Florida’s Napier Seeks Continued Improvement

Florida football coach Billy Napier hopes back-to-back wins has given the Gators momentum, he said at Monday’s news conference.

Florida Gators Football Press Conference 10-7-2024 https://t.co/H9f96OH8GP

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) October 7, 2024

Reflecting on UCF

Napier praised the performance of the Florida defense in the home 24-13 win Saturday against UCF, but said there are still improvements to be made. The Gators (3-2, 1-1 SEC) held UCF to 108 rushing yards, a low for a team that was ranked second in the nation with 326 rush yards per game beforehand. The Gators need a similar effort the rest of the season, Napier said:

He also noted the stagnation of the offense in the second half. The Gators scored 24 points in the first half before being held scoreless in the second. Napier was asked if the struggles were due to game planning from UCF at halftime.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” he responded.

The Gators have some work to do on both sides of the ball before the game in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday.

Napier Prepares for Tennessee

No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) suffered its first loss of the season at Arkansas, 19-14, last Saturday.

This SEC rivalry is deep rooted. The Gators are 32-21 in the matchup, but only 14-13 in Knoxville. UF has gone 19-5 in the series since 2000.

Napier acknowledged the importance of the rivalry:

Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been one of the top in the country this season. He has thrown for 1,048 yards and seven touchdowns, but his ability with his legs is what makes him difficult for defenses to handle. Iamaleava has unique physical capabilities at the quarterback position, Napier said:

Although the Volunteers are known for their explosive, speedy offense, Napier said the defense is also dangerous. It’s going to take a focused performance from the team to pull out an upset in Knoxville.

Game Time

The game is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN and on radio at 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.

Note: Florida’s home game Oct. 19 against Kentucky is set for a 7:45 p.m. kickoff on the SEC Network and on radio at 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.