Billy Napier Ripped By CFB Fans Despite Graham Mertz, Florida's Win vs. UCF

The Florida Gators defeated the University of Central Florida Knights 24-13 on Saturday, led by quarterback Graham Mertz, who completed 19 of 23 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

Despite the Gators' win, which improves their record to 3-2, fans are frustrated with head coach Billy Napier and his team's lackluster efforts in the second half.

In his third year with the Gators, Napier has a 13-16 record and achieved a career-high AP poll ranking of No. 12 in 2022.

There is plenty of excitement surrounding the program with Mertz's hot play and the ability to get quarterback DJ Lagway into the mix, who went a perfect 4-for-4 on completions for 50 yards on Saturday on top of Mertz's performance.

However, fans are questioning how much longer the Gators can stay afloat with a head coach who seems to lack fire in his and his offense's play calling during the second half.

This isn't the first time Napier has faced criticism for taking his foot off the gas. Last week, he received similar backlash after the Gators led the Mississippi State Bulldogs 28-14 at halftime. Coming out of the break, Florida added 17 points while allowing the Bulldogs to score 14.

Florida fans are excited about the Gators' early success but are definitely concerned about how much longer they can maintain it under Napier's timidly led offense.

The Gators will face No. 4 ranked Tennessee next Saturday, following the Volunteers' upset loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks.