Gators' Bett apologizes for spitting at opponent

Florida defensive tackle Brendan Bett apologized Monday for spitting at a USF player during a crucial moment in an 18-16 loss last weekend, calling his actions a "terrible mistake."

Bett drew a 15-yard penalty and was ejected from the game after spitting at offensive lineman Cole Skinner with about two minutes left. The penalty gave the Bulls a first down on a drive that ultimately ended with Nico Gramatica kicking a 20-yard field goal to give USF its first victory over Florida.

In a post on his Instagram page, Bett wrote, in part, "I let down my teammates, coaches, family and all of Gator Nation. Our coaches always instill in us the value of sportsmanship and I crossed the line. I also want to apologize to South Florida. That's not the person or player I strive to be. I made a terrible mistake and it won't happen again."

Bett also apologized to Skinner, writing, "There is no excuse for my actions. I'm truly sorry to both you and your family."

Florida coach Billy Napier said during his news conference Monday there would be "some internal discipline" but had not decided whether he would suspend Betts for Saturday's game at LSU.

"I think he feels as if he let the team down," Napier said. "It was out of character for him. He made a mistake, and he compromised the team. He made a selfish decision, he misrepresented our fans, our alumni, the university. When a young man comes into your office, and that's his immediate concern, is how he didn't represent this place the right way, I think that's a good indication of his attitude towards it."

The loss to USF puts a spotlight back on Napier, who is 20-20 in his fourth season with the Gators. Florida was penalized 11 times for 103 yards in the loss, and the Gators also struggled in the red zone. The performance was reminiscent of Florida losses in the past. But after finishing last season with a four-game winning streak, expectations were high that the Gators had turned a corner under Napier.

Now the big challenge of playing at LSU is next, right after a disappointing loss.

"What are we going to do with the lessons that we learned, and what are we going to do with the emotions that we feel?" Napier said. "It's really important that our team channels that in the right direction.

"I still have a lot of confidence in this group. This group, when they do it right, it's fun to watch. We need to do that more consistently going forward to put our team in position to win."

Napier says the criticism he has received since the loss "comes with the territory. There's no scenario where you're not going to be criticized when you lose like that. The key is that we take ownership. We don't make excuses. We're solution oriented. We stick together, and we work on our plan to improve and get better. So we're going to find out. That's what I would say."

Their remaining schedule is the toughest in the country, as the Gators have eight of the 10 teams ranked in the AP poll. They will be without reserve edge rusher LJ McCray, as Napier announced he broke his foot against USF and would be "out for a chunk of time."

Napier says he has no doubts his team will respond. Last year, following a 49-17 loss to Texas, Florida beat LSU 27-16 to start its season-ending winning streak.

"I don't have any doubt at all because I know that room," Napier said. "I know what's inside each one of those guys. But we're all human. It's part of the leadership challenge, to get the group to stay focused. It's about making the next right decision. We had a setback. We've got to move forward."