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Billy Napier’s time in Gainesville, Florida, is nearing its end. The story is written, the book is closed.
The fans cast their vote at The Swamp late Saturday. They booed Napier in the first half, and then they funneled to the exits in the third quarter, leaving maybe 60% of the stands occupied as the Gators fell behind 33-7 to a Texas A&M team led by a backup quarterback.
“I have no excuse, no negative comment about that,” Napier said after the game. “Ultimately, you play a certain way in this arena, you’re going to be criticized. This is one of those places where there is history, tradition and expectations.”
The Gators lost 33-20, but the score was not indicative of how listless they looked most of the day. We’ve seen this scene before at other SEC stadiums over the years — Auburn and Arkansas come to mind — and it’s usually the precursor to the inevitable firing of a coach.
Humiliating. Debilitating. The scene in Gainesville was enough to tell the story. Then, with more than five minutes remaining in the game, ABC pulled the plug on the national broadcast to move ahead with coverage of No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky.
The Gators have flopped and they’re not getting up any time soon. Napier might not get the chance to try as Florida decides whether to pay his $28.3 million buyout.
No program should be in a worse position three years after firing a coach, but that’s where the Gators stand today after moving on from Dan Mullen. Napier, pusher of “The Process,” has seemingly pushed every wrong button since his arrival in Gainesville. On Saturday, only a 47-minute lightning delay could save him from embarrassment, but that only stretched the suffering in the afternoon heat into the evening — and now one wonders if the sun has set on…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/clock-nears-midnight-on-billy-napiers-coaching-tenure-at-florida-after-embarrassing-loss-to-texas-a-m/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-09-15 01:32:12
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