(Photo by Chris Spears) If the Good Ship Gator is going to sink, the captain is going down with the ship, his hand firmly on the wheel.   That social media outlets are calling for Napier to give up calling the offensive plays is nothing new. Napier has been hearing that since his first season on the job in 2022. The calls to turn the play calling over to someone else have never been as loud, however, as they have been since last Saturday when Florida’s stagnant offense managed only one touchdown in a stunning 18-16 loss to South Florida.   At his Monday press conference, Napier made it abundantly clear he has no thoughts whatsoever of giving play call duties to someone else when the Gators (1-1) take on No. 3 LSU (2-0) at Tiger Stadium Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ABC).   Asked if he plans to remain the play caller and if he has entertained thoughts of handing the responsibility to someone else, Napier responded, “Yes, yes. No, no.”   In the three seasons prior to 2025, Napier has drawn plenty of criticism from fans and media alike for an offense that has yet to crack 30 points per game for an entire season. Napier ran the same offense when he was the head coach and play caller at Louisiana from 2018-21. During those four seasons, the Ragin Cajuns never failed to average at least 31.1 points per game. Those were balanced offenses that averaged more than 200 rushing yards per game in three of four seasons and more than 200 passing yards all four.   That success hasn’t translated to the kind of success that Florida fans have expected from the offense. But, Napier is sticking with his own scheme and his own decision-making when it comes to calling the plays.   Some of the issues with this year’s offense are due to quarterback DJ Lagway missing spring with a shoulder injury and most of August practice with a calf injury. In two games so far, Lagway is 38-51 passing for 342 yards, which is just 6.7 per attempt. He’s thrown four touchdown passes with one interception. A year ago, Lagway threw for 1,915 yards, averaging an even 10 yards per attempt. The explosion in the passing game has been clearly missing.   “ I think he's still getting comfortable and you guys can see that, much like he can and we can,” Napier said. “So, but he did a lot of good things in the game. I think he's still getting in a rhythm. This was his third week of practice, you can see that, getting comfortable with some of these skill players. I think he's really close to having a huge day. So, he takes that personal and he's an elite competitor. And the number one motivator for him is being able to execute, perform and do his job for his teammates. That's the thing I respect about the guy is when he doesn't get the results that he wants on a play, his immediate feeling there is about letting the guys down. So, highly motivated to continue to improve. But he definitely did a lot of things better, but there's more -- there is ceiling left there for him to improve. And look, we have to play better around him at times, too. Little more precision across the board in the throw game, and then, you know, I think as a staff we can help him as well."   MCCRAY OUT INDEFINITELY Edge rusher LJ McCray broke his foot during the South Florida game. He had surgery Sunday and will be out indefinitely.     BETT ISSUES APOLOGY STATEMENT Defensive lineman Brendan Bett, who was ejected from the South Florida game late for spitting in the face of USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner, issued an apology Monday evening via his Instagram account.   “I want to sincerely apologize for my actions in the game this past Saturday. I let down my teammates, coaches, family and all of Gator Nation. Our coaches always instill in us the value of sportsmanship and I crossed the line. I also want to apologize to South Florida. That’s not the person or player I strive to be. I made a terrible mistake and it won’t happen again.   “To Cole Skinner #56. There is no excuse for my actions. I’m truly sorry to both you and your family. To my family and friends …I know that my actions didn’t reflect the way I was raised and I regret the disappointment I caused. I take full responsibility. I pray that we can all move forward. Thanks for believing in me and I won’t let you down again.”   Earlier in the day, Napier spoke about the conversation he had in his office with Bett Sunday:   “Br endan, we spent quite a bit of time with him yesterday. I think that the kid is remorseful. I think he feels as if he let the team down. I do think he has, in general, it was out of character for him. He made a mistake and he compromised the team. He made a selfish decision. He misrepresented our fans, our alumni, the university. When a young man comes into your office, and that's his immediate concern is how he didn't represent this place the right way, I think that's a good indication of his attitude towards it. There'll be some internal discipline. Obviously, he was (ejected), and he'll have an opportunity today to apologize to the team and he's going to apologize publicly. We're even having him reach out to the young man on the other team. So no stone unturned here in terms of maximizing this for him to learn and also for our other players to see how to take ownership of a mistake and go about this the right way.”   Asked if Bett would be allowed to play Saturday evening against LSU, Napier responded, “We haven’t made that decision yet.”   SEC FOOTBALL No. 19 Alabama (1-0): While Alabama awaits the return of injured starting tailback Jam Miller, freshmen AK Dear and Kevin Riley are playing well. In the win over Louisiana-Monroe, Dear had 76 yards on five carries and Riley had 11 carries for 69 yards … Alabama has one sack through two games and it came on a safety blitz … The Crimson Tide is a 20.5-point favorite against Wisconsin. Saturday: Wisconsin (2-0)   Arkansas (2-0): Wide receiver Monte Harrison broke his foot and is likely done for the season. Harrison had one catch for 29 yards in two games … The Razorbacks are 9.5-point underdogs. Saturday: at No. 17 Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC)   No. 24 Auburn (2-0): Running back Durrell Robinson will miss time due to a freak injury suffered in the win over Ball State. Robinson gained 54 yards and scored a TD against Ball State … Auburn is favored by 24.5 points against South Alabama. Saturday: South Alabama (1-1)   No. 6 Georgia (2-0): Tight end Ethan Barber, who was hurt in the win over Austin Peay, has a significant ankle injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Barber suffered what observers called a gruesome injury … The right side of the Georgia O-line – guard Juan Gaston and tackle Earnest Greene – were both injured against Austin Peay. Kirby Smart won’t know until later in the week if either or both of them will be available against Tennessee …  Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite on the road at Tennessee. Saturday: at No. 15 Tennessee (2-0)   Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC): Quarterback Zach Calzada suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Ole Miss. He didn’t practice Monday leaving the first team reps to Cutter Boley … The loss to Ole Miss was the eighth straight SEC home loss for the Wildcats … The Wildcats are 24.5-point favorites. Saturday: Eastern Michigan (0-2)   No. 3 LSU (2-0): Center Braelin Moore is listed day-to-day after an ankle injury suffered against Louisiana Tech. If Moore can’t go against Florida, the replacement will be DJ Chester … Tight end Trey’dez Green suffered a sprained MCL in the game … The Tigers are 9.5-point favorites. Saturday: FLORIDA (1-1)   Mississippi State (2-0): Linebacker Nick Mitchell, whose tackle at the goal line in the fourth quarter was the key play in Mississippi State’s win over then 12 th -ranked Arizona State, was SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week. Mitchell had nine tackles for the game. Right tackle Albert Reese, who logged 66 snaps and graded at 80.4 percent, was named SEC co-Offensive Lineman of the Week … The Southeastern Conference fined Mississippi State $500,000 for storming the field after the win over Arizona State. Saturday: Alcorn State (2-0)   No. 25 Missouri (2-0): Guard Dominic Giudice, who graded 88 percent against Kansas while helping two Mizzou running backs to more than 100 rushing yards, was named SEC co-Offensive Lineman of the Week … Missouri is favored by 27.5 points against Louisiana Saturday.  