Billy Napier of Florida knows why the crowd jeered during the Texas A&M game: “I most likely would have taken the same action.”
Billy Napier, the coach of Florida, is aware of the reasons behind the jeers from the crowd after his team’s Saturday 33–20 home loss to Texas A&M.
The defeat reduced Florida to 1-2, and the game wasn’t as close as the score at the end suggested. The Aggies led 33–7 in the third quarter before Florida scored the game’s last 13 points.
Napier was questioned about the jeers that broke out at the end of the fourth quarter and at halftime after the game.
Texas A&M quarterback With an upper-body ailment keeping Connor Weigman out of the game, Marcel Reed got his first start. The Aggies dominated the Gators, with two touchdown passes from Reed and one more touchdown run. Reed ran for 83 yards and completed 11 of 17 passes for 178 yards. For 310 yards, the Aggies had 55 carries. Florida’s total offensive yardage was 301.
Graham Mertz and rookie DJ Lagway both started at quarterback for the Gators after Mertz missed the team’s victory over Samford in Week 2 due to a concussion he sustained in the season opener against Miami. Together, they completed 18 of 29 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Lagway completed with two picks, and Bryce Anderson returned Mertz’s interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
Florida has dropped seven games in each of Napier’s first two seasons as a member of the Gators, who are currently in his third season. When he was hired, he agreed to a deal worth more than $50 million, and if the team has another poor season, other circumstances at the university may affect his future. Following the resignation of former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse this summer, Florida is currently without a permanent president. The president’s office has been the subject of numerous reports concerning lavish expenditures in the weeks and months following Sasse’s resignation.