Florida coach Billy Napier said Monday he feels his team is "close to being pretty dangerous," as the Gators head into another game against a top-5 opponent in No. 4 Miami this weekend.
The Gators lost to No. 3 LSU 20-10 on Saturday, thanks in large part to the inconsistent play of quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw five interceptions in the game. It was their second straight loss after falling to South Florida at home 18-16 the previous week.
Florida struggled on offense in that game, too, including multiple failed trips inside the red zone that ended up having a big impact on the outcome.
The pressure on Napier is now mounting after those losses. But Napier said he is focused on staying committed to making the necessary adjustments and improvements to get his team playing the way he believes it can play.
"If I didn't feel good about the intangibles of the team, I think that's probably when I would be worried," Napier said. "But this group turned it around and showed up and competed their tail off Saturday. They're a group that knows they're that close. A lot of our guys are doing a heck of a job. We're close to being pretty dangerous, in my opinion."
Napier was then asked how surprised he was with the way the season has started.
"Nothing surprises me anymore. We could easily be 3-0 right now, probably a dozen plays away from being 3-0," Napier said. "You can look at it that way, or you can walk around here with your head hanging down, and that's certainly not what we're going to do, because we've got a football game Saturday night that's going to be an incredible opportunity, great opponent, historic rivalry. That's what you do it for."
The inconsistency on offense has overshadowed what has been a solid defensive performance through three games. Florida has allowed only two touchdowns against its defense all season, but that has not been enough as the Gators offense looks to find better rhythm.
Napier alluded to the time Lagway missed this offseason and during fall camp while rehabbing multiple injuries.
"At this point, we've seen him at his best, and then we've seen him struggle," Napier said. 'The important part is we try to get him back to where he can play winning football, which we know he's very capable of.
"We have to keep things in perspective here, relative to how much experience he has, the offseason that he's been through. It's important to evaluate things from that perspective, and not necessarily on one performance."