Saturday: Louisiana (1-1)   No. 13 Oklahoma (2-0): John Mateer, who completed 21-34 passes for 270 yards and a TD plus ran for two others in the Sooners win over Michigan, was named SEC Offensive Player of Week … The Sooners are 24.5-point favorites for Temple. Saturday: at Temple (2-0)   No. 17 Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Despite leaving the Kentucky game banged up several times, quarterback Austin Simmons is expected to be full speed for Saturday’s game with Arkansas … Lucas Carneiro, who kicked three field goals and three extra points in the win over Kentucky, was named SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week … The Rebels are 9.5-point favorites.  Saturday: Arkansas (2-0)   No. 11 South Carolina (2-0): Vicarri Swain, who ran back punts of 55 and 42 yards for touchdowns against South Carolina State, was named SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week … The Gamecocks are 5.5-point favorites against Vanderbilt. Saturday: Vanderbilt (2-0)   No. 15 Tennessee (2-0): The Vols will be without corners Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson against Georgia. In their place, the starting corners will be Colton Hood and Ty Redmond … The Vols are 3.5-point underdogs. Saturday: No. 6 Georgia (2-0)   No. 7 Texas (2-0): Wide receiver Parker Livingstone was selected SEC Freshman of the Week after catching four passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the win over San Jose State … Texas is a 41.5-point favorite over UTEP. Saturday: UTEP (1-1)   No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0): Defensive end Cashius Howell recorded sacks on three straight plays in the Aggies win over East Texas A&M, was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week … The Aggies are 6.5-point underdogs at Notre Dame. Saturday: at No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1)   Vanderbilt (2-0): Linebacker Nick Rinaldi was selected SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Rinaldi had six tackles including 2.5 behind the line of scrimmage in the win over Virginia Tech … Vanderbilt is a 5.5-point underdog on the road at South Carolina. Saturday: at No. 11 South Carolina (2-0)

(Photo by Chris Spears) “Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein   Taking liberty with Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: Three seasons and two games ago, our athletic director brought forth on the Gator Nation a new coach, forged for success by stints on the staffs of Nick and Dabo, and dedicated to the proposition that Florida could once again compete for and win national championships in football.   Scott Stricklin fired Dan Mullen in 2021. Dan was 5-6 at the time and 10 points away from 8-3. The three previous seasons the Gators went 29-9, won two New Years Six Bowl games and were a play away from beating Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. A year later he was out of a job, having gone 34-15 with seven of those losses by a touchdown or less. Against Florida’s chief rivals – Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State – Mullen was 7-3. The Gators were 21-14 against SEC opponents.   Mullen was stubborn, wouldn’t make changes to his staff even though they were necessary, and he was viewed as a lazy recruiter. His four classes were ranked (by 247Sports) 14, 9, 8 and 12.   Among the reasons Mullen was fired was a lack of discipline on the field. There was the shoe toss that cost the LSU game in 2020. A week later the lack of on the field discipline cost the Gators their first SEC championship since 2008. A player loafed off the field … a late hit … other stupid penalties. Alabama was there for the taking. The College Football Playoff was within reach. A year later Mullen was given walking papers and $12 million of buyout cash.   Billy Napier was hired to succeed Mullen and right all the wrongs of the previous four seasons. Billy says the right things. He lives an exemplary life and is a fine example of what we expect of adult leaders of young men, but he hasn't won. We can say what we will about Dan Mullen but at least he won until the very end. Here we are two games into season four of Napier and the record is 20-20. The Gators are 15-7 at home, 5-13 away, 10-14 in the SEC. Against the three big rivals, the Gators are 2-7. Napier’s Gators have lost seven games by a touchdown or less.   As a recruiter, Napier’s four classes have been ranked (by 247Sports) 18, 13, 13 and 7. The roster that Napier has right now has fewer holes in it than the one he inherited in 2022. There is more speed, more size and more strength. The Gators look the part of a contender, which is why they were considered a darkhorse for the playoff. Well, that is until Saturday night when they lost to South Florida while doing a dandy impersonation of the Gators of 2022, 2023 and the first half of 2024. The Gators couldn’t get off the field on third down. The offense stalled at the most inappropriate times. A quick snap caught the defense looking to the sideline for a signal that may or may not have ever arrived. While the Gators were looking USF threw a touchdown pass.   There we are, the same things happening over and over again. We were certainly expecting different results this year. Insanity.   And then there was the spitting incident. Fans will tolerate a personal foul if it’s an aggressive player trying to make a play on the football or an O-lineman taking whatever steps are necessary to protect the quarterback. There is nothing tolerable about a personal foul for spitting in the face of an opponent.   That loathsome incident has been replayed thousands of times on social media. It has been the source of tens of thousands of instant messages and it sent the Twitterverse into a frenzy. A lot of good will and a nice reputation took an 11-inch stiletto to the heart.   Napier has a chance to win enough football games in the 10 that remain on the schedule that he can survive to coach another year, but the spitting incident is almost guaranteed to live on thanks to the internet and social media. Already it's being viewed as proof that all this talk about cultural changes within the program are nothing more than a façade. It is just one more example of the same things happening over and over again with the exact same results – another winnable game lost because of something preventable.   That is how Einstein defined insanity. In the case of the University of Florida, short of a fifth football coach since 2011 is there a cure for it?   Associated Press top 25: 1. Ohio State 2-0; 2. Penn State 2-0; 3. LSU 2-0; 4. Oregon 2-0; 5. Miami 2-0; 6. Georgia 2-0; 7. Texas 1-1; 8. Notre Dame 0-1; 9. Illinois 2-0; 10. Florida State 2-0; 11. South Carolina 2-0; 12. Clemson 2-0; 13. Oklahoma 2-0; 14. Iowa State 3-0; 15. Tennessee 2-0; 16. Texas A&M 2-0; 17. Ole Miss 2-0; 18. South Florida 2-0; 19. Alabama 1-1; 20. Utah 2-0; 21. Texas Tech 2-0; 22. Indiana 2-0; 23. Michigan 1-1; 24. Auburn 2-0; 25. Missouri 2-0   AFCA Coaches Top 25: 1. Ohio State 2-0; 2. Penn State 2-0; 3. Georgia 2-0; 4. LSU 2-0; 5. Oregon 2-0; 6. Miami 2-0; 7. Texas 1-1; 8. Notre Dame 0-1; 9. Illinois 2-0; 10. South Carolina 2-0; 11. Clemson 1-1; 12. Florida State 2-0; 13. Ole Miss 2-0; 14. Iowa State 3-0; 15. Tennessee 2-0; 16. Oklahoma 2-0; 17. Texas A&M 2-0; 18. Alabama 1-1; 19. Indiana 2-0; 20. Texas Tech 2-0; 21. Utah 2-0; 22. Michigan 1-1; 23. South Florida 2-0; 24. Arizona State 1-1; 25. BYU 2-0   SEC FOOTBALL (Associated Press Rankings) No. 19. Alabama (1-1): In their 73-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe three Bama quarterbacks (Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell) combined to complete 29-33 passes for 371 yards and seven touchdowns. Simpson was 17-17 for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Saturday: Wisconsin (2-0)   Arkansas (2-0): Through two games, quarterback Taylen Green is 41-57 passing for 561 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 10 TDPs are tied for the national lead … The Razorbacks are averaging 54 points a game which is fifth nationally. Saturday: at No. 17 Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC)   No. 24 Auburn (2-0): Auburn held Ball State to -3 rushing yards and 71 passing. Auburn sacked Ball State quarterbacks six times. The Tigers are tied for the national lead in sacks with 10. Saturday: South Alabama (1-1)   No. 6 Georgia (2-0): Through two games, quarterback Gunner Stockton is 40-58 passing for 417 yards and two touchdowns. He has also run for 86 yards and two more TDs. Saturday: at No. 15 Tennessee (2-0)   Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC): The Wildcats are next to last in the SEC on offense, averaging just 332 yards per game. The Wildcats are dead last in the SEC in passing, averaging 136 yards per game. Saturday: Eastern Michigan (0-2)   No. 3 LSU (2-0): LSU’s defense ranks 12 th nationally (207.5 yards per game), but the offense is 14 th overall in the SEC (360.5 yards) and dead last in scoring (20 points per game).  