After the Gators defeated LSU to rekindle their bowl aspirations, UF head coach Billy Napier is searching for a more mature squad to play Ole Miss on Saturday.
GAINESVILLE — When Gators head coach Billy Napier talked about his team’s struggle going into Saturday’s game against No. 10-ranked Ole Miss, he sounded a lot like Andy Dufresne in the 1994 classic “Shawshank Redemption,” though he never addressed the film by name. The Gators must adopt the same mindset that wrongfully convicted Dufresne had when he spoke to his friend Red and dreamed of life outside of prison if they want to discover their ideal existence on the beach in Zihuatanejo—a bowl berth would be a stable first step toward paradise.
“You’re either dying or growing,” Napier remarked. In Shawshank, Tim Robbins’ character Dufresne says, “Get busy living, or get busy dying.” Naturally, none of Napier’s actors were around when the film failed at the box office thirty years ago, but when it was made available on video, it instantly became a classic. Nevertheless, following an upset of then-No. 21 LSU last week, they value Napier’s message.
The knowledge that we must keep working and improving is what it is. Chimere Dike, a senior receiver, stated, “We battled through adversity, negative adversity, really well this season.” “Good things can sometimes be diversions when they occur. Our approach to the situation, which is to return to work, is reflected in how we handled it in the past.
In the return of true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway from a hamstring injury, Florida wreaked havoc on Texas with its largest victory of the season, exciting a sold-out crowd at The Swamp with its third straight home victory. The Gators ended a five-game losing streak against the Tigers after Lagway passed for 226 yards and a touchdown while the Gators sacked LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier six times. The Swamp roared like 1994 when Jadan Baugh sprinted 55 yards to the end zone with 3:48 left to seal the victory.
“Guys really wanted that win,” edge rusher Jack Pyburn remarked. “We wanted to react appropriately and demonstrate that we were the squad we knew we could be after working so hard to recover from a disappointing game the week before. We demonstrated our ability to work as a committed team. Next up come the Rebels. After losing midseason games to Kentucky and LSU, two teams the Gators have defeated during their three-game home winning streak, Ole Miss has won three straight to get back into the College Football Playoff picture.
In the meantime, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is mostly left out of the narrative of Florida’s 2024 campaign. Kiffin was widely cited as a possible Napier successor in the event that the Gators made a coaching change after they fell to 1-2 following crushing home losses to Miami and Texas A&M. Kiffin was the top target for everyone, even your next-door neighbor and Paul Finebaum. When Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin informed Gator Nation in a letter that Napier would remain Florida’s coach, he buried the rumor. Two days prior to Florida’s 49-17 defeat at Texas, the letter arrived, adding to the anxiety among Orange & Blue supporters.
When Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin informed Gator Nation in a letter that Napier would remain Florida’s coach, he buried the rumor. Two days prior to Florida’s 49-17 defeat at Texas, the letter was delivered, adding to the anxiety among Orange & Blue supporters. But the Gators replied with what may have been their most significant victory in Napier’s three seasons, just when many were expecting them to falter and limp near the end of the regular season.
Napier danced in the locker room during the postgame celebration, and Lagway became the most popular man in town in just four hours. When Napier took the podium for his press appearance on Monday, he had taken off his dance shoes. “I hope our team will show some maturity,” he stated. “The noise has been ignored by this group. Can we somehow cut through the hype and maintain consistency in our preparation, practice routines, self-control, and film reviews? I believe that in order for our program to succeed in the long run, we will need to work through that week after week. In a playoff setting, this league will compete
“Are we mature enough to handle all the praise, and can we turn it around and do it again
The Rebels are making their first trip to The Swamp in nine years, and the Gators are the overwhelming favorites on Saturday. The Ole Miss Rebels’ potent offense, which leads the SEC in yards per game (539.5), scoring (40.7), and passing offense (365.7), is led by quarterback Jackson Dart (3,409 yards passing, 22 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions). The score might resemble the Texas defeat, therefore the Gators must avoid another disappointment. Against LSU, Florida came together in a huge manner, and following the win, players and coaches joined the crowd in singing the alma mater.
“Having that primary focus on the guys in that room, regardless of what’s happening outside the building, is a big thing that we preach in the locker room,” senior linebacker Derek Wingo stated. “We all locked arms, sang the alma mater, and expressed our gratitude to everyone who came out and supported us simultaneously after a significant victory. The knowledge that all of our planning and hard work has paid off and that we can compete well is such a relief.
The Gators did some living last Saturday night. They seek to stay alive this Saturday. They can become bowl-eligible with a victory and, more importantly, get closer to the paradise this program once called home.
“We have to earn the right to win, and I think that’s got to be the approach,” Napier said. “It’s important that we hit the reset button here
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