Billy Napier explains decision that made the Gators lose to Tennessee Vols

Florida football coach Billy Napier explained his decision not to attempt a 2-point conversion to secure a win in regulation during Saturday’s game against Tennessee.

 

The Florida Gators (3-3, 1-2 SEC) were down 17-16 when freshman quarterback DJ Lagway threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike with just 27 seconds left in the game.

 

Napier initially lined up for a 2-point conversion in a swinging gate formation, prompting Tennessee to use a timeout. However, following the timeout, Napier opted to send Trey Smack out for an extra point, which he successfully kicked to tie the game at 17.

 

In his post-game comments, Napier stated, “We had a play we liked, and then they called a timeout. From the 3-yard line, I felt we were playing well on both sides, so I decided to go for overtime and give our guys a chance to play more. I thought our defense was holding up well, so I wasn’t ready to go for it at that moment.”

 

In overtime, Florida lost four yards on its first possession, forcing Smack to attempt a 46-yard field goal, which went wide right. Tennessee then moved 25 yards to clinch the game with a 1-yard touchdown run by Dylan Sampson.

 

Regarding red zone struggles, Napier noted that an illegal substitution penalty that negated a 42-yard field goal at the end of the first half stemmed from an injured player who failed to exit the field. “It was a substitution issue due to an injured player not coming off,” he explained.

 

On a crucial fourth-and-inches play where Eugene Wilson III was tackled for a loss, Napier described it as a read-option play executed by Lagway. “We had everyone blocked, but the defender covering Tre made a great play and tackled him. It was a solid physical tackle,” he added.

 

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