Saturday: FLORIDA (1-1)   Mississippi State (2-0): In the win over then 12 th -ranked Arizona State, quarterback Blake Shapen threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Brenen Thompson, who caught two of the TDPs, had six catches for 133 yards. Saturday: Alcorn State (0-2)   No. 25 Missouri (2-0): Penn State transfer Beau Pribula has completed 53-67 passes for 617 yards and five touchdowns in two games. He has also run for 71 yards and two more TDs. The Tigers are fifth in the nation in total offense at 577.5 yards per game. Saturday: Louisiana (1-1)   No. 13. Oklahoma (2-0): In the win over Michigan, the Sooners converted 9-16 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down … Quarterback John Mateer has thrown for four touchdowns and run for three in two games. Saturday: at Temple (2-0)   No. 17 Ole Miss (2-0, 1-0 SEC): Despite slow starts (2 first quarter interceptions in both games so far), the Rebels average 575 yards and 46.5 points per game. The Rebels average 317.5 passing yards and 257.5 rushing yards. Saturday: Arkansas (2-0)   No. 11 South Carolina (2-0): South Carolina’s Mike Shula-coordinated offense stinks (290.5 yards per game), but the special teams are truly special. Through two games, Vicari Swain has returned five punts for 187 yards and three touchdowns. In the win over South Carolina State, Swain had touchdown returns of 65 and 42 yards. Saturday: Vanderbilt (2-0)   No. 15 Tennessee (2-0): The Vols rank second in the nation in total offense (605 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (58.5 points per game) … Tennessee quarterbacks have yet to throw a pick and they haven’t been sacked. Saturday: No. 6 Georgia (2-0)   No. 7 Texas (1-1): Arch Manning is 36-60 passing (60 percent) for 465 yards (7.8 per attempt) with five touchdowns and two interceptions. In the win over San Jose State, Manning threw for 290 yards with four touchdowns but he also threw an interception. Saturday: UTEP (1-1)   No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0): Quarterback Marcel Reed has thrown seven touchdown passes and has yet to throw an interception. Reed also leads the Aggies in rushing with 105 yards and a TD. Saturday: at No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1)   Vanderbilt (2-0): The Commodores are sixth nationally in total defense (191.5 yards per game). In the win over Virginia Tech, Vandy held the Hokies to 248 yards for the game, zero points in the second half. Saturday: at No. 11 South Carolina (2-0)

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.

The Napier era takes another historic hit as little brother from the south slays Goliath on a night that neither school will soon forget. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host of The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Florida coach Billy Napier (Chris Spears photo) From the time that I left Raymond James Stadium last week I tried to tell anyone who would listen that this game was not one to be taken lightly. From my own show to appearances on others my thought was always that the Gators better buckle up when USF came to town. The quarterback was talented, the receivers were athletic with former SEC experience, and the defensive front featured players who had cut their teeth against top FBS competition. Yet still, those around me told me that this would be the game that reminded poor little USF with their half full stadium that the Swamp is different and only Gators get out alive. Well, it turns out that maybe I should have found my way over to the Heavener complex and shared my concerns with Coach Napier because once again for the fourth consecutive year the Gators put another early season head scratcher on tape and this time it really hurts. This time the Gators fail to take the bull by the horns (pun intended) and put a team without an on-campus stadium from the group of five on the map. USF won every important category. Explosive plays, turnovers, and special teams enroute to a historical win where the Gators were outcoached, unprepared, undisciplined, and most importantly uninterested.  So how did we get here?  How does this happen? To be honest I don’t think Napier knows and therein lies the problem. What We Thought- Quarterback Byrum Brown is a problem. The senior quarterback looked to be as good as advertised in a dismantling of Boise State and would look for a repeat performance on Saturday. When flushed out of the pocket Brown puts immediate pressure on the second level of the defense and unlike most quarterbacks runs to contact. His receivers and backs were a collection of former Power 5 starters that would give him an opportunity to sneak one past the Gator defense in an effort to grasp the momentum that breathes life into a possible upset. Defensively USF had a group that could harass the quarterback and players on the second and third level that were battle tested against some of the nations best. Florida would have to use their superior offensive front to wear down the USF defensive line and allow Jaden Baugh and Jakobi Jackson to impose their will as the game went on. DJ Lagway who looked rusty but efficient in the Gators opener would return to his 2024 form and put a couple scores on the board as the Gators would cruise to a hard-fought but comfortable two touchdown win. What We Got- I hate to say I told you so, but I knew this might happen. What is the meaning of hard fought? Well, it means that while you may win, the other team will make you earn it. It means that despite having superior talent, if you give up a 66-yard touchdown pass it could get interesting. If you snap the ball over the punters head, it could get interesting.  If you lose the turnover battle, it could get interesting. All three things happened Saturday night and the Gators found themselves playing a team that had swagger and were more than ready to get into a rock fight. USF used an up-tempo attack to keep the Gators off-balance just enough that the Gators were just a step slower to the ball, just a hair too much inside or outside and when it seemed they were in good shape to corral Brown he would Houdini out the chains and free himself from the trap. Offensively the Gators ran the ball well early but found themselves running into traffic when the front dictated otherwise. They also seemed to get away from it late in the half and game where clock management was key. Lagway played well at times but still missed some key throws that you don’t expect from what many have called a generational quarterback talent. The biggest issue is collectively the Gator offense still has very little rhyme or reason and seems to lack the flexibility. The offensive line, thought to be the strength of the team, looked slow, undisciplined, and at times overwhelmed by an undersized USF front. The tackles for loss continued, there were no explosive runs, and this highly touted group of backs and receivers has yet to make an impact. Throw in 11 penalties for 103 yards, including 2 for 30 yards on USF’s final game winning drive and folks I present to you the worst in-state loss in modern Florida football history. The Skinny: I woke up this morning and hoped it was a dream. Not as a Gator fan but as a fan of the game in general. Never would the Florida Gators of Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, even Dan Mullen