Now, he returns to a Louisiana field for the first time since taking the Florida job with plenty of pressure on his shoulders.Ī win for the Gators inside Death Valley at night would ease a lot of tension. There were certainly plenty of fans in the Bayou that wanted him to lead their team. Napier, who previously led Louisiana, had to be bothered that LSU barely gave him a look as its next coach. There is also the coaching storyline to consider.
As does LSU, which is seeking to bounce back from a loss at Alabama against its toughest remaining opponent the Tigers should coast in their final two games of the season. In what might be the penultimate meeting of the Gators and LSU Tigers as annual rivals, Florida badly needs the win. Florida enters Saturday coming off a shocking upset all three of its remaining games this season are against top 19 opponents, including two on the road. The Gators’ failures of a year ago started with a shocking upset they lost three straight - two against top 16 teams - to conclude the 2022 season. Stuck at five wins with the hope of bowl eligibility fading into the background with each passing week, Florida is in danger of ending a season on a losing streak for the second straight campaign under head coach Billy Napier. The collective back of the Florida Gators is against the wall.
