Where does Florida Gators football go from here?
In a 26-7 loss Saturday night at No. 4-ranked Miami, coach Billy Napier's offense looked worse than ever:
- 141 total yards;
- 61 passing yards from quarterback DJ Lagway, with only one pass completion longer than eight yards;
- seven first downs, five of them on the Gators' one scoring drive; and
- zero-for-13 on third downs.
Florida's first-half performance was so inept — five three-and-outs in six possessions and one first down — that when the Gators drove 80 yards in the third quarter for their only score and then intercepted the Hurricanes, the change of fortune felt like a miraculous turning point in the entire season. Until it wasn't.
“We’ve got to generate some points. We have to get more first downs. We’ve got to find some rhythm on offense, bottom line," Napier said after the game. "I think we have a good group in the kicking game and on defense, those guys continue to show up and play. We’re lacking consistency, we’re lacking detail and we’re struggling to stack plays.”
Florida, 1-3 for the first time since 1986, has scored 33 points in its past three games. The Gators have two weeks to find answers before the nation's hardest schedule resumes Oct. 4 with No. 8 Texas.
For now, there are only burning questions. Specifically, will Napier, with his Gators off to another miserable start, keep his job?
After Saturday night's new low, the upcoming bye week likely will mean another referendum on Napier's future in Gainesville.
The Case Grows Against UF Coach
With the loss at Miami, Napier's record against Florida's biggest rivals gets uglier:
- 0-2 versus Miami;
- 0-3 versus Georgia; and
- 1-2 against both Florida State and Tennessee.
His overall mark is 20-22, currently the first non-interim Gators coach with a losing record in 80 years.
After the 11 penalties against double-digit underdog South Florida and the five interceptions at LSU, Napier's offense found an even lower gear Saturday night in Miami.
Florida committed zero turnovers and only three penalties and yet they never have looked so hopeless.
“The first half was a trial of errors. Not many plays where we executed well at all," said the man who calls the plays.
DJ Lagway's Trial by Fire Continues
ABC analyst Kirk Herbstreit shared a nice story about Lagway early in the game: that around 40 Gators teammates took their quarterback to dinner on Wednesday to express their belief in him.
Perhaps it was part game plan after last week's five picks, but Lagway was careful to the point of being no threat at all.
He completed no passes downfield. Under pressure, he struggled with his accuracy even on checkdowns to open receivers.
Lagway averaged fewer than three yards per pass attempt. In the second half, when the Gators needed a first down, a pass seemed a second option at best. On three failed fourth downs, the one pass completion was short of the line needed to gain.
“He’s battling," Napier said. "He’s a young player who’s had a unique offseason. He’s battling his tail off to try to do his job for his teammates. I think his team rallied around him this week. They respect him as a person, as a leader and as a competitor. I do think that there’s some rhythm missing there. We’re going to go back to the drawing board. I think the open date is coming at a good time there. And we got to evaluate everything we’re doing on that side of the ball.”
Gators Defense Could Sue for Support
The Gators were short three defensive linemen, including starters Caleb Banks and George Gumbs Jr., but for three-plus quarters they had Miami quarterback Carson Beck flinching and Florida sniffing ever so briefly at an upset.
The Florida offense never lived up to its end of the bargain — 10 of 11 possessions ended quickly with a punt or on downs — so the defense went toe to toe with Miami's super-sized offensive line for 76 plays.
The outcome was in doubt until the Hurricanes marched 80 yards for a clinching score with four minutes to go.
"Our kids battled their tail off. I think in particular, defensively, it was an incredible effort," Napier said.
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THE SCHEDULE AHEAD: A week off, then No. 8 Texas on Oct. 4 — one of five Top 25 teams remaining. CLICK HERE