Press Conference | Napier Respects Arkansas, Provides Reminder of Why Gators Are Wearing Black
Monday, October 30, 2023 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators seek a three-peat on Saturday when Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas visits Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Not a third consecutive victory over the Razorbacks, but rather a third straight win following a loss this season.
Florida (5-3, 3-2) has split its last two games against Arkansas (2-6, 0-5), losing on the road in 2016 and winning at home in 2020. However, after losing to Utah and Kentucky earlier this season, the Gators responded with a home win. They will try to do the same following their 43-20 loss to No. 1-ranked Georgia two days ago in Jacksonville.
Florida head coach Billy Napier said Monday that his team can't overlook the Razorbacks despite their winless record in the SEC. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman changed offensive coordinators during the bye week, replacing Dan Enos with receivers coach Kenny Guiton after a 7-3 loss to Mississippi State two weeks ago.
"I do think Arkansas, although their record doesn't reflect it, they've been in every football game,'' Napier said. "This is a team that's lost a lot of close games. I do think they're a lot closer than their record indicates. This will be a challenge."
The Gators can become bowl eligible with a victory. They can also stay perfect at The Swamp, where they are 4-0 in 2023 and 9-2 overall since Napier took over.
As part of Saturday's game, the Gators will honor members of the armed forces, U.S. military veterans and local first responders during the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game. They will do so wearing all-black uniforms for the first time in program history, with each player's uniform displaying patches revealing core values of those being honored.
"I know everybody is excited about the uniform. I do think it's important, but I don't want to lose sight of the intent here relative to what we're trying to do,'' Napier said. "Really want to create awareness and show gratitude and appreciation for these people who chose a life of service, and ultimately put their life at risk to protect some of these freedoms that I believe sometimes we ultimately take for granted.
"We worked with the military branches and the state and here locally, allowed them to select the core value that they wanted to use. Those five core values are: honor, courage, commitment, excellence and integrity. You'll see that this week when we play."
To watch Napier's entire press conference, check out the video below:
Not a third consecutive victory over the Razorbacks, but rather a third straight win following a loss this season.
Florida (5-3, 3-2) has split its last two games against Arkansas (2-6, 0-5), losing on the road in 2016 and winning at home in 2020. However, after losing to Utah and Kentucky earlier this season, the Gators responded with a home win. They will try to do the same following their 43-20 loss to No. 1-ranked Georgia two days ago in Jacksonville.
Florida head coach Billy Napier said Monday that his team can't overlook the Razorbacks despite their winless record in the SEC. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman changed offensive coordinators during the bye week, replacing Dan Enos with receivers coach Kenny Guiton after a 7-3 loss to Mississippi State two weeks ago.
"I do think Arkansas, although their record doesn't reflect it, they've been in every football game,'' Napier said. "This is a team that's lost a lot of close games. I do think they're a lot closer than their record indicates. This will be a challenge."
The Gators can become bowl eligible with a victory. They can also stay perfect at The Swamp, where they are 4-0 in 2023 and 9-2 overall since Napier took over.
As part of Saturday's game, the Gators will honor members of the armed forces, U.S. military veterans and local first responders during the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game. They will do so wearing all-black uniforms for the first time in program history, with each player's uniform displaying patches revealing core values of those being honored.
"I know everybody is excited about the uniform. I do think it's important, but I don't want to lose sight of the intent here relative to what we're trying to do,'' Napier said. "Really want to create awareness and show gratitude and appreciation for these people who chose a life of service, and ultimately put their life at risk to protect some of these freedoms that I believe sometimes we ultimately take for granted.
"We worked with the military branches and the state and here locally, allowed them to select the core value that they wanted to use. Those five core values are: honor, courage, commitment, excellence and integrity. You'll see that this week when we play."
To watch Napier's entire press conference, check out the video below:
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