Struggling Gators face surging Hurricanes

The Florida Gators travel south to face the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday as underdogs in need of a victory (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Miami (3-0) is a 7.5-point home favorite heading into the game, according to ESPN Bet^[1]. Florida (1-2) opened the season with a 55-0 victory over Long Island University but followed it up with losses to USF and LSU, adding to the pressure on head coach Billy Napier.

Napier is listed as the most likely next college football coach to be fired after UCLA’s DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry were let go. According to SportsBetting.ag^[2], Napier is 3.25-to-1 to be the next coach to lose his job.

A victory over a Top 5 team could change the course of Napier’s season.

This week, the Southeastern Conference and the University of Florida announced a three-game suspension for the Gators’ associate head football coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke for his part in a pregame altercation before Florida’s game at LSU.

“Coach Juluke’s actions prior to our game against LSU are not up to the standard of our program,” Napier said. “Coach Juluke is a man of character and has taken full responsibility for his actions. I believe Coach Juluke will learn from this experience and be better for it.”

It’s not the kind of distraction a team in crisis needs.

Napier was on the hot seat last season after two subpar years, but he guided the Gators to an eight-win season and a bowl victory despite a rash of injuries. Napier remains publicly optimistic.

“We’re close to being pretty dangerous,” Napier said. “We could easily be 3-0. Probably a dozen plays away from being 3-0. We have enough talent in that locker room that our best is good enough. I still believe that; we’re going to keep pursuing that.”

Florida’s schedule has few soft spots.

After facing Miami, the Gators are scheduled to host Texas, currently ranked eighth in the nation, then travel to No. 10 Texas A&M. Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida State, all ranked teams, remain on the schedule as well.

And with Florida struggling, there is a lot of noise around the program.

“Outside noise is outside noise,” said offensive lineman Austin Barber. “Everything that matters is in this building and with our staff and our team.”

The Florida offense must improve. The Gators’ defense has allowed just two touchdowns this season, and still, the team is 1-2.

Much of the attention has been paid to quarterback DJ Lagway, who has thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (five) this season. Lagway seemed destined for a breakout season after he tossed 12 touchdowns as a true freshman, but an offseason limited by an injury seems to have set him back dramatically.

If Lagway, the top-ranked prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, struggles early against Miami, will Napier turn the team over to freshman Tramell Jones? The Jacksonville native threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns against LIU.

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