GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators are turning to Steve Spurrier to help fix the team’s floundering offense.

Steve Spurrier Jr., anyway.

Interim coach Billy Gonzales said Wednesday the younger Spurrier, who was hired as an offensive analyst earlier this year, will be more involved with quarterback DJ Lagway when the Gators (3-4, 2-2 SEC) play No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) in Jacksonville on Nov. 1.

Gonzales will have tight ends coach/offensive coordinator Russ Callaway organize the offense alongside quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara in the booth. O’Hara will be on the headset calling plays to Lagway.

Spurrier, meanwhile, will be on the sideline working directly with the sophomore quarterback.

“What we’re trying to do right now is tweak a couple things so we can put our players in a better situation to go out and make plays and perform at a higher level,” said Gonzales, named the interim after Billy Napier was fired Sunday. “We all understand that’s what we need to do. So that’s the No. 1 goal for us as a coaching staff right now.”

Napier was dismissed, in large part, because he failed to get Florida’s offense on track in his four seasons. The Gators totaled a combined 50 points in losses to South Florida, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M this fall, and they rank 15th in the league in scoring.

Facing the Bulldogs without Napier could show how much of a hindrance he was to an offense that believes it has enough talent to compete in the SEC. Gonzales has made it clear he wants to open things up more and get the ball down the field to receivers.

Spurrier is a part of the plan. The 54-year-old son of a Hall of Fame player and coach who is a living legend in Gainesville, Spurrier spent the past two years at Tulsa. He also worked at Mississippi State (2020-22), Washington State (2018-19), Western Kentucky (2017) and Oklahoma (2016). Before that, he spent a decade working under his famous father at South Carolina (2005-15).

“Whenever you’re around one of the greatest offensive minds in history, it’s obviously going to rub off on you as well,” Gonzales said. “He’s been involved, but now he’s going to have more of a role because he’s going to be down there on the field with the quarterback looking in his eyes and getting a chance to talk to him and review the film that’s being relayed.

“It’s going to put us in a great situation to help DJ and the quarterbacks perform on the football field.”

Lagway has thrown for 1,513 yards, with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, this season while playing behind a shaky offensive line. He has looked better of late as he moves closer to fully recovering from a derailed offseason that included core-muscle surgery, nagging shoulder pain and a strained calf muscle.

“It’s been a long journey, and I’m thankful for the good and the bad,” Lagway said. “God doesn’t make any mistakes. I’m just excited to see where my journey continues and how I can continue to get better.”

Florida State coach Mike Norvell vowed Wednesday that he and his team “are going to get it right,” as questions swirled about his long-term future following a 3-4 start to the season.

In his first comments since athletic director Michael Alford issued a statement Monday that said there would be a full program evaluation when the season ends, Norvell said he knows the results have not been good enough.

The low point came last week in a 20-13 loss to Stanford, the ninth straight ACC loss for Florida State. After opening the season with a win over Alabama, the Seminoles are now in danger of their season snowballing for a second straight year. Florida State went 2-10 in 2024, a year after winning the ACC championship.

“I know and understand the expectations. There’s no higher expectation than what I have,” Norvell said. “I know it’s not been good enough.”

Florida State is on an open date this week, trying to correct the mistakes that have plagued them in four straight losses — all by one possession. Norvell said different issues have cropped up in each game that have cost them — from penalties, to blown assignments on defense, to turnovers, to an inability to sustain drives and score.

“The team, the staff we’re working extremely hard to get it right. We are going to get it right,” Norvell said.

He added that the statement Alford issued did not come as a surprise, because he is in constant contact with him, university president Richard McCullough and other decision makers on campus.

“I know we have to win games,” Norvell said. “I take great ownership in our results. It’s not been good enough. I hate it for Michael. I hate it for our players. I hate it for the program. I hate it for everybody. That’s on me and this staff and this football team to get that right.

“We’re going to get it fixed, and we’re going to get better.”

Norvell revamped his roster and coaching staff after what he called a disastrous 2024 season, hiring Gus Malzahn as his offensive coordinator and Tony White as his defensive coordinator and going into the transfer portal to add starters across the board. But the recent results harken back to the problems Florida State had a year ago, only adding to the frustration among Seminoles supporters.

Asked how his team could go from dominating Alabama in a 31-17 victory in the opener to losing on the road to Stanford, Norvell said, “It’s college football. There’s great parity. Every team, if you give (them) opportunities, they’re all capable. It’s a weekly focus. Is your best going to show up? If you’re not able to execute to your best, if you’re not able to respond, if you have a bad play or a bad moment, anybody can give you challenges. I believe in this team. I believe in the talent that we have, the way that we will finish. I know what we’re capable of.”

Norvell was also asked whether finishing the season strong will be enough for him to return for a seventh season at Florida State.

“I have a lot of confidence in the long term of what this will be. Until somebody tells me different, I have the absolute belief in the long term,” Norvell said.

TORONTO — The Maple Leafs and Raptors are changing the times of their games this weekend and next week to avoid overlap with the Blue Jays‘ World Series games.

“Toronto sports fans are undeniably some of the most passionate fans in the world, and we are proud to have the city’s teams come together and give these fans an opportunity to experience a significant moment in our city’s and nation’s history,” said Keith Pelley, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Maple Leafs and Raptors.

Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto will host Games 1 and 2 of the World Series on Friday and Saturday. Each game in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

The Raptors’ home opener against Milwaukee on Friday was moved from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30, and the Maple Leafs’ game against Buffalo on Saturday was moved from 7 p.m. to 5.

The Leafs have also adjusted the start time of next Tuesday’s game against Calgary to 6 p.m. The Raptors will host Houston at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29. Games 3-5 of the World Series are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Oct. 19.

“Each of these game time changes are quite complicated and represent the co-operation of many stakeholders, including the respective leagues, coaches and players of the Leafs, Raptors and opposing teams and broadcasters,” Pelley said. “We are grateful to them all for their assistance as we work to make this a very special moment for Toronto fans as we come together to support the Blue Jays.”

The Maple Leafs and Raptors will also show the World Series games on the Scotiabank Arena videoboard following their games.