Billy Napier Apologizes For Bench Clearing Brawl After Victory Over FSU

The Florida Gators head coach called the postgame shenanigans unacceptable.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier participates during Gator Walk at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024 before the game against the University of Mississippi. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles ended their season 2-10 in a 31-11 loss against rival Florida. Emotions run high in any rivalry, but Florida vs. Florida State is an especially intense game and historic contest. After the loss, Florida Ppayers planted a flag at mid-field, which caused a bench-clearing brawl where everyone, including staff members, were involved.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier immediately addressed the incident during his post-game press conference, calling the actions of his team "embarrassing" to him and the program and apologizing for how his players represented the university. He also said that there will be consequences for those involved.

READ MORE: Florida State Seminoles, Florida Gators Brawl Following Sunshine Showdown

"Obviously, what happened there at the end of the game is not who we want to be as a program, and it's embarrassing to me, and it's a distraction from a really well-played football game," Napier said of the skirmish. "I want to apologize on behalf of the entire organization just in terms of how we represented the university there. We shouldn't have done that, and we won't do that going forward. There'll be consequences for all involved. It's unfortunate that we have a distraction that, again, is inexcusable."

During the brawl, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell became enraged while picking the flag up and throwing it across the field. A lot of fans have been complaining all season that Norvell hasn't shown enough passion and were happy that the same emotion from the ACC Championship Team just a season ago returned.

While FSU has won the last two matchups against Florida, the stinging loss to them this year was particularly painful for the team due to Florida State's record and how they played on Saturday night. The 'Noles will have to reset and reload with the early signing period closing in fast.

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READ MORE: Florida State Concludes 2024 Season With 31-11 Loss In Sunshine Showdown

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