Coach Billy Napier's biggest mistake at Florida was not fixing a flawed defense

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida's historically porous defense can be chalked up to the fact that it has had three coordinators in so many years, and the team's two best players have moved on and brought in so many new faces that communication, cohesion and consistency seem more like pipe dreams than principles.

These days, the “D” basically means fall in Gainesville. Ultimately, failing to fix that side of the ball was coach Billy Napier's biggest mistake.

“There's one thing you need to know; it’s a different thing that needs to be implemented,” said Napier, who is 14-16 in three seasons at Florida and inherited a poor defense from his predecessor, Dan Mullen. “You must proceed with the execution immediately. You must apply what you have learned. From a liability and accountability standpoint, it's a combination of things here.”

The Gators (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) showed signs of growth with back-to-back wins over Mississippi State and UCF. However, a much tougher challenge awaits in Knoxville against No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1).

This season, the Volunteers are averaging 729 yards and 70 points at home against Chattanooga and Kent State. They will certainly be looking to bounce back from their loss to Arkansas.

“I hope it won't be a track meet,” Napier joked.

Florida had a hard time slowing down Miami and Texas A&M, losing 38-10 to the Hurricanes and 33-7 to the Aggies. Miami gained 529 yards; A&M finished with a score of 488.

Napier went back to the drawing board after the second lopsided defeat and played an active role in helping scouting teams provide better looks for starting players. He became even more involved during the team's bye week, turning every element of training into a competition to keep players and coaches on their toes.

Florida responded with its best defensive effort, holding UCF to 273 yards and sacking KJ Jefferson five times in a 24-13 victory.

“I feel like there were times where we weren't doing well as a team,” linebacker RJ Moten said. “When we click as a whole, we'll be like, 'Oh wow. Oh, wow. I feel like we've been preparing and heading in the right direction. I feel like we're up for the challenge.”

Florida has won 17 of the last 19 meetings with Tennessee, and Napier could use a win against a top-10 team in an attempt to save his job. According to BetMGM, the Volunteers are 15.1/2-point favorites, and that line reflects the mismatch between Tennessee's offense and Florida's defense.

The Vols rank fourth in the nation in scoring and fifth in yards. The Gators rank 96th in yards allowed, 74th in scoring defense and 101st in rushing defense. These numbers are even worse when we look solely at Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and remove the 45-7 win over minor league Samford.

Florida is giving up 395 yards per game in 2024 — the most in school history and 25 more than the SEC-wide schedule in 2020.

Napier has struggled with significant staff turnover, starting with the departure of defensive coordinator Patrick Toney after one season. Napier hired 29-year-old Austin Armstrong to take Toney's place in 2023, but then decided to hire veteran Ron Roberts, essentially demoting Armstrong this year. The only defensive assistant Napier has not replaced is outside linebackers coach and former Florida and NFL standout Mike Peterson.

The Gators have endured even more roster changes, losing talented edge rushers Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss) and Antwaun Powell-Ryland (Virginia Tech), as well as a dozen other players who play and contribute elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Napier has repeatedly criticized defenders on the transfer portal. Notables include defensive tackles Cam Jackson and Joey Slackman, assists Turner and defensive back DJ Douglas.

Add in little, if any, progress from second-year players TJ Searcy, Kamran James, Dijon Johnson, Kelby Collins and Ja'Keem Jackson, and the Gators have holes on defense – ones that could be exposed against Tennessee.

“The hardest thing for me is knowing how good we can be,” said Edge Rush player Jack Pyburn. “I saw it day after day. We have elite players on defense, but we just have to play as one team.

“Now we are really starting to take the right steps in the right direction so that we play as one and believe in each other. We just have to trust each other and believe in ourselves.”