Florida coach Billy Napier is back on the proverbial hot seat after an 18-16 home loss to South Florida. Napier raved about his team's character and composure heading into his fourth season in Gainesville. Yet the 13th-ranked Gators melted down in nearly every way possible while losing to the Bulls in the Swamp.
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Those were some halftime scores across college football on SaturdayDiffering infant mortality rates in Japan and the US are not connected to vaccine policiesA photo that appears to show Trump's ear with no damage after the attempted assassination is actually from 2022False claim of human meat in McDonald’s factories stems from old hoaxGiant trolls have a message for humans about protecting the planetDo weighted vests really help you get in shape faster?Do you eat a meal in 20 minutes or less? It might be time to slow downThe World in PicturesPeru rejects creation of Amazon reserve to protect uncontacted tribes, drawing Indigenous outcryLSD shows promise for reducing anxiety in drugmaker's midstage studyDuke University pilot project examining pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in collegeHow a teenage tech whiz became the first millennial saintVenezuela: Maduro exhorta a Trump a evitar un conflicto militar y lo llama al diálogoVistazo a los líderes mundiales que asisten a desfile militar de China en solidaridad con BeijingFlorida head coach Billy Napier, right, talks with quarterback DJ Lagway during time out in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Florida, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida head coach Billy Napier, left, and South Florida head coach Alex Golesh greet each other before an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida head coach Billy Napier, right, talks with quarterback DJ Lagway during time out in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Florida, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida head coach Billy Napier, right, talks with quarterback DJ Lagway during time out in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Florida, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida head coach Billy Napier, left, and South Florida head coach Alex Golesh greet each other before an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. Florida head coach Billy Napier, left, and South Florida head coach Alex Golesh greet each other before an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Billy Napier sounded more downtrodden than ever after losing to South Florida on Saturday. He was as stunned as anyone, especially after spending months telling everyone around him how disciplined, dedicated and different these Gators seemed heading into his fourth season.No one should be surprised if that was Napier’s last game at Florida Field. After all, he dropped to 20-20 overall, including 14-7 at home, and has consecutive road games upcoming against No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Miami. Lose both and why wouldn’t Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin make a change during the team’s first off week and before Texas visits Gainesville for the first time since 1940? “I think I’m more concerned with doing my job to help lead these young men,” Napier said when asked about whether he’s the right guy for the program. “That’s a big-picture question, and I think right now it’s more about today. It’s more about what we do tomorrow, and I think that’s what we’ve got to get consumed with. “I think I’m consumed with doing the best job I can do for the players, leading the staff and getting the football fixed because ultimately that’s going to decide how far we go around here.”Napier was confident the Gators would be in the mix for the College Football Playoff this season. That seems like a pipedream now, after managing just 451 yards of offense against lower-division Long Island in the opener and then losing to South Florida. Napier’s play-calling against the Bulls was more scrutinized than quarterback DJ Lagway’s rehabilitated throwing shoulder. The loudest complaint: why would Napier call two pass plays, including a deep ball to freshman Vernell Brown III on third down, during Florida’s drive when the Gators needed to milk the clock? Florida took roughly 30 seconds off the clock and gave USF the ball back with 2:25 to play. Adding insult to misery, the Gators were penalized twice on the next three plays: Dijon Johnson was flagged for pass interference; and Brendan Bett was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected for spitting on offensive lineman Cole Skinner. “It’s so out of character for us,” Lagway said. “Coach Napier, he’s built the foundation from Day 1 here. He knows and we know what’s the expectations here, and we didn’t live up to that today.” Throw in Napier settling for three field goals early and Florida’s defense giving up a 66-yard touchdown pass late because defenders were staring at coaches on the sideline when the ball was snapped, and it’s no wonder the home crowd booed him as he left the field. “We created it. We deserve it,” Napier said. “If you play football like that, you’re going to be criticized. It comes with the territory, right? Only thing you can do is go get it fixed, and that’s what we’ll start working on .” Napier was under fire after a 1-2 start last year following home losses to Miami and Texas A&M. The Gators rallied down the stretch and won their final four games. But those came against a Tulane team playing without its starting quarterback, the worst Florida State team in 50 years, an LSU team arguing on the sidelines and an Ole Miss team that dropped roughly nine passes. It covered up some Napier’s warts. But the former Sun Belt Conference coach of the year has been known more at Florida for his team’s slow starts, in-game disorganization and offensive malaise than his solid recruiting and the way he’s deftly navigated name, image and likeness as well as a salary-cap structure. Equally troubling: he was urged to hire an offensive coordinator in the offseason and eventually declined while holding tight to play-calling duties. Stricklin has been one of Napier’s staunchest supporters, but the AD recently got a three-year extension that keeps him under contract through 2030 and a five-year parachute after that to serve as the assistant to his successor. With that kind of job security and with the university planning to begin searching for its next school president in 2026, Stricklin might have to change his tune on Napier sooner rather than later. “The vibe in the locker room is we were definitely heartbroken, sad, mad,” Lagway said. “We could have played a lot better. We left a lot of points on the board. We did a lot of things that we should have cleaned up, yeah.”Japan’s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. He may be the last
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