GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Head Coach Billy NapierDuring ‘s tenure, the Gators have led at halftime in eight Power Five/Four games. The Gators are 5-3 in those games. In their other major matchups over the past two years, they are 2-13.
Florida plays outside the theoretical safety of the swamp on Saturday. The Gators head to the land of cowbells hoping to turn things around for the 2024 season against Mississippi State.
The Gators haven’t been good on the road under Napier, though. When the Gators face the Bulldogs on Saturday, the Cookeville, Tennessee, native will be looking for his third road win. Napier has a 2-7 record in true road games. A fast start, which eluded the Gators in home losses to Miami and Texas A&M, could help.
Napier was aware of his team’s previous difficulties away from home, especially earlier in the season.
“History shows that the first away game in this league is always a struggle,” Napier said this week.
The Gators finished 1-4 in road games last season, coming off a close 41-39 win over South Carolina on Oct. 14. That victory was Florida’s last Power Four win, as the Gators have lost their last seven meetings, five of which were against ranked teams.
Florida’s road opener last season was in Utah, where the Gators lost 24-11 to the Utes in the season opener. Utah led from its first offensive play and built a 17-3 lead at halftime. It was a similar story in Florida’s first SEC road game of the 2023 season: Kentucky dropped 16 points against the Gators in the first quarter and kept going throughout the rest of the game in late September.
Entering the 2024 season, Florida has been no better at getting into the game quickly. In their season opener, the Gators struggled, trailing 24-10 to Miami at halftime. It was the same story in Florida’s first SEC game. Texas A&M ran over the Gators in the first quarter before a rain stoppage put UF fans out of their misery for a while. The Aggies led 20-0 at halftime.
Now Napier’s Gators want to make a strong start at Mississippi State and achieve better results.
“When you look at the analytics, it’s clear that there’s a lot of emphasis on getting started quickly,” Napier said.
As mentioned, the Gators have struggled to get back into games, which underscores the need for their offense to become productive quickly. Napier is confident that Florida’s offense can get going early against Mississippi State.
“This is an area where we have been particularly successful in the past and we need to get back to that,” said Napier. “We have usually been able to get started early.”
The Gators have averaged 12.75 points per half in their 16 games since quarterback Anthony Richardson left, and while they were relatively effective on offense early in games in Napier’s first season, that hasn’t necessarily been the case since then.
After a season start in which the Gators scored ten points in the first quarter in each of three games, Florida may need to be more productive on offense to make up for previous road losses.
“A quick start is crucial at any level of football,” Napier said.
A win on the road could be just what the Florida team needs to get where it wants to be this season. Looking back on their recent SEC win over South Carolina, defensive lineman Justus Boone emphasized how important an away win is for the team environment.
“I firmly believe there is nothing better than playing away games, especially on foreign soil, getting a win and making a statement there,” Boone said.
With two losses already, Florida’s 2024 season is at a critical turning point. With a game on Saturday against Mississippi State, a team that lost 41-17 to Toledo, and a bye the following week, Florida must now get on track.
After UF’s game against UCF on Oct. 5, the Gators will face four top-six teams over the next seven weeks.
As the Gators enter Davis Wade Stadium accompanied by 50,000 cowbells, a fast start may be what it takes to win the game, revive Florida’s rapidly fading season and keep the Florida coaching staff together. Even though the Gators have a lot at stake in their SEC road opener, the Florida squad remains confident.
“I’m going to go out there and give everything for my teammates,” Wide Receiver Chimere Dike said. “And I’m going to prepare like it’s the biggest game of the season.”
