Florida Gators coach Billy Napier would likely walk back a handful of plays and decisions that proved crucial in Saturday night’s 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee.

His two short-yardage calls with Eugene Wilson III (turnover on downs) and Graham Mertz (fumble at the 1) and his game management at the end of the first half stand out.

However, flip-flopping after Florida’s touchdown late in the fourth quarter might be Napier’s most regrettable move after a game his team didn’t have to lose.

Despite wasting several red zone trips, blowing a second-half lead, and repeatedly shutting down the offense after losses Graham Mertz And Montrell Johnson Jr., UF still had a chance to win in the end.

Trailing 17-10 with 2:31 remaining in regulation, quarterback DJ Laway regrouped on Florida’s final drive and threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Chimeric Dike on third-and-19 to make it a one-point game.

But instead of sending in the PAT unit to tie it up, Napier kept his offense on the field for two — and the go-ahead — with 34 seconds to play. And he even set up a trick play formation.

After showing a normal look, all of UF’s linemen ran wide with a running back Ja’Kobi Jacksontight end Hayden Hansen lined up at center with Lagway riding shotgun and three receivers to his right.

Timeout Tennessee.

Call it cold feet, pump fakes or indecisiveness, but for whatever reason Napier changed his mind during the commercial break and sent out a kicker. Trey Smack for the tying extra point.

After the match, the first question was about reversing course during that series.

“We had a game that we felt good about and then obviously they burned their timeout, and I think from the three games we felt like we were playing pretty well at that point on both sides of our team,” said Napier.

“So we thought: let’s play overtime. Let’s give our guys a chance to make some more plays.” Defensively we held on. I wasn’t quite ready for it at that moment.”

Bad move.

Instead of going for the win, Florida played for overtime, but failed. Smack missed a 47-yard attempt, although this was inconsequential as the Vols scored a game-winning touchdown five plays later.

And it’s true that UF’s defense played well before the tying goal, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs, but the offense’s previous three possessions in the fourth quarter totaled just 4 yards in 10 plays.

With a true freshman quarterback on the road – and on the ropes – as underdogs against the No. 8 team in the country, why not capitalize on the momentum of Lagway’s TD pass and try to end the game right then and there?

As a Tennessee coach Jos Heupel is willing to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 10-yard line, Napier should have stuck to his guns and run the trick play — or a two-point play. Scared money doesn’t make money.