GAINESVILLE — Florida defensive tackle Brendan Bett’s costly spitting penalty and ejection during Saturday night’s USF loss led to a long conversation Sunday with coach Billy Napier.
Whether Bett’s actions lead to a suspension at No. 3 LSU remains undecided.
“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Napier told reporters Monday.
Napier said Bett will face some “internal discipline” and planned Monday to “apologize to the team, and he’s going to apologize publicly.”
How Bett’s public apology will be delivered is unclear.
Napier said Bett was contrite when he arrived to his head coach’s office Sunday.
“We spent quite a bit of time with him yesterday,” Napier said. “The kid is remorseful. He feels as if he let the team down. In general, it was out of character for him. When a young man comes into your office, and that’s his immediate concern is how he didn’t represent this place the right way, that’s a good indication of his attitude towards it.”
After Saturday night’s 18-16 stunner in the Swamp, senior cornerback Devin Moore said he was disappointed in Bett.
“There’s no place for that as an individual and certainly representing the University of Florida,” Moore said. “There’s no place for that here. This is a prestigious program, and that will be addressed for sure.”
By then, the damage was done.
Early in USF’s game-winning drive, officials flagged Betts for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected him after he spit in the facemask of Bulls offensive lineman Cole Skinner.
“He made a mistake and he compromised the team,” Napier said Monday. “He made a selfish decision. He misrepresented our fans, our alumni, the university.”
UF coach Billy Napier, left, argues with head linesman Ralph Green during the USF at UF college football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, September 6, 2025. USF won the game 18-16. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Betts also committed the most critical penalty of 11 by Napier’s undisciplined Gators, who are 1-1 entering their SEC opener against LSU (2-0) at hostile Tiger Stadium.
Before the penalty, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Baylor transfer record five tackles against the Bulls, and eight in 2025 while earning playing time amid star tackle Caleb Banks’ absence with a foot injury.
But Bett lost his cool and potentially cost the Gators the game against USF.
Starting from their 11-yard line, the Bulls went 87 yards in eight plays to set up a 20-yard field goal by Nico Gramatica as time expired.
Two penalties proved pivotal. A second-down pass interference on cornerback Dijon Johnson first cost UF 13 yards. On the next play, Bett committed his infraction.
The win by USF (2-0) was its first in five meetings against the Gators and elevated the Bulls to No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25, while UF fell from No. 13 to out of the poll.
If Bett is suspended at LSU, his absence would compromise Florida’s interior line depth. Banks, a preseason All-SEC second-team pick coming off foot surgery, is pushing to get back on the field after missing the first two games.
True freshman receiver Dallas Wilson also has missed two games with a foot injury.
The SEC will release its availability report at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday.
“We’ve got work to do this week to see where they’re at and work capacity is,” Napier said.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
