GAINESVILLE — Florida coach Billy Napier sprinted toward the south end-zone tunnel at the Swamp, showered by boos rather than basking in the afterglow of a hard-earned victory.
Moments earlier, the Gators sang the school’s alma mater in the stadium’s northeast corner to celebrate a dramatic 23-21 homecoming win against Mississippi State. With the Bulldogs in field-goal range, nose tackle Michai Boireau intercepted Blake Shapen’s pass to the flat at the Florida 29-yard line with 21 seconds remaining.
The play sent their embattled coach out on a winning note, if this proves to be his final game at UF. Saturday’s win almost assuredly is his final game in the Swamp.
Napier sounded like a man resigned to his fate.
“I’m going to enjoy this one tonight,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’ll wake up tomorrow and we’ll worry about what’s next.”
Napier did not shy away from what’s to come, even if it brings to end four seasons filled with more futility than success on the field.
“I’m built for it,” he said. “I’m made for it. I chose the coaching profession. I was called to coach. The good comes with the bad; the bad comes with the good.
“I do think the game’s about the players. I’m proud of the players and the way they played. Never going to make everybody happy. You get these leadership positions; you’re in charge. These are the things that come with it.”
Napier then became a bit choked up and concluded, “I love the game of football. I love the game.”
Florida head coach Billy Napier is 22-23 in four seasons at UF following a 23-21 win against Mississippi State Saturday in the Swamp. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Napier stayed on brand to the end during a hollow homecoming victory.
The 46-year-old entered the day needing a convincing win and instead convinced decision-makers it’s time to move on.
“When exactly?” is the question. But the Gators (3-4, 2-2 SEC) enter a bye week, presenting athletic director Scott Stricklin a window of opportunity to replace Napier and name an interim coach for the remaining five games, beginning Nov. 1 against Georgia in Jacksonville.
Even if Napier remains, he would have to beat the Bulldogs, and then win at Kentucky Nov. 8 and Ole Miss Nov. 15 to return to the sidelines at home.
Napier’s players have not given up on him.
“What’s going on with Coach Nape, what’s up in the air about what everybody is talking about, we stay together,” said tailback Jadan Baugh after rushing for a career-high 150 yards. “Being around football is like a family. I feel like personally Coach Nape is a great coach. He does a great job of keeping us together.”
But against Mississippi State, Napier provided Stricklin little reason to continue down a familiar path of questionable coaching, spotty execution, damaging penalties and a lack of killer instinct against a program that has lost 15 straight SEC games.
The Gators were able to hold on and put away the Bulldogs but nearly squandered an 11-point fourth-quarter lead.
Florida held a 23-14 edge before Mississippi State tailback Davon Booth’s 2-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining. Then Florida used just 21 seconds on three plays: runs of 4 and 5 yards by Baugh followed by an inexplicable rollout by quarterback DJ Lagway leading to a 7-yard sack and a punt.
“We tried to win the game there,” Napier said. “Very similar like the 3rd-and-1 earlier in the game. We called a movement pass, hit Aidan Mizell.
“Sometimes they work; sometimes they don’t work.”
The Gators entered Saturday as 10-point favorites but quickly fell behind 7-0 after the Bulldogs (4-3, 0-3) scored on their opening possession.
Mississippi State failed to build on its success as Florida’s defense stiffened despite missing several starters to injury and relying on unproven players.
Head Coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators talks with DJ Lagway #2 of the Florida Gators during the first half of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Yet Lagway and the Gators could not capitalize to pull away from the Bulldogs, turning Saturday’s contest into another battle until the end under Napier.
A 1-yard run by redshirt freshman tailback KD Daniels out of the Wildcat formation extended the Gators’ lead to 20-7, marking Florida’s first fourth-quarter points in five games.
Mississippi State responded with a five-play, 65-yard drive, highlighted by 46-yard completion from Shapen to Brenen Thompson to UF’s 7. The completion was one of three longer than 45 yards by Shapen, who finished with 324 yards but was sacked four times and threw the game-ending interception.
“I saw the quarterback looking at me because I read the quarterback’s eyes,” Boireau said of the game-winning play. “Saw that ball coming to me, put my hands up and caught it. I knew what I had to do.”
Meanwhile, Lagway was alternately accurate and erratic, finishing 20 of 34 for 280 yards with 2 interceptions. The sophomore opened Florida’s fourth series with a 50-yard completion to Vernell Brown III but threw a pick on the next pass when he locked in on tight end Hayden Hansen down the field.
Lagway also threw an interception on UF’s final possession of the first half to cost his team a chance to build on a 13-7 lead.
“He made a lot of plays,” Napier said. “Close to having a big day.”
The series to end the half appeared ill-fated from the start because of Napier’s conservative play-calling.
The Gators took over on their 25 with 1:36 remaining and no timeouts. But they opened with a 2-yard run by Baugh and gained 27 yards on seven plays prior to Lagway’s interception.
Florida’s previous series ended with a 54-yard field goal by Trey Smack but was a comedy of errors. A quarterback keeper by Lagway on 3rd-and-7 set up Smack for a 33-yard attempt, but a delay-of-game followed by a 15-yard personal foul on guard Damieon George pushed Smack to long range.
Smack added a 53-yard field goal for a 23-14 lead after a 15-yard pass interference by true freshman receiver Dallas Wilson stalled a Gators’ drive.
“Trey Smack has ice in his veins,” Napier said.
Napier maintained his composure, too.
An idyllic autumn game day in the Swamp didn’t turn truly ugly until the end. Boos were directed Napier’s way more than once, but not like those that awaited him as he exited Steve Spurrier-Florida Field for presumably the final time.
If it was, he will suffer a fate similar to Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. The school fired Fisher in November 2023 after he beat Mississippi State 51-10, paying him a record buyout of $77 million.
Napier would be due around $21 million, with half of it paid within 30 days. He was thinking about much simpler pleasures Saturday night.
“I’m going to go take a deep breath,” he said, “get something good to eat, prop my feet up in the house, hug on the kids, Miss Ali [his wife], then tomorrow I’m going to wake up and we’ll think about the next one.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
Originally Published: October 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM EDT