Billy Napier Addresses Tennessee Ahead of Trip to Neyland Stadium

Credit: University of Florida Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

#8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) hosts Florida (3-2, 1-1) in its SEC home opener this Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

The Gators are coming off a 24-13 home win in which they led from the jump against UCF. The SEC win is a 45-28 road victory at Mississippi State while the two losses are by multiple scores at home against ranked competition.

Florida head coach Billy Napier addressed the media ahead of the trip to Knoxville. Napier was quick to address preparation plans with Hurricane Milton on the horizon, stating the Gators will proceed normally with their practice schedule as long as they can.

When addressing the Vols, Napier mentioned the tempo Tennessee plays with and the need to produce effectively at all times on offense.

“When you play Tennessee, you know there’s going to be an element in regard to keeping up,” Napier said.

Keeping up was what the Gators had to do in their 38-33 loss to the Vols in 2022. Florida defeated Tennessee 29-16 in Gainesville last season, a win Napier reflected on in his Monday availability

“Last year, we were able to play complimentary football in the game and I think there’s a component to that. Points are at a premium, you do what you have to do to score.”

Napier addressed Arkansas in his press conference and how it defeated the Vols, mentioning the play of the defense and the overall grit and toughness that makes Sam Pittman’s bunch a difficult test for everyone on its schedule.

Like several coaches this season, Napier rejected the previous narrative the Vols are only strong in one phase of the game.

“This is not just an offensive football team,” Napier said. “They’re pretty good on defense in my opinion. In the kicking game, they’ve had some success.”

Napier was asked specifically about Nico Iamaleava. He was quick to acknowledge Nico’s strengths as a young quarterback, particularly the different ways he can attack a defense.

“He’s a unicorn. This guy’s 6-6, he’s a big, athletic, and he’s throwing it deep on all the vertical shots,” Napier said “He’s accurate, he’s got a big time arm. He can escape and extend, he’s a young player whose getting experience and continuing to get better. There’s a lot of hype around him, and on tape you can see why.”

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