What Billy Napier Said About Texas Longhorns Before Week 6

Temperatures are hot in Gainesville, and it appears that the ice beneath Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier’s feet might be getting thinner.

The fourth season coach has led his team to three consecutive nonconference season losses, making a successful SEC season all the more crucial for him and his future with the program.

On Monday, Napier commented on Florida’s upcoming matchup against the Texas Longhorns and addressed specific strengths within their 2025 team.

Billy Napier Talks Texas Longhorns

Sep 20, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass during the first half against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Texas enters conference play coming off three wins against smaller programs, but facing an SEC opponent could reveal what they have either improved upon or failed to improve upon since their matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

“A good Texas team comes to town 3-1 with a road loss to a really good Ohio State team,” Napier said. “It’s evident, you can see this team’s got an identity. PK does a great job on defense. I think they’ve gotten incrementally better each cycle, and they continue to add wrinkles each year to make them difficult to prepare for.”

Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s group has approached this year with talent and poise, which most recently presented itself in the form of a shutout victory against the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Napier also extended praise to Texas’ offense.

“Obviously offensively, Sark does a great job with the formation, motion, the combination of run-pass and situational football,” he said. “They’re breaking in a new quarterback. Arch—his reputation speaks for itself—one of the best quarterbacks in the country. They’re also breaking in new players at other positions: up front, tight end, running back, receiver. More new faces on the offensive side of the ball, but I do think you can see their rhythm getting better each week.”

Whether or not this rhythm will be able to withstand an SEC defense remains up in the air, but this road matchup against the Gators could help the Longhorns gauge where they stand in terms of offensive tempo and flow.

Florida has struggled these past few weeks, but their defense could still pose a threat to Texas’ offense. They have only allowed five touchdowns in four games, three of which came against the Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 20.

Napier addressed his team’s problems during the media availability, noting that they must shift their attention toward identifying solutions and making improvements.

As far as this Saturday’s matchup goes, his hope is that his team can lean into the support from their home crowd.

“It’ll be good to be at home,” he said. “That needs to be a huge advantage for us. We’re going to need our fans to be there and be a huge factor as they usually are. This has the chance to be a pretty special venue and atmosphere this Saturday afternoon.”

The battle will commence at The Swamp at 2:30 p.m. CT on Oct. 4.