One of the headline moments of the College Football weekend took place in Gainesville, where the Florida Gators earned a statement win over the Texas Longhorns. Led by Billy Napier, the Gators silenced critics and, behind a strong performance from DJ Lagway, kept the victory at home in The Swamp.
Napier’s journey as head coach of the Gators hasn’t been easy — that much is clear. Surrounded by constant criticism, the leader of this team had reached a point where every game felt like a must-win for his future with the program.
Following the hard-fought victory where his team finally took down Arch Manning’s squad in The Swamp, Florida’s HC made it clear he’s all-in with his players, stating this was the version of the team he’d been waiting to see since Week 1.
“I would say, for me, that’s the football team I thought we had in the very beginning,” Billy Napier said via On3.com. “We finally kind of put it together there and played all three phases very complementary, all parts of the team really good. We started fast. That was a huge emphasis in the game.
“Got the crowd into it. Man, you’ve got to give these kids some credit. I think nowadays in college athletics, maybe there’s a little bit of a black eye about the sport, what it can teach, what locker rooms are like, and I can only speak for ours. I’m not giving up on team.”
Overcoming adversity
The road this College Football season has been anything but smooth, marked by ups and downs. That’s why defeating an SEC contender like the Texas Longhorns speaks volumes about the resilience this team has shown throughout the campaign.
“That’s a football team. I’m humbled to be a part of it. For them to do what they’ve done over the last couple of weeks,” Napier said. “I think is to be commended in today’s world. They didn’t blame anybody else. They took ownership, and they went back to work. It’s been a challenge. You guys know because you write about it every day. But we handled some adversity.
“This is just the beginning here. We’ve got a lot more games just like that when it gets to really good teams in the future.”
Lagway’s key role
DJ Lagway delivered the breakout game Florida desperately needed, throwing for a season-high 298 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Gators to a stunning 29-21 upset victory over the No. 9 Texas Longhorns in The Swamp.
Bouncing back from recent struggles, Lagway was sharp and efficient, completing an impressive 75% of his passes against a formidable Texas defense. The young signal-caller’s stellar outing—arguably the best of his collegiate career—was highlighted by a fantastic connection with true freshman receiver Dallas Wilson, providing the offensive jolt the Gators needed to end their losing streak and secure a signature win.
Staying the course
The Gators will need to prove that their victory over Texas was no fluke. Ahead of them lies a tough stretch of games where they’ll have to stay the course in pursuit of a coveted playoff spot.
- @ Texas A&M, October 11
- vs Mississippi State, October 18
- @ Georgia, November 1
- @ Kentucky, November 8
- @ Ole Miss, November 15