Source: See hereThis time a year ago, Florida football coach Billy Napier was in the midst of a five-game losing streak to close in the 2023 season. Recruits were de-committing. Fan patience was wearing thin.
Fast-forward a year and times have changed. Napier has the Florida Gators (6-5, 4-4 SEC) on an upswing after positing back-to-back wins over ranked teams (No. 22 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss) for the first time since 2018. Meanwhile, Florida State, after losing 10 players to the NFL Draft from a team that finished 13-1, has stumbled to a 2-9 record in year five under Norvell.
As a result, Florida enters its rivalry matchup at Florida State on Saturday night (7 p.m., ESPN2) as 14.5-point favorites, per BetMGM .
When asked about FSU's dramatic decline in the span of 12 months, Napier responded: "I have my own grass to mow. My yard is big, has a lot of weeds in it. I have my own issues. I don't necessarily think it would be right for me to comment on that.
"Look, I understand all the things that come with the job. Job's probably more challenging than it's ever been. I have a ton of respect for Mike. He's a good football coach. I think we're trying to get the Florida Gators better. That's my focus."
Florida football is starting to turn the corner in year three under Napier, just the way FSU did for Norvell in his third season two seasons ago.
The Seminoles started the 2022 season 4-3 before reeling off six straight wins, capped by a 35-32 win over Oklahoma in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando.
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