Billy Napier likens USF to familiar SEC foe

Florida's dominant and disciplined Week 1 win over Long Island University, paired with USF's shocking 34-7 thumping of then-No. 25 Boise State, has boosted the anticipation for Saturday's in-state rivalry matchup between the Gators and the Bulls at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Already sold out, the contest is likely to have the feel of an SEC contest.

And, as Billy Napier hinted at in his weekly press conference, it might even look like one.

Napier compared South Florida to SEC rival Tennessee, pointing to the Bulls' offensive scheme and the skillset of quarterback Byrum Brown.

Said Napier, "Offensively, it starts with the quarterback (Byrum Brown). He's a dual threat. And then there's an element of tempo, and then there's some unique speed outside.... I do think that this is similar to the Tennessee blueprint we faced in the past."

It's easy to see where the comparison comes from in terms of tempo. Under Josh Heupel, Tennessee has been one of the faster teams in the SEC. In 2024, the Volunteers' 74.7 plays per game was tied for the eighth most in FBS.

The team tied with Tennessee? USF.

At the core of Huepel's version of the veer-and-shoot offense is a mobile quarterback with arm strength. Nico Iamaleava, Joe Milton, and Hendon Hooker -- each of the starting quarterbacks Huepel has had since being hired in 2021 -- all fit that mold.

Napier named Hooker when talking about the challenges of going against Brown.

"If you go back to kind of Hendon Hooker days at Tennessee where the quarterback was a little bit more of a run threat, I think there's some similarities in that regard."

At 6-foot-2, 232 pounds, Brown has to be tackled like a running back; otherwise, he'll make you pay, just like he did against Boise State in Week 1.

The Gators played Hooker and the Vols during Napier's inagural season. They yielded 349 passing yards, 112 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to Hooker in a 38-33 loss at Neyland Stadium.

It's clear that Napier will have much more talent at his disposal when Florida takes on the Volunteer lookalikes this Saturday, but will he have learned from his past mistakes and be able to contain Brown?