Napier On First Road Game: ‘You Got To Be Ready To Go’

Florida coach Billy Napier said he is disappointed and frustrated with Saturday’s home loss to Texas A&M during his Monday news conference.

Looking Back

Following a tough 33-20 loss to Texas A&M, Napier looked at the coaching staff as a part of the problem. The Gators started off slow with just 78 total yards on offense in the first half and could not contain the Aggies on defense. Napier said it is up to the coaches to take accountability for preparing the team:

Team Unity

Despite the struggles and the outside negativity surrounding the Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC), Napier wants his team to keep a united front and continue to support one another. He said the relationships the players have created will stick with them beyond the game of football:

On the Road

Saturday at Mississippi State will be the first away game for the team this season. It will also be Florida’s first SEC road game. Mississippi State (1-2) enters following a 41-17 home loss Saturday against Toledo.

Napier explained the difficulty of going on the road in the SEC:

Quarterback Controversies

Veteran quarterback Graham Mertz returned from concussion protocol which kept him from playing against Samford the week prior. He and freshman DJ Lagway rotated against Texas A&M, leaving fans wondering who the starter will be.

Mertz went 12-of-15 against the Aggies with 195 yards passing. He threw for one touchdown and recorded one interception. Lagway had 54 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Napier said both quarterbacks will play against Mississippi State, and he expects them to take advantage of the snaps they get:

What’s Ahead

The Gators will look to battle back in SEC competition with a win this weekend. Napier said the goal is to get Florida back to its tradition of being a winning football program:

Florida will face Mississippi State at David Wade Stadium on Saturday at noon (ESPN, ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF).