The Gators closed the season on a four-game win streak, including a dominant win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl
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Billy Napier wouldn’t have said so publicly before the season began, but if you could get him to let down his coach facade and be honest, you probably could’ve made him admit he’d be happy with an 8-5 record.
After watching his team lose home games to Miami and Texas A&M to start the year 1-2, he may have even settled for less.
Turns out, he didn’t have to. With a dominant 33-8 win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl, Napier’s Gators ended the season on a four-game winning streak to finish 8-5. That stretch included a victory over Ole Miss that knocked the Rebels out of playoff contention and a victory over LSU that hammered the final nail into the Tigers’ disappointing 2024 season.
Three of Florida’s losses came to teams in the College Football Playoff, a fact that might sound like consolation to some. But in Gainesville, where the expectation is to compete for playoff spots, it serves as a reminder of how far the program has to go.
A bowl win over a shorthanded Tulane team — one missing key players, including starting quarterback Darian Mensah — doesn’t prove the Gators are ready to contend. Still, there’s a lot more optimism heading into this offseason than there was a year ago.
Why am I confident Napier would’ve taken an 8-5 record before the year began? Because Florida went 5-7 last season after finishing 6-7 in 2022. Napier entered 2024 with one of the hottest seats in the country. After a 24-point home loss to Miami and a 13-point defeat to Texas A&M, many assumed his chances of making it through the season were slim — especially with the back half of the schedule looming.
Things didn’t get any easier when starting quarterback Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending injury in the loss to Tennessee. But that misfortune had a silver lining: it opened the door for D.J. Lagway, the five-star freshman and No. 3 recruit in the 2024 class. Lagway’s season had its ups and downs, but his talent and potential were clear. His commitment to returning next season solidified Napier’s job security as well.
That stability is already paying dividends. Florida closed the early signing period with the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation and picked up key transfers, including receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who should add a valuable deep threat to the passing game next year.
It’s just a Gasparilla Bowl win, but the vibes in Gainesville are unmistakably brighter heading into the holidays. This year, when Gators fans wish each other a Happy New Year, they might actually mean it.
