Billy Napier Keeps Gators Locked In Despite LIU Underdog Status
For the first time since 2019, Florida will not face an AP Top 25 opponent to start the year. Instead, the Gators welcome Long Island University to The Swamp Saturday night.
The Gators enter their season opener as 45.5-point favorites over the Sharks and should handle business.
Still, Florida coach Billy Napier reassured that this game will be treated the same as if they were playing any other team.
“I think obviously there’s human nature in general, there’s some differences between playing Long Island and a Top 25 team,” Napier said Monday.
Instead of viewing this game as a one-off, considering the opponent, Napier believes the matchup is an opportunity for players and coaches, top to bottom, to go out and show their potential.
“I think right now — I think really for the way I would say it to the team, is that, you know, this is our first time as a group executing our process from Sunday to Saturday, and a new group of players, and obviously some new staff members,” Napier said. “I would expect us to get better every week, regardless of who we play.
“So I think independent of who we play or where we play, I think we have agreed that it’s all about what we do, and we got to control the things that we can control.”
Led by coach Ron Cooper, LIU enters this season looking to bounce back after a tough 4-8 season. Under Cooper, LIU is 12-22 in its three seasons, with an 11-9 Northeast Conference record. The Sharks started the 2024 season 0-6 before finishing the season 4-2.
Overall, LIU is 0-7 all-time against FBS opponents, losing those games by an average of 40 points per game.
For Saturday’s game, LIU is getting a hefty $525,000 game check for making the trip to Gainesville, but again, something Napier says that is still something not to take lightly.
“Long Island comes into town with a veteran head coach, Ron Cooper, [who] is established, well-respected in the profession,” Napier said. “He’s been around the block, and he has a team who finished strong and has some momentum. I think when you turn the tape on, there’s really good intangibles. They play hard, they play with effort, toughness, there’s discipline, and they have a really well-thought-out plan on offense, defense, and special teams.”
“I think you see their team getting better. Last year, they had some really big wins down the stretch. And then I think they have got a good young quarterback that can cause some problems for you. So in general, he’s got a great grasp of the game.”
The most likely case is that Florida gets off to a big lead and then starts to pull its starters as the game goes on. In turn, it would allow the younger guys to get some meaningful playing time during the home opener.
Even so, Napier believes that the opportunity for playing time is earned during the week at practice, and with no depth chart to go off of, spots for some position groups are always up for grabs.
“We’ll see how they practice this week. There’s a large group of players on our team that need to have a great week, and that’s going to decide how much they play,” Napier said. “Practice performance is game day reality. And if you’re unproven, the only way you really prove yourself is to do it in the practice setting, right? So, how intentional are you in the meetings, what’s your demeanor in the meeting, at the walkthrough, when you’re not taking a rep? What is your approach, how engaged are you, and how important is it?
“So you need to prove to the staff that you’re ready, but also, there’s accountability to the other players, the veteran players. We don’t just throw you out there. We get to put 11 out there, about 180 plays every week, so you gotta do the work before you get a chance to go out there.”
Florida and LIU face off at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, SEC
