JACKSONVILLE, Fl.—Never underestimate the emotions of a tormented football fan. Especially in the SEC.
On Saturday, Florida entered its rivalry game against Georgia for the 102nd time. This time, the Gators were 16-point underdogs to the Bulldogs. All signs pointed to a beatdown by Georgia and a renewed interest in testing the combustibility of Gator head coach Billy Napier’s skivvies.
Would Napier get canned if Florida lost? Would Napier get canned if the Gators made the loss respectable? Would Napier get canned even if the Gators won?
Billy Napier credit: Brian Estes Photos
OK, to spare any more suspense… would, no wait….will… Napier get 86’d?
So far, Napier is safe. In just his third season at Florida, he has not had the opportunity to coach a team with all of his recruits. The injury bug has also hit the team hard this season.
Those extenuating circumstances could be enough to keep his job for another year.
A contingent of Florida’s fan base is not thrilled about that. These fans are impatient. These fans want change. These fans do not like the direction in which the team is heading.
What ever happened to the retention standard of “four years in” before talking about coaching changes?
How much a current coach’s buyout clause is worth (Napier’s is $25.67 million if he is terminated after the 2024 season) compiled with the quality of coaches available to hire are the usual deciding factors in terminating a coach’s contract.
But there may be a another reason why some schools are not waiting four or five years to make a coaching change.
The Gators are in serious danger of not getting bowl eligible with six wins. A road trip at No. 5 Texas [gulp] plus two home games against No. 14 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss [gulp] await. Realistically, the Gators’ hope of a bowl bid lies on their date with a 1-8 pissed off Florida State on November 30.
A loss to the Seminoles changes everything.
Missing postseason play hurts a team’s recruiting. And its booster donations.
Some donors may refrain from digging into their fat wallets when a team is bass fishing instead of playing in New Year’s Six bowl. That could impact future NIL collectives’ reserves, aka money to lure potential recruits.
“Donor-driven NIL collectives will make up 80% of all NIL dollars spent in college football this season,” according to On3.com’s report.
Two Florida schools have the Top 15 NIL collectives. The University of Florida is not one of those schools. Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, Missouri, Texas A&M, Alabama and Arkansas are among the Top 15.
Money talks. Mediocrity walks.
The word on the mean streets of Gainesville is that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is coveted by many green, scaly-skinned fans.
The Kiffin supporters, aka Kiff-ettes, want to book the Lane Train and ride off into the sunset with him and his mastery of trolling, deep balls and trick plays. Of course, that would leave another Kiffin-coached team scorned.
Hell hath no fury, eh Ole Miss? Tennessee? USC?
Anyway, all Florida had to do was lose (big) to Georgia to get the Lane Train rolling down the tracks. This seemed like an easy task at hand. Again, the Gators were 16-point underdogs. Cue the train conductor.
Piece. Of. Cake.
But like everything Florida this year, the Gators are an enigma.
Midway through the second quarter, Florida was up 10-3. The Lane Train talk had subsided.
DJ Lagway credit: Brian Estes Photos
Then true freshman sensation quarterback DJ Lagway was carted off the field after a “significant” hamstring injury, according to Napier. The oxygen got sucked out of the stadium—well, at least half of it—faster than a hot dog getting shot out of a cannon.
DJ Lagway credit: Brian Estes Photos
But wait. The Gators scored a touchdown and extended their lead 13-6.
Maybe…?
credit: Brian Estes Photos
Nah.
Florida could not get its offense rolling under third-string redshirt freshman Aidan Warner.
The playcalling was more than safe for the Yale transfer. It was bubble wrapped—a lot of hand-offs, an occasional deep throw and some short, play actions that got blown up by Georgia’s defenders.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Florida, down 20-13, willed itself down the field and into the red zone after a hands-to-the-face penalty by Georgia linebacker Damon Wilson II. A subsequent holding call by Florida negated that gift.
Of course.
And then, a November miracle, albeit temporary, happened. Florida’s Ja’Kobi Jackson waltzed into the endzone, after a whiff by Daniel Harris, and the game was tied up 20-20 with 7:29 left in regulation.
Everything after that touchdown was just awful for Gator fans.
Or was it?
Therein lies the dilemma for every football fan that wants a coaching change. Are you happy for the win, especially in a rivalry game, or are you happy for the loss and a (possible) change of leadership?
The end does not justify the means, does it? It is like an author of a novel winning an award for “how not to write a novel.” Do you really celebrate this?
For Gator fans, going 11-14 in the last two years is cringy. Currently at 4-4, things are not okey-dokey in Gainesville.
They are inky-stinky.
In week six, starting quarterback Graham Mertz had a career-ending knee injury (ACL) after he threw for a touchdown giving the Gators a 10-0 lead over the Tennessee Volunteers. The Gators would lose that game in overtime, 23-17.
Two weeks later, Lagway went out with a hamstring injury when the Gators were up 13-6. The Gators eventually lost on Saturday, 34-20.
credit: Brian Estes Photos
“I mean, [it] never comes down to just one play,” Napier said in his post-game interview.
“We probably played 180 plays out there today and there were multiple opportunities for us to get it done.”
Now on his third starting quarterback, sympathy for Napier abounds as he prepares for the Texas Longhorns. Yet, he is focused on supporting Warner and the team as they limp to Austin.
And what about getting “snakebit” by injuries?
Graham Mertz credit: Brian Estes Photos
“No, I don’t believe in… that,” Napier said.
“Always been injuries in this game. Every team in the country has injuries. One thing I can say is we built a roster that has some competitive depth and that’s proved to be beneficial.
You play in this league, the level of competition, the explosive players, height, length, and speed of the game, physicality of this game, you’re always going to need depth.”
A coach that does not repine on injuries?
That is refreshing as hell.
A coach who does not embrace moral victories?
Hip hip, hooray!
A coach that does not believe any one play costs a team a game?
Priceless.
The calls for “all aboard” the Lane Train have quieted.
For now.
Lagway’s injury may have been the final nail in Florida’s coffin. But it may also have given the under-construction “Legend of Napier” new meaning.
And life.
UPDATE: Lagway’s injury does not appear to be as serious as once thought. At a press conference Monday, Napier made these comments:
“The good news is we’ve had positive information on that front. That is the positive there. We do think that injury is less significant. We do think there’s a pathway for recovery and a return. We did find that out yesterday evening. So a lot of good on that front.
So less significant than we anticipated, and he’s been doing well so far this morning. We have not completely ruled him out, and I think a lot of that will be to be determined as we move our way throughout the week. So that’s a good thing for all involved and certainly for DJ.”
