Gators searching for consistency after another rally comes up short
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There’s been no quit in the 2022 Florida football team, and that was once again on display Saturday in Nashville.
Trailing by 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter, UF stormed back and cut the deficit to a touchdown. It was the fourth time Florida have rallied in the second half this season.
However, the Gators ultimately came up short in three of those games, with the win over Texas A&M being the only time they completed the comeback.
For UF coach Billy Napier, it’s been encouraging to see that kind of effort from his players, but also frustrating that it’s not coming earlier in the game.
“I think about that at times,” Napier said Monday, “relative to performing with consistency, handling success, handling failure, being a consistent competitor. I think ultimately when you see that — you kind of flip that switch in times when you get behind or maybe you’re behind the eight ball or it’s a closer game than expected — those are the things that I’m talking about from a maturity standpoint. As a team, I think that’s a little bit of where we’re at.”
Coming off their best performance of the season against South Carolina, the Gators regressed in their final SEC contest and lost to Vanderbilt on the road for the first time since 1988.
It served as a wake-up call for the Florida football team, which had appeared to turn a corner with its two-game winning streak.
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“I think we’re a team that can be very average and we’re a team that can be elite,” Napier said. “I think that it comes down to doing it when it counts, right? Put the ball down to go execute and go do your job.
“Consistency, that’s what we’re searching for. Certainly, Saturday was a little bit of a reality check in a lot of ways.”
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In other Florida football news
- Florida’s red-zone offense has been a red flag, ranking last in the SEC this year.
- Billy Napier understands the frustration from Gators fans and preaches patience.
UF recruiting roundup
- One of Florida’s top commits will be visiting another SEC program this weekend.
- Gators commit Ja’Keem Jackson among the biggest risers in new On300 rankings.
- Eleven total Gators commits were included in the latest On300 rankings Monday.
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