Insanity, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome to no avail. Billy Napier and the Gators were prophets of this phenomenon on a muggy Saturday afternoon in Gainesville.
Mario Cristobal kicked on his third season in Coral Gables with a victory over state-rival Florida in dominant fashion.
The Hurricanes ate the Gators alive in the trenches on both sides of the ball and never trailed in the rebirth of a once-heated Sunshine State rivalry.
“We’re starting to look like Miami in a lot of different respects,” said Cristobal.
This iteration of the series was a one-sided beatdown. The Hurricanes stormed to six scores on their first eight possessions to jump out to a 38-10 lead midway through the third quarter, sending the Florida faithful scrambling for the gates of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
To the frustration of the Florida faithful, nothing looked different from Napier's first two years under the helm, and it cultivated in the program's worst home loss in nearly a decade.
“It's embarrassing, to be quite honest with you,” Napier said. “That’s how I feel. That’s how our kids feel. We’ve got a decision to make. That's what I just told them. There’s no excuses. Keep our mouths shut, show up and work. We have to do better.”
There's two marquee stats jump off the page: Miami doubled Florida's total yard production at 569-261, & Miami had 10 passes of 20+ yards, Florida had zero.
The Gators still lack discipline. The defense committed two roughing-the-passer fouls on crucial downs in the first half to extend drives that led to touchdowns.
Napier is still a mediocre play-caller who retained the duties of the call sheet despite uproar. While his run game and play-action schemes are adequate, his offense has yet to evolve into an element of an actual drop-back passing game.
An offensive line unit that received preseason praise and confidence from the coaching staff looked worse than last season. Take away the Montrell Johnson Jr. 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Gators ran for just 68 yards.
Regarding pass protection, Mertz ran for his life all afternoon before heading to the locker room at the end of the third quarter after getting drilled while throwing an interception. Napier said he is in concussion protocol.
The Miami defense racked up three sacks and eight tackles for loss. The "U" secondary clamped down on the Florida pass catchers, allowing just 122 yards through the air while intercepting Mertz and Lagway.
Mertz completed 11 of 20 passes for 91 yards, with an interception.
The lone potential saving grace for Gator fans was the opportunity to see DJ Lagway in action despite the game already being out of hand. The five-star true freshman was the No. 3 overall and No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
With Mertz facing concussion protocol and Napier's seat at the program wheel falling through the floor, if not already in the basement, you have to wonder how much more action DJ Lagway gets this season.
Lagway completed 3/6 attempts for 31 yards and an interception; he also ran for 20 yards on four carries.
Is the "U" potentially, dare I say, actually back?
The Miami program potentially has its best quarterback since Heisman Trophy finalist Ken Dorsey. Cam Ward showcased why he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Preseason Player of the Year and the marquee name in the transfer portal.
Cam Ward was criminally underrated out of high school, partly because he played in a Wing-T offense. His collegiate career began at Incarnate Ward before transferring to Washington State, where he played for the past two seasons.
He was the best player on the field, by a country mile. Ward became the first Miami QB since at least 1979 to throw for 300 yards in his first start with the team.
Whether changing arms slots, making textbook anticipatory throws to get his receivers open, or scrambling and resetting the pocket, Cam Ward looked concerningly calm throughout the game. His lone blemish on an otherwise dominant performance was an interception at midfield, where he rolled to his left into the boundary and forced the ball.
The chemistry between Ward and Xavier Restrepo was empirically evident. Restrepo, the senior slot receiver, grabbed seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on a highlight reel throw from Cam Ward.
Ward completed 26 of 35 passes for 385 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
The conference's Preseason Player of the Year could be the cog in the storied program's return to college football glory after leading his Hurricanes to a 41-7 splattering over Florida.
Florida is back at home next Saturday vs Samford. Miami will be back in Coral Gables for a matchup with Florida A&M.