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Steve Spurrier still has faith Florida Football can turn it around in 2024

The Gators are 4-3 this season, but the Old Ball Coach thinks Florida has a chance to surprise people the rest of the way

By Benjamin Henderson

National championship-winning head coach Steve Spurrier signs an attendee's football during the unveiling of Steve Spurrier Way at Celebration Pointe in Gainesville, Fla., on Feb. 10, 2023.
National championship-winning head coach Steve Spurrier signs an attendee's football during the unveiling of Steve Spurrier Way at Celebration Pointe in Gainesville, Fla., on Feb. 10, 2023. / Lawren Simmons/Special to the Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Seven games into the 2024 campaign, Florida Football has been a roller coaster thus far. They were left for dead after starting out 1-2 with blowout losses to Miami and Texas A&M before stringing together a stretch of 3-1 over their last four games, including a 48-20 victory over Kentucky.

As the Gators head into their second bye week of the season, the Old Ball Coach hasn't given up faith that Florida can still turn the ship around in 2024.

Florida Football: 15-17

Appearing on the Another Dooley Noted Podcast, Spurrier expressed optimism following Florida's win over Kentucky:

"I think we're headed in the right direction after the other night. I'll tell you what, we lost to two really good teams — Texas A&M and Miami. Had a chance to beat Tennessee, obviously, didn't work out.

I think we've got a chance to beat everybody we play. But we've gotta play well and not play something stupid, gotta avoid all kinds of stupid little things. We've got the players. We've got the coaches to win a whole bunch of these last five."

So here is where we here at Hail Florida Hail are going to point out what Spurrier said in the wake of that Miami loss:

"But obviously, it was very disappointing watching the way the whole team performed. I mean, all the way down the ladder. The only suggestion that I'm going to have is that Billy Napier and his guys, they need to do some things differently. They can choose how to do it differently, but we can't just keep on going whatever we're doing during the week, pregame, blah blah blah. Just everything all the way on down the line. You can change."

Spurrier also made a quip last week following the Tennessee loss about Florida having 12 players on the field, which was kind of a big reason why they didn't actually win.

The Bar Doesn't Move

If you have read our content in the wake of the Kentucky win, you know we have praised a number of the players on the team but have remained highly critical of Billy Napier.

Is Miami actually good?

Maybe, but they have needed to be bailed out three times by ACC refs, and there is a very real world where they could be 4-3.

Is Texas A&M actually good?

Maybe, but they had to squeak by Bowling Green, Arkansas, and Mississippi State in addition to losing to Notre Dame.

Did Florida have a chance to beat Tennessee?

Of course, but riddle me with the reason why it didn't work out?

We are never going to be a site to tell fans they personally can't be cheerful and happy following a 28-point victory over an SEC foe. We are also a site that still has genuine concerns about its head coach, and beating a 3-4 Kentucky squad doesn't absolve those concerns.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that Florida will finish their final five games 3-2 to finish the season 7-5. But to do so will require a version of the Gators that Napier has been unable to field consistently during his time in Gainesville.

And too many times when Florida does field a squad capable of beating a top team, Napier's decision-making and lack of organization prevents the Gators from getting over the hump.

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