Florida head coach Billy Napier prepares to lead his team on the field before last weekend's win at Mississippi State. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Press Conference | Napier Discusses Bye Week, Mertz's Play, RB Rotation, a Cause Close to His Heart
Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators (2-2) have a bye week before hosting UCF in a sold-out game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Oct. 5.
UF head coach Billy Napier made his weekly appearance on the Southeastern Conference media call Wednesday morning. Napier said the Gators returned to practice on Tuesday and will practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He said the team will make contingency plans should Hurricane Helene impact the region on Thursday when it is expected to make landfall. (Editor's note: Soon after the call ended, UF announced the campus will be closed on Thursday).
"Even if the university is closed, they provide us with parameters in terms our how we meet, practice, and just the safety of the staff and the players,'' Napier said. "We would most likely be in the indoor and our process would stay the same depending on how severe the storms are."
Florida returns home to face UCF following its 45-28 victory at Mississippi State last weekend. UF quarterback Graham Mertz finished 19 of 21 for 201 yards and three touchdown passes as the Gators rolled up 503 yards of total offense. The Manning Award honored Mertz for his best performance of the season.
"We've had a chance to kind of evaluate the first four weeks and a really good practice [Tuesday],'' Napier said. "I think it's important that we take a good look in the mirror and build plans for improvement this week, for not only individual players, position groups and units, [but] the entire team. I thought we took a step forward Saturday against Mississippi State and excited about the plans we have in place to get better here the next couple of days."
Here are some of the topics Napier addressed on the call:
— Florida's running game has been a group effort through four games, with Montrell Johnson Jr., Treyaun Webb, Jadan Baugh and Ja'Kobi Jackson part of the rotation. Johnson suffered and minor knee injury in preseason camp and leads the team in rushing, but Webb, Baugh and Jackson have all played regularly. Jackson scored on a 10-yard run at Mississippi State.
"We're trying to get [Montrell] back into a rhythm there,'' Napier said. "We felt really good about that running back room. I thought in particular Saturday, Treyaun played really fast and physical. Jadan was exception. And Ja'Kobi, you can see where he's got some wiggle. He can make you miss and is very instinctive. It's a good group and we've always been intentional in involving the running back. Jadan Baugh is a little bit more unique, in my opinion, as a pass catcher. He's a guy that we'll definitely be building around for the future." Graham Mertz
— Mertz's performance at Mississippi State was more indicative of the way he played in his first season at UF when he completed 72% of his passes to lead the SEC. Napier said Mertz's breakout game in 2024 was a team effort.
"I think we played well around him. I think we protected him well,'' Napier said. "I thought we got really good play and execution and detail from the tight end, receiver and running back rooms. I thought the staff had a really good plan. I think, ultimately, he played about as good as you can play.
"I expect him to play at that level the rest of the way."
— Missed tackles continue to be an issue for the Gators. Napier was asked the importance of improving in that area with the heart of the schedule coming up, starting against UCF.
The Knights lead all FBS schools in rushing with 375.7 yards per game entering their home game against Colorado on Saturday.
"I think the alignment, assignment and technique are the primary root of the cause,'' Napier said. "I think we have to evaluate teaching, development, practice habits. That's what we've done. The self-scout has revealed that. Very small percentage of the issues are schematic. All hands on deck to get those things fixed, and certainly tackling is the middle of that."
— Napier closed his appearance on the media teleconference with a personal message that is close to his heart.
If you know Napier's backstory, you know his late father Bill Napier, a coaching icon at Murray County High School in Chatsworth, Ga.
"My dad is my greatest influence,'' Napier said when he got the Florida job. "I was able to observe him make a tremendous impact on young people. That's why I chose the profession."
Napier spent Monday night at a fundraiser for the Fixel Institute for Neurological Disorders along with doctors Michael Okun and Kelly Foote.
"Basically, it's a center for research and care for neurological diseases through UF Health,'' Napier said. "I just wanted to say I've been really inspired by the work that is being done over there on campus and the development and evolution of their institute. Obviously, that's personal to me."
Bill Napier died of ALS on Sept. 26, 2017. ALS, Parkinson's Disease and other neurological disorders have increased significantly in recent decades.
"It's the fastest-growing group of diseases in our country, and I think it's critical,'' Napier said.
