Florida Turning Point Billy Napier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — First-year Florida coach Billy Napier wasn’t looking for a moral victory on Saturday, but that’s what he got.

The No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs beat the Gators by a 42-20 count at TIAA Bank Stadium, running up 555 yards of offense and overcoming three turnovers.

But Napier, whose Florida team dropped to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in league play, thinks his Gators found something special.

“I think today might have been a turning point to some degree relative to what is really in there, in your heart, in your soul, between your ears,” Napier said, waxing poetic after the game.

“We challenged them at halftime and certainly they responded the right way. We were able to get a score, create some takeaways, get it back to a game.”

Few saw a Florida rally coming after Georgia dominated the first 30 minutes to the tune of a 28-3 halftime lead.

Kirby Smart said it might have been the Bulldogs best half of defense this season.

Many of the Florida fans seemed to agree, leaving the stadium before the start of the third quarter, revealing empty aqua seats in the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Gators, however, scored on their opening possession of the second half and tacked on 10 more points with the help of two Georgia turnovers.

Napier’s team closes its regular season at Texas A&M next week, home to South Carolina on Nov. 12 and then at Vanderbilt (Nov. 19) and at Florida State (Nov. 25).

And while Florida didn’t leave Jacksonville with a win, the head coach believes a valuable lesson was learned about slow starts.

“The inefficient runs, getting behind the sticks, you know, playing third-and-long against a group that can rush the passer,” Napier said, recapping Florida’s first-half issues. “And a handful of three-and-outs early there.

“You know, we dug ourselves a hole and I think we learned.”

The Gators learned about Brock Bowers, too, before making halftime adjustments.

“That guy, he’s one of the best players in the country now and probably one of the best in how many years, right?” said Napier, who watched Bowers go for a career-high 154 yards on 5 catches — four of those catches and 125 of those yards coming in the first half.

WATCH: Brock Bowers makes most of “Bulldog Bounce” in first half

“He’s a unique match-up player, and they do a good job, you know they got some other good ones out there too, it’s not like you can just worry about him,” he said.

“He’s a really good player, and certainly tonight, I thought our plan was effective to some degree.”