Embattled Florida head coach Billy Napier entered Saturday’s contest against Mississippi State needing a win. Multiple reports indicate Napier will be fired if the Gators lose a fifth game this season.
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The Gators raced out to a 13-7 lead against the Bulldogs after two quarters, but fans were not pacified by the product on the field. By halftime, Florida fans began chanting for the program to “fire Napier.”
The Gators prevailed after four quarters, defeating Mississippi State 23-21 in front of 90,203 fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
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During his postgame news conference, Napier had a thankful message for the crowd, thanking them for making a positive impact on his players on the field.
“I think it was awesome in there today,” Napier said, via a post on X from Noah Ram of USA Today. “I think the fans were incredible. I do think that they helped our players get it done.”
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Florida’s fans were both hostile to Napier and to Mississippi State. Gators fans were hopeful the program would make a change before the bye in Week 9.
It remains to be seen if Saturday’s win changes the timeline of a potential coaching change for Gators athletic director Scott Strickland. There has been reported movement behind the scenes in Gainesville, though it’s unclear if the program planned to make a move if Napier earned a win against the Bulldogs.
Napier acknowledged that this week has been hard for his players due to distractions surrounding the program.
“Just really proud of the group, with the way they’ve handled last week was tough, and they showed up to work,” Napier said. “And I think for young people to be able to eliminate distractions and show up and do very hard work… It’s not easy what we asked these guys to do, but they were well prepared, and they showed up and played.”
Florida will next play No. 9 Georgia on Nov. 1. The Gators are 3-4 on the season.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.