Winning games will calm the storm and quiet Napier's critics

Billy Napier walks off the field after Miami swamped the Gators, 41-17 (Photo by Chris Spears)

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

“We seem to be a little short on brotherly love around here.” – Butch Cassidy from the 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”

One day after Florida’s epic beatdown at the hands of 19th-ranked Miami, there is very little in the way of brotherly love for head coach Billy Napier. Everyone is in complete agreement that Billy is one of the nicest and best intentioned head coaches in the business. Most everyone is also of the opinion that 26 games into his seven year contract nice isn’t going to cut it. The only thing that is going to calm the storm and quiet the critics is winning football games.

Just like brotherly love, winning football is in short supply around here.

The Gators have lost six consecutive football games, something that hasn’t happened since Will Muschamp’s injury-plagued 2013 season that saw Skylar Mornhinweg start the last two games including the infamous 26-20 loss to Georgia Southern. Miami’s 41 points were the most ever scored against the Gators in a season opener. The loss ended a streak of 34 wins in home season openers.

The Twitterverse erupted during the game and went sub-orbital throughout Saturday night and into Sunday, nearly everyone calling for Napier’s dismissal, some suggesting a Godfather offer made to Urban Meyer as the only answer, others a similar offer to Lane Kiffin.   

Paul Finebaum, whose voice is almost always the one most listened to, said, “The one thing Billy Napier couldn’t afford to do, he did. The credibility that he gained in the offseason, the goodwill, it just seemed like it all went down the drain at The Swamp. The question now is can he put back the shattered pieces because, at this point, every single week is going to be a referendum on Billy Napier’s future.”

Matt Hayes of USA Today Sports, who wrote “It won’t end well for Napier,” also stated after the Miami loss that, “The only shocking part of it all was the same operational mess. The same strange play-calling (two third-and-long run plays). The same historically bad defenses of the past two seasons: Miami had 529 total yards, converted 50% of third down attempts and averaged 7.6 yards per play. Florida is now 11-15 under Napier, and has lost five home games in two seasons and one game. Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier lost five home games in 12 seasons.”  

Others weren’t nearly as kind.

Amid all the talk of buyouts and a seat that pundits near and far are describing as blowtorch hot, Billy Napier can quiet the critics and douse the flames by going 7-4 the rest of the way. Given Florida’s schedule it’s a very tall order, but not impossible. Improbable for sure, but not impossible.

The question that needs to be asked right now is if Billy can string together three wins (Samford, Texas A&M, at Mississippi State) to finish September with a 3-1 record, will the fan base get behind him? By the time the fourth quarter rolled around Saturday it seemed there were far more Miami fans than Florida fans. If The Swamp is rocking, Napier will have a fighting chance to salvage the season and perhaps his job.

Without the fans getting loud and getting funky, it won’t happen. Is there enough brotherly love out there to fill The Swamp and help save Billy Napier’s job?

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 5 Alabama (1-0): Jalen Milroe accounted for five touchdowns in Bama’s 63-0 demolition of Western Kentucky. Milroe ran for 79 yards and two touchdowns while completing 7-9 passes for 200 yards and three TDs … Western Kentucky managed only 145 yards against the Alabama defense. Next week: South Florida (1-0)

Arkansas (1-0): In the Hogs’ 70-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Boise State transfer Taylen Green hit 16-23 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns plus ran for 88 yards and two more touchdowns … The Arkansas defense gave up only seven rushing yards and 123 passing yards. Next week: at No. 17 Oklahoma State (1-0)

Auburn (1-0): Payton Thorne threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the Tigers’ 73-3 win over Alabama A&M. Thorne also ran for 49 yards and a TD … The Tigers racked up 628 offensive yards while the defense held Alabama A&M to 240. Next week: California (1-0)

No. 1 Georgia (1-0): Georgia’s defense was impressive in its 34-3 win over Clemson, allowing the Tigers just 188 yards and just four third down conversions in 13 attempts … Florida transfer Trevor Etienne was suspended for the game. Next game: Tennessee Tech (0-1)

Kentucky (1-0): Kentucky’s offense sputtered (317 total yards) in its 31-0 win over Southern Miss, but the defense gave up only five yards rushing, 131 yards overall … Brock Vandagriff completed 12-18 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns … OT Courtland Ford will be out for an extended period of time per HBC Mark Stoops. Next week: South Carolina (1-0)

No. 13 LSU (0-1): The Tigers gave up an 8-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the final 1:39 as they dropped their season-opener to Southern California, 27-20. The Tigers gave up 378 passing yards and committed 10 penalties for -99 yards … The bright spot was quarterback Garrett Nussmeier who completed 29-38 passes for 304 yards and two TDs. Next game: Nicholls State (0-1)

