Florida Peaking At The Right Time

Head coach Billy Napier has had a rocky first season in Gainesville, but the Florida Gators seem to be playing their best football as of late.

Florida won't blow anyone away on paper. The Gators (5-4) have had an odd season, once touted as a top-15 team and now clawing to finish bowl eligible.

Head coach Billy Napier knows he has a talented team but repeatedly emphasizes that talent only goes so far. They struggled with consistency issues in all three phases early, which led to an eventful October.

They appear to be a different team each week. Quarterback Anthony Richardson became the early Heisman favorite after a primetime upset of then No. 7 Utah in week one, and the next week the Gators looked lost against Kentucky.

However, Napier feels confident they have righted things and are "turning the corner." By glancing at their past three outings, you wouldn't think that, but the on-field product reflects the talk.

• October 15: Loss to LSU, 45-35
• October 29: Loss to Georgia, 42-20
• November 5: Win over Texas A&M, 41-24

Many will laugh this off, suggesting that a 1-2 stretch means nothing. It's important to consider the Gators played two top-10 teams in that stretch and got out to early deficits.

Lesser teams would have rolled over and conceded defeat, but Florida clawed their way back into those games. They had a puncher's chance to make things interesting against Georgia; things just didn't go their way.

They haven't turned the ball over in a month, a pivotal stat for a team who nearly topped the conference in turnovers to start the season. Richardson looks much more comfortable, and the offensive rhythm is peaking with this dominant run game.

The defense is still in flux, as they dismissed edge rusher Brenton Cox. Cox was an NFL-caliber player who made multiple impact plays from his spot, so his absence is notable.

However, they play fast and aggressively, a good combination for any SEC football team. The Gators have the talent to remain competitive in this football game; in fact, they are early favorites to win.

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