All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Getting to know Florida from a Gators expert

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) works out prior to the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson (15) works out prior to the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA;Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA;Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier against the South Florida Bulls during the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

How’s the mood in Gainesville right now with Billy Napier? He had that huge win with Utah, but there have been some issues the past two weeks.

It’s been a roller coaster for sure. Most national predictions pegged the Gators for seven wins, give or take, so the Utah game skyrocketed expectations to a potential 11-win season. The Kentucky game reminded us that 8-4 might be the ceiling. Most people are still very pleased with his recruiting and he hasn’t tried to hide from the issues the Gators have had.

Even after the Utah win, he tried to warn fans that there were a lot of things to clean up. Napier is a process guy, so most of us are reflecting on the first seasons of Kirby Smart and Nick Saban. While there are some tactical questions we have for Napier, most fans are still willing to wait to let him get his guys into the program and see what happens.

What’s the most welcome change from Dan Mullen to Billy Napier outside of having a coach who actually prioritizes recruiting now?

Napier hasn’t made excuses for performances in the way that Mullen did. Last year when the Gators lost to Kentucky, Mullen went on about how Florida outgained Kentucky. And while there is a hint of truth to that, he didn’t address the real reason Florida lost (penalties and poor special teams).

Napier stepped up to the microphone and just said flat out the Gators have to be better. Whether the problems get fixed remains to be seen, but it is refreshing for him to address that there are problems.

Home/Vols Football