If there was a college football team that needed a bye this past weekend, it was Florida. At 1-3, the Gators are in danger of having their season crumble apart with a difficult schedule facing them over the final eight games.
One of many thorns in Florida’s side has been the struggles of its offense. The numbers are not pretty, and they are ranked near or at the bottom of most categories in the SEC. That’s not going to win many conference games.
After a week off to reset, the Gators are getting ready to host ninth-ranked Texas this Saturday at the Swamp. On Monday, head coach Billy Napier met with the media and defended his job as play-caller despite the rough offensive numbers.
Billy Napier Defends Play-Calling Despite What the Numbers Say
Napier was asked about his play-calling responsibilities, and he quickly defended them during his weekly press conference in Gainesville.
“Well, it’s year eight for me, and it’s the way we’ve done it,” said Napier. “I think it helped us get here, but look, there are a lot of guys still doing it too. You can argue both ways. I watched several who were doing it this weekend.”
Florida ranks at the bottom of the SEC in points per game, averaging 22 through their first four games. They have only scored 88 points, with 55 of those coming in the opener against Long Island. They have 33 combined against South Florida, LSU, and Miami. Their last in total yards with 1,313 and next-to-last in averaging 322.3 a game. Only South Carolina is worse at 308.6 a game.
“Each year, you’re evaluating what’s best for the team, for the staff,” Napier said. “With who we had coming back, the quarterback (DJ Langway) in particular, that’s a huge piece of the puzzle, in terms of the verbiage, the system, the dialog, how you teach the quarterback. And then certain situations may present an opportunity for a reset. You’re always evaluating what’s best for this team, and that’s what drives every decision. No different than the changes we’ve made in the past.”
Billy Napier Won’t Make Changes Despite His Seat Being Hot
Napier was on the hot seat last year, but an 8-5 finish bought him another year. Once again, through four games in 2025, he’s on the hot seat again. His buyout is $21 million, and right now, he’s not going anywhere. That doesn’t mean it can’t change down the road, but the schedule doesn’t help him.
After Texas this week, the Gators head to Texas A&M next weekend and then host Mississippi State before another bye. After the bye, they play Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Florida State. Do not expect Napier to give up play-calling duties anytime soon.
“There’s going to be criticism when you’re not as productive, and that contributes to the team not winning,” Napier said. “No different than when you give up a lot of points; there’s criticism on the other side. We’ve got to play complementary football.
“We’ve struggled a bit here in the first month. We all know that. I know that. Our players know that. Certainly, our fans know that.”
The bye week was a perfect opportunity for Napier to pass off the play-calling duties. He didn’t, and he will call plays against Texas on Saturday. Given how the last three games have gone, it’s tough seeing the Gators having much success against the Longhorns.
Last year, Ryan Day passed off the play-calling duties to Chip Kelly, and it led to an Ohio State National Championship. Nobody is saying that Florida is going to win the National Championship this year, but it couldn’t hurt to make a change to try and not only save your season, but also your job. Billy Napier isn’t going to do that, and that may lead to his undoing in Gainesville.
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