Going into Florida’s Sept. 6 matchup against South Florida, the hype around the Gators was beginning to surface. Following a 55-0 win over Long Island in its home opener, UF was ranked No. 13 in the Week 2 AP Top 25 poll, the highest since Week 2 in 2022.
But in a game where Florida was 18.5 point favorites, the Gators suffered a massive collapse, falling to the Bulls 18-16. The Gators committed 11 penalties for 103 yards, including two costly penalties on USF’s game-winning drive.
The first was a pass interference call against junior defensive back Dijon Johnson, which was followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Brendan Bett after he spit on USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner.
“Not good enough, and it's my responsibility,” Napier said post-game. “We can live with the technical penalties, there's always going to be a handful of those. The ones that keep you up at night are the ones that are player decision-making, so there's got to be some ownership there.”
Napier also made a number of errors on the coaching front.
On multiple occasions, he attempted to make mass substitutions on defense. Late in the first quarter, with USF facing a fourth-down, UF was penalized for too many men on the field, giving the Bulls a crucial first-down. Then, late in the third quarter, USF quickly snapped the ball on a late Florida substitution, leading to a breakdown in the Gators’ secondary and a 66-yard go-ahead touchdown catch by junior wide receiver Keshaun Singleton.
The head coach also mismanaged the clock late in the game. Up 16-15, needing one first down to end the game, the Gators threw the ball twice with 2:52 remaining. Both passes came up incomplete, giving the Bulls ample time on their game-winning drive.
Then, Napier held his two remaining timeouts until only 22 seconds remained, allowing South Florida to kick the 20-yard winning field goal as time expired.
“We had two,” Napier said. “At that point, there's going to be a field goal kicked. They had one, so they had an extra down. So regardless of when the timeouts get called, it's going to end up about the same.”
And this type of collapse wasn’t the first under Napier.
In 2024, the Gators were in the driver's seat early against then-No. 8 Tennessee, dominating the first half of play. The Gators had an opportunity to head into the half up 6-0, but an illegal substitution penalty for having 12 men on the field wiped out a field goal. Florida ended up losing 23-17 in overtime.
Against Arkansas in 2023, UF allowed 481 total yards and surrendered a game-winning overtime touchdown to lose 39-36. On their final drive of the game, the Gators set up a 39-yard field goal attempt for Trey Smack. An illegal substitution penalty backed the Gators up five yards, however, and Smack missed the 44-yard kick. It was Arkansas’ first-ever win in Gainesville.
“I don’t think there’s anybody more frustrated than the men on this team, the coaches on this team,” UF quarterback Graham Mertz said following the loss to the Razorbacks. “The fans are obviously passionate, but this is our day-to-day, what we do. We want to win. It’s frustrating when you don’t win.”
Also, in its 2023 season finale, the Gators hosted the then undefeated No. 5 Florida State Seminoles. Leading 12-7 heading into the half, UF collapsed during the second half, being outscored 17-3 in the second half to lose 24-15. Florida committed eight penalties for 90 yards in that game.
High expectations have also played a factor in multiple Gator losses during the Napier era.
After starting the 2023 season 5-2, Florida lost its last five games. During that skid, Florida dropped a crucial one-possession game in heartbreaking fashion to then-No. 9 Missouri. The Gators had a chance to end the game on 4th and 17 with 38 seconds to go. However, UF allowed a wide-open 27-yard catch, allowing Missouri to hit a game-winning 30-yard field goal.
The following year started off on the wrong foot for the Gators, who hosted then-No. 19 Miami. The Hurricanes crushed Florida 41-17, putting up 529 yards in the contest. The Gators only mustered 261.
During the game, shouts of “Fire Billy” could be heard from the crowd — chants that returned following UF’s loss Sept. 6.
Following the Miami game, Napier addressed the criticism from the fanbase, saying the team needed to focus on the field and “not necessarily what some guy in his basement is saying in rural central Florida on social media.” He received heavy criticism from the fanbase and later issued an apology.
Despite UF’s struggles in 2024, Napier received support from within the program, including from athletic director Scott Stricklin, who issued a statement on Nov. 7, confirming the coach would stay with the team.
“I am confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Stricklin wrote. “I call on all of Gator Nation to continue standing behind Billy and his dedicated team while we work together to build a championship program.”
That statement seemed to strike momentum in the Gator program, as UF went on a four-game winning streak to close the 2024 season.
Now 1-1 to start the 2025 season, Florida faces an upcoming gauntlet in its next four matchups. The Gators will face No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Miami, No. 7 Texas and No. 16 Texas A&M.
Through 40 games with Napier at the helm, the Gators are 20-20. His .500 winning percentage is the fourth-lowest by a UF coach in 39 or more games.
Despite the upcoming challenges, Napier continues to have faith that he is the right guy for the Florida job.
“I'm consumed with doing the best job I can do for the players, leading the staff and getting the football fixed, because ultimately that's going to decide how far we go around here,” Napier said.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is the Summer 2025 sports editor. He is a third-year journalism sports & media major and in his fifth semester at The Alligator. He is a big South Florida sports fan and would die for Matthew Tkachuk.
