JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We can’t blame a hurt quarterback for this. Billy Napier can’t use that as an excuse.

What unfolded here at the World’s Largest Cocktail Party could’ve been any other week during Napier’s three disappointing seasons. It’s just that this one included a possible season-ending injury to Florida freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, the last hope to turn around the team’s string of blunders.

It’s over now. There’s no coming back from this loss.

This isn’t just about the 34-20 defeat against Georgia, a game the No. 2 team in the nation – college football’s king since 2021 – seemed almost eager to lose. It’s about the mounting issues, the coaching mistakes, including another special teams disaster.

It’s about the baffling play call with the game on the line, a season careening toward another dismal ending.

It’s not because of Lagway’s injury, or because backup Aidan Warner was thrown into this unimaginable situation against the dominance of Georgia.

“We had our team in position to win the game,” Napier said.

Until the Gators weren’t. Until the same problems that have haunted Napier’s teams resurfaced.

To be fair, with a healthy Lagway, Florida might’ve pulled off its biggest victory under Napier. Maybe that momentum could’ve carried the Gators to a successful second half, and given Napier a shot at 2025.

But coaching college football is brutally demanding, and nearly every coach ends up unemployed. No matter how close they are to turning things around.

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At some point, a coach is judged by their overall record, not a single “what if” or a hypothetical “could’ve been” scenario. There’s nothing fair about earning millions annually while failing to deliver.

It’s over for Napier at Florida because by the end of this season, Florida will have played a brutal stretch against Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss with a patchwork, non-scholarship quarterback playing. Even if the Gators beat a floundering Florida State team, Napier’s record will stand at 16-21 in three seasons in Gainesville.

It’s over now because in big-time college football, you’re either doing everything to improve, or you’re accepting defeat.

The Gators have lost 18 of 33 games under Napier, and most of the previous 17 losses were with a quarterback who was a top-five pick in the NFL draft (Anthony Richardson) and a quarterback who had a standout season (Graham Mertz). Don’t allow the Lagway excuse.

Florida is now 1-10 in rivalry games (Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee) and 2-13 against ranked teams under Napier. If this game weren’t a painful enough blow, consider the debacle against Tennessee last month.

During half-time, Florida had a field goal negated due to an illegal formation penalty. Those three points proved to be the difference in a game the Gators eventually lost in overtime.

Mike Leach, the legendary coach, used to have a sign hanging in his office, perfectly positioned so every assistant coach could see it every time they entered the room.

You’re either coaching it, or you’re allowing it.

You either succeed in college football coaching, or you’re eventually let go. That’s the harsh reality.

The coach, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “For the first time since I’ve been here, we showed up and believed we could beat them.”

“You either aim for excellence or settle for mediocrity,” the coach added.