Steve Spurrier sends a message to Florida coaches after 1-3 start: 'Try something different'

Following its 26-7 loss to No. 4 Miami Saturday night, Florida is 1-3 to open the season for the first time 1986.

The Gators opened strong with a 55-0 drumming of Long Island, but have now suffered three consecutive games to USF, No. 3 LSU and No. 4 Miami. In these three losses, Florida is averaging just 287 yards of offense while its defense is allowing 350 yards per game. The program is now just 20-22 under head coach Billy Napier and seems to be spiraling.

After yet another disappointing loss on Saturday, legendary head coach Steve Spurrier sent a message to the Florida coaching staff on the latest episode of ‘Another Dooley Noted Podcast‘. In short, the ‘Ol Ball Coach wants to see them ‘try something different’.

“The only suggestion, like I said earlier, is try something different,” Spurrier said. “I’m certainly not telling Billy and his guys what to do, but if it’s not going very well, try something different. Whatever that may be is up to him. Do we need different guys playing? That’s up to the coaches.”

Florida’s nightmarish season could continue due to harsh schedule

Miami jumped out to a 13-0 halftime lead over Florida on Saturday, but the Gators came out of the break strong and converted an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive to make it a 13-7 game. Following this drive however, just one of Florida‘s final four drives surpassed four plays.

“Billy Napier, because he is the offensive coordinator, diminishes his opportunity to be a very good, if not great, head coach. He’s not — he’s a mediocre head coach,” Paul Finebaum said on Monday’s edition of ‘The Matt Barrie Show‘. “His record is what? 20-22? The fact that we’re still discussing this as a possibility that he survives (from being fired) is a testament to what I’m not really sure, but the end is very near.

“However (AD) Scott Stricklin decides to do it and in what matter, I really don’t know. And quite frankly, I don’t really care because he is not coming back as Florida’s head coach.”

The season has gotten off to a nightmarish start for the Gators and could get even worse. Following a bye-week, Florida‘s next four games are against No. 10 Texas, No. 9 Texas A&M, 4-0 Mississippi State and No. 5 Georgia. If it fails to reach the six-win mark, Florida would be missing a bowl game for the second time in four years under Napier (something it last did from 1985-1988).