What Gators' Head Coach Billy Napier Said at SEC Coaches' Teleconference

As Florida inches closer to its matchup against Mississippi State, find out what head coach Billy Napier had to say at the weekly conference coaches' teleconference.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before the start of the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Gators won 45-7. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the Florida Gators' first game away from the Swamp against the Mississippi State Bulldogs just days away, UF head coach Billy Napier on Wednesday spoke on the weekly SEC coaches' teleconference.

Here's what he had to say ahead of the matchup.

What Gators' HC Billy Napier Had to Say

In a seven-minute session, Napier opened his portion of the teleconference by explaining the brief challenges that first-year Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, an offensive-minded coach, and the Bulldogs create as a whole.

"Obviously, Coach Lebby has done a fantastic job throughout his career," Napier said. "I've known him for a long time. He's got a brilliant offensive mind. He's worked with some really good coaches in the past, and I think they've got the tempo issues, they create on offense and then certainly a ton of variables on defense. And, overall, the team speed is really good. So special teams will be some challenges there. There's a lot of players that pop off the tape from a team speed standpoint."

During his Monday press conference, Napier mentioned trying to fix the team's mental errors and technique issues that he saw on tape against Texas A&M and explained that a lot of the mistakes Florida makes in games are uncharacteristic of what they've seen in practice.

As a result, the team has placed an extra emphasis on the scout team environment and making those reps as realistic as possible. Additionally, the team is working on its "between the play process" defensively.

"So, between the play process has been a big point of emphasis," he explained. "We've tried to improve the scout team environment relative to the quality of that work and those reps. And, you know, I think we got to recreate the game for the players, and then we we need to have an environment that is conducive to creating good habits that can hold up on game day, and I think that's what the focus has been this week."

Napier was also asked about at what point do the Gators have to lean more on the passing game to improve the offense, especially after a lackluster rushing performance against Texas A&M.

"I think within each game, I think you have a pulse for your ability to play with a balance and to rush the ball at times, but I think the matchups are different each week, right?" Napier said. "I think the individual player matchups, and then also that unit as a whole, upfront and on the edges. I think all those things contribute kind of how you approach the game."

Rounding out his session, Napier was asked, once again, about how the team handles blocking out the outside noise.

"A wise coach once told me that you need the right combination of humility and enthusiasm," he explained. "You know, I think when you are having success, the challenge is to keep your humility, and then when you have failure, the challenge is to keep the enthusiasm. So, our ability to continue with the same enthusiasm independent of the result."

Florida (1-2) @ Mississippi State (1-2)

Florida's road-opener against Mississippi State kicks off at noon EST with television coverage on ESPN. The Gators are currently 6.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel.