Homecoming arrives as Billy Napier's end nears (Ep. 303)

Hope springs eternal as the Gators prepare for the Florida-Georgia game. The Billy Napier era is over. Interim coach Billy Gonzales has made changes to ignite the SEC’s lowest-scoring offense, upset the Bulldogs and ultimately salvage the 2025 season. All eyes, though, are on who’ll become Florida’s next coach. Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin tops the list by a country mile with the fan base. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar look under the hood of the Lane Train and discuss a host of intriguing candidates, some realistic options and others complete non-starters. Billy Gonzalez: Green dot helmet (0:00) Why would Lane Kiffin come to Gainesville? (7:52) How much will it cost to get Kiffin? (13:42) Kiffin: Good and bad (16:42) Jeff Brohm: Next in line (29:32) James Franklin: Turns floundering programs around (31:05) Eli Drinkwitz: Grown up in offensive world (33:25) Marcus Freeman: Unlikely to leave Notre Dame for UF (36:16) Jedd Fisch: Loves the Gators (39:22) Alex Golesh (41:56) Brent Key: Strong Florida ties (44:28) Kenny Dillingham: Not on Florida’s radar (46:28) Rhett Lashlee: A lot of moxie (48:33) Nonstarters (50:28) GM hire? (52:07) Game picks (55:35) Jeremy Foley’s Corner: UF baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan takes leave (1:00:49)

Billy Napier was let go as the Gators turned the page on a failed four-year tenure ending with a 22-23 record and on track for a third losing season. UF is banking on longtime receivers coach Billy Gonzales to inspire a talented roster and ignite a lackluster offense during the remaining five regular-season games. All eyes, though, are on who will replace Napier at season’s end, with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin atop everyone’s wish list. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar weigh in on a decision everyone could see coming, how the Gators got here and what direction AD Scott Stricklin should go to resurrect an iconic program and brand picking up the pieces once again. Billy Napier on brand until the end (0:00) What Billy has built: Legacy good for UF (5:00) Transactional coaching in 2025 (8:12) Napier: ‘I love the game of football’ (10:31) Behind the scenes: Napier had an edge (13:28) AD Scott Stricklin: Napier’s decisions brought us here (15:35) Napier issue or talent issue? (20:22) Stricklin: Next person is taking keys to real kingdom  (25:36) Interim coach Billy Gonzalez (28:04) Players’ thoughts (36:30) Who is the next coach and how much will he make?(42:05) Lane Kiffin next UF coach? (45:12) If not Kiffin, who? (48:32) Next coach MUST energize fanbase and donors (50:19) Coaching long shots: Nick Sabin, Jon Gruden (53:03) Timeline for hiring coach (55:22) Keep Gonzalez to keep players (59:22)

Florida hosts Mississippi State during what some suspect and many hope is a homecoming send-off for Billy Napier. The Gators are 9.5-point favorites, but the Bulldogs are no pushovers, either. If UF athletic director Scott Stricklin’s alma mater pulls an upset, he’ll have an easy decision. A Gators’ win will make the timing of Napier’s inevitable ouster trickier. Either way, Napier’s time at UF is coming to a close. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar discuss the drama in Gainesville, along with Saturday’s matchup. Gators host Mississippi State (0:00) The final chapters of the Billy Napier book (3 :35) Reason for optimism (5:07) Reason for pessimism (7:32) Matchup offense (10:13) Matchup defense (12:26) Attention paid: Scott Stricklin (14:38) On the spot (21:21) Unsubstantiated rumor (25:37) Final thought (30:11) Game picks (37:14) Jeremy Foley’s Corner (43:11)

The Gators could not sustain their fast start during a 34-17 loss at Texas A&M, but did have their chances against the No. 5 Aggies before faltering. The loss followed a familiar script, featuring predictable play calling and questionable decision-making, to drop Billy Napier’s team to 0-14 against ranked teams away from Gainesville. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark struggle to find many positives from UF’s latest performance as the end draws nearer for Napier. Gators run out of steam (0:58) Turning point (3:54) Thumbs-up (8:31) Thumbs-down (12:36) Second-guess (17:39) Game ball (24:56) Billy’s banter (28:44) Locker-room view (30:55) Final thought: Firing season (7:59) Jeremy Foley’s Corner (45 :28)