allow a lower level in-state school come into The Swamp and get a W. That doesn’t happen at Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, or LSU. It happens here, and if you want to get hyper-critical, throw in the near miss in 2022 and USF really should have beaten the Gators twice under Napier. This was a game that I knew would be tough but never one that I thought that I would be writing this way on this day. Now we are back to is Napier the guy, offensive coordinators named Tebow and does Lagway need to call the bionic man and ask to borrow his shoulder after conflicting reports that it’s not the shoulder at all. I do know this. Napier who talks about character, attention to detail, and the consumption and embrace of the processes has now had a player spit in the face of an opponent twice in two years. Napier has defiantly defended his intention to be the primary play-caller without telling us what plays he’s actually calling. Napier now must find a way to navigate arguably the toughest schedule in school history with a team that has just helped raise the money for a statue commemorating this win in front of the new USF on campus stadium when it is completed. How do I know you ask? Well USF has a plaque in front of their softball stadium to commemorate a regional series win over Florida in softball so just imagine what they will do for this one. Calling all sculptors.  The trip to the dark bayou is less than a week away and a Tiger would have no issues with a wounded Gator. This was not good, and I wish I wasn’t right.   Final Score-USF 18 Florida 16 (Please tell me I’m dreaming)

Florida hits a new low under Billy Napier in loss to USF By CARLTON REESE GatorBaitMedia.com Near misses and no makes doomed the Gators all evening (Chris Spears photo) That renewed love affair, all that good will earned in a glorious run to finish the 2024 season all went up in smoke Saturday at The Swamp. The Gators lost to South Florida and looked every bit the mediocrity such a final result suggests. This team was not prepared to win a football game against a good team. It was certainly prepared to push around little ole Long Island and be so disciplined as to not commit any penalties against a team in which it didn’t matter. But USF mattered, and Florida got what it deserved for the silly antics it displayed to the world. Quarterback D.J. Lagway is still rusty and can’t hit an open receiver, but that was only one small piece of what was a house of cards. Eleven penalties including a Baylor transfer who spit in the face of an opponent during the game’s most critical moments when Florida was trying to stave off a game-winning drive – this was reality, and it slapped pretty hard. There was one play late in the game that could have saved the day and the game, but the talented Vernell Brown couldn’t haul it in. Was Napier trying the put the game away with that throw? “Sure, that's exactly what you needed to do at that point,” said the Florida coach. “I think we got ourselves into a good play. We had a chance on third down to put the game away basically, right? So we had a matchup in the slot and we had a chance to make a play, and the game's essentially over at that point. “ Y ou teased us all, Billy Napier. The talent is there for the Gator team to challenge for a conference title, but was woefully unprepared for what the Bulls had in store. And now it’s off to Baton Rouge, then Miami, then a home date with the Longhorns. If Gator fans are feeling that same old September gut rot that afflicts them every year, it’s because it’s a real thing. The season is on the line now, when you’re ranked and are even in the standings with everyone else – now, the season will have to wait until the Gators are an afterthought, like last year when everyone had given up on them before the great October Surprise that convinced everyone this experiment may work, after all. This year, there will be no waiting. It’s now or never. The Gators have to beat LSU, they have to win at Miami – we are all out of forgiveness. USF was no pushover and not for a second should anyone think Napier, his staff or players took them lightly. A little bit of room for error existed, but Florida exhausted a ballroom of error in this one, and it cost the Gators. Two touchdowns called back by penalties which could have sucked the energy out of USF, missed tackles when plays seemed to be blown up, a snap that sails over the punter’s head that ultimately provides the winning margin for the opponent – all grotesque morsels of an ugly mosaic that created a devastating defeat. Were the Gators the badass championship-caliber team everyone suspected, this would never have happened. Outside of the opening drive that stalled and ended up in a field goal, Florida never imposed its will on a lesser opponent. It was as though Florida just did not think of itself as in a separate class from USF – it thought correctly. It’s okay to be off in a game like this, but to lose it? The excuses coming down the pike will be entertaining to hear, indeed. The Gators are not supposed to play this season trying to “finish strong” – that was good enough last year. A loss in Baton Rouge this coming Saturday and it will be hard to load up that bandwagon again, because what happened against USF combined with a defeat in the conference opener to LSU will just be too much evidence against the state of this program to lure anyone to get behind the Gators. A win over USF, even a close one, would have granted some of that forgiveness for not closing the deal in any game the next several weeks. This movie is tiresome and exhausting – we’ve seen it too many times. T he upset of Utah in the 2022 season opener brought back that lovin’ feeling, only to see Kentucky make a mockery of such notions a week later. The next year, hope sang its siren tune again with a win over 11th-ranked Tennessee, only to see Kentucky beat it back the second year in a row, followed five losses to a Murderer’s Row schedule the Gators were not up to challenging. Then everyone remembers 2024 when Napier was gone and everyone was poring over their short lists of available head coaches – and when it was all over, Florida decided to play some football and ran the table. Looking back, it was all smoke and mirrors. Beating LSU and Ole Miss last year somehow proved Florida can upset good teams when the season is already in the trash can. Admirable yes, but tolerable as the ongoing state of the program? In Tampa following the Gasparilla Bowl win over Tulane last year, the atmosphere among Gator fans was giddy, not because of what had just taken place, but for what seemed to be the revamped state of Gator football and a bright future in which Florida re-claimed its spot among the nation’s elite. The 2025 season would bring a clean slate, and the Gators would pick up right where they left off. Alas, the needle on this record keeps skipping and here we are again, feeling like we just don’t belong in the conversation. Embarrassed? You should be. Today, everyone is talking about the Florida State Seminoles and their sudden emergence while the Florida Gators seem to be what everyone else thought all along: nothing of importance. FSU is average at best, but not many folks outside Gainesville believe that clown show is worse than Florida. The season is on the line next week in Baton Rouge. There are eight losable games remaining on the schedule and that’s all that matters, and that right now is the mentality of most Gator fans – not that every game left is winnable. The most Pollyanna of Gator fans still figured on three losses and that hopefully would be good enough for a national playoff spot. No more – who now sees more than six wins? As bizarre as it may sound after all this, now is not the time to bury this Florida Gators team. The Gators lost to a good team Saturday, but one it had no business losing to, nonetheless. The shovels, though, are well within reach and if things get ugly in Baton Rouge and Miami, feel free to start digging. The national media seem convinced that LSU and Miami are both the real deal – I’m not as convinced. I still believe if Florida shows up well-prepared it will beat both LSU and Miami. The problem is clinging to that desperate word ‘IF.’ It’s getting pretty tiresome, don’t you think?

