Florida vs. Miami score, takeaways: Gators embarrassed in opener; Billy Napier’s seat set on fire

Image Credit: Alex de la Osa / UAA

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier entered the 2024 season firmly on the hot seat. With one game in the books, Napier’s job and the program itself is officially enduring a five-alarm fire. Florida was embarrassed 41-17 by the No. 19 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, with as pathetic an effort as any UF team has mustered in recent memory when playing in the friendly confines of Florida Field.

The Gators snapped their NCAA-best 34-game winning streak in home openers dating back to 1990, lost for the first time when starting a campaign against a ranked team in The Swamp (3-1) and gave up more points in a home opener than ever before in the 117-year history of the team. Far worse was the method in which Florida lost: It was never truly competitive in the game.

Miami moved up and down the field with ease; UF could barely move the ball. There were hardly any noticeable changes to a Gators team that needed to be fully revamped after disastrous conclusions to each of the last two seasons including some of the worst defense played in program history.

“I don’t have a ton of excuses,” Napier said before pointing out that the Canes straight outplayed and outcoached the Gators. “I mean, it’s embarrassing to be quite honest with you. … We have to do better. [I’ll] keep it simple. That’s how I feel.”

Let’s take a look at what once again went wrong for Florida as its season began with as big a thud as any could have imagined in The Swamp.

The more things change … actually, they didn’t

Napier worked his ass off attempting to sell a particular narrative throughout the offseason: Florida had made such significant strides in all phases — experience, talent, coaching, staffing — that the Gators entered the season better positioned than ever during his tenure to deliver victories and put together a successful campaign.

It all appears to have, ultimately, been a bunch of bullshit. Sure, Florida was a far more experienced squad with a higher team talent rating than a year ago. Yes, Napier hired the architect of the defense he has chosen to run (Ron Roberts) to oversee his overmatched coordinator (Austin Armstrong). Those elements hardly mattered once the whistle sounded and the ball was kicked off.

What Gators fans — and the nation — saw Saturday was the same offensive play caller (who anyone with eyes knew needed to give up those responsibilities) using the same unimaginative playbook making the same situational play calling mistakes. They saw a defense that is just as easily beatable on the ground as it is through the air. They saw veteran players making the same disciplinary mistakes that cost Florida so dearly in multiple games last season.

Calling out the Gators’ numerous mistakes week by week last year became so repetitive that even a casual observer would have assumed that Napier would give up play calling duties while hiring a true offensive coordinator, completely change his failed defense, bring in an on-field special teams coordinator and — after taking a wholesale look at the program — realize he needs to simply do things differently to actually find success as the leader of this team. Napier did none of it.

Florida could barely move the ball amassing 261 total yards while going a combined 2 of 11 on third and fourth down. The Gators could not stop the Canes allowing 529 total yards, 25 first downs and 5 of 10 conversions on third down. UF’s defense gave up 33+ points against an opponent playing its normal starting quarterback for a sixth straight game.

Editor’s note: Long-time readers have become accustomed to a detailed breakdown of every game in this space. Saturday’s result was so definitive that Only Gators believes it best to signal key points of failure and success rather than dive into each aspect of the game.

Potentially devastating injuries

Florida entered Saturday’s game as healthy as ever for a season opener. It did not leave the same way.

Redshirt senior quarterback Graham Mertz took a major hit — after releasing the ball, an uncalled roughing the passer — while throwing an interception in the third quarter. Mertz, who saw a career resurgence last season with the Gators, went to the locker room and did not return. It appeared to be an upper-body injury, and Napier announced after the game that Mertz is officially in the concussion protocol.

Redshirt senior safety Asa Turner, a transfer from Washington who was expected to solidify the secondary, suffered a lower-body injury on the opening drive of the third quarter. The non-contact injury (never a good sign) came as he got turned around in coverage with his cleat planted in the grass. Turner stopped his pursuit on the play and crumpled down onto the field.

What went wrong

• Two roughing the passer penalties helped Miami score 11 additional points in the first half. Redshirt junior EDGE Justus Boone, in his first action since missing the 2023 season, killed a third-down stop in the red zone on Miami’s first drive by shoving Hurricanes starter Cam Ward after his release. Miami scored two plays later, an effective 4-point swing. Redshirt senior defensive back DJ Douglas followed suit in the second quarter with UM easily finding the end zone on the drive.
• Just as Florida finally found the end zone on an explosive play before halftime (see below), its porous defense allowed Miami to fire back with a 75-yard drive to retake a 14-point lead. The Canes then opened the second half with a matching 75-yard drive to lead by 21 and put the game out of reach.
• Napier’s situational play calling remained atrocious. He ran on second-and-10 in the first quarter before calling a play with a checkdown to the short side of the field on third-and-7. This with Florida around the Miami 40-yard-line. Of course, both failed. He then wasted the Gators’ downfield momentum in the second quarter with a third-and-5 run at the UM 42 followed by a fourth-down call that had no chance of being executed, gifting a short field for no reason in what (at the time) was a one-score game at home.
• Florida required a timeout on a dead ball change of possession following a kickoff to prevent a delay of game penalty in the second quarter.
• The Gators converted just 1 of 9 third downs and 1 of 2 fourth downs. Meanwhile, their defense allowed the Canes to go 5 of 10 on third down.