Coming off a home win against Texas, Florida looks to build on its best performance of the season with a visit to No. 5 Texas A&M. The Aggies are playing as well as any team in the SEC, highlighted by a last-second win at Notre Dame. A&M also has one of the nation’s best home-field advantages. Kyle Field will be nearly 110,000 strong as the Gators seek their first road win against a ranked team under Napier. Meanwhile, quarterback DJ Lagway looks to make a memorable return to the Lone Star State against a school located just 75 minutes from where he grew up. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark preview what shapes up to be Napier’s biggest game as a head coach. Heading into Texas A&M (0:00) Reason for optimism: Can Gators take this game? (3:24) Reason for pessimism: History best indicator of the future (5:46) Matchup offense (8:10) Matchup defense (12:07) Attention paid (15:53) On the spot: DJ Lagway (19:01) Final thought (22:48) Game picks (28:34) Jeremy Foley’s Corner  (35:23)

Florida’s 29-21 win against Texas ended a three-game skid and gave the Gators something to build on. Billy Napier remains firmly on the hot seat, but the must-win gave the Gators a jolt of momentum heading to No. 5 Texas A&M and their coach a chance to save himself. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar discuss an electric day in the Swamp and the Gators’ most complete performance of 2025. Gators end 3-game skid (0:00) Turning point (2:02) Thumbs-up (5:28) Thumbs-down (8:59) Second-guess (12:16) Game ball (18:22) Billy’s banter (21:13) DJ Lagway (26:14) Player takes (27:49) Final thoughts (30:45) Jeremy Foley’s Corner (35:42)

It’s only October, but time is running out on Florida coach Billy Napier and the 1-3 Gators. Things don’t get any easier, either. After consecutive losses to Top 5 teams, UF hosts No. 9 Texas, a 2024 CFB semifinalist and preseason No. 1. But the Longhorns have their own issues, beginning with quarterback Arch Manning. The preseason Heisman favorite has failed to live up to expectations so far, similar to DJ Lagway for the Gators. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar discuss an intriguing matchup featuring two young QBs searching for answers and a coach hanging on by a thread. Texas coming into Swamp: Iconic (0:00) Reason for optimism (4:24) Reason for pessimism (10:15) Matchup offense (14:09) Matchup defense (17:17) Attention paid (20:08) On the spot (27:15) Unsubstantiated rumor (31:46) Final thought (37:20) Pick games (41:23) Jeremy Foley’s Corner (50:00)

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway attacked the bye week following a forgettable September. He now aims to lead an October turnaround and save Billy Napier’s job. Lagway and Co. face a tall order: The Gators are last in scoring among Power Four teams against FBS foes. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark wonder whether Florida’s offensive woes can be fixed before Lagway’s sophomore season is lost. Getting to the root of DJ’s problems (0:00) “An itch to scratch on offense” (11:14) Play calling (12:16) Adapting your personnel (19:35) Texas expectations (25:59)

The Gators suffered an offensive collapse for the ages in South Florida to fall to 1-3 for the first time since 1986 and effectively sealed the fate of Billy Napier. The Gators will now need a bye week turnaround unlike any other to save their head coach and salvage what has become a lost season that began with such high hopes. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar try to make sense of DJ Lagway’s Sisyphean struggles, Scott Stricklin’s looming decision on Napier and how bad things could get for a program in free fall. Can it get any worse? (0:00) Billy Napier vs. Gator Nation (2:12) Turning point (5:24) Thumbs-up (10:34) Contracts (12:34) Thumbs-down (13:48) Second-guess: Field goal? (17:34) Game ball (23:32) Biggest concern (26:56) Reason for optimism: The countdown is on (30:12) Rumored opponents (33:16) On the spot: Lane train (35:50) Billy’s banter: Excuse-making at its finest (40:24) Locker room view (47:20) Final thought: Zook 2.0 (48:25) Jeremy Foley’s Corner: Basketball (52:26)  

Florida heads to No. 4 Miami for the first time since 2013, with coach Billy Napier’s future and the Gators’ season on the line. Seeking its first win at Miami since 1985, UF aims to avoid the program’s first 1-3 start since 1986. If the Gators, a 7.5-point underdog, cannot upset the Hurricanes, Napier soon could be history himself. During the latest Swamp Things, Mark and Edgar assess Gators’ chances against the unbeaten Hurricanes, the latest Top 5 opponent on Florida’s unrelenting schedule. Headed to Miami (0:00) Reason for optimism (3:12) Reason for pessimism (6:19) Matchup on offense (9:14) Matchup in defense (11:50) On the spot: DJ Lagway (16:52) Fine thought (21:03) Coaches fired already (24:11) Game picks (28:32) Jeremy Foley’s Corner (33:56)