The Opening Kickoff: Gators at Mississippi State — First Trip to Starkville Since 2018

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It didn’t matter where you were this week, if you were in the vicinity of UF, the chatter revolved around the Gators.

That’s life in these parts when the Gators are good, or in this case, when they are 1-2 and headed to Mississippi State for their Southeastern Conference road opener. Following last week’s loss to Texas A&M, Florida is searching for answers.

“We’re all competitive, so I think we all want to win,” third-year head coach Billy Napier said. “And we want to produce a good product, So, yeah, that’s where my energy is.”

Napier did his best this week to put on a good face as critics pounced on the program, which has failed to build momentum under his direction. The Gators (1-2, 0-1) travel to Mississippi State (1-2, 0-0) for the first time since 2018.

The Bulldogs have problems, too, losing at home to Toledo a week ago. Florida’s focus is to block out the distractions and find a way to win.

That is the best answer in times like these.

“It’s just putting our best foot forward and trying to perform,” linebacker Derek Wingo said.

In this edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-Mississippi State matchup:

 

Game Four. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/PO6ASPrRrq

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 16, 2024

THREE STORYLINES
 

• Florida head coach Billy Napier is under fire for his team’s 1-2 start. Mississippi State, under first-year coach Jeff Lebby, is coming off a 24-point home loss to Toledo. Neither fan base is very happy. Both teams need a win. That’s a lot of drama for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.
• Napier has faced questions about his future, about his team’s morale, and about what the Gators can do to turn their season around since losing a week ago to Texas A&M. Florida hits the road for the first time and perhaps a change of scenery revives the Gators heading into a bye week.
• Napier said the two-quarterback system of Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway is open-ended going into this one. Mertz and Lagway rotated series against Texas A&M. While the Gators had issues staying on the field in the first half against the Aggies, they are averaging 279.0 yards passing per game, which ranks 39th nationally and is a building block.

 

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH 
 

• In a matchup of scuffling teams, special teams often make the difference. The Gators have not done much well, but first-year senior analyst Joe Houston has…