Florida head coach Billy Napier met with the media on Monday in Gainesville as the Gators prepare for a matchup with No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday night in Knoxville.
The Gators are coming off of a big win over UCF this past Saturday while the Vols look to rebound from an upset loss to Arkansas on Saturday night in Fayetteville.
Napier mentioned Tennessee several times in a lengthy opening statement and then fielded a few more questions about the Vols throughout the press conference. The Gators’ third-year coach spoke about Tennessee’s game against Arkansas, Vols’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and a bit of his history with this game.
More from RTI: What Coaching Mistake Josh Heupel Regrets From Tennessee Football’s Loss At Arkansas
Check out what Florida head coach Billy Napier said about Tennessee on Monday ahead of their SEC rivalry game in Knoxville on Saturday night:
Billy Napier’s Opening Statement on Tennessee
Tennessee has a really good football team. I think all three of their, all three parts of their team present challenges. I have a ton of respect for how they play the tempo on offense, but the physicality of the run game paired with the explosive plays, the vertical shots, and the perimeter concepts can be very challenging. I think defensively they continue to get better. We’ve played them each year since we’ve been here and I do think they’ve done a really good job on that side of the ball, personnel and fundamentals. Statistically, if you look at the numbers there, they’re at the top of the league in most categories and then I do think they do a nice job in the kicking game. It’s evident they play really hard and I think they’re sound in what they do and they’ve been very productive so far. So going to play in Knoxville against a team that, in my opinion, has a ton of capability and certainly has been impressive so far this year. I think they struggled a little bit last week but in our league right now, heck, each week is like an NFL game. It’s coming down to the last second. We’ve got respect for Tennessee. Obviously, this is a rivalry game that has a ton of history and tradition. I grew up with this game and certainly have a ton of family dynamics here in terms of having history with this game so we know the importance and certainly our players are going to be focused and excited about preparing. I do think fundamentals are very, very important in games like this, and I do think you have to be tough-minded to go play on the road in this league, and that’ll be part of the prep. Overall, excited about the week here and looking forward to getting to work with the players today.
On if he thinks this will be a track meet, Tennessee’s numbers at home vs on the road
Well, I do think some of what you’re saying I would agree with, relative to home and away. In particular, the challenge of playing on the road in this league and that’s been the case for a lot of teams in our league, not just Tennessee, you know what I mean? I think we would probably say the same. But, in general, I hope it’s not a track meet … But I do think ultimately when you play Tennessee you know there’s going to be an element of strategy regards to keeping up. And how do you do that? I think last year we were able to play complementary football in the game and I think there’s a component to that. But no, look, points are premium right? You do what you gotta do to score. So, again, I go back to what I said in the opening statement this is not just an offensive football team. I mean, I think they’ve got a pretty good defense in my opinion, personnel, and I think in the kicking game, their history there, they’ve had some success. So they’re ranked and they’ve been highly regarded in the preseason for a lot of reasons and I think ultimately that’s what I see on tape.
On what he saw on tape with Tennessee’s offense against Arkansas’s defense
Arkansas has been playing good defense for a long time. It wasn’t just Saturday night versus Tennessee. I think I’ve had a chance, well, we played them last year and you just keep up with our league and I think they’ve done a really good job over there. But what I see on tape is really good fundamentals. They’re playing good at all three levels on defense – the front, the second level, they’re tackling well in the field. I think they’re buttoned up on the back end. They’ve got good personnel so I think they’re a tough physical gritty group and that’s what I saw.
On Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava
He’s a unicorn. This guy is 6’6, I don’t know how much he weighs but he’s a big, athletic – I mean he’s ripping balls in the outside third, 15-20 yards deep. He’s throwing it, all the vertical shots. He’s got a big-time arm, he’s accurate. He can escape, extend. He’s just a young player who’s getting experience and he’ll continue to get better. But, (a) lot of hype around him and I think on the tape you can see why.
On Tennessee-Florida, preparing for the Vols
This is a big game, you know, this is Florida-Tennessee on the road. Certainly a lot on the line. So, I think for our team, again you’ve got to get back to, we are in training for competition. We are in the process of preparing and we have to go about it the right way. When we’ve done it the right way, I think we’ve got a good result. Self-discipline in terms of the things we do off the field. Our practice habits, the focus and intensity on the field. And then just continue to prepare all the way up until we kick that thing off.
Check out Tennessee HC Josh Heupel’s Monday press conference below:
