Not even one of the damaging hurricanes in reminiscence stored Florida from getting work achieved throughout its open date.
“We did not coddle them,” Gators coach Billy Napier mentioned. “I’ll inform you that. It was actual in there for 3 days. So we labored extraordinarily arduous Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in full pads. We acquired after it.”
Napier hopes Florida can get after it Saturday night time when it hosts in-state rival UCF in a nonconference matchup in Gainesville, Fla.
Sitting on one of many hottest seats in sports activities, Napier went into the bye week with a win. The Gators (2-2) spanked Mississippi State 45-28 on Sept. 21 in Starkville, Miss. There was hypothesis Napier might be fired if Florida misplaced to maybe the weakest crew within the Southeastern Convention however with Graham Mertz hitting 19 of 21 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, the Gators rolled up 503 whole yards.
Mertz has accomplished 75 % of his passes for 487 yards in three video games, lacking the crew’s 45-7 rout of FCS opponent Samford final month with a concussion.
Whereas the Gators have had further preparation time, the Knights (3-1) are available in off an absolute clunker, a 48-21 Massive 12 Convention defeat at house final week in opposition to Colorado. They by no means led and had been shredded for 418 whole yards.
The protection wasn’t good and the offense could not take up slack. Quarterback KJ Jefferson tossed an end-zone interception to stop UCF from taking an early lead, then misplaced a fumble within the fourth quarter that led to a tack-on landing for the Buffaloes.
“We have to be environment friendly within the pink zone and are available away with factors,” he mentioned. “Whether or not that is a landing or a kick, we have got to return away with one thing. That proper there may be completely on me.”
The Knights are third in FBS in dashing at 326 yards per sport, led by RJ Harvey and his 525 yards.
Florida owns a 2-1 lead within the all-time sequence, together with a 2-0 mark at house.
–Subject Degree Media