Jadan Baugh (13) needs a big game against USF (Photo by Chris Spears) For the South Florida Bulls, this is their Super Bowl. Sure, they play at Miami next week and they have a really good shot at making the American Conference championship game the first weekend in December. Those games are important, but nothing is more important than sticking it to Big Brother at The Swamp.   If you’re University of South Florida, the University of Florida is Big Brother. They have great academics, enough that they’re members of the American Association of Universities but not that many people actually know that. Okay, FSU people know because USF is in and they aren’t.  Everybody in the country knows that the University of Florida is a member of that prestigious organization. Everybody also knows that Florida is considered one of the public Ivy League universities.   That’s academics, which is a very big deal, but so are athletics. Florida’s three national championships in football are among 49 won by the school in history, 50 if you count the national championship awarded the 1984 football team by the New York Times. Meanwhile, South Florida has the 1985 Division II women’s swimming national championship to its credit.   When you consider the academics, the athletics and then the venue for the game today – The Swamp – the importance of this game to South Florida is perfectly understandable. This is their Super Bowl and the Florida Gators need to take the field today knowing that South Florida is going to play like this is the single most important football game in school history, which it is.   South Florida coach Alex Golesh has put together a very good football team, one very capable of winning the American Conference. Win the American and the Bulls just might be the highest ranked Group of Five team, which would give them one of the 12 slots in the College Football Playoff.   The Gators need to treat the Bulls as if they are a playoff contender, not like their country cousins from 140 miles down I-75. If the Gators take the field focused and treating this like it’s the single most important game they’ll play all year, they’ll be just fine.   Florida will have an advantage in size, physical strength and depth. South Florida has enough talent to give the Gators a good run for the money in the first half, but the Gators should be able to wear down the Bulls in the second half.   The three keys for the Gators are: 1. Establish the run early and keep pounding away at that smaller USF interior line until they start giving up chunk yardage in the second half; 2. Protect the football against a team that forced Boise State into three critical turnovers last week; and 3. Stay in the pass rush lanes and don’t let South Florida QB Byrum Brown break containment, especially on third and long.   The pick: Florida will pull away in the second half to win a game that will look more comfortable than what it really is. SEC FOOTBALL Louisiana Tech (1-0) at No. 3 LSU (1-0): LSU is favored by 37.5 points. The question that should be on everybody’s mind is why so few? Louisiana Tech struggled with D1AA Southeastern Louisiana last week in Ruston. They will struggle big time against LSU, whose main goal is to emerge from this game injury-free since the Gators come to town next Saturday night, The pick: LSU   Austin Peay (1-0) at No. 4 Georgia (1-0): Another dial-a-score game at Sanford Stadium that won’t prove anything. Gunner Stockton will look like an all-world QB against the D1AA Governors. We won’t know if he can really play until next week when the Bulldogs travel to Knoxville for their SEC opener. This one will be all but over before the end of the first quarter. The pick: Georgia   San Jose State (0-1) at No. 7 Texas (0-1): After laying an egg in Columbus against the Buckeyes last week, the Longhorns limp on home where they are 36.5-point favorites to whomp up on San Jose State. Quick trivia bit for you. The wave was invented at San Jose State football games by a self-appointed cheerleader known as Crazy George. They will be doing the wave at DKR-Memorial Stadium before the first quarter is done. Nothing like San Jose State to make Arch Manning look like a Division I quarterback. The pick: Texas   South Carolina State (0-1) at No. 10 South Carolina (1-0): It’s a tuneup game before the SEC schedule kicks in next week. The Gamecocks need to get their offense untracked after managing only 328 yards total last week against Virginia Tech. Particularly, the Gamecocks have to get their running game going. They ran for only 119 yards and averaged just 3.21 per carry back on Sunday against Virginia Tech. The guy they want to get going is Utah State transfer Rahsul Faison, who ran for more than 1,100 yards last season. The pick: South Carolina   No. 15 Michigan (1-0) at No. 18 Oklahoma (1-0): Brent Venables really needs to win this game. He’s 3-12 against ranked teams the last three seasons and while OU fans want to believe in him, beating Michigan from the Big Ten would ease a lot of minds. Michigan held New Mexico to 4.5 yards per pass attempt last weekend in the season opener, so this will be a much tougher defense for John Mateer to dissect than the one he faced last week against D1AA Illinois State. Mateer needs to have a big game and the Oklahoma defense has to make life miserable for Michigan’s 5-star freshman QB Bryce Underwood. Oklahoma has to stuff the run while giving Underwood looks he has never seen. Oklahoma is a 5.5-point favorite. The pick: Oklahoma   Utah State (1-0) at No. 19 Texas A&M (1-0): The battle of the Aggies at Kyle Field. The Texas A&M Aggies are 31.5-point favorites to put the kibosh on the Utah State Aggies. This is a decent tuneup game for Texas A&M, which travels to Notre Dame next Saturday. Utah State is better than most teams that come to College Station to take a beating for a paycheck but not good enough to do something drastic like actually win the game.   No. 20 Ole Miss (1-0) at Kentucky (1-0): A year ago, Kentucky stunned the Rebels in Oxford. This one’s in Lexington, where visiting teams tend to lower themselves to Kentucky’s level for some strange reason. The oddsmakers must think it will happen again because Ole Miss is only an 8.5-point favorite over a Kentucky team that will struggle to get to four wins. If Austin Simmons solves the UK pass rush and gets outside containment with any kind of consistency, Ole Miss will win big. If UK keeps him contained white knuckles. The pick: Ole Miss   Louisiana-Monroe (1-0) at No. 21 Alabama (0-1): Bama fans are less than enamored with Kalen DeBoer. Not even the blowout win they’ll get in Tuscaloosa Saturday night will calm the nerves of Tide fans. If Bama doesn’t cover the 34.5-point spread, expect fans and boosters to debate whether or not they should tar and feather DeBoer. If there is one thing watching it’s the quarterback situation. If Ty Simpson isn’t noticeably better from the outset, expect fans to be screaming for one of the backups. The pick: Alabama   East Tennessee State (1-0) at No. 22 Tennessee (1-0): The goal for the Vols is give the starters enough reps to feel like they’ve accomplished something then get them off the field injury-free. Georgia comes to Knoxville next week and that game could go a long way toward determining the rest of the season for the Vols. The pick: Tennessee   No. 12 Arizona State (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0): This is rather odd. Despite being ranked No. 12 nationally and coming off a playoff season, Arizona State is only a 6.5-point favorite over Mississippi State, everybody’s pick to finish dead last in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs ran for 186 yards against Southern Miss last week, enabling them to play defense with their offense by keeping the defense off the field.   The pick: Arizona State   Kansas (2-0) at Missouri (1-0): The Missouri defense will be tested by Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, who has already thrown for 485 yards and seven TDS while running for another 65. Kansas throws for 261 a game and runs for 246. Missouri has found its QB in Beau Pribula, who passed for 285 yards and two TDs while running for another 65 and two more TDs last week. Missouri will have to establish the run against a KU defense that has allowed 90 total in two games. Missouri is a 6.5-point favorite.     Arkansas State (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0): In what is likely the last time Arkansas play a game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, the Razorbacks are favored by 23.5 points over their country cousins from Arky State, which is coached by Butch Jones. Yes, the same Butch Jones who was once the head coach at Tennessee. The Razorbacks better win this one big because it might be November before they’re favored to win another game. The pick: Arkansas   Ball State (0-1) at Auburn (1-0): Auburn has Ball State and South Alabama to figure out a passing game that it’s going to need when the Tigers open their SEC schedule with back-to-backs at Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Jackson Arnold can run the ball. We knew that before he transferred to Auburn from Oklahoma. He’s got to prove he can hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle from close range however. Auburn is a 43.5-point favorite. It probably won’t be that close. The pick: Auburn   Vanderbilt (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1): A year ago the Commodores ambushed the Hokies in Nashville. They make the trip to Blacksburg very confident that they can make it two in a row over VaTech and two in a row to start the 2025 season. A year ago Diego Pavia lit up the Hokies. He threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. VaTech couldn’t stop LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina last week. The Hokies are 2.5-point favorites but they will struggle to stop Pavia this week.   The pick: Vanderbilt

Which Bulls to watch in Game 2.

