BATON ROUGE, La. — At one point of Florida football’s 52-35 loss at LSU, Tigers’ quarterback Jayden Daniels playfully struck a Heisman pose on his team’s sideline.
On the other side of the field, Billy Napier’s Gators (5-5, 3-4 SEC) were picking up the pieces and searching for answers. UF kept it close into the fourth quarter but could not keep up with a video-game offense led by a human joystick.
Here are 3 things learned Saturday night in Tiger Stadium:
Florida’s defense is getting worse by the week
The most explosive player in college football squared off against one of the SEC’s worst defenses. Each experienced record-setting results.
Daniels became the first FBS player with 350-plus passing yards (372) and 200 rushing yards (234) during a single game as the Gators allowed a school record 701 yards. The Tigers (7-3, 5-2) averaged 11.5 yards per play.
Ranked 10th nationally in total defense after Week 4, the Gators have since been in a precipitous decline.
While Saturday night was a historical low point, Daniels and Co. are the best attack Florida has faced. Yet no opposing offense has faced much resistance for some time.
The Gators allowed 39 points during four straight games for the first time since World War I. A week after Arkansas racked up 39 points and 481 yards during an upset win in the Swamp, the Razorbacks managed just 255 yards during a 48-10 drubbing by Auburn at home.
Napier provided a laundry list of reasons for the Gators’ free fall while defending coordinator Austin Armstrong. The 30-year-old has gone from being viewed as a wunderkind to some wondering whether he is over his head.
“The unit’s performance is a reflection of a lot of people, not one guy,” Napier said. “It’s position coaches. It’s analysts. It’s GAs. It’s the scout offense. It’s the head coach. It’s the strength coach.”
Add Florida’s players to the list.
Daniels had eons to throw, slipped too many tackles and strolled through a secondary lacking physicality.
An infusion of defensive talent is imperative, and seemingly pending. The 2024 class features plenty of talented defenders to join a 2023 class with several promising players gaining valuable experience, including ends Kelby Collins and TJ Searcy and defensive backs Jordan Castell and Ja’Keem Jackson.
Yet one of the plums of the upcoming class, Mississippi’s Jamonta Waller, added insult to injury when the nation’s No. 5 edge rusher flipped his commitment to Auburn during the LSU game. If a continued exodus ensues, fixing the ‘D’ won’t be easy.
Keep Trevor Etienne happy
The sophomore tailback is Florida’s best playmaker and built for big moments.
The sophomore star turned a hat trick during his first trip to Tiger Stadium, scoring 3 touchdowns while rushing for 99 yards despite splitting time with junior Montrell Johnson Jr.
The two Louisiana natives combined for 239 yards from scrimmage during their homecoming.
Johnson showcased his toughness and versatility to compile 70 yards rushing and 65 receiving. Etienne displayed another gear, combined with vision and cutting ability few possess.
The Gators cannot afford for his eyes to wander toward a better opportunity in the age of transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness.
A winning program with deep pockets and a hole at tailback is sure to pursue Etienne. In addition to Florida, his top five schools included Clemson, where his brother Travis starred; and LSU, 90 miles east of his native Jennings; plus Georgia and Alabama — the nation’s top two programs.
Etienne will have options. On Napier’s long list of offseason priorities, the 19-year-old should be his top recruit.
Resilience is the best thing the Gators got going
Like Gainesville native Tom Petty, these Gators do not back down.
It says something about the second-year coach’s culture that his players show fight, battle back from deficits and give Florida a chance. Napier’s team led LSU only 1:07 of game time, but were nip-and-tuck with the Tigers until well into the fourth quarter.
Stopping LSU three times from the 1 to keep the score tied at 7-7 was a moment to build on.
“It says a lot about our heart, our mentality, and how far we’ve really come as a team and even as just a defense,” veteran linebacker Derek Wingo said.
Driving 70 yards late with the game decided was another sign of resolve, although the Gators failed to score.
“I never thought it slipped away until right at the end,” quarterback Graham Mertz. said. “These guys are never gonna quit. You saw that in the last drive.”
Florida’s fight is laudable. Yet continually coming up short also says something about coaching, talent and the quality of opponents in the SEC.
If Napier tweaks his staff, shifts his offensive philosophy, stocks talent and maintains this fight-to-the-finish ethos, the Gators might be able to get back on track.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
