The Florida Gators are off to a rough start this college football season, and things only got worse after a tough 26–7 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. Head coach Billy Napier struggled to find answers against the power and execution of a Carson Beck-led Miami squad, as the Gators were outmatched on both sides of the field.
Far from avoiding responsibility, Napier admitted in his post-game press conference that he felt thoroughly outmatched by his opponent — particularly pointing to significant shortcomings on the offensive side of the ball.
“Okay, heck of a football game, and hats off to Miami. They have a really good football team, I think they played well enough to win tonight, and credit to coach Cristobal and his team and how they played complementary football. You know, I do think that our kids battled their tail off, you know, I think in particular defensively, it was an incredible effort.
“Obviously, not good enough on offense. We didn’t generate enough yards or points. The first half was a trial of errors. Not many plays where we executed well at all. We had mental errors of protection on third down, and really struggled to stack any good plays together.”
Running back Mark Fletcher Jr. #4 of the Miami Hurricanes.
Despite the loss, the HC still praised his players for their effort and determination: “…But in general, you know, our kids competed. I do think that I’m proud of the way the kids showed up and the effort in which they played with. Now, the execution on offense obviously was not good enough.”
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Confidence in DJ Lagway
Once again, DJ Lagway struggled to find his rhythm and was unable to get anything going in the matchup against the Hurricanes. Despite the tough outing, head coach Billy Napier remains confident in what his young quarterback can bring to the team in the near future.
“He’s battled. He’s battled. He’s a young player. He’s had a unique offseason, and he’s battling his tail off to try to do his job for his teammates. You know, I think the team rallied around him this week. They respect him as a person, as a leader, as a competitor. They know what he’s been through, and I think that that’s their intent, and they certainly showed up and played that way.”
Tough games ahead
Any hopes the Gators have of turning their season around could be overshadowed by the tough stretch of games looming on Billy Napier’s schedule.
- vs Texas, October 4
- @ Texas A&M, October 11
- vs Mississippi State, October 18
- @ Georgia, November 1
- @ Kentucky, November 8
