Florida played its best game of the season against Georgia, and it’s still over for Billy Napier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Don’t put this on an injured quarterback. Don’t give Billy Napier that excuse.

What played out here at the World’s Largest Cocktail Party could’ve been just about any other week, in any of the three dysfunctional and discombobulated seasons under Napier.

This one just included a possible season-ending injury to Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, the last hope to turn the mistake-filled train of misery.

But it’s over now. There’s no coming back from this.

Not from the 34-20 loss to Georgia, a game the No. 2-ranked team in the nation — the king of college football since 2021 — was begging to give away. Not from another loss full of coaching mistakes, including, yep, another special teams disaster.

Not from a bizarre and incomprehensible play call with the game on the line, not from a season now careening toward another ugly end.

Not because of Lagway’s untimely injury, and not because backup Aidan Warner was put in an untenable situation against the Boogeyman of college football.

“We had our team in position to win the game,” Napier said.

Until the Gators weren’t. Until the same confounding issues that have plagued Napier’s teams showed up again.

Florida coach Billy Napier stands with his team prior to their game against Georgia at EverBank Stadium.

Look, this thing isn’t easy. With a healthy Lagway, Florida may have gotten its biggest win under Napier and the momentum could’ve taken the Gators to a big second half of the season — and Napier to 2025 and another season to figure it out.

But coaching college football is a brutal undertaking, one that ends in unemployment for nearly every coach. No matter how close you are to turning it around.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-played-best-game-season-020250782.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-03 02:02:50

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