Florida football head coach Billy Napier got honest about his relationship with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian ahead of the teams' first meeting since 1940. Napier, who has been on the hot seat all year, has a history with Sarkisian at Alabama under then-head coach Nick Saban.
The Florida football head coach gave a light response when asked about working with Sarkisian for that one year, per Brian Davis.
“Sark, really enjoyed being around him. I think he's just got a good heart and certainly proud of what he's been able to accomplish there at Texas so far,” Napier stated.
Napier was the wide receivers coach with the Crimson Tide in 2016 at the same time Sarkisian was an offensive analyst and interim offensive coordinator. Both of them have also met before as head coaches when Napier was with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in 2021.
Florida football faces a gauntlet to close out the season
In danger of having their third consecutive loss under Napier, Florida football is in the middle of one of the most brutal schedules in the country. The Gators have already played No. 4 Miami, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 7 Tennessee, and No. 2 Georgia.
The schedule doesn't get any easier with three straight matchups with ranked opponents on the horizon. Florida will visit Austin to face No. 5 Texas on Saturday, followed by two home games against No. 14 LSU and No. 16 Ole Miss. The last game of the season pits the Gators against their struggling rival Florida State. Currently sitting at 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the SEC, Florida football will have to get their first ranked win of the season to at least get a .500 regular season record.
But, despite the Gators' struggles this year, Sarkisian isn't taking the Longhorns' opponent lightly, which speaks to the mentality of a head coach who has had a largely successful tenure in Austin. Compiling a 32-15 record at the program, Sarkisian is coming off a Big 12 title at Texas and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
This year, despite an ugly loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, the Longhorns are in a great spot to return to the playoff, this time with twelve teams. Texas holds the No. 6 seed currently in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee's inaugural bracket, ranking fifth overall. Winning out in the regular season all but guarantees a playoff spot, even if the Longhorns lose in the SEC championship game.
Overall, while Texas is a heavy favorite over Florida, the Gators have been competitive over the past few games against ranked opponents. If the Longhorns take this matchup for granted, Florida football has a solid chance to pick up a program-defining win for the Billy Napier era.
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