It was the happiest of Homecomings for the Florida football team and 89,000 fans who were sick and tired of losing to Kentucky.
The Gators won 48-20 over the Wildcats Saturday night could not have come at a better time for Billy Napier.
Offense – A minus
Freshman QB? Backup tailback? No problem. The Gators ransacked a highly regarded defense, rolling up 452 yards. You want big plays? Lagway averaged 37.0 yards on seven completions. His only hiccup was an interception that was returned 63 yards. The way things were going, Florida could easily live with that.
Defense – A
Things were going that way because the defense continued its rapid evolution. The blown assignments and missed tackles have been replaced by forced turnovers and fourth-down stands. Cormani McClain (remember that 5-star saga?) even returned an interception 29 yards for a TD. It’s hard to believe after how the season started, but UF might really have a respectable defense.
Special Teams – B-minus
A pretty good night was marred by a 99-yard TD return by Barion Brown. It was his fifth kickoff return for a score, an SEC record. Florida never should have never kicked within 30 yards of him. Otherwise, there wasn’t much to complain about.
Coaching – A
There will be no second-guessing Billy Napier this week over iffy calls, sloppy play, disorganization or red-zone failures. His offensive gameplan with Lagway flummoxed Mark Stoops’ defense. Florida’s defense has looked bad against worse offenses. There was none of that Saturday night. Maybe we can stop wondering if Ron Roberts was a blown hire as defensive coordinator.
Overall – A
Considering the precariousness of Napier’s job status and the fact UF was starting a freshman QB against a supposed defensive mastermind, it might have been the most impressive performance of the Napier era. After three straight losses to the Wildcats, if felt and sounded like old times at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Hard to imagine a happier Homecoming.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun’s sports columnist. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DavidEWhitley
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football aces its test against Kentucky
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