Samantha Bohon, Billy Napier Put Horns Down as Gators Rise in Texas Sweep
The paths of two fourth-year head coaches in the Florida athletic department continue to intertwine, following a weekend in which the Gators’ football and soccer teams both took down the Texas Longhorns.
In football, Billy Napier led his team to a 29-21 win over No. 9 Texas in a sold-out Ben Hill Griffin. On the soccer pitch, Samantha Bohon’s Gators traveled to Austin and flipped the horns down, winning 2-1.
Not only did both coaches claim a first SEC win for their respective teams, they also echoed each other’s thoughts on how their teams performed.
“That’s the football team I thought we had in the very beginning,” Napier said after Saturday. “We finally kind of put it together there and played all three phases, very complimentary.”
Bohon reiterated Napier’s ideas just a day later.
“Billy [Napier] said it, our identity is not resting in our outcomes and I think we have stayed true to our identity,” Bohon said. “Even when we have not gotten the wins — and so it’s just nice to finally put those two together.
“We told our team very clearly that we wanted a Florida Gators sweep over the Longhorns this weekend … that’s that much sweeter that we can join football in celebrating a big win”
With both teams now in the win column in conference play, their seasons seem to be heading in the right direction. However, both Gators squads are still on the outside looking in for a potential place in the postseason.
Soccer has amassed only six points in the SEC (with a 1-2-3 record against SEC opponents), tying them with Auburn for 12th in the conference. This mark would currently qualify the Gators for the final spot in this year’s SEC Tournament.
However, the team faces No. 12 Mississippi State and No. 4 Tennessee in the span of six days. Losses against those powerhouses could lead to Bohon missing the postseason in each of her first four seasons.
Gator football faces similar perils with ranked opponents in the week following itsseason-saving win last Saturday. In a few days, Napier and Co. head to Kyle Field for a date with No. 5 Texas A&M.
Even after winning SEC Coach of the Week Monday, Napier’s job security could return to the headlines if Florida picked up its fourth loss of the season against the Aggies.
Each Gators coach has acknowledged the difficulty of their schedules but looks to appreciate the progress of the team and take the approach of one game at a time.
“It’s just going to be about who plays the best that day,” Napier said Monday. “You got to be ready to go each week, so independent of the opponent.”
On Sept. 11, Bohon mentioned that she “felt like Billy Napier” because of how strong each team’s opponents were this season.
Unbeaten in their last four SEC matches, it seems her squad has weathered that storm.
“I’m really humbled to be a part of this group,” Bohon said. “I’m really proud of them, they’ve stuck together … they’ve continued to work.”
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Football, Gators Soccer, SEC
