The Florida Gators finished the 2021 regular season with a record of 6-6 just a year after their SEC Championship appearance. Florida now has a new head coach in Billy Napier, and he will be responsible for rebuilding the program this offseason. Before assessing the Gators’ future, look back on how Florida got to this point.
First Four Games of Season
Florida began the year with two non-conference games, and the Gators won by more than 20 in both of those matchups. Florida then played at home against top-ranked Alabama, and the Gators nearly beat the Crimson Tide in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. At that point, most Florida fans were convinced that their team was destined to return to the SEC Championship. The Gators played their fourth game against the Tennessee Volunteers, and Florida won the game by three touchdowns. Dan Mullen had his squad focused with a record of 3-1 before heading into the month of October.
Midseason Struggles
Florida played its first game in October against the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, and the world seemed to collapse on the Gators from there. Florida lost 20-13 to Kentucky, and fans were adamantly calling for Anthony Richardson to replace Emory Jones as the starting quarterback. The Gators then got their usual easy win against Vanderbilt before going to Baton Rouge to take on LSU. The Tigers were struggling with their running game during that time in the season, but Tyrion Davis-Price managed to rush for 287 yards and three touchdowns. LSU went on to beat Florida in a high-scoring affair. Georgia then beat down on Florida to finish the month of October. After starting 3-1, the Gators were heading into November with a record of 4-4.
The Last Straw(s)
The Gators started November with a trip to Williams-Brice Stadium to take on South Carolina. Surprisingly, Florida got pounded and lost 17-40, which put head coach Dan Mullen on the hot seat. The last straw came against the Samford Bulldogs when the Gators’ defense allowed quarterback Liam Welch to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Even after the firing of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, the defense just couldn’t get itself together. Florida did win their game against the Samford Bulldogs, but it wasn’t a pleasant win to say the least. Florida’s loss to Missouri in overtime ended Dan Mullen’s tenure as head coach in Gainesville.
Final Matchups and Concluding Thoughts
After Dan Mullen was fired by athletic director Scott Stricklin, Greg Knox took over as interim head coach for the Gators. He led Florida to a 24-21 victory over Florida State, and he will coach the Gators’ bowl game–the Gasparilla Bowl–against the UCF Knights.
New head coach Billy Napier has lost some recruits after being hired, but he has got some big-time assistants on staff including Corey Raymond and Patrick Toney. Napier has spent time in the best of college football programs such as Alabama and Clemson, so expect the Florida Gators to come back motivated and prepared next season.
(Featured image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)