Business as usual for Napier at his Monday press conference

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:

For a head coach whose coaching head is reportedly on the block, Billy Napier said it was business as usual for the Florida Gators (1-2, 0-1 SEC) at his Monday press conference. Asked if he had discussions with the UF administration about his job status, Napier replied, “No, none.” And when asked if there is a pathway to a fourth season, it was a three-word reply, “Yeah, 100 percent.”

The Gators will be at Mississippi State Saturday (12 noon, ESPN), the bottom feeder game in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs are 1-2 and coming off a 41-17 loss to Toledo from the Mid-American Conference that has their fans feeling hostility against first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. Since Lebby is three games into his first season, his job seems quite secure win or lose. Napier, on the other hand, is on shaky ground no matter what the Gators do.

Asked about assurances that he would be given adequate time to rebuild the program when he signed a 7-year deal that pays in excess of $7 million per year, Napier wouldn’t go into any specifics other than to say it’s a chance to improve and he doesn’t want to see any finger-pointing by his team.

“As a staff and throughout the organization, we have to do our part to model what we would expect from the players and want from the players and that for me is total focus on the next opportunity to improve,” Napier said. “We're going to put the game to bed today from Saturday (33-20 loss to Texas A&M), and then it's about doing my absolute best to prepare the team to play next Saturday. And we can't live in the should have, could have, would have, if, then, all that. I think ultimately we got an obligation to the players and our leadership at the university to do our best to play well this week.

“That's all we can control. Anything else is a waste of time. I think it's that way regardless. I mean, we been doing this for a long time. The ability to hit the reset button, sometimes you're trying to ignore the hype or the praise or the … sometimes you fall flat on your face and you're trying to … so your approach with the players the right mix of accountability and ownership. I think it's critical that we don't point fingers and we accept some responsibility and point out where there needs to be accountability. I think that's the key, especially with young people in a world that they live in currently.”

The Gators have played poorly in their two losses, particularly on the defensive side of the ball where it seems a replay of the past two seasons. The Gators currently rank dead last in the Southeastern Conference and 106th nationally, giving up 407.3 yards per game. In Napier’s first season at UF in 2022, the Gators finished 97th nationally in total defense. They were 71st a season ago.

It is still early. There are at least nine more opportunities to improve. Napier offered an if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always been what you’ve always done explanation for what’s next.

“That's where we have to have the right combination of player accountability and then as coaches we have to take some responsibility as well,” Napier said. “We have to adjust. I think if we continue to do the same things, then I think that would not be the smartest path.

“So I think as a defensive staff, I know there is direction there. There is ownership there. And, yeah, just a little bit different approach, tweak things. I think it's critical in times like these that you listen to the players a little bit. I think you got to give them some ownership. It's important that they believe in what's happening and taking place, and painting an objective picture for them.”

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 4 Alabama (3-0): Safety Malachi Moore is recovering from a blow to the head suffered against Wisconsin. The week off should allow him to be ready to go next week when Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa. Saturday: Open

Arkansas (2-1): Corner Jaylon Braxton is considered likely to play against Auburn,  but safety Hudson Clark will miss the game … The Hogs are 3-point underdogs. Saturday: at Auburn (2-1)

Auburn (2-1): After his four touchdown pass performance against New Mexico, redshirt freshman QB Hank Brown is expected to get his second straight start against Arkansas … Auburn is a 3-point favorite. Saturday: Arkansas (2-1)

No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Georgia’s offensive line, touted in the preseason by some experts as the best in the country, has already given up 11 tackles for loss. Saturday: Open

Kentucky (1-2, 0-2 SEC): This is a contrast for you. The Kentucky defense ranks ninth nationally while the offense ranks 129th … Kentucky has been established as a 19.5-point favorite over Ohio Univeristy. Saturday: Ohio (2-1)

No. 16 LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): The Tigers rank 91st nationally in total defense (380 yards per game) … The Tigers are 24.5-point favorites against UCLA. Saturday: UCLA (1-1)

Mississippi State (1-2): HBC Jeff Lebby is just three games into the MSU gig, yet fans are already calling for his firing after the Bulldogs were hosed by Toledo, 41-17  … The Bulldogs are 5.5-point underdogs against Florida. Saturday: FLORIDA (1-2)

No. 7 Missouri (3-0): Missouri’s defense, nicknamed “Death Row,” ranks fourth nationally overall (184 yards per game). The Tigers are seventh against the pass and 19th against the run … Mizzou is a 20.5-point favorite against Vandy. Saturday: Vanderbilt (2-1)

No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0): For the Sooners to slow down Tennessee’s high powered offense they will have to force turnovers. Through three games they’ve picked off four passes and recovered six fumbles to rank second nationally in turnover margin … The Sooners are 7-point underdogs at home against Tennessee. Saturday: No. 6 Tennessee (3-0)

No. 5 Ole Miss (3-0): Wake Forest is buying out of their return date with Ole Miss. The Rebels visited Wake Forest this past Saturday, but Wake Forest wants out of the rematch next season … The Rebels are 36-point favorites to beat Georgia Southern at home. Saturday: Georgia Southern (2-1)