Florida faces a tough test in a USF team playing with a lot of confidence after a huge win. By Loren Meadows, GatoirBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host of The Lowdown with Loren Meadows Quaterback DJ Lagway (Chris Spears photo) The Florida Gators are a team that has taken on a one week contract mentality since Week 6 or so of last season. The Gators faced with an uncertain future shed the old skin of the past and renewed a commitment to a physical, team oriented game of football where getting the win at all cost was the order of the day. That mentality will need to continue as a matchup with in-state foe USF has taken on a different mode after USF’s dominant win over a Boise State team that played into December last season and looking for a return trip this season. However you view the upset of Boise by USF, I can guarantee it garnered the attention of the Florida Gators organization. There will be no looking past USF with bigger things on the horizon. No taking what I believe is the best quarterback in the “Group of 5” lightly. No lack of care for the football, and no special teams miscues. Because if there is, Saturday’s game could have historical implications for the second straight week and not in a good way. Should Florida check all the boxes, there isn’t a team within its borders that has a chance. USF Offense Key Players: #14 QB Byrum Brown (6-3, 232, Sr.), #5 RB Cartevious Norton (5-11, 222 Sr.), #2 WR Chaz Nimrod (6-2, 198, Sr.), WR #11 Keshaun Singleton (6-3, 215, Jr.) Matchups To Watch: Byrum Brown v. Florida Linebackers, Florida Secondary v. USF Receivers USF Quarterback Byrum Brown is the key to everything USF does. Similar to Hendon Hooker when USF coach Alex Golesh was at Tennessee, USF gets in and out and looks to keep the defense off balance with tempo, misdirection, and sleight of hand. Combine that with a quarterback that runs to contact and the USF offense can be a problem. Despite playing in a fast paced system Brown has also been careful with the football throwing his last interception late in the 2023 season. Running back Cartevious Norton runs hard and is threat out of the backfield. Now on his third school, he has the experience you like for a back in a game like this. At receiver USF has two solid options for Brown. Tennessee transfer Chaz Nimrod had six starts in Knoxville, and had three catches for 96 yards against Boise St. Keshaun Singleton was a Preseason American Conference selection and physically looks like an SEC receiver. He was on the receiving end of the fake punt that broke the game open last week so Florida will need to identify him on special teams to eliminate any shenanigans.  Florida has struggled against mobile quarterbacks under Napier so this will certainly be a test for a defense that is playing their best ball since 2019. The Gator front will certainly flush Brown and force him to move, but moving is what he does best. Graham, Chiles, and company will have to be great on the second level to limit the YAC (yards after contact) that Brown likes to get into and the defensive secondary will need to remain connected and eliminate the tempo induced big plays that can come from a Golesh offense. Look for Florida to employ some of the good from past contests against Tennessee as a road map of how to defend USF on Saturday. USF Defense Key Players #24 LB Mac Harris (6-0, 235, Gr.), #22 CB De’Shawn Rucker (6-0, 195, Sr.), #7 LB Jhaylen Shuler (6-3, 230, Gr.), #34 DL Rico Watson (6-0, 238, Gr.) Matchups To Watch: Jaden Baugh v. Mac Harris, Austin Barber v. Rico Watson Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has a good group of players at every level and it showed last Thursday night. Despite being on the field for over 80 plays, the USF defense limited Boise St. to only 4.4 yards per play and forced three turnovers. Mac Harris is the heart and soul of the defense and could be the best linebacker in the American Conference. Harris had 8 tackles, a QB hurry and a forced fumble last week. Last season he recorded five or more tackles in 12 of 13 games including seven at Alabama. Linebacker Jhaylen Shuler was the American Conference Defensive Player of the Week after a 14 tackle performance last week. One of the top defenders in the American the last two seasons, the matchup between the deep Florida running back room, Harris and Shuler will be one to watch for sure. Cornerback De’Shawn Rucker is another former Volunteer that followed Golesh to Tampa. At 6-0, 195 he has good size and is familiar with SEC-level talent. The Gators could get Dallas Wilson back this Saturday to add to its deep receiver rotation and it will be interesting to see how Rucker and the USF secondary fair against a huge jump in talent. The Florida offensive line was called out by many for a lackluster effort last week. LIU recorded 11 tackles for loss against a unit that was rated as one of the country’s best. If they should struggle again then USF’s Rico Watson could have a repeat of his performance last week where he had five tackles, one sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss consistently causing issues for the Boise offensive front. Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber are not one’s to take criticism lightly and will look to bounce back against the USF defensive line.  The Gator offense-Weapons galore (Chris Spears photo) The Skinny: After watching USF handle Boise St. in Tampa last Thursday I texted a fellow media member who played at Florida and told him I thought Florida was in for more than they bargained for when the schedule was released. A game that many called a tune-up now has taken on a different tone. To quote Admiral Ackbar of the Star Wars franchise, “it’s a trap!”. With a trip to the bayou on the horizon Florida would do well to improve on last week’s performance and get to it early and often. The more you let a talented USF team with SEC pedigree hang around, the more it will begin to look like 2022 all over again where a far less talented team almost pulled a fast one on the Gators. That game was full of missteps, turnovers, and confusion, but hey that’s football. Florida could have scored 60-plus last week and there still would have been work to do. Certainly after watching USF on film they worked a little harder. Through thick and then the Gators have always listened and bought into Napier’s message, and now they have the talent as well. I think USF will play better than the 17.5 point spread that was offered for this game. I think Byrum Brown has some wow moments because he is just that good. The issue is that Florida creates so many matchup problems on offense that USF can’t handle them all. Lagway throws for three again, Baugh and Jackson add one each, tack on a pick for Devin Moore and Florida flies to the Bayou 2-0. Predication: Florida 31 USF 17

