Is Billy Napier a Good Play Caller?

The proof of Billy's play calling is in the numbers. We have yet to average 30 points per game in 3 years. In fact our points per game has declined a bit each year from 2022 to 2024.

There have been some games where the opponent is almost saying "knock me out"....as in George Foreman's great quote before fighting for heavy weight title against Michael Moorer: "Late in the fight he's going to ask to be knocked out!" Translation: Moorer's speed will slow down and I will simply nail him and GF did.

In bowl game Tulane had no qb. None. Their offense was putrid. Did we roll up lots of points? No. Fsu's offense in 2024 was led by a 6'6" cadaver with a donut hole for an oline. 8 sacks. Look at the score at the end of 3 quarters. We should have put up 50, at least. 2023 vs fsu, don't remind me. They had no qb, Jordan Travis was their entire offense, and he was out. We did not take advantage of it even with Mad Max Brownie at qb for us....played right into their defense's hands with critical trick play after the safety and ETN return. Boot on throat and we reached down and lifted them up. 2024 UT, run Mr. Mertz on qb sneak instead of Baugh, Trell, DJ or any load. Utah 2023, run blocking TE up the middle on 4th down. I can go on for days.

Answer: He may be the worst play caller for UF in its history of college football. Worse than Lynn Amadee, Whitey Jordan, Charlie Cheeseburger, Peter Pumpkinhead, Doug Dickey, Pepe Le Pew.

 

It “complements” his dry, conservative personality. It is why although he won at ULL, he rarely covered the spread.

 

Would you mind sharing your source for this run play data? Would love to check it out.

 

So, the answer to the thread is NO!

 

I hope he gets it. We have a staff that looks at analytics. It should not be a secret. Whether or not BN is open to ideas is anyone's guess.

 

It's often all about execution. You can call the most brilliant play but if the players can't execute it, what's the point. Now that we have real talent at the talent positions, we'll hopefully see better execution and more athletic playmaking across the board

 

Wow, getting a lot of optimistic votes. I would think with Dallas, VB III, EW III, j Mike etc we should be good at receiver. Our running backs are excellent and our line should be very good. Lagway should take a big jump. Why shouldn’t we expect a great offense? Probably most don’t have faith in Napier.

 

People forget how much Gator fans (especially on message boards) complained about play calling in 2007 and 2008.

 

You sure? I do recall when Dazzz took over we all wondered what happened.

 

Think about the qbs you named. You didnt name coaches.

 

He chose DJ too. We will see if DJ is that guy. Coaching can only fo do much.

 

There is not any one simple explanation for a poor offensive performance. You can execute a play to perfection, but if a decent defense knows what is coming, it's likely to fail. Play-calling and design are just as important as execution.

 

The tools are there as long as the new batch of WR's pan out as well as Badger and Dike and Lagway progresses as expected. If they do, the offense has the weapons to be excellent. Like you suggest the biggest ? mark is the play-calling.

 

I think the biggest question mark is DJ. If he is elite, our offense will be elite. The only thing that changed a few years ago was Franks to Trask and it was night and day, no other variables. Mullen with a non running qb that doesnt fit his system.

 

Not all proven "elite" QBs could transfer and run any other system as well as the system they left. Systems are different. They just are, and it's important. We have seen Napier apparently slow the offense and try to hold the lead. But that's our perception and rational to explain that phenomenon. From our discussions, the routes and check downs are suspect so if his system may be easy to defend or require precision timing and throws. If that is true, it makes it more difficult for any QB. Inside the 20, Napier can't just call any play that looks good on paper "it has to work if they execute" and then cite execution if it doesn't, although sometimes poor execution can ruin a play.

Ohio State, the National Champion, had an elite offense and OC. Their starting QB was drafted in the 6th round. However, they had two OTs drafted first round, two RBs drafted second round. Rosters help QBs as does the scheme and play caller.

We can also think of Bama winning NCs with somewhat run of the mill QBs. But they could certainly score a lot of points.

I looked at 2024 NCAA 2024 Scoring Offense The top 20 has to be filled with good but not necessarily elite QBs who are in a good system for their physical and mental capabilities. I could not name the QB for Texas St, SMU, Memphis, Jacksonville St or South Alabama.
https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/27

I would agree a single elite QB is much better than a roster of so-so QBs.

 

we have had the low to average quarterback. Trask had no problem running Mullin's system because you always do what you're good at

 

I don’t think we can judge Billy’s offensive potential based on Mertz.

 

Kyle Trask was a good QB for us. My point was that there are a number of very good offenses that do not have elite QBs. Spurrier scored a lot of points without elite QBs.

 

Your first paragraph is my main issue with Napier’s passing game. It requires excellent QB play to get the ball downfield in the passing game because the windows are small. We don’t have many passing plays that give the QB a wide-open layup pass to complete. This offense has issues with targeting weaknesses in the opposing defense.

Against Tennessee last year, we isolated a RB against their best DB and tried to throw a slant to convert a first down. We targeted their best DB with an RB, instead of trying to isolate our best WR against a weaker DB.

 

If I may take a slight tangent from this, Mertz is showing his spots, at least in his early incarnation to the NFL. We all realize AR15's limitations and so he is staring at either going out from throwing way too many bad passes or because he is constantly hurt. In both cases at UF, the constant was a less-than-ideal pass protection, or at least less-than-ideal reading of the defense by the QB. AR15 merely was a man among boys and hid it sometimes.

And so, I would postulate that, given Napier's proclivities, he just hasn't had a team built correctly. He won't channel Spurrier's insights, he plods along and makes the best of what he can. IMO, this can be the year he shows us what he can do with a QB who has great physical talents and real leadership qualities. But just as important, and maybe even moreso, the O-line may be both more experienced playing together and deeper and the D will be prepared to play Robert's style from the beginning to the end based on better players and recognition.

But if the bravado is still nothing but bravado and "things" happen on offense and bad plays happen on defense (regardless of injuries), then yeah, Napier's spots are his spots and there is nothing we can do.

I just hope he has a ST coach who can FINALLY know how to count to 11. That is about as embarrassing a take on him as there is. Yes, it shows he is spending too much time on other aspects of the team and the play calling responsibilities, but still, a Spurrier or a Saban (not even going to talk about Meyer here) would have shoved both boots firmly up the coach's butt to "inspire" them right after the second miscue. THAT is what a real HC does.