Billy Napier voices bold lesson for Steve Sarkisian, Texas after rude awakening in visit to Florida

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators bounced back with a statement victory in Week 6 of the 2025 NCAA season. When hosting the Steve Sarkisian-commanded Texas Longhorns, the program in Gainesville put the entire college football landscape on notice.

Florida may not have landed a knockout punch on Texas, but it definitely left Sarkisian and the Longhorns reeling. The loss at The Swamp arrived in awful timing for the Horns, who must gear up for the Red River Rivalry against the Oklahoma Sooners. Needless to say, the Longhorns’ NCAA season will be on the line when the burnt orange takes to the field at the State Fair of Texas.

Perhaps, Texas manages to regroup after their 29-21 defeat in Gainesville in time for the clash against Oklahoma. However, a key lesson was taught to them by Napier and Florida. Now, the head coach for the Gators voiced a strong reminder for his players, but one that could be just as helpful for Sarkisian and company.

“I think that’s who we have to be to win here,” Napier admitted after the game, via On3. “You know, if you’re going to win in this league, you’ve got to be built in the trenches to go toe to toe. And we’ve been doing that on defense to some degree. So yeah, that’s the recipe that’s worked for us in the past. We played to that formula today, and it worked for us.“

Steve Sarkisian at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Only Gators make it out alive

That’s more like it. The Swamp is one of the toughest stadiums to play as an away team in college football, and the Longhorns can attest to that. Texas’ players may have been unable to communicate on the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but the noise of the Longhorns’ collapse was heard all across the nation.

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Florida found his mojo back, after its last game in Gainesville had been a shocking loss to the South Florida Bulls. A win over a ranked SEC opponent was just what the doctor ordered.

Perhaps the rumors of the Gators’ demise were greatly exaggerated. Florida has a pulse, and it only strengthened after the win over Texas. Of course, it did skip a beat here and there, but that’s just part of being alive and well in a league as competitive as the SEC.

Not a fluke

Now, it’s up to the Gators to prove they can hold their ground and prevail against other top programs in the league. Up next, Napier and company will face No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies on the road at College Station. Florida can be dangerous at home, but will it lose a step away from Gainesville and in the home of the 12th man? Only time will tell.