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Billy Napier describes challenge of winning on the road ahead of Week 7 at South Carolina
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Billy Napier and the Florida Gators have not performed well on the road this season.
The Gators looked downright lost against Utah in Salt Lake City to begin the year and got blasted by Kentucky in Lexington a few weeks ago. Yet at home, the Gators downed a good, not great Tennessee team fairly convincingly. The teams that showed up on the road vs. at home can hardly even be compared.
At the SEC’s weekly teleconference Wednesday morning Napier was asked about how to find success on the road, and what he’s instilling to change Florida’s rough start away from Gainesville as the Gators travel to Columbia for a Week 7 matchup against South Carolina.
Here’s what he had to say:
“I think that ultimately the game comes down to execution, you’ve just got to do it in a different environment. Our players are very aware of why we’ve struggled, 2 opportunities we’ve had to go play on the road and ultimately, I would say it’s about the football, OK, and less about where we’re playing and what time we’re playing. That’s just my opinion.”
“I do think there’s a physical element, there’s a mental element, I do think there’s an emotional element, right,” Napier continued. “Got to prepare mentally to deal with momentum swings in a game. You’ve got visualize what it’s going to be like. You’ve got to have the resolve to battle through it. You’ve got to be vocal. Your leadership has got to do a good job. You’ve got to stick together and certainly it’s going to be a 15-round fight and you’re going to get hit, you’re going to get cut, you’ve got to get up off the mat and you’ve got to keep swinging.”
The Gators need this win over the Gamecocks, simply put. South Carolina has played well at home this season, but they’re far from as dangerous as some made them out to be preseason. However, they have just 2 wins on the year and a winnable game in front of them. That’ll make for a tough environment for Napier’s squad.
We’ll see which team comes out to play this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.