Billy Napier details how Week 1 win can jumpstart Florida's long-term goals

It would’ve been hard to script a better start to the Billy Napier Era at Florida. The Gators knocked off then-No. 7 Utah thanks to a game-winning interception, jumped into the AP Top 25 and gave Napier a signature win in his first game as Florida head coach.

It was quite a payoff to an offseason of work after Napier left Louisiana to replace Dan Mullen. It’s also the type of victory that helps teams get closer to their long-term goals, which is what Napier talked about in his weekly press conference on Wednesday.

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“When you’re new and you’re doing things a different way and you’re trying to establish trust and you’re trying to connect with people, I think that’s important that they see progress,” Napier said. “They taste a little bit. I think this was our first opportunity to take some of these things that we’ve been doing. We’ve been working for eight months, right? Then, you’ve got to go play a game. There’s no preseason games, you don’t get to go scrimmage another team. So the player experience is, ‘Oh, man, some of these things that we’ve learned are working. This may have a chance here.’ There’s always a little bit of doubt until they see, ‘OK, hey, maybe we’ve got a chance here.’

“I think early on in your tenure, you’re always looking for these types of opportunities. And it ain’t over. Just so we all understand that. We found a way to win that game, but I think each week is going to present a new set of challenges and each week will be much the same.”

Billy Napier on building Florida program: People have to be at the core of what you do

As Florida prepares for another key early-season matchup, Napier discussed what he believes is fundamental to building a successful college football program.

“When you take over these situations, you try to ask a bunch of questions and you try to listen,” Napier said. “I think the consensus was that those were where the issues lie. You really have to work hard to galvanize the team, to create chemistry and morale and crossover. Really work intentionally to try to get to know each other. Not just knowing their name and where they’re from but know their story. Know a few things where you can motivate a guy and push their buttons. You know whether he’s right today or there’s something wrong.

“There’s a human element to this game. Football’s a game that’s about people, strategy, and competition. If you ever put strategy or competition at the top of that list, you’re not going to get the return that you want. You have to keep people at the core of what you do. … It’s the right combination of those three. … It’s one of the reasons we’ve made progress.”