Billy Napier’s Florida Gators are back above .500 (3-2, 0-1 SEC) with a 52-17 win over FCS program Eastern Washington on Sunday, a game pushed back by Hurricane Ian.

The Gators, coming off their best week of practice according to Napier, were glad to be able to play the game. As one might expect with the difference in talent and level of competition, it was all Florida from early on. Eastern Washington settled for a field goal on its opening drive and scored its 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

Napier met with the media after the game. Here are some of the highlights of what the head coach had to say:

  • Thanked those who made the game possible after Hurricane Ian. Said team will help in recovery efforts over the next few months.
  • QB Jalen Kitna “did some nice things” in his first college football game. Kitna had a 100% completion percentage in a recent practice.
  • TE Jonathan Odom was praised for his block on Ricky Pearsall’s touchdown.
  • Freshman WR Caleb Douglas, who scored a long touchdown on first-career reception, is nicknamed “Payday.” Napier sees a bright future for the wide receiver.