1 pivotal stat shows how putrid the Florida Gators were against Miami Hurricanes, and it says everything about Billy Napier
It’s so unbeleivable that it makes sense.
The Florida Gators are in a catastrophic season in 2025.
Going into the year, they were expecting to be contenders for the College Football Playoff. It was easy to see why, as the trenches on both sides of the football were strong, and quarterback DJ Lagway looked to be a Heisman Trophy contender.
Of those, the offensive line was regarded as the best group of them all going into the year, and that proved to be the case through the first three games. Well, it didn’t last long for head coach Billy Napier‘s squad.
Gators’ offensive line had historically bad performance vs. Hurricanes
We knew that it would be hard for the Gators going into Saturday night against the Miami Hurricanes with Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor on the other side. Well, they didn’t just destroy the Gators’ offensive line; they were catastrophically bad. Per Pro Football Focus, they collectively had a pass blocking grade of 2.3 out of 100.
Yes, out of 100.
It was a brutal performance by the offensive line. It was so bad that two offensive linemen, right tackle Bryce Lovett and right guard Damieon George Jr., had grades of 0.0.
In 29 pass blocking reps, the Gators allowed 23 pressures with two sacks and two quarterback hits. That equates to a pressure rate of 79.3%. A good pressure rate is around 40%, and the Hurricanes nearly doubled that number.
During the course of the game and afterward, the discussion surrounded Lagway, as he threw for just 61 yards. Considering how poor the blocking was, how much can we blame Lagway? How many quarterbacks could not just survive back there, but also make positive plays to help give your team a chance to win?
You could tell throughout the course of the game that Lagway was not comfortable in any sense of the word in the pocket. He was looking quickly at the defensive line to see when the pressure was coming, and didn’t seem to trust his line to make the necessary blocks to keep him upright.
The Gators have found themselves in a tough predicament, which they have been all too familiar with over the last decade. The offense just isn’t producing nearly to the expectations that being the Florida Gators puts on you, as well as for the level of talent on the roster. There isn’t much the Gators can do at this point except push forward and try to improve.
One thing is certain: the Gators have two weeks to get it fixed, and the issue needs to be addressed quickly.
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