South Florida does the unthinkable and beats the Gators in The Swamp

Gators couldn't block Nico Grammatica's field goal (Photo by Chris Spears)

Billy Napier sounded and looked like a man awaiting a last cigarette before the blindfold goes on and the triggers are squeezed on the firing squad. Standing in the South End Zone meeting room at The Swamp Saturday night, Napier spoke in the subdued tones of a coach who understands his margin for error just shrunk to microscopic proportions.

What in the world could Napier say after the 13^th-ranked Gators essentially gave away a very winnable game to a 17.5-point underdog? It’s bad enough that Florida was bushwhacked 18-16 by a team from the Group of Five, but it was far worse since it was South Florida.

The long-suffering little brother from down the road in Tampa, the one who has been told not good enough for a power conference while country cousin UCF joined the Big 12, did something UCF has never done. The Bulls beat the mighty Gators in The Swamp, no less.

This was South Florida’s Super Bowl and the Bulls delivered the biggest win in school history.

For Florida, this wasn’t the end of the season nor the end of Billy Napier’s coaching tenure. There are 10 games to play. However many Napier will be coaching remains to be seen. When you consider the next four games are at No. 3 LSU, at No. 5 Miami, home against No. 7 and preseason No. 1 Texas, and at No. 19 Texas A&M, Napier might need a miracle of parting the Red Sea proportions to still be coaching by the time the Gators make the jaunt over to Jacksonville to face No. 4 Georgia.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way. This was supposed to be the next win on Florida’s way to a breakout season. On paper, Florida had every single advantage imaginable. The only problem was the Bulls didn’t believe what’s on paper and once they got on the field to go toe-to-toe with the Gators, they figured out in a hurry they were every bit as tough and certainly more motivated.

One team had nothing to lose. The other team wilted under pressure. To Napier’s credit he didn’t duck nor did he dodge. He didn’t lash out or point fingers. He fell on the sword for his football team.

“There’s no excuse here,” Napier said. “I’m not up here to make excuses.”

That’s a good thing because there isn’t an excuse anyone will buy at this point. This game shouldn’t have been close but it was because the 2025 Gators suddenly reverted back to the Gators of 2022 and 2023. You remember them, don’t you? Teams that had this nasty habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? That was the version of the Gators that took the field Saturday night and left with a great big L.

A week ago when the Gators went 60 minutes without committing a penalty, we thought the Gators had favorably turned the corner on discipline. Saturday night the Gators were flagged 11 times for 103 yards in penalties including two that nullified two touchdowns on the same second quarter drive and a flagrant personal foul for spitting on South Florida’s game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

“When a guy does something like that [spitting], he's compromising the team,” Napier said. “He's putting himself before the team. Everything the game is about, you're compromising.”

It certainly compromised winning, but that is just one example. It’s not like there weren’t others, just none quite as disgusting.

Take the Bulls 66-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, for example. To South Florida’s credit, the Bulls quick-snapped the Gators who were late getting players off the field and even later getting in the defensive signals. While the Gators were looking at the sidelines South Florida caught the Gators flatfooted.  

“I think that the ball's in the air,” Napier said. “I think we've got two players breaking on the ball. I think there's opportunity there. I think ultimately there, there's a quick substitution. We've got to get our call in. I think that was the biggest issue is we didn't necessarily have a call. They snapped it as quick as possible.”

Issues like that were supposed to be a thing of the past, but some of those same old problems reared their ugly heads once again. How many times was South Florida able to extend drives because the Gators missed tackles? How many times did USF quarterback Byrum Brown escape the pocket? How many times did Florida O-linemen whiff on blocks?

And yet, Florida could have won the game or at least had a chance to win it in overtime except for a safety that ultimately provided the game-winning margin of victory for South Florida. Even if Tommy Doman had a vertical like Michael Jordan he couldn’t have flagged down Rocco Underwood’s third quarter snap that sailed into the end zone where Doman batted it out of bounds. Lucky that it was a safety and not a South Florida touchdown.

To Napier’s credit, he didn’t do the I coached good but boy they sure played bad routine. He pointed the finger at himself, which is ultimately where it has to be pointed. There are 10 games remaining on the schedule, eight against teams currently ranked in the top 25.  

