GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They talked about it so much in the days leading up to their win over UCF that the message began to be used as ammunition for critics.
Following a pair of deflating and high-profile losses to Miami and Texas A&M and victories over Samford and Mississippi State that did not exactly inspire parades down University Avenue, the Gators insisted they had improved because of their most intense and physical practices of the season over the bye week.
The trolls popped off one-liners on social media and fan message boards.
Sure, whatever. We'll believe it when it snows in Miami. Show us.
"There's a lot of people that doesn't believe in Florida, but it don't really matter,'' sophomore safety Bryce Thornton said. "Whoever is in this building, on this team, we believe in each other."
As their detractors worked overtime, head coach Billy Napier and his staff reshuffled the deck. They pushed the players in highly competitive practices and used all the available tools, such as helmet technology, to improve communication on the field. They then evaluated the practice footage synced with the in-practice dialogue.
Meanwhile, despite rampant speculation about his job status and whether the UCF game might be his last as UF's head coach, Napier appeared unfazed at his regular media sessions and inside the Heavener Training Center.
"I don't know if I've ever seen him have as much fun and be as happy as he has been in the last few weeks,'' center Jake Slaughter said. "He was just hanging out, having fun and being with the guys. At the end of the day, it's out of his hands. He's coaching the same as he's always coached. He's as consistent as a coach as you can ask for."
In their 24-13 victory over the Knights, the Gators played their best game of the season defensively and won back-to-back games for the first time since October 2023. To extend the streak, Florida (3-2, 1-1) will have to knock off No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.
That seemed highly unlikely a week ago, and oddsmakers still see it that way: Florida is a 16.5-point underdog. According to ActionNetwork.com, that is the most Tennessee has been favored over Florida in the last 50 years. Of course, the then-No. 11 Vols were favored a season ago in The Swamp, and the Gators won, 29-16.
Florida has dominated this rivalry over the past two decades, winning 17 of the last 20 meetings. The Gators tangle with a new character in the historic series on Saturday in Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a 6-foot-6 dual-threat who signed with Vols as one of the marquee recruits in the 2023 class. Iamaleava has been named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week twice this season, following wins over NC State and Oklahoma. However, he failed to throw a touchdown for the first time in six career starts in last week's 19-14 loss at Arkansas. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Vols.
"So many self-inflicted wounds,'' Vols coach Josh Heupel said. "We've got to do the ordinary things at a very high level. Last week, we didn't do that."
Still, Napier has seen enough of the Vols — specifically, Iamaleava — to know that the talented quarterback presents a unique challenge for any defense.
"He's a unicorn,'' Napier said. "I don't know how much he weighs, but he's a big athletic [guy] — he's ripping balls in the outside third, 15, 20 yards deep. He's throwing it. All the vertical shots, he's got a big-time arm. He's accurate. He can escape [and] extend.
"A young player who is getting experience, and he'll continue to get better. There is a lot of hype around him, and I think on the tape, you can see why."
After last season, Iamaleava burst onto the scene in the Citrus Bowl when he took over for Joe Milton III, who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Iamaleava was named the game's MVP in Tennessee's win over Iowa and became the first true freshman quarterback for the Vols to win a bowl game since Peyton Manning in 1994.
Thornton, who has started at safety the past two games and sealed the win over UCF with his first career interception, is ready for the defense to build off its performance against the Knights. The Gators limited UCF to 273 total yards, more than 150 yards fewer than opponents averaged (425.5) against Florida in the first four games.
Iamaleava won't make it easy. He has thrown for 1,048 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 66.4% (77 of 116) of his passes. He has added 134 yards rushing and makes many passing plays on the run.
"He's a very good player, especially watching tape,'' Thornton said. "We just have to keep studying and get ready for the game. We're going to try to contain him and make him throw the ball."
The Gators used a ball-control offense to keep Tennessee's up-tempo attack under Heupel grounded a season ago. The Gators owned possession for over 37 minutes, compared to 22:17 for the Vols.
The Gators would gladly use that winning recipe again. Tennessee's offense is ranked fifth nationally (519.0 yards per game), leading the SEC in scoring (46.0). UCF stepped onto Florida Field with similar rankings, and the Gators answered the challenge.
Can they do it again on the road in another high-profile SEC matchup, this time against their longtime rivals?
Defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp has been a believer from the start. He said the Gators are finally starting to show what they can do with their performance against the Knights.
"Gives us confidence and an understanding that we have things to work on, but we can actually get these things done, and that we're not outmanned, that we're not outgunned, and that these teams aren't actually 1,000 times or 100 times better than us,'' Sapp said. I feel like we can compete and win against anybody."
Print Friendly Version
