Billy Napier's lack of conviction to go for two emblematic of his issue at Florida

Last week, we commented that for the first time since Florida Football played Utah in the Billy Napier Era, there was a hint of Napier remembering scared money don't make money. Napier was fired up throughout the game and made a bold choice to go for it on 4th and 1 deep inside Florida's own territory.

Well, that lasted all of one game as Florida reverted back to having scared money against Tennessee, and Napier's indecision to go for two with a chance to win the game is emblematic of his core issue during his time with the Gators.

Florida Football: Foiled Again

After scoring a late touchdown to pull within 17-16, it felt obvious that Florida would try to go for two. One play to win the game against a top ten road team feels like a dream situation rather than trying to beat them in overtime.

Napier did trot the offense out and lined up in a swinging gate-type formation, but Tennessee called timeout.

Florida then kicked an extra point, and you know the rest.

When asked about that sequence, Napier said:

"We had a play that we felt good about and then obviously they burned their timeout and I think we felt from the 3 there we were playing pretty good on both sides of our team at that point in time so we thought, 'Let's go play overtime. Let's go give our guys a chance to play some more plays.' Defensively, we kept ourself in it. Wasn't quite ready to do that at that point in time."

So...

Do you mean to tell us that you only have one play in your arsenal you feel good about to win the game against a top-ten opponent on the road, and all someone has to do to thwart that play is call timeout?

Got it.

It also highlights the continued core problem of Florida's offense, which is the overall lack of innovation. Nine times out of ten, it feels like guys are just running routes in isolation, and in order for a play to work, it requires the wide receiver or quarterback to do something great rather than scheme ways for guys to be open.

There is very little in his offense designed to create confusion for the opposing defense, and so when backed against the wall, he doesn't have anything he feels confident about.

Take, for example, the fourth down attempt earlier in the 4th quarter. Florida isolated Tre Wilson to the outside and had him run a basic slant route. One could argue for pass interference, but Wilson is also smothered without or without the interference, and the play was dead on arrival.

Perhaps that was in the back of Napier's mind that he didn't have a play design that didn't require a one-on-one win, and he wasn't confident Florida could get that win.

Either way it was scared money from a coach who is one step closer to taking his buyout money.