six, than any UF quarterback in more than 30 years as the Gators scored just one touchdown for the second straight game.
Meanwhile, penalties on the offensive line negated three scores during the past two games.
“Penalties are unacceptable,” veteran left tackle Austin Barber said Monday. “We’ve got to go 11-for-11 on offense. It’s a team game.”
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway threw five interceptions and suffered three sacks during the Gators’ 20-10 loss at LSU Sept. 13 in Baton Rouge, La. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Napier’s offense averages an SEC-low 13 points in games against FBS competition.
“If we were able to kind of get back in our rhythm offensively and generate points and yards, we could be tough to deal with,” he said.
Florida’s defense, conversely, has yielded just a touchdown in each of the past two games.
But the Gators, opportunistic during their season-ending four-game winning streak in 2024, have managed just one sack and one takeaway. Napier noted Florida generated five three-and-outs at LSU, including three straight to open the game, to give back the ball to the offense.
“We’ve got to play complementary football,” he said. “You’re not going to win if you turn the ball over five times. I don’t know when the last time that’s happened.
“We gotta know who we are as a team and we got to play that way.”
Lagway’s mistakes and lack of big plays have been difficult to overcome.
The strong-armed 6-foot-3, 247-pounder completed one pass longer than 20 yards at LSU a season after he completed four against the Tigers and his down-field passing consistently had defenses on their heels during the Gators’ turnaround.
Opposing schemes have limited Lagway’s opportunities to attack. Yet the 20-year-old has routinely failed to deliver when opportunities become available.
Sloppy footwork is one culprit.
“When he misses, his feet are off,” Napier said.
Lagway’s lack of practice time because of offseason injuries has compromised his development, including his decision-making as plays unfold in the passing game.
“You gotta always remember that the mental contributes to the physical, so got to be air-tight from a progression standpoint,” Napier said. “That allows you to anticipate better, to be a little bit sharper than your feet so the ball ends up going to the right spot. He’s an elite competitor, he’s tough-minded, and he’ll show up angry today.
“I promise you that.”
Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett cannot get to LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as the Gators failed to generate a sack during a 20-10 loss to the Tigers Sept. 13 in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Napier said the mood of Florida’s locker room in Baton Rouge gives him belief the Gators can get on track.
“If I didn’t feel good about the intangibles of the team, that’s probably when I would be worried,” Napier said. “This group showed up and competed their tail off Saturday. They’re a group that knows how they’re that close.”
How close?
“We could easily be 3-0,” Napier said. “Probably a dozen plays away from being 3-0.”
The Gators are also nearing 1-3 entering a bye week when calls for Napier’s job are sure to reach a fever pitch.
Miami is playing as well as any team in the nation while the Gators arrive searching for answers and 5-14 away from the Swamp, without a win against a ranked opponent.
“We have enough talent in that locker room that our best is good enough,” Napier said. “I still believe that; we’re going to keep pursuing that.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