These next four games are brutal. Lose all four and Napier’s legal team might be negotiating a buyout. The only way Billy Napier can assure that he’ll be coaching well into the future at the University of Florida is to do something that is now as unthinkable as losing to South Florida was prior to Saturday night, such as win seven or eight of the final 10 games.

Of those final 10 games, there isn’t a team the Gators are incapable of beating. There also isn’t a team the Gators aren’t very capable of losing to. Somewhere along this Bataan Death March of a schedule Billy Napier will know if he faces the firing squad or lives to coach another season.

THE CRITICAL MISTAKES VS. SOUTH FLORIDA

Opening drive, UF: The Gators drove to the USF 13 where on first down, what would have been a DJ Lagway touchdown pass goes through the wickets of tight end Tony Livingston at the one. On second down, right tackle Bryce Lovett is whistled for a false start. Two plays net nine yards. Trey Smack kicks a 28-yard field goal for a 3-0 Florida lead. Should have been 7-0.

USF second drive: South Florida converts a third-and-2 when Brown goes for 12 around the left side and a fourth-and-1 when Brown squeezes out a yard. Just when the Gators are about to get off the field on fourth-and-2 at the UF 37 on a Brown incompletion, the Gators are flagged for an illegal substitution (player didn’t get off the field before the snap). Four plays later, Nico Grammatica hits a 38-yard field goal to tie the score at 3-3. Could have been 7-0 or even 3-0, but instead is 3-3.

UF first drive of the second quarter: A 20-yard Ja’Kobi Jackson touchdown run is called back for holding on Kam Waites. Two plays later, Lagway throws a 15-yard touchdown pass to Livingston only to have it called back due to offensive pass interference on Hayden Hansen. First and 25 at the USF 29, the drive stalls and the Gators settle for a 6-3 lead on a 36-yard field goal by Smack. Could have been 14-0 or at worse 14-3, but instead is 6-3.

UF second drive of the second quarter: A Lagway to Hayden Hansen pass for 28 yards and a 24-yard Lagway to Vernell Brown III hookup puts the ball on the USF 29. Two Jadan Baugh runs take it to the 22 where it’s third-and-3. The Gators run Baugh to the left side. Doesn’t fool anyone and he’s stuffed for a 1-yard loss. Another Smack field goal. It’s 9-3 but should be 17-0 or maybe 17-3 with 1:55 left in the half.

USF final drive of the half: On third-and-1 at the USF 49, Alvion Isaac is bottled up but emerges from the pack to gain 22 yards down the east sideline. On third-and-8 at the UF 27, Brown scrambles out of the pocket, cuts left and finds wide open space. He gains 20 yards. Two seconds left, Grammatica kicks a 25-yard field goal. It’s 9-6 at the half. Florida should have been ahead 17-0 or 17-3.

UF second possession of the third quarter: Following a Lagway pass that Ja’Kobi Jackson converts into a 26-yard gain to the 39, Lagway rolls to his right and throws deep over the middle intended for J Michael Sturdivant. The throw is wide of the mark and USF’s Michael Chennault makes a diving interception at the 18.

UF third possession of the third quarter: On first down at the UF 26, Lagway breaks contain for a 13-yard gain that is nullified by a holding call on Jake Slaughter. On the next play, Lagway and Trey Wilson connect for 32 yards to midfield. On first down RG Rod Kearney false starts making it first-and-15. Three plays later the Gators punt.

USF third possession of the third quarter: Brown throws a dump-off pass to Mudia Reuben at the USF 15 but poor tackling allows him to advance to the 29. Third-and-5 at the USF 34, Florida is trying to get people off the field. Almost the entire defense is looking to the sideline. Corner Dijon Johnson is trying to get the signal from the sideline when the ball is snapped. Keshaun Singleton blows past him. Brown underthrows the ball, Singleton makes a leaping grab that Johnson can’t defend. Safety Sharif Denson is late arriving and slides past. Singleton jogs into the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown with 2:03 left in the third quarter. USF leads 13-9, should have been trailing 17-7.

