The game was terrible. The consequences could be even worse for the Gators

GAINESVILLE – It's never good when the excitement of a season is over before the first halftime show.

Maybe there will be pleasant surprises in September or an unexpected twist in October, but by November we'll know where the story is going. And there will probably be internet mobs and lists of coaching candidates.

Florida was humiliated by Miami 41-17 on Saturday. It was the first time the Gators have lost a home game since Steve Spurrier was at Duke. And the worst part is not the 0-1 record, but the realization that all the changes in the offseason have been for nothing.

The offensive line was unimpressive. The defense was as bad as anyone remembers. And the head coach couldn't figure out how a once enviable program could still go backwards after years.

“It's embarrassing, to be perfectly honest. That's how I feel, that's how our kids feel,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “We have to make a decision. That's what I just told them. There are no excuses, we're going to shut up, come to work and make it better.”

As terrible as this game was to watch, the consequences are even more disturbing.

Because there was nothing accidental. Although there were a handful of mistakes, they were not the result. They were not penalties. They were not turnovers. They were not obvious mistakes. It was simply a beating in front of God and an ABC audience.

And that suggests a talent gap that could affect a team with one of the toughest schedules in the country.

“This game doesn't define us at all,” edge rusher Justus Boone said. “It won't look like this for the rest of the year, I can promise you that.”

One can understand the defiant mood, but the truth is we've heard it all before. We heard it on Monday when Napier said the game was the first opportunity for this team to tell the story of its season. We heard it on Friday when athletic director Scott Stricklin appeared on Paul Finebaum's show and said the university will be rewarded for its patience in Napier.

But here is the reality:

Napier is in danger of becoming the first UF football coach since Josh Cody in the 1936-38 season to have three consecutive losing seasons.

The Gators have now lost six games in a row since last season, giving up 38.5 points per game. There have been seasons in the recent past where the Gators have gone the entire schedule without giving up that many points in a single game.

“It was very disappointing. Super disappointing,” said center Jake Slaughter. “We have certain expectations.”

The problem is that Florida players and fans have been given the impression for the past eight months that the worst is behind them, that a top-notch recruiting class, portal transfers and a new defensive staff have filled the gaps starting in 2022-23.

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Unless Miami is one of the top two or three teams in the country, those hopes now seem like wishful thinking.

Instead of playing the Tom Petty anthem “I Won't Back Down” at the start of the fourth quarter, “Free Fallin'” would have been more appropriate. With more than 13 minutes left to play, a large portion of the 90,544 spectators at Florida Field had already given in and left the stadium.

It's easy to criticize Napier, and it's not undeserved. Still, it shouldn't be done with glee. He seems like a good man. Better than some who came through Gainesville before him. But it's hard to imagine the Gators winning enough games in 2024 to keep the Wolves at bay.

“It's a bit of a challenge, isn't it? I think you have to be a man and take responsibility for the things you can do better,” Napier said. “Tomorrow the sun will come up and we'll go back to work. At the end of the day, there's not much for us to talk about right now. We have to play better.”

Most of his players had already left the field when Napier made his way out. He stopped briefly in the end zone to shake the hand of university president Kent Fuchs. Fuchs is on an interim contract and may have a better chance of making it to January than Napier.

After a brief conversation, Napier walked towards the tunnel that would take him to the dressing room. There were only a few fans left at this point, but one shouted to Napier as he disappeared under the stands:

“You're gone. After this incident, you're gone!”

It's not wise to jump to conclusions after one game in August. As good as the Hurricanes looked, I wouldn't say they're back among the national elite yet.

On the other hand, I wouldn't disagree with you if you said Florida sucks.

You can reach John Romano at [email protected]. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

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