South Carolina (2-1, 1-1 SEC): Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who sprained an ankle against LSU, is expected to play Saturday … The Gamecocks are 27.5-point favorites.  Saturday: Akron (1-2)

No. 6 Tennessee (3-0): UT head coach Josh Heupel returns to familiar digs Saturday. In 2000 he quarterbacked Oklahoma to the national championship … Although the Vols lead the nation in scoring and rank second in total offense, they’re only a 7-point favorite on the road in Norman Saturday. Saturday: at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0)

No. 1 Texas (3-0): Quinn Ewers is week-to-week. The healing process might go a bit faster with Arch Manning looking like his grandpa and two famous uncles … The Longhorns are 44.5-point favorites this week. Saturday: Louisiana-Monroe (2-0)

No. 25 Texas A&M (2-1, 1-0 SEC): QB Conner Weigman is reportedly week-to-week, so he could start Saturday … The Aggies are 23-point favorites against a Bowling Green team that had Penn State on the ropes in Happy Valley. Saturday: Bowling Green (1-1)

Vanderbilt (2-1): The Commodores are 10th in the SEC and 46th nationally in total defense (298 yards per game) … Vanderbilt is a 20.5-point road dog Saturday. Saturday at No. 7 Missouri

COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: WEEK TWO

On Life Support

Billy Napier, Florida: If the Gators had just been competitive against Texas A&M the administration might be a bit more benevolent. The Gators have an open date after Saturday’s game with Mississippi State and another one after the Kentucky game (before Georgia). One of those Mondays seems like bad juju day for Billy.

Stan Drayton, Temple: The Owls are 0-2. They can’t run the ball nor can they throw it. Other than that the offense is just peachy. A reverse run of the table (0-12) seems in the cards.

Sonnie Cumbie, Louisiana Tech: Cumbie is an Air Raid guy but the strength of his team is defense. Go figure on that one. He needs six wins. Desperately.

Joe Moorehead, Akron: The Zips have a paycheck game this week in Columbia against South Carolina. Moorhead won’t get fired Saturday and odds are he lasts until October … but not much longer than that.

Will Hall, Southern Miss: If the Golden Eagles lose Saturday to Jacksonville State it will be a very bad omen for a coach who should heed advice and avoid any long term real estate purchases in Hattiesburg.

Mike Bloomgren, Rice: The Owls are 1-2 and Saturday they play at Army, which averages 390 yards per game on the ground. A bad day at Black Rock for the Owls.

Endangered Species List

Sam Pittman, Arkansas: The Razorbacks are 2-1, but the next seven games are against SEC opponents. Everybody likes Sam but he still has to win six games to remain gainfully employed.

Mike Houston, East Carolina: Houston, we have a problem! The Pirates are 1-2 and they’re paying Houston $2.52 million. Patience wears thin. The natives will be very restless if the Pirates lose at Liberty this week.

Clay Helton, Georgia Southern: The Eagles are 2-1. So far so good. Saturday they play Ole Miss in Oxford. In the immortal words of Scooby-Doo. Roops! Helton needs a minimum of four more wins, but five would save him for sure.

Jim McElwain, Central Michigan: Ole Yeller is 1-2 and a third straight losing season seems imminent. Patience is running thin in Mount Pleasant.

Don Brown, UMass: The Minutemen play Central Connecticut State this week and Wagner in five weeks. Those are the only winnable games on the schedule. The Minutemen are 4-23 since luring Brown back to coach. He was 43-19 there 16 years ago when they were D1AA.

Jim Mora Jr., UConn: These next three games will be critical – Florida Atlantic, Temple and Buffalo. They’re all at home and they are winnable. UConn desperately wants to join a conference. A winning record in football would help pull the trigger on a deal with the Big 12.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Less than a month after Tennessee finished 3-7 in the 2020 COVID season, head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff were fired after an internal investigation revealed recruiting violations. Pruitt, his wife and some members of his staff provided nearly $60,000 in cash inducements to recruits. An NCAA investigation followed with Tennessee fined $8 million and vacating 11 wins from 2019 and 2020. Pruitt was hit with a six-year show cause.

When fired, Pruitt was owed $12.6 million in buyout money, but because of the NCAA violations, Tennessee was off the hook for the entire amount.

It is worth mentioning the Pruitt case because the NCAA is currently investigating Billy Napier and the University of Florida for possible violations from the Jaden Rashada saga that involved a reported $13.5 million NIL deal that went south. Napier, booster Hugh Hathcock and former UF staffer Marcus Castro-Walker are currently in court proceedings, the three of them sued by Rashada and his father for $10 million.

Napier is in a precarious position because of this lawsuit. To settle could be construed as an admission of guilt. If he fights in court, he could lose if a jury or judge rules him complicit in a deal that broke NCAA rules. Even if found not guilty of personal involvement, there is the matter of Hathcock, Castro-Walker and a contract that could result in NCAA sanctions against Napier for lack of institutional control on his watch.

Is it in Napier’s contract that he could be dismissed with cause if there are NCAA violations? And, if fired with cause, would UF have to pay any of the $26 million in buyout money?

Things that make you go hmmmm.