Urban Meyer Accuses Major College Football Team Of 'Quitting'
11/20/2024 03:40 PM
Urban Meyer took a passing shot at a former rival.
On The Triple Option podcast, the FOX analyst praised one of his old teams. Meyer likes what he's seen from the Florida Gators, who defeated LSU after back-to-back losses to Georgia and Texas,
Meyer suggested the 5-5 Gators could give No. 9 Ole Miss some trouble this Saturday at Gainsville. The former Florida head coach believes the team has continued to play hard for Billy Napier, but he doesn't think an in-state adversary has shown the same perseverance.
"I'm a fan of coach Napier, and here's why," Meyer said (h/t On3). "I don't know him; I met him once or twice. They've been obviously really struggling, but the one thing they have not done like the team in Tallahassee is quit. They have continued to fight."
That Tallahassee team in question is Florida State. After getting snubbed from the College Football Playoff following an undefeated 2023 regular season, the Seminoles have collapsed this year.
FSU is 1-9 with five double-digit losses during an ongoing six-game losing streak. No FBS has scored fewer points per game than the Seminoles (13.3) this season.
Some fans probably thought they reached rock bottom early in the season, but the ACC squad had their worst performance yet in a 52-3 blowout against Notre Dame on Nov. 9.
The Fighting Irish scored on all four second-half possessions and closed the game with a pick-six. The following day, FSU head coach Mike Norvell fired offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller, and receivers coach Ron Dugans.
"Unfortunately, we have not upheld the Florida State standard with our results on the field this season," Norvell said. "I did not make any of these decisions lightly, but I felt changes needed to be made to elevate our program back to where we all desire it to be."
If the Gators don't defeat the Rebels, they'll be fighting for a bowl game invitation when closing their regular season against the Seminoles on Nov. 30. Norvell could try to use Meyer's comment as bulletin board material to light a fire under his team before the annual rivalry game.
Related: Mike Norvell Makes Honest Admission Amid Florida State's Disastrous Season
