Billy Napier speaks to the challenge of defending MarShawn Lloyd, praises Ricky Pearsall's development
Billy Napier understands the challenge Florida faces this week in MarShawn Lloyd and the South Carolina offense.
“He’s an impressive player,” Napier said. “He’s got great make-you-miss (change of direction), finishing speed. He’s heavy, got some vision to him. … He’s a big part of what they do and he’s fun to watch. … Ton of respect for his game.”
Lloyd has 556 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns this season.
Napier praised Ricky Pearsall, especially after missing time before the season. Pearsall’s started 6 games, and appeared in 9 games. He has 22 catches for 406 yards and 2 touchdowns.
“Ricky is obviously proving to be one of the better players we have. Just from a production standpoint, he’s really a skilled player. He missed quite a bit of training camp. … Any time you put a plan together, you try to be intentional about creating touches for players, and Ricky certainly deserves that.”
The Gators play host to the Gamecocks this week in a 4 p.m. ET game on the SEC Network. South Carolina won last year, but the Gators have won 3 of the last 5 in the series.