The Swamp isn’t supposed to be quiet like that. Fans weren’t filing out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in shock because Florida lost to Georgia or LSU—it was South Florida. A team that had never beaten the Gators came into Gainesville and walked away with an 18–16 upset that will haunt Billy Napier for a long time. The chants of “Fire Billy!” weren’t whispers—they were roars, and for the Nth since he arrived, Napier’s job security is dangling by a thread.

Napier walked into 2025 selling hope—he ended 2024 strong, going 5-1 with DJ Lagway running the show. Instead, the Gators played like a team allergic to discipline—11 penalties for 103 yards, questionable play calls in crunch time, and an offense that coughed up only 276 total yards at home. Against USF, of all people.

Now here’s where it gets real messy. On September 8, Andy Staples from On3 dropped a bombshell: “That new president was appointed in late May. Florida’s trustees chose Michigan president Santa Ono. But in June, the board that oversees Florida’s state university system – which typically rubber-stamps such selections – rejected Ono…Stricklin, whose men’s basketball hire Todd Golden just won the national title, just got a contract extension through 2030. Stricklin seems quite safe now. He likely will make the decision on Napier, and, if Napier doesn’t return, it’s a safe bet Stricklin chooses his successor.” 

And the worst part? Florida beat itself. You had Brendan Bett getting tossed for spitting on a USF player—spitting!—while Napier dialed up two baffling pass plays late in the fourth when burning clock should’ve been priority one. That turnover on downs was basically handing USF a red-carpet invite back into the game. Add in a busted 66-yard touchdown pass allowed late in the third quarter, and it was a cocktail of self-destruction. Napier didn’t just lose the game; he lost trust. That drops him to 20–20 in Gainesville, and .500 isn’t flying in the SEC.

Napier’s fate isn’t in his own hands—it’s tied to Scott Stricklin, Florida’s athletic director. And Stricklin? He’s sitting comfy. Fresh off extending his deal through 2030 and having his basketball hire, Todd Golden, deliver a national title, Stricklin is untouchable. Florida’s presidential drama this summer only added spice. Trustees tried to bring in Michigan’s Santa Ono, but the state board rejected it due to some “political power play” (per Andy Staple’s X post), and now Florida is on its second interim president in two years. Donald Landry’s stepping in, contract running through 2026, with a $2 million kicker if he isn’t made permanent. Translation? Leadership chaos at the top, but Stricklin’s grip is tighter than ever.

Stricklin’s stability means Napier’s margin for error is basically zero. The Gators still have LSU, Georgia, and Tennessee looming. Lose badly again, and Stricklin won’t hesitate to start shopping for a new coach. Florida fans already smell blood in the water, and in this league, perception turns into reality fast.

Billy Napier’s still calling the plays for the Gators

The most shocking part? Even after that offensive dumpster fire, Napier doubled down on himself. Asked Monday if he’d keep calling plays, he didn’t blink. “Yes,” he said. When pressed on whether he considered handing it off, he followed with, “No.”

Florida put up just 16 points against an unranked team at home, and Napier’s response was basically: I’m good, I’ve got this. Never mind that the Gators needed 71 plays to stumble to one touchdown—and that came on a short field already in the red zone. The rest of the night was a mix of stalled drives, field goals, and wasted chances.

To be fair, Napier saw silver linings. “I think we had 71 plays in the game, something like that… It’s more about the execution and the efficiency, red zone scoring,” he said. He pointed to the first half, when Florida moved the ball well but only came away with nine points. “We had a chance to really take control of the game. I think that’s an important lesson.”

That lesson didn’t stick. The second half was a graveyard of offensive possessions: punt, interception, punt, safety, touchdown, punt, punt. By the time the Gators crossed midfield again, the Bulls already smelled upset. Napier’s explanation? “Converting on third down, look, we have to eliminate the penalties, playing from behind the sticks. You’ve got to stack plays.”

It’s the kind of coach-speak that sounds fine on Monday but doesn’t explain why the play-calling was so suspect in real time. Throwing when you should’ve run. Settling for field goals when touchdowns were there for the taking. Letting discipline slip at every turn. Florida had the ball for 34 minutes and still only put up 16 points—that’s almost art in inefficiency.

Now, Napier heads into Death Valley, where LSU has given up just 17 points through two games. The Gators’ offense hasn’t proven it can hang with average defenses, much less one of the nation’s best. Napier spun it as an opportunity: “When you’re going to Baton Rouge to play the No. 3 team in the country, this is an incredible opportunity and really a special experience to go play on the road in this league against a good team.” It’s do-or-die. If Napier’s offense sputters again, it won’t just be fans chanting for his firing—it’ll be Stricklin calling the shots on who comes next. Florida has the talent. What it doesn’t have right now is a head coach who knows how to get out of his own way.