GAINESVILLE — For many in the Swamp, Florida’s homecoming visit from Mississippi State will be a nod to bygone days, including a football program in decline in Year 4 under Billy Napier.
The Gators haven’t taken the step forward as expected, with a case to be made the program has regressed. Picked to finish sixth in the SEC and ranked 15th in the preseason AP Top 25, UF (2-4, 1-2 SEC) enters the season’s second half playing for pride, a lower-tier bowl bid and a future without Napier.
The 46-year-old enters Saturday’s matchup against much-improved Mississippi State (4-2, 0-2) aiming to deliver a win, even as his time in Gainesville nears an end.