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Florida and coach Billy Napier lost 41-17 at home to No. 19 Miami on Saturday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The 2024 season could have hardly started worse for Florida.
The Gators were overmatched at home in a 41-17 blowout loss to Miami on Saturday. The Hurricanes were simply better everywhere and set a record for most points scored against the Gators in a Week 1 game in Gainesville.
Outside of a 71-yard touchdown run by Montrell Johnson in the second quarter that briefly gave Florida fans some hope, the Gators’ offense couldn’t move the ball efficiently against Miami. QB Graham Mertz, entering his second season as Florida’s starter, was just 11-of-20 for 91 yards and had to leave the game in the second half after he was hit following an interception.
Overall, the Gators ran for just 139 yards. When you take away Johnson’s big run, that’s 28 carries for 68 yards.
Florida and coach Billy Napier entered 2024 in a predicament. The Gators were looking to take a leap after back-to-back seven-loss seasons in Napier’s first two years in Gainesville. But it’s hard to see how any jump will happen, even if Mertz is able to return in a week.
Florida entered the season with the toughest projected schedule in the country. After a game against FCS opponent Samford in Week 2, No. 20 Texas A&M visits in Week 3. And things really get tough over the second half of the season. After a midseason trip to No. 15 Tennessee on Oct. 12, Florida plays No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 13 LSU and No. 6 Ole Miss in a four-game November stretch before a season-ending game at Florida State.
Simply put, a win over Miami would have gone a long way to bowl eligibility. And Florida didn’t even come close to doing that.
Things were so bad on Saturday that Napier found himself on the end of a not-so-subtle retweet from former coach Dan Mullen. The…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football-week-1-winners-and-losers-floridas-loss-to-miami-is-an-ominous-sign-for-billy-napier-001714293.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-01 00:17:14
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