Florida's Billy Napier Roasted by CFB Fans as Quinn Ewers, Texas Dominate in SEC Game
November 9, 2024
It was the Quinn Ewers show in Austin as No. 5 Texas dominated Florida 49-17 on Saturday.
Ewers posted 297 passing yards and four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes of action, setting the Longhorns up for a stress-free second half. After taking their foot off the gas some in the second half, Ewers finished the game with 333 passing yards and five touchdowns.
The Gators struggled offensively without starting quarterback DJ Lagway. Aidan Warner completed 12 of his 25 pass attempts for just 132 yards and a pair of interceptions. Florida managed to put some points on the board after a first-half shutout, but its points came after Texas took its starting unit out of the game.
After the first-half route, fans blasted Florida head coach Billy Napier for his team's weak effort against the Longhorns.
Earlier this week, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin announced that Napier would return as the Gators' head coach despite a 4-4 start to the season and a 15-18 record overall.
Perhaps Stricklin made the decisions prematurely, as a blowout such as Saturday's is far from the standard in the SEC.
In Napier's defense, Texas is one of the best teams in the SEC and college football. Aside from a loss to Georgia, the Longhorns have handled every opponent on their schedule with ease so far and seem well on their way to a College Football Playoff appearance.
Still, anytime you square off with an SEC opponent, it's expected you put up at least somewhat of a fight.
For years, being a national championship contender was the standard at Florida. That has not been the case during Napier's tenure. Florida finished 6-7 in his first season in 2022 before going 5-7 last year, marking the first time the Gators failed to clinch bowl eligibility since 2017.
Reaching a bowl game will be a tall task for Napier again this season. After Saturday's matchup, Florida will take on a pair of ranked opponents in No. 15 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss before facing Florida State to close out the season. Winning at least two of their last three games seems nearly impossible for the Gators at this point.