UF final possession of the third quarter: On third-and-2 at the UF 33, Austin Barber false starts. On third-and-7 Lagway’s pass to Trey Wilson nets three yards. UF punts, but the snap sails over Tommy Doman’s head into the end zone. It’s a safety but could have been a TD if Doman hadn’t made sure to get the ball out of the end zone. Gators are trailing 15-9.

UF second possession of the fourth quarter, Gators leading 16-15: On third and three at the USF 45, the Gators run Jackson up the gut but nobody is fooled. It’s a 1-yard loss. The Gators punt.

Following a missed 58-yard field goal attempt with 2:52 left in the game: The Gators need to kill clock, but throw incomplete on first down. Second down, Baugh nets two yards before he’s swarmed under. Third-and-8 at the UF 42, Lagway throws deep for Vernell Brown III but the ball goes off his outstretched hands at the USF 30. Gators punt for the sixth time of the second half.

USF final possession: Second-and-10 at the USF 11, Dijon Johnson is flagged for pass interference on a throw that sailed incomplete. Spot foul, first down at the 24. On the next play, Alvion Isaac is stuffed at the line of scrimmage, but Brendan Bett is called for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct for spitting on USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner. Next play Bown to Isaac covers 29 yards to the UF 32. Brown throws a 7-yard pass to Joshua Porter, but the Gators miss tackles and he runs it to the 20 for a first down. Isaac and Brown get six each. Time out with 22 seconds left. Brown goes for four and then Grammatica comes on to kick the game-winning field goal from 20 yards out as time expires.

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 3 LSU (2-0) 23, Louisiana Tech (1-1) 7: The LSU defense was the story as the Tigers held Louisiana Tech to 154 total yards and a fourth quarter touchdown. LSU controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes but managed only two touchdowns.

No. 4 Georgia (2-0) 28, Austin Peay (1-1) 6: Georgia didn’t exactly light it up against D1AA Austin Peay. The Bulldogs scored one TD in each quarter but they turned the ball over twice. Gunner Stockton threw for 227 yards but didn’t throw a TDP.

No. 7 Texas (1-1) 38, San Jose State (0-2) 7: Arch Manning threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Longhorns past San Jose State. Parker Livingstone caught four passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

No. 10 South Carolina (2-0) 38, South Carolina State (1-1) 10: South Carolina was outgained 270-253 but won the battle on the scoreboard, scoring all 38 points in the second and third quarters.

No. 18 Oklahoma (2-0) 24, No. 15 Michigan (1-1) 13: Oklahoma killed more than minutes of fourth quarter clock on a 16-play drive that ended in a clinching field goal to take out Michigan. John Mateer passed for 270 yards and a touchdown plus ran for 74 and two more TDs.

No. 19 Texas A&M (2-0) 44, Utah State (1-1) 22: The Aggies built up a 30-6 lead at the half then cruised to an easy win over Utah State. Marcel Reed threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 20 Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC) 30, Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC) 23: The Rebels overcame two first half interceptions by QB Austin Simmons to pull out a win in the SEC opener for both teams. Kyren Lacy ran for 138 yards and a TD to lead a balance Ole Miss attack that passed for 235 yards and ran for 220.

No. 21 Alabama (1-1) 73, Louisiana-Monroe (1-1) 0: Ty Simpson completed all 17 of his passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Backup QBs Austin Mack and Keelon Russell each threw two touchdown passes. Alabama outgained Louisiana-Monroe 583-148.

No. 22 Tennessee (2-0) 72, East Tennessee State (1-1) 17: Joey Aguilar threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Tennessee finished with 458 passing yards and 259 on the ground while holding ETSU to 216 total yards.

Mississippi State (2-0) 24, No. 12 Arizona State (1-1) 20: Blake Shapen’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds left in the game gave the Bulldogs their first win over a ranked team in the Jeff Lebby era. The Mississippi State defense picked off two Sam Leavitt passes and held the ASU quarterback to only 85 yards through the air.

Missouri (2-0) 42, Kansas (2-1) 31: Mizzou rallied from a 21-6 first quarter deficit to take down Kansas. Beau Pribula threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns while Jamal Roberts ran for 143 and Ahmad Hardy 112.

Arkansas (2-0) 56, Arkansas State (1-1) 14: Taylen Green, who threw seven touchdown passes in the season opener, followed that up with four more against Arkansas State.