Florida head coach Billy Napier’s job security was the focus of attention Saturday afternoon, and the Gators rose to the occasion in their game against Mississippi State.

Graham Mertz threw three touchdowns and ran for another to lead Florida to a 45-28 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday. The win ended a seven-game losing streak for the Gators against FBS opponents.

“It’s good to win away in this league and this can be a challenging venue,” Napier said. “We’ve got more work to do. We won (Saturday) but we’re still developing. We’re not even close to what we can be and they know that.”

The Gators had 503 total yards of offense and a 93 percent passing success rate. Mertz completed 19 of his 21 passes for 201 yards and DJ Lagway completed all seven of his throws for 76 yards.

“I think we’re getting the best of both worlds here. Both guys make our team better,” Napier said. “I think it’s best for our team to get both guys involved.”

The Bulldogs’ defense conceded a touchdown on all but three of their attacks. The visitors averaged 6.3 yards per carry, with 36 carries for 226 yards. The Gators made 6 of 9 third down attempts.

For the third straight game, the Bulldogs dug themselves a hole in the first half. After being outscored 55-6 by Arizona State and Toledo in the first half, MSU trailed 28-7 in the first half before a touchdown run by quarterback Blake Shapen made it 28-14.

MSU got within 28-21 after Shapen missed a 13-yard catch to Jordan Mosley in the third quarter, but a fourth-down stop at the 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter put the Bulldogs out of the game.

“We have to make a decision, and the decision is up to each and every one of us,” MSU coach Jeff Lebby said. “We’re going to wake up in the morning, the sun is going to come up, we’re going to breathe and be grateful for the opportunity. There’s going to be great relief, great energy and great confidence in the way the guys are being coached. I think our guys are going to respond.”

Shapen led an offense that rushed for 480 yards (Florida’s 503) and a season-high 240 yards on the ground. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown and had 12 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury.

Michael Van Buren came in and completed 7 of 13 passes for 100 yards. Davon Booth and Johnnie Daniels led with a total of 29 carries for 178 yards and two scores.

Big picture

Florida: Billy Napier has a more coveted coaching position than anyone else in the country, and that’s unlikely to change after Saturday’s result. With a week off, things are getting more exciting for Florida.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are in the midst of a major rebuild, and that’s becoming more apparent each week. State’s defense was helpless against the Gators’ offense, which barely scored against the other two Power 4 teams they’ve played this season.

Next

Florida: Hosts Central Florida on October 5

Mississippi State: Travel to Texas on September 28