(Photo by Chris Spears) Now would be a really good time for the Florida Gators to get healthy. These next three weeks, starting with Saturday afternoon at The Swamp with South Florida (4:15 p.m., SEC Network), the next five games are a tougher gauntlet than any team in the country will have to face. Healthy bodies are a must.   DJ Lagway is well enough to play, but is he well? How close is he to 100 percent, both with his shoulder and a calf that was serious enough for him to miss all live snaps in August until the Gators began game prep for the season opener with lightweight Long Island University? Against LIU, Lagway spent most of the game looking like someone whose timing was way off due to missing all of spring practice and most of August.   Now, no one denies that Lagway is an extraordinary talent, but even talented guys need reps. South Florida’s defense is an enormous step up from the one Lagway saw against LIU but the Bulls are lightweights compared to the defenses of No. 3 LSU, No. 5 Miami, No. 1 Texas and No. 19 Texas A&M. Against South Florida, the Gators need Lagway to look the part of a top ten quarterback, which is what he’s ranked by every credible analyst. Healthy, he is capable of ripping and shredding every one of those defenses the Gators will face.   But how healthy is he?   Others who have been fighting through injuries are wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Kahleil Jackson and offensive linemen Fletcher Westphal, Enoch Wagoy and Noel Portnjagin. Jackson is coming back from an ACL, but he’s made good progress and could be ready to return soon. Additionally, running back Treyaun Webb is fighting his way back to health after fracturing his ankle last year.   Over on the defensive side of the ball, the walking wounded include defensive tackle Caleb Banks, EDGE LJ McCray and corners Jamroc Grimsley and Ben Hanks III to get back to full speed. Of that group, Banks is the most critical concern.  Banks was so disruptive in the final stretch of the regular season last year. In the wins over LSU and Ole Miss, he had 3.5 sacks, 4.0 quarterback hurries, a pass batted away at the line of scrimmage and two forced fumbles.   At 6-6, 330, Banks has intimidating size to go with quickness and outstanding lateral mobility. There are very few offensive linemen anywhere in college football capable of handling him one-on-one. Banks has the power and strength to rip through the constant double teams to disrupt, and because he has to be doubled every play, it does free up someone else to make a play.   Getting Banks back at full speed is a necessity, particularly once the SEC portion of the schedule begins against LSU next week, but getting game reps against a decent opponent will be good not only for Banks for the Florida defense. The Gators have to deal with South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown, who, when healthy, is an outstanding dual threat. Against Boise State last week, Brown played turnover-free football while throwing for 210 yards on 24 pass attempts and scoring on runs of 23 and 15 yards.   Wednesday evening after practice, Florida coach Billy Napier addressed the situation with Banks.   “Caleb’s doing good,” Napier said. “He’s doing really well. He’s kind of hitting the next step so he’s really close. So, we’ll see where he is this weekend and next week as well.”   That’s not exactly a promise that Banks will be ready to go this weekend or next, but at least it’s an update.   Even missing Banks and the other injured players, the Gators allowed only 86 yards and two first downs the entire game against Long Island. With Banks out, the Gators started Jamari Lyons at tackle, Michai Boireau at the nose and Tyreak Sapp end. Baylor transfer Brendan Bett, Brien Taylor Jr. and freshmen Jeremiah McCloud and Joseph Mbatchou were also part of the rotation on the interior with George Gumbs Jr. and Kofi Asare working outside. Bett, who had three tackles in his Gator debut, plays both the nose and tackle positions.   Controlling the line of scrimmage will be critical against the Bulls. Their 378 yards of offense against Boise obscure the fact they were only able to run 53 snaps because the defense was in a bend-but-don’t-break mode the entire game. South Florida averaged an impressive 7.02 yards per play (Florida averaged only 6.09). The Bulls ran for 117 yards (4.18 per carry) with Brown accounting for 43 on 14 carries. Take away the sack numbers and Brown actually had 43 yards on 10 rushing attempts.   Long Island only threw the ball 11 times, completing four for 49 yards, so the Florida secondary wasn’t tested. South Florida will pose a more serious passing threat so it’s imperative that the Gators get everyone in the secondary healthy again.   A healthy Florida team is capable of competing with and beating any team on the schedule, but it’s the kind of schedule that will require depth that is thin at the moment. Having Lagway and Banks back to 100 percent will fill help enormously.   *** Florida’s offensive line may be in for change on the right side where Bryce Lovett under-performed against Long Island. Lovett, who got most of his snaps at guard last year, graded out at 38.8 percent (25.7 percent pass blocking, 43.6 percent run blocking). Third-year sophomore Caden Jones (6-8, 333) graded much better (75.7 percent, 71.5 percent run blocking) when inserted into the game at right tackle, so he’s an option to start against South Florida. Also available for South Florida will be Devon Manuel (6-7, 307).   The starting O-line could look like this: LT Austin Barber, LG Knijeah Harris, C Jake Slaughter, RG Damieon George Jr., RT Bryce Lovett or Caden Jones.   Napier hasn’t given up totally on Lovett although he needs the third-year sophomore to play better.   “He had a lot of great plays in the game, and then I think he had a few where he could play with a little bit more balance, body control, a little bit more detail in his technique, with his feet and hands,” Napier said Wednesday evening, adding, “We got a chance to see some of the other players as well. It was great to see Caden Jones. He did some good things in the game. ”   Florida shuffled four guards in the game – starters Knijeah Harris and Damieon George Jr., backups Rod Kearney and Kam Waites. Jason Zandamela backed up at center, but also plays guard.   Kearney played 54 snaps, most of his career, against LIU. Could he be in for a start against South Florida along with Jones?   “ Yeah, we have a ton of confidence in both [Jones and Kearney], Kam Waites as well,” Napier said. “Look, I think we've got a good two-deep there, you know. I have a lot of confidence in Caden, Kam, Rod, even Jason Zandemela, so we feel good about three tackles, four guards, two centers, you know, and then I think, as we get healthy, we could even have more," Napier said, "so yeah, we've got a lot of confidence in those guys."