Mississippi State (1-0): The Jeff Lebby era opened in Starkville with the Bulldogs delivering a 56-7 drubbing of Eastern Kentucky as Baylor transfer Blake Shapen threw for three touchdowns and ran for another … Jordan Mosely caught five passes for 104 yards and a TD. Next game: at Arizona State (1-0)

No. 11 Missouri (1-0): The Tigers lead the nation in total defense after allowing Murray State just 85 yards in a 51-0 win … Brady Cook threw for 219 yards and a TD while running for 22 more and another TD. Next game: Buffalo (1-0)

No. 16 Oklahoma (1-0): The Sooners clubbed Temple, 51-3, despite converting only 1-12 on third down … Quarterback Jackson Arnold threw for four touchdowns, but he averaged a meager 5.6 yards per attempt … The Oklahoma defense held Temple to 69 rushing yards on 36 carries, racked up six sacks for -28 yards in losses and forced six turnovers (4 fumbles, 2 interceptions). Next game: Houston (0-1)

No. 6 Ole Miss (1-0): The Rebels lead the nation in total offense (772 yards) and scoring (76 points) after their season opening destruction of Furman. Jaxson Dart threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns in the first half. Tre Harris caught eight passes for 179 yards and two TDs. Next week: Middle Tennessee State (1-0)

South Carolina (1-0): South Carolina fans booed several times during the Gamecocks’ 23-19 win over Old Dominion … The South Carolina offense netted only 288 yards. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers completed only 10-23 passes for 114 yards … Arkansas transfer Raheim Sanders ran 24 times for 88 yards and a TD. Next game: at Kentucky (1-0)

No. 15 Tennessee (1-0): The Vols generated 718 yards of offense in their 69-3 win over Chattanooga, 414 through the air and 304 on the ground. Dylan Sampson ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 22-28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. Next game: No. 24 North Carolina State (1-0)

No. 4 Texas (1-0): Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 52-0 win over Colorado State. Backup Arch Manning completed 5-6 passes for 95 yards and a TD … The Texas defense was outstanding, holding Colorado State to just 74 yards (3.1 per attempt) while picking off two passes. Colorado State managed only 192 yards for the game. Next game: at No. 9 Michigan (1-0)

No. 20 Texas A&M (0-1): The Aggies played good enough defense to beat No. 7 Notre Dame, but the offense wouldn’t cooperate. The Aggies gained only 246 yards, converted only 4-13 on third down and averaged just 3.62 yards per offensive play. Quarterback Conner Weigman was 12-30 throwing the ball for 100 yards (3.3 per attempt) and two interceptions. Next week: McNeese State (0-1)

Vanderbilt (1-0): The Commodores took out Virginia Tech 34-27 in overtime behind New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia, who threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns while running for 104 including the game winning TD. Next game: Alcorn State (0-1)

UH-OH, THE NCAA IS THINKING OF MORE CHANGES

The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, is once again trying to assert itself as the final word in collegiate athletics. This time the only organization on the planet more inept than the United States Congress is thinking to tinker with eligibility rules. In this latest proposal, athletes in all sports will be able to participate in a certain percentage of games during a season while maintaining their eligibility. In football, here’s how it works: A player can participate in four games during the regular season, get a redshirt and still have four years of eligibility. The NCAA recently upgraded its policy so that bowl games won’t count against the redshirt.

In this new proposal it will be up to each sport to determine what percentage of games will be allowed while still preserving the redshirt.

A better idea would be to give athletes five years. Period. No redshirt not even medical. From the day the athlete starts school he/she would have five years to participate. At the end of five years, that’s it. The NCAA isn’t proposing that one. It makes too much sense and as we all know, anything that makes sense isn’t allowed by the NCAA.

Also under consideration by the NCAA are the elimination of the spring transfer portal for football, the elimination of the National Letter of Intent and allowing athletes to retain an agent for draft and professional purposes without affecting their eligibility if they decide to return to school.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Just when you thought we were through with conference realignment and expansion for awhile, Big 12 commish Brett Yormark is close to staging an eyebrow-raising coup. Word has leaked that the Big 12 and UConn are have gotten past the dating stage and are close to an engagement ring being slipped on a finger with a wedding date scheduled for 2025-26.

Such a move would eliminate traditional basketball rivalries in the Big East for UConn such as St. John’s, Georgetown and Villanova, but the Huskies would be joining a league that is already the toughest in the college game. UConn in a league that includes Kansas, Baylor, Arizona, Houston, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Iowa State would definitely move the television needle. The Huskies have won six NCAA men’s national championships since 1999. The clout of UConn women to the Big 12 would be huge. Danny Hurley has won the last two NCAA men’s titles while Geno Auriemma has won 11 and is the winningest college basketball coach of all time, either men or women.

UConn basketball will thrive no matter what league it is in. What UConn needs in the worst way is a football league and the Big 12 is the answer. Adding UConn would also add the New York market for television which would help the Big 12.