Rece Davis on Billy Napier, Florida: ‘They’re in crisis stage’

Entering last week’s season opener, the pressure was ramping up around Billy Napier at Florida. The Gators were welcoming a new-look Miami team to The Swamp, and some considered it a “must-win” game for the third-year coach.

Following the 41-17 loss, the noise is getting louder. To ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis, things in Gainesville appear to be reaching a tipping point.

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Miami’s offense flew around the field, totaling 529 yards, including 385 passing yards from Cam Ward. It was an impressive performance from a team looking to make a run at the College Football Playoff – but as Davis noted, it didn’t help Napier’s cause after an 11-14 record through two years.

“In one weekend, they’re at crisis stage,” Davis said on the College GameDay Podcast with Ryan McGee. “Because you can’t turn in a performance like that. Even if Miami proves to be national champion – which Miami, by the way, looked awesome. They looked really good. Cam Ward was sensational. And that looked like a Playoff team. It’s one week. Prone to overreaction. Let me put a fine point on it. That performance – that individual performance in The Swamp – was Playoff-worthy, especially for a first game.

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“So maybe it turns out that Florida’s fine and Miami’s just super elite. But with the last two years and then, sort of getting housed in your own stadium, not many good signs right now in Florida for the Gators and for Billy Napier and what the future might hold for the Gators.”

Rece Davis cites Lou Holtz when assessing Billy Napier

Davis acknowledged his initial thoughts when Florida hired Napier from Louisiana in 2022. He thought highly of the decision, and stood by his stance on Napier’s ability to coach. But he brought up a quote from Lou Holtz when summing up the first two-plus years in Gainesville.

“I was a big fan of the hire and still believe that Billy Napier is a good football coach,” Davis said. “He’s proven so in the past. But I do revert back to what Lou Holtz always used to tell me in the 10 years that I worked with him on Saturday nights. Lou would say, if you don’t get it going by the third year, you’re not going to get it going.

“Now, the caveat is that doesn’t mean you’re not a good coach. It doesn’t mean you won’t win somewhere else, and it doesn’t mean in absolute terms because nothing is 100% of the time. It is just one game. But the way Florida looked suggests that there aren’t many signs that they are gonna get it going.”