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Billy Napier attributes Florida's rallying ability to the ‘human element’

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi11/08/22

ZachAbolverdi

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COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators greets Ventrell Miller #51 on the sideline in the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on November 05, 2022 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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Following the loss to Georgia, Florida coach Billy Napier said he believed the Gators might have turned a corner as a team with their second-half comeback.

UF had rallied against rivals Tennessee, LSU and UGA, but ultimately lost all three games. The Gators finally completed a comeback at Texas A&M, winning their first SEC road game since 2020.

“I think what I’m seeing is kind of what I described after the game, that human element,” Napier said Monday. “We’ve spent a ton of time on scheme, fundamentals, situational football. We lift weights. We run. We focus on all different forms of development physically.

“But I think that team dynamic, the culture or brotherhood, however you want to describe that — the expectation from each other, the accountability at the player level, I’m not necessarily worried about my coach getting on me, but I’m worried about letting my teammate down — I think there’s a place in this game, for an elite team, you’ve got to have that.

“We’re getting closer. Really believe that.”

The Gators have now outscored opponents 38-14 in the second half of the last two games, including a 21-0 shutout in College Station. The goal now is to execute at that level for a full 60 minutes.

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“I woke up thinking about that,” Napier said. “That’s who we are. That’s where we’re at. I think we’re still chasing that. Can we put it together, possession after possession? I think we are taking care of the ball better on offense. If you look at our team, that’s the way we play. We’re getting takeaways.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. And I really believe — I know you guys don’t like to write about this — but it’s the human element part of the game. That’s just who we are right now. We’re working on that component of our team. The football I think will take care of itself as that becomes more of who we want to be.”

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