Florida football faces the Mississippi State Bulldogs this weekend for its annual homecoming game. The Gators have been disappointing so far this fall, but they have an opportunity to earn back some respectability with a Week 8 victory in the Swamp.
Currently, Billy Napier sits atop one of the most scorching head coach hot seats among his national peers and some believe his days are already numbered in Gainesville. Suffice it to say, every game from here on out is ostensibly a do-or-die moment for the fourth-year skipper.
Ahead of what could possibly be his last game inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Napier joined the SEC’s weekly teleconference on Wednesday morning to discuss the state of the program, his job security, Saturday’s contest against Mississippi State and more.
Billy Napier’s opening statement
“Okay, we’re excited to be back at home this week, playing in front of our fans. It’s a huge week for us as a program.
“Obviously, homecoming is a big deal, and I think it’s important that we educate our guys relative to who they represent, who came before them. Got a lot of alumni coming back, former players coming back, so a responsibility there to do it the right way, and I do think that we are celebrating and trying to educate people about our player-development program this week.
“It’s GatorMade week in that program, led by Savannah Bailey (who) does an outstanding job of creating experiences and equipping our young men for, you know, future opportunities once the sport is over. So we’ve done quite a bit of work this week to try to get the word out about that program and the impact it’s made. So… homecoming, GatorMade week, a Mississippi State team that keeps getting better every week.
“Ton of respect for Coach Lebby and the job he’s doing there. They play hard. They play with poise and discipline. It’s a tough group and obviously (has) good systems in all three parts of their team. So we’re right in the middle of that prep and looking forward to getting on the grass today.”
On being given more time to produce wins as a head coach
“You know, I do think that that’s a reality in our profession, you know, I think that as a competitor, as a leader, you know, I think that it comes with the territory, right? So I think you have to have the ability to focus on the things that are important today, you know?
“I think it’s… that’s the whole key here is you got to stack good days, and you got to do a good job setting a great example for your players and staff. So for me, ultimately, we got to get consumed with what’s important now, and you live with the result on Saturday, you know, I think we all want better results, even sometimes when we win, you know, I think the product isn’t as good as we would like it to be. And then sometimes you can be proud of how you competed and played, and you played a good opponent and you came up short.
“So in general, I think it’s about focusing on today, the work, the process, and helping your young people maintain humility when they’re having success, and try to keep that enthusiasm where it needs to be when maybe you’re frustrated or a little bit disappointed about last week’s result.”
On Mississippi State’s defense, depth
“Yeah, I think they’re one of the more improved units in our league, in my opinion. Just watching how much they’ve evolved from last year to this year, and some of it’s personnel. I think the staff’s done a good job with the scheme variety. They present a lot of front variables. Obviously, sending unique pressure variables. And, then you get into the coverages that you can get, and it’s a long list.
“So, very important that you have good rules that you identify things well, you communicate. But the effort, the toughness, the tackling, I think they’ve done a really good job, and they’re one of the most improved units in the league in my opinion so far.”
On how well Florida has stopped the run
“I think in general, we’ve done okay. You always look at the run efficiency. So, at the end of the day, what was the yards per carry? I do think that the quarterback, against Texas, scrambled a little bit. Miami, had some balance in what they were doing. I do think that last week against Texas A&M was the most rushing yards we’ve given up in a while.
“So, we take pride in that. I know defensively, that’s a point of emphasis.”
On DJ Lagway’s development
“Not only did he miss spring, but he also missed the entire training camp. I think that’s important to know that. Look, DJ had a really unique offseason. I think it was a challenge for him personally. And, I do think that he started practicing about 10 days before the opener. Any elite sport will expose that.
“And, I think you’ve seen him improve each week. I’m watching every day, I watched him yesterday, and he made some incredible plays in practice yesterday that got me excited. I think you saw it last week, the way he started the last two weeks here, Texas, Texas A&M. I think he’s starting to get closer to being 100%, and that’s just a product of the reps.
“I think we’re starting to play better around him. And then, he’s had a good week so far. I like the leadership that he’s provided. You know, the maturity. The awareness. His ability to impact the entire team. I’ve been impressed with how he’s showed some poise in a very difficult start. And, I think that’s beneficial for him long-term the way he’s handled a tough situation.”
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