Billy Napier focused on the silver lining even though Florida gave up a program-worst 701 yards in a loss to LSU on Saturday night, a single-game low for the program.

It was a difficult matchup deciding whether to defend Jayden Daniels’ rushing ability, or defend the pass.

“Well, the reality is we got off the field on a couple of fourth downs. Ultimately, you’ve got a challenge on your hands relative to matching up,” Napier said after the loss. “You know, you’re going to deny the ball, you’re going to play man or match coverage, and then all of a sudden you’ve got your back to the guy and he takes off running, right? Or, you can choose to die a slow death and play zone, play coverage, try to keep him in the pocket. And we did a mixture of both all night.”

Ultimately, Napier focused on one area that hurt the Gators the most. Napier said it was a combination of Daniels’ skill, and defensive breakdowns to explain the struggles.

“I mean, he’s a really good passer, they have great skill [players], they have a good balance of run game that complements his legs,” Napier said. “But ultimately, I mean, I think we all can agree that the difference in the game was his ability to take off running, right? So, you know, we played against him last year and we played against him this year, he continues to improve. We’ll give their staff credit and him credit, he’s definitely improved as a player. So, you pair his skill set with that group of skill players, and you’ve got, I think it’s a challenge.”

When asked about defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong’s performance this season, Napier pointed to 30% of snaps this season coming from true freshmen, perhaps more than any team in America.

“There’s some issues that come with that. Look, Austin would tell you that he could do his job better,” Napier said. “That’s what he would tell you. There’s nobody who wants to do it more than he does. And look, playing the unit’s performance is a reflection of a lot of people, not one guy. We all like to think in those terms.”

It’s not that simple for Napier, as he listed all of the positions involved in the team’s preparation and performance.

“There’s a number of people who contribute to our ability to perform on a consistent basis,” he said. “Austin’s the leader over there and he’s the coordinator. We’ve played well at times and we’ve been very inconsistent at times. We need to continue to learn from our experience and continue to grow and improve.”