Bobby Carpenter hopes Florida win over Tennessee sets trajectory for Billy Napier

The pressure on Billy Napier to beat Tennessee was well-documented. Not only did he need to stop the slide Florida was on but a home winning streak against the Vols was on the line. Napier was able to win in a big way, potentially saving what could have been a disastrous season in Gainesville.

Plenty were happy to see Napier get the Tennessee win and one of those was former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter. Had Saturday night resulted in a loss, there could have been talks of Florida potentially making a quick coaching change down the road. Now, the program is back on a solid trajectory.

“I was really happy for Billy Napier,” Carpenter said during Thursday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “Because I hate to see coaches that come into a difficult spot — a lot of heat on him. To be able to get that win to preserve that two-decade win streak over Tennessee in the Swamp. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for them. I didn’t want to have to see Florida change coaches again.”

Napier struggled against Florida’s biggest rivals last season, not winning a single game. Leading up to the matchup, Nick de la Torre of On3’s Gators Online said Tennessee might be the best chance of beating one in 2023 — something Napier desperately needed to do. Carpenter believes the win could be a sign of things to come.

And while it might not be what Florida fans want to hear, it could be similar to the path Florida State has taken. Mike Norvell struggled two seasons, earning an overall record of 8-13. But since then, the Seminoles got 10 wins in 2022 and are now a serious College Football Playoff contender.

Maybe Napier’s path can be similar following the Tennessee win.

“You saw Florida State kind of do that,” Carpenter said on a potential quick coaching change. “They stuck with Mike Norvell and now you see it kind of paying off. Hopefully, this year gets a little better and then they’ll be able to make a push into next season.”

One win is not going to help Napier escape all of the criticism but it surely helps. Following Saturday’s game against Charlotte, a road trip to Lexington against Kentucky stacks up to be an important one as well.

But for at least for Carpenter, Saturday was the first step in the right direction.