Everything Billy Napier said on the SEC teleconference for LSU Week

Each week the SEC holds a teleconference for all 16 head coaches in the league. Billy Napier took his turn Wednesday to address Florida’s loss to USF, the Gators’ next matchup against No. 3 LSU and more.

Here’s everything Napier said on the SEC Teleconference.

Billy Napier’s opening statement

BILLY NAPIER: “Alright, big-time challenge going into Baton Rouge Saturday, and I think as a competitor, these are the opportunities that you dream of. And obviously we’re right in the middle of the prep here, but in general here, we’re excited about all that comes with this. Got a ton of respect for LSU, coach Kelly, his staff and their team, and this will require us to be at our best. Keep it simple, that’s where we’re at right now.”

On the balance of going back to the drawing board or sticking with the process after an unexpected loss:

BILLY NAPIER: “Yeah, I think specifically here, everything that’s been built here didn’t all of a sudden just disappear, okay? We didn’t perform to the best of our ability, the ball didn’t bounce our way on a few things. But there’s been a ton of investment put into the people on our team, within the organization, and those things still exist. If you’ve been doing this the right way, you’ve developed some intangibles to prepare for these type of moments. And sometimes the game gives you what you need. It gives you exactly what you need. And I think teams — there is a number of examples. This can galvanize your group. I think when adversity hits, you need to elevate and you definitely don’t need to shrink back. So, we’re gonna double down on who we are and go try to play a brand of football that we all can be proud of.”

On if Napier has had to adjust the gameplan or play-calls more than he thought after DJ Lagway’s offseason:

BILLY NAPIER: “DJ continues to get exponentially better, by the day. The more work he gets, the better he’s gonna get, So, you know, it’s exponential improvement at this point because he’s getting a ton of reps each day with his teammates. So I’m excited about that, I think that’s one of the things that I look forward to is watching him continue to get better.”

On what Napier has seen of LSU’s revamped defense on film:

BILLY NAPIER: “Yeah, good players at all three levels. Obviously a lot of new players, players back from injury and certainly a lot of portal additions. But Coach Baker does a great job. You know, having played against him a number of times, he has an identity and they do a nice job mixing it up, front pressure and coverage. And in general, they’ve performed well here two weeks in a row. So, it’s gonna be a challenge and there’s gonna be a ton of individual matchups all over the field, and we respect what we see on the tape.”

On recording multiple sacks vs. LSU last year and how important it will be to create pressure this week:

BILLY NAPIER: “Yeah, every week in college football, one of the things that contributes to the game is protecting your quarterback and affecting their quarterback, right? So nothing will be different this week. We need to keep our guy clean and we need to try to affect their guy as many ways as possible.”

On what makes playing in Death Valley so challenging:

BILLY NAPIER: “Well, typically in the past, they’ve had really good players, and they have a passionate fan base that cares about football. So, there’s often a lot at stake. You know, these are SEC games, they’re important, and I think that — good teams, good players, and obviously a lot at stake. So in general, it’s one of the better venues in college football. You know, having played there with a couple different teams, it never disappoints.”

On facing former players Jack Pyburn and Ja’Keem Jackson:

BILLY NAPIER: “Nothing personal. We don’t talk about it a lot. We got a lot of respect for all these guys, and we’ve had a number of those scenarios in the past. So, our guys will be ready to play regardless of who’s on the other side.”

On if there can any advantages from a strategy standpoint: 

BILLY NAPIER: “I would say there probably is, not that you would talk about on a press conference call.”

On how this week of practice has been:

BILLY NAPIER: “The important thing here is that we use what we experienced Saturday. What are we going to do with the lessons we learned? What are we going to do with the emotions that we feel? And can we take that and use it as a catalyst here to make the team better, right? And I think ultimately, what I do sense is a loyalty. I think the guys want to do their best for each other. And I think that they’re trying to take this head on here. And I think we’ve got an opportunity. These things are, you know, they make you better, right? They make you stronger. They make you tougher. They make you battle tested. They help you improve yourself. We love this game because it’s hard. And I think when you run into a little bit of adversity, it’s important that you elevate and you not shrink back. So, we have to really think about what we’ve invested here. And hopefully what I would like to see is this group play for each other, much like they have in the past.”

On LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier:

BILLY NAPIER: “Well, small sample size, but he’s the same guy. He’s a coach’s son. He has arm talent, he’s accurate, he anticipates well. He is an athlete that can extend the play, and he has a unique group of skilled players around him. So, he does a nice job. I think he’s got good football intelligence, and it’s one of the better quarterbacks in the country for a reason.”

On his play-calling strategy: 

BILLY NAPIER: “I think a lot of it has to do with how the defenses play it and the decision making of the quarterback. But in general, look, I’m excited about what’s ahead of us. Obviously, all things can be done better there, but in general, typically the defense has a lot to do with where the ball goes on concepts. And, you know, we have had success doing all of that at times, and we haven’t had success doing it at times. So we need to play with more consistency, precision and detail. We need to stack plays within possessions. We need more plays where we go 11 for 11. We need to communicate better, we need to play more poise and composure and discipline. And then I think, you know, they’ll be patting us on the back when we do it right. Much like when you do it wrong, you get criticized. So we signed up for it all. Hopefully we can get it turned around.”