Florida defenders must play well Saturday against South Florida (Photo by Chris Spears) Must win game. Prior to Labor Day weekend, who, with a functioning brain in college football’s alternative universe, would have thought 13 th -ranked Florida’s Saturday encounter (4:15 p.m., SEC Network) with the South Florida Bulls would be a must win game?   But, that’s exactly what it is for the Gators. With a 4-game gauntlet of at No. 3 LSU, at No. 5 Miami, home with No. 7 Texas and then at No. 19 Texas A&M lingering after the South Florida game, the Gators cannot afford even a nanosecond of distraction. They have to treat South Florida as if the Bulls are steamrolling their way to the College Football Playoff. Florida needs to emerge from this game 2-0, improved and ready to compete and win against the toughest 4-game stretch in the country.   Just a couple of weeks ago, this game was thought to be a stepping stone, sort of a tuneup to get the Gators ready for some real football. No one expected South Florida to put a first class hosing on then 25 th -ranked Boise State. This was no upset at the RayJay in Tampa. This was a beatdown. South Florida looked very much like a team capable of winning the American Conference and challenging for the slot in the playoff reserved for the best team from the Group of Five. Boise State might very well go on to win the Mountain West Conference title, but losing to South Florida may have all but forced the Broncos to run the table the rest of the season.   In beating Boise, Byrum Brown announced that he’s healthy and ready to pick up where he left off in his injury-free 2023 season when he accounted for 37 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards of passing and running. Brown is a 230-pound runaway freight train when he breaks contain and sprints out of the pocket. He’s not the second coming of Jaylen Daniels, but he does a rather nifty impersonation of Hendon Hooker or Jordan Travis or KC Jefferson, all three of whom gave the Gators fits with both arms and legs in the past.   The Gators have struggled with dual threats. This will be a monumental challenge.   The real challenge, however, might be South Florida’s defense. The Bulls forced three fumbles against Boise State, held Boise to 6-17 on third down conversions and 2-6 on fourth down. Led by linebacker Jhalyn Shuler (14 tackles in the season opener), the Bulls bent a lot but didn’t break. They only had one sack, but they got enough pressure on the Boise quarterback that he spent the day overshooting or undershooting receivers.   Florida is coming off a game in which the defense gave up only 86 yards and two first downs, but that was to Long Island University, a D1AA team that has no business being on the field with a team from the Southeastern Conference. The defense will have its hands full containing Brown, who had touchdown runs of 23 and 15 yards to go with 210 passing yards on 16-24 completions.   To stop South Florida, the Gators need to adapt the old Al McGuire defensive philosophy – cut the head off the snake. The head of the South Florida snake is Byrum Brown.   Once again, however, the South Florida defense should be a concern. DJ Lagway looked better as the first quarter bled into the second against LIU, but he still didn’t look the part of the QB who led the Gators to four end-of-the-season wins last year. Lagway is going to need an exceptional game in which he avoids turning the ball over and makes all the right reads against a South Florida defense that gave Boise State multiple looks, rarely the same one twice in a row.   Critical for Florida playing well offensively will be a much better game by the offensive line. Against Long Island, right tackle Bryce Lovett struggled mightily both in pass protection and run blocking. Replacement Caden Jones fared much better and probably should get the start against South Florida. Napier said Monday that the Gators were running four guards at LIU. They need to find two who can play and stick with them. Left tackle Austin Barber and center Jake Slaughter are rock solid. The Gators will need three to step up and play at a high level Saturday.   No question about it, this is a must win game, but equally important a game in which the Gators need to play very well while improving to 2-0.   GATORS MOVE UP TWO SPOTS TO 13 IN AP TOP 25 Associated Press Top 25: 1. Ohio State 1-0; 2. Penn State 1-0; 3. LSU 1-0; 4. Georgia 1-0; 5. Miami 1-0; 6. Oregon 1-0; 7. Texas 0-1; 8. Clemson 0-1; 9. Notre Dame 0-1; 10. South Carolina 1-0; 11. Illinois 1-0; 12. Arizona State 1-0; 13. FLORIDA 1-0; 14. Florida State 1-0; 15. Michigan 1-0; 16. Iowa State 2-0; 17. SMU 1-0; 18. Oklahoma 1-0; 19. Texas A&M 1-0; 20. Ole Miss 1-0; 21. Alabama 0-1; 22. Tennessee 1-0; 23. Texas Tech 1-0; 25. Utah 1-0   AFCA Coaches Top 25: 1. Ohio State 1-0; 2. Penn State 1-0; 3. Georgia 1-0; 4. LSU 1-0; 5. Oregon 1-0; 6. Texas 0-1; 7. Miami 1-0; 8. Clemson 0-1; 9. Notre Dame 0-1; 10. Arizona State 1-0; 11. South Carolina 1-0; 12. Illinois 1-0; 13. Michigan 1-0; 14. Ole Miss 1-0; 15. FLORIDA 1-0; 16. SMU 1-0; 17. Tennessee 1-0; 18. Iowa State 2-0; 19. Florida State 1-0; 20. Alabama 0-1; 21. Indiana 1-0; 22. Texas A&M 1-0; 23. Texas Tech 1-0; 24. Oklahoma 1-0; 25. BYU 1-0   SEC FOOTBALL (Associated Press rankings) No. 21 Alabama (0-1): The last time Alabama was ranked this low was game of Nick Saban’s second year on the job (2008). Bama started the seasons at No. 24 but moved up to No. 13 after it hammered Clemson in the season opener. Saturday: Louisiana-Monroe (1-0)   Arkansas (1-0): It is entirely possible that Saturday’s game with Arkansas State will be the last time the Razorbacks play at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The stadium seats only 50,000 and has no modern amenities. Arkansas HBC Sam Pittman has lobbied hard to keep all home games in Fayetteville rather than play in Little Rock. Saturday: Arkansas State (1-0) in Little Rock   Auburn (1-0): Auburn ran the ball for 307 yards in the season opening win over Baylor, but the passing game produced only 108 yards. The Tigers have some of the best receivers in the country so emphasis on throwing the ball is likely Saturday against Ball State, which gave up 340 passing yards to Purdue last week. Saturday: Ball State (0-1)   No. 4 Georgia (1-0): Starting corner Daylen Everette, who missed the first game with an ankle injury, is practicing well and should be back in the lineup Saturday against Austin Peay.  Saturday: Austin Peay (1-0)   Kentucky (1-0): Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan says the Wildcats have to do a better job throwing the ball when they open SEC play Saturday against Ole Miss. Kentucky threw for only 85 yards against Toledo last week. “We’re out here 0-5 throwing down the field, something you have to address.” Hamdan said. Saturday: No. 20 Ole Miss (1-0)   No. 3 LSU (1-0): Sophomore wide receiver Destyn Hill fractured his hand in the win over Clemson. He had surgery and a plate put in his hand to stabilize it. LSU is going to see if he’s able to function catching passes while wearing a cast. Saturday: Louisiana Tech (1-0)   Mississippi State (1-0): Albert Reese, who started the win over Southern Miss at left tackle, moved to the right side when Blake Steen went down with an injury. Reese is expected to remain at right tackle with Jimothy Lewis taking over on the left side. Saturday: No. 12 Arizona State (1-0)   Missouri (1-0): Quarterback Sam Horn suffered a lower leg injury in the win over Central Arkansas that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. Walk-on quarterback Brett Brown, who threw a pass in the spring game, was added to the 105-man roster Monday as insurance at the quarterback position. Saturday: Kansas (2-0)   No. 18 Oklahoma (1-0): HBC Brent Venables says running back Jaydn Ott is almost 100 percent now and is expected to play a big role Saturday when the Sooners play host to No. 15 Michigan. Saturday: No. 15 Michigan (1-0)   No. 20 Ole Miss (1-0): Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace III caught five passes for 130 yards and a TD in the season opening win over Georgia State. Wallace has also taken over as the No. 1 punt returner. Against Georgia State Wallace returned four punts for 50 yards. Saturday: at Kentucky (1-0)   No. 10 South Carolina (1-0): The Gamecocks managed only 328 yards of offense in the win over Virginia Tech. Some of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the offensive line. Speaking about the O-line, HBC Shane Beamer said, “We have to be better. There’s no question about it.” Saturday: South Carolina State (1-0)   No. 22 Tennessee (1-0): With the injury to corner Ricky Gibson III, Tennessee’s starting corners will probably be Colorado transfer Colton Hood and freshman Ty Redmond. Saturday: East Tennessee State (1-0)   No. 7 Texas (0-1): One reason the Longhorns were able to hold Ohio State to 203 yards and just two touchdowns was punter Jack Bouwmeester, who had punts downed at the 2, 3, 8 and 20 yard line. Saturday: San Jose State (0-1)   No. 19 Texas A&M (1-0): North Carolina State transfer KC Concepcion caught three passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, plus returned two punts for 94 yards, one of which he took back 80 yards for a TD in the win over UT-San Antonio. Saturday: Utah State (1-0)   Vanderbilt (1-0): Senior linebacker Langston Patterson and senior defensive lineman Yilanan Ouattara are suing the NCAA to try to gain an extra year of eligibility behind the 2025 season. Saturday: at Virginia Tech (0-1)