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Florida players ‘upset’ by Billy Napier’s ouster but understand inevitable decision

Related Topics: Billy Napier, DJ Lagway

GAINESVILLE — Sophomore linebacker Myles Graham was honed in on homecoming, leaving him unprepared when UF fired Billy Napier a day after the Gators slipped by Mississippi State Saturday in the Swamp.

“I honestly wasn’t thinking about that,” he said Monday. “I was just focused on the game plan. I was focused on getting a win, and we got that done.”

A narrow 23-21 victory against a program with 15 straight SEC losses wasn’t enough to save Napier and avoid the inevitable. Picked to finish sixth in the SEC and a potential dark horse for a CFP bid, the Gators (3-4, 2-2 SEC) now aim to avoid the program’s fourth losing season in five seasons.