WATCH: Billy Napier calls FSU loss a ‘tough one to swallow’

TALLAHASSEE — The Gators’ three-game winning streak over Florida State was snapped Friday in a 45-38 loss, dropping them to 6-6 for the season.

UF trailed by 14 points at the start of the fourth quarter and rallied once again, tying the game at 38 with a 45-yard touchdown run by Trevor Etienne, who led all backs with a season-high 129 yards on 17 carries.

But the Seminoles (9-3) answered on a 17-yard touchdown run by Trey Benson, who also eclipsed 100 yards rushing (111) on 20 carries, with 4:06 left.

The Gators drove into FSU territory on the ensuing drive, but Anthony Richardson’s pass to the end zone fell incomplete on fourth-and-12 from the 26.

“The staff had them ready to compete and they showed up and put it on the line,” Florida coach Billy Napier said after the game. “Tough one to swallow but we’re going to get better. We’re going to improve. We’re going to use that experience.”

Richardson finished 9 of 27 for 198 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 41 yards on 10 carries. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis had over 300 yards of total offense for the second straight season against Florida, throwing for 270 yards and a TD with 83 rushing yards and two more scores.

“The quarterback is a challenge,” Napier said of Travis. “His legs were the difference in the game, anybody who watched that game would say, ‘Yeah, the legs of the quarterback at Florida State was the difference in the game.’” 

In the video below, Napier gives his opening statement and discusses his team’s effort in the game and Richardson’s performance.

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Billy Napier opening statement

“Heck of a football game, it obviously came down to the last possession. You know, a lot of good out there. I think the thing I’m most proud of is how hard the players played in the game. They put it on the line, I think, across the board. It wasn’t always pretty but you’re talking about a group that — I’m on the sideline. I watched it with two eyes. They played the game of football the right way. I’ve got nothing but respect and admiration for our players. The effort and physicality, the mental toughness, this is a group that’s made a ton of progress as people relative to making up a team, having a team, having a group that cares for each other. There’s a legitimate brotherhood. Like I would do anything for a teammate in that locker room and I think that showed up tonight.

“There’s going to be 20 to 25 to 30 plays and if you get a handful of those 20-30 and you probably win the game. But we came up a little short. The football wasn’t good enough tonight. There was a lot of good ball out there but there were things we could do better. I’m proud of the intangibles that our team showed. That locker room right now, there’s a lot of guys that are — it’s tough. It’s tough. When you do it the right way and you come up short, it’s tough. I think it creates opportunities. There’s no question that we need to remember every part of that experience. This game can teach you a lot about life. I think there’s going to be a lot of things we can learn from tonight. We came up a score short and there’s no question we can do a lot of things better but I’m extremely proud.”