GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Billy Napier heads to No. 4 Miami seeking a turn of events even more improbable than his escape act in 2024.
The Gators (1-2) are 7.5-point underdogs and scored just one touchdown during each of their losses to USF and LSU. To have a chance against the Hurricanes (3-0), sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway will need to quickly emerge from his funk while UF’s defense must contain the best offense it has faced.
If Florida’s season continues to go south Saturday night in South Florida, Napier’s future will be in further peril. Even so, he doesn’t sound like a man coaching for his job.
“I’m trying to solve problems,” he said. “A man is not defeated until he blames someone else.”
Napier carefully read those words from a piece of paper he referenced as he met with reporters earlier this week.
The 46-year-old has maintained composure, positivity and focus despite mounting calls for his job, criticism of his 20-year-old quarterback and questions about the Gators’ operation on virtually every level.
“You can’t connect others’ opinions of you or narrative to your confidence or your process,” Napier said. “You got to disconnect those completely. We got to connect our confidence to how we prepare, our intangibles, our resiliency, our toughness, our leadership traits, our teammates that play around us, the people that we work with each day, and then certainly who you are as an individual, your character independent of the sport and competition.
“That’s how you anchor in the midst of the storm.”
Florida coach Billy Napier talks with quarterback DJ Lagway, who started seven games as a true freshman but has struggled mightily as a sophomore. (Colin Hackley/AP)
As a pivotal fourth season seemingly slips away in mid-September, Napier said his team is “close” to turning narrow defeats into wins. But another loss would send Florida into a bye week sitting 1-3 for the first time since 1986, with seemingly no way out.
A vote of confidence by athletic director Scott Stricklin, given last November amid Napier’s uncertain job status, will not be forthcoming this time.
Napier ultimately validated Stricklin’s support with a season-ending four-game winning streak. Stringing together wins is less likely against a schedule featuring three straight top-10 opponents, beginning with Miami, followed by No. 8 Texas on Oct. 4 in the Swamp and No. 10 Texas A&M at raucous Kyle Field.
The Gators know it’s now or never. Otherwise, their season will be lost and their coach soon could be gone.
“I feel like we need a big win,” said junior receiver Aidan Mizell of Orlando. “I feel like this would be a perfect to get that big win, start a domino effect kind of how we did it last year towards the end of the season — just get this train rolling.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
