FLORIDA FOOTBALL: Gators Healthier Coming Off Bye
- Kyle Curtis
- Oct 24, 2023
- 2 min read
It’s that time during the season. Halloween is here and so is the Largest Cocktail Party in the World. Florida and Georgia are set to meetup for the 101st time, according to Florida, with both teams coming off of a bye week. Georgia hasn’t lost a regular season game since Kyle Trask and company upset Georgia in 2020 during COVID year, 34 straight regular season games.
While Georgia is dealing with a few key injuries, notably star tight end Brock Bowers, Billy Napier and theGators used the off week to get healthy and prepare for the reigning back-to-back national champions. Bowers had to undergo ankle surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks, but Napier made sure to point out the kind of player Bowers is and the impact he can have on a game.
“Obviously this is not only one of the best players in America this year, last year, I mean, this is one of the best players of all time,” Napiers said on Bowers. “They're handing the guy sweeps. They were handing the guy the ball. He's a terrific blocker. He's tough. He's got a really good set of fundamentals. Made him really hard to defend.”
On the Gator’s sideline, Napier emphasized how the bye week came at a great time for his players. Not on just the physical side, the mental aspect as well.
“Then I just think in general we played seven games,” Napier said. “There’s not only a physical break here but there’s a mental break as well.”
One of the biggest darkhorse performers for Florida this season has been the play of Ocala local Jake Slaughter. The backup center was forced to step into the starting role after Kingsley Eguakun has played just two games this season. After an unideal opener for Slaughter in Utah, the redshirt sophomore has played very well up front for the Gators this season.
With Eguakun missing the South Carolina game, the idea was for him to be back at full strength for the Georgia matchup. In addition to Eguakun, Trevor Etienne, who has been banged up the past few games, is back at full strength along with the emergence of young tight ends.
“Jake [Slaughter] gaining experience helps. Just getting healthy to some degree. Trevor [Etienne] is back. I think you got a number of things that contribute to that,” Napier said. “I think the coaches have done a good job. I think the tight ends have improved. We're getting good play and production from boarding ham. I think Hayden Hansen is steadily getting better as he gains more experience.”
The stage is set for Saturday where Billy Napier could get his first win against Georgia in an upset, or Georgia could be well on their way to their third straight SEC East title and fifth in the last seven years.
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