What went right

• Junior linebacker Shemar James grabbed a terrific interception as Miami appeared set to drive the field. It ultimately resulted in the Gators’ first points of the game, a 41-yard field goal from junior kicker Trey Smack.
• Sophmore LB Grayson Howard made a couple strong open-field tackles, one saving a huge gain and another preventing a touchdown.
• Senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. and redshirt senior center Jake Slaughter (downfield blocking) combined for an excellent 71-yard rushing touchdown late in in the first half that gave Florida life by cutting its deficit in half. Unfortunately, Miami scored eight plays later.
• There were no notable issues on special teams.

👀🐊🏈Let's Ride. Montrell Johnson Jr. takes the handoff 71 yards to the house to break open scoring for the Florida #Gators and cut their deficit in half in The Swamp. pic.twitter.com/qxN9xf1THS

— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) August 31, 2024

The DJ Lagway experience

It was teased throughout the offseason that freshman QB DJ Lagaway — a five-star prospect ranked as the top signal caller in the country — would have a package of plays and be utilized throughout games alongside Mertz. That never transpired over the first three quarters of Saturday’s game. Instead, he was thrust into action only after Mertz got injured.

Lagway went three-and-out in his first series with the Canes clearly attempting to pressure him. However, he flashed on a nine-play, 58-yard touchdown drive against Miami’s first-team defense midway through the fourth quarter. He made multiple nice throws and used a 16-yard run to extend the drive before sophomore RB Treyaun Webb found pay dirt.

Lagway did throw an interception on his third series, but it was completely happenstance. He was hit as he threw the ball and it literally landed in the lap of a player who was already on the grass.

Odds & ends

Florida fell to 27-30 all-time against Miami with a 2-2 mark in the last four regular-season meetings since 2008. UM broke a tie now leading the series 12-13 since 1971 … the Gators snapped an NCAA-best 34-game winning streak in home openers that dated back to 1990. UF is now 72-6 all-time when opening the season in Gainesville … Saturday marked the first time in program history that Florida opened three straight seasons against ranked opponents … this was the second time in history that an unranked Florida team played a ranked Miami team; the programs are now 1-1 in such scenarios with UF getting a win in 1959 …

Florida fell to 9-5 at home under Napier. It is 2-7 on the road and 0-3 in neutral-site games .. the Gators under Napier are 3-10 when opponents score first, 1-8 when scoring less than 21 points, 4-15 when allowing 21+ points, 1-13 when tied or trailing after the third quarter and 2-10 when being outrushed … Florida is 2-11 against AP Top 25 teams under Napier. That drought extends to 8-19 against ranked opponents (2-7 vs. top five teams, 5-11 vs. top 10 teams) since 2018. In that same span, UF is 37-12 against unranked opponents … the Gators have scored in 449 consecutive games, an NCAA record

What it means

Nothing good. In the first game of the 2024 season — after failing on five straight opportunities to clinch bowl eligibility at the end of the 2023 campaign — Florida put forward a stinker. The Gators have now lost consecutive season openers and six straight games overall. Florida has not won a football game in 322 days. The program, which has already amassed three straight losing seasons for the first time since 1945-47, may well be looking at a fourth unless there is marked improvement over the next two weeks.

One week does not a season make. It is quite possible that the Hurricanes are better than anticipated and the Gators will prove to have more fight and success against other notable programs as the season progresses. Florida has messed the bed before — or played poorly at the end of games — under Napier only to bounce back markedly the next time it faced a significant challenge.

Still, Napier has officially moved to the end of his leash. He will not be fired Sunday. Should UF lose in a similar, pathetic fashion to Texas A&M in Week 3, a change could certainly come at that juncture. However, with an early off week and winnable games over the first half of the season, it’s unlikely any decision is made until the second off week ahead of the Georgia game. Focus over the following two weeks should be on improving the program, not Napier’s job status, though the latter will be what all talking heads discuss.

What’s next?

Given the way Florida played Saturday, its Week 2 showdown may mark one of only a few win possibilities this season. The Gators welcome Samford to The Swamp on Saturday, Sept. 7 or a 7 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will air live nationally only on SEC Network+.