Coming off a stunning upset loss to USF, Florida football coach Billy Napier is acutely aware that he needs to deliver in Week 3 against LSU.
Napier, who is in his fourth year as Florida's head football coach, acknowledged the pressure that is on his shoulders following the Gators' Week 2 loss to USF. However, the 46-year-old is not yet panicking, as he still believes in the foundation that he has built since 2022.
“Everything that's been built here didn't all of a sudden just disappear,” Napier said, via ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. “There's been a ton of investment put into our people, into our organization, and those things still exist. When adversity hits, you need to elevate.”
Florida entered Week 2 at No. 13 in the AP college football rankings, but dropped out entirely following its loss to USF. The Gators were 18.5-point favorites to beat the Bulls at home after demolishing Long Island 55-0 in their season opener.
Florida's offense struggled for most of the game, with four drives ending in punts, in addition to taking a safety and throwing an interception. The Gators were particularly flat in the second half, accumulating just 123 yards of total offense while committing several crucial mistakes.
Florida looks to bounce back in Week 3 against LSU
Through four years, Napier is now just 20-20 as Florida's head football coach. He is also just 1-2 in SEC openers heading into a key matchup with LSU.
However, Florida claimed the last matchup, pulling off a 27-16 win over the Tigers late in the 2024 season. The win was a part of the Gators' late-season surge that saw them end the year on a four-game win streak that also included an upset of No. 9-ranked Ole Miss.
LSU enters the pivotal Week 3 clash at No. 3 in the Week 3 AP poll. The Tigers' ranking is boosted by their 17-10 upset win over Clemson in Week 1. They followed up that win with a 23-7 nod over Louisiana Tech in Week 2 to begin the 2025 season 2-0.
With fans already breathing down Napier's neck, he has quickly become one of the most scrutinized coaches in the FBS. Although it is still early in the year, Florida has shown a willingness to release coaches midseason before. The Gators fired Napier's predecessor, Dan Mullen, at the end of the 2021 season, one day after a 24-23 overtime loss to Missouri.
