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Last week for the Gators was… rough.

The team had a relatively comfortable lead going into floor, despite some errors from Riley McCusker and Ellie Lazzari on previous events, and it seems that Jenny Rowland made the decision to pull Anya Pilgrim out of the floor lineup for whatever reason – to save her legs for next week, to protect her from injury, to rest her because she wasn’t feeling well, we don’t really know.

In her place went Lori Brubach, who honestly did not look competition ready. Her tumbling looked sluggish, her leaps were low, and she did take a fall. This was after, of course, Lazzari had already fallen earlier in the rotation, leaving the Gators to count a fall for the first time in over a year.

We have a good reason to believe, though, that this week will be different. Florida always puts their best lineup up against LSU, as it’s a rivalry that has developed within the conference over the last several years. Tonight‘s meet is in Baton Rouge, so the Gators will need to be at their best to have a chance at sniping the reigning national champions.

I’m a little slim on time tonight, so let’s just get started!

7:35pm: rotation 1!

Zeiss, LSU VT: FTY, 9.775.

Blakely, UF UB: aaaaand a fall right off the top. That’s not a good sign.

Finnegan, VT: Y1.5, stuck! Pretty good body position and solid dynamics. Not much to take there tbh.

Pilgrim, UB: pak is clean, and then van Leeuwen – she looks nervous, but it’s a hit!

Brock, VT: Y1.5, some noticeable knees, hop forward

McCusker, UB: Chow to pak, super clean. Almost over the wrong way on a handstand but pulled it back. Van Leeuwen, up to dismount – little underrotated but waaaaay better. Single step forward. Proud of her.

Lincoln, VT: Y1.5, way over cooked it, big bounds forward.

Blakely Jr, UB: Ricna to pak, solid connection. Super clean low bar handstand, through the rest – little step on the double front half out dismount. It’s good.

Drayton, VT: Y1.5, little bounce forward. Pretty clean in the air.

Harris-Miranda, UB: Tkachev clean, bail is dead on. DLO stuck! Much more comfortable.

Chio, VT: Y1.5, looked a little tentative but good amplitude, little hop on the landing.

Wong, UB: Maloney to pak, some leg sep. van Leeuwen is cleaner. DLO, little bounce back.

Ok, now I run to my actual viewing location! Hopefully I make it in time!

8:05pm: I am back for the end of rotation two!

Just watched Harris-Miranda absolutely nail her Y1.5!

McClain, LSU UB: Great handstand work. Tkachev to bail, very clean. Stuck her dismount – yeah, that’ll be a good score.

Hearing that Chio had a fall and Finnegan had an uncharacteristic mistake? Would have liked to see that.

Florida responded with a massive 49.45 on vault! The era of Gator vault supremacy continues!

AFTER TWO: LSU 98.65, UF 98.475

Despite that initial fall from Sloane Blakely, the Gators are putting up a fight here for sure.

8:15pm: Rotation 3!

Ballard, LSU BB: Bhs loso, a little crooked in the air but fixes it without a single bobble. What a pro. Full turn is fine, switch to sissone is great. Front toss, little arm wave there. Sticks her dismount! A good way to start for the Tigers.

Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, perfectly rotated, maybe some leg sep in her twisting form. Switch ring to switch half, so extended. 1.5 to front lay, straight to arabesque, well controlled. Y turn is a little hurried but overall a good leadoff.

Coen, BB: Front aerial to beat jump, clean. Bhs loso, really floats it, that’s nice. Switch to split, some back foot issues, don’t think it’s quite 180. Full turn is fine. Roundoff double full, little foot adjustment on the landing. Great debut for her!

Ferris, FX: Full in to open, well controlled. Switch side to Popa, a little bouncy on the landing. 1.5 to front lay, really sends that layout out far but knows exactly where she is, single step forward. So glad to have her in the lineup this week!

Chio, BB: Bhs loso, just lays that in. Dance series is good, well extended. Front aerial to split, good 180 there. Full turn is clean. 1.5 twist dismount, bit of a deep squat but she sticks it! A good rebound from the fall on bars.

Blakely Sr., FX: Full in to open, looks SO confident with that, doesn’t move the front foot an inch. Dance series is great, gets excellent height and those splits are to die for. Really playing to her team as her crowd here! 1.5 to front full, nails it. She looks SO much more confident on floor this year, I’m so happy.

McClain, BB: Switch to switch half, gets SO much height on that. Front aerial to bhs, gorgeous. Full turn, very clean. Little bobble in her choreo? Weird. Side aerial is clean, locks down those arms. Gainer full off the side is clean but doesn’t hold it very long, we’ll see if they take it.

Clark, FX: DLO, HUGE amplitude, little lean back, maybe some slide of the front foot? She’s really performing the heck out of this routine despite the low-energy LSU crowd. Dance series is great, gorgeous extension there. Front through to double tuck, big lunge back, front foot definitely slid there. Alas, not as good as last week, but still great.

Bryant, BB: She’s dealing with an elbow injury, so that’s why we didn’t see her on vault or bars tonight. Front aerial to bhs, well connected. Switch to straddle 1/4, clean. Standing front tuck, lands it very upright. Wolf jump is fine. Sticks that dismount – no surprise there.

Wong, FX: DLO, a little underrotated, had to lean and step forward. Triple element dance series is clean, maybe a little more labored than usual? Whip half to front lay, very clean. She’s upset about that first pass still as she runs off the floor – she’s such a perfectionist, always her own worst critic.

Finnegan, BB: Bhs loso loso, breaks at the hips! Leans all the way down, but doesn’t touch the beam and stays on. Wild. Dance series is clean, gorgeous extension as usual. Front aerial, locked back in. Gainer full off the side is stuck.

Harris-Miranda, FX: Front through to double tuck, nails it, couldn’t move that front foot if she tried. Straddle elements in her dance series had great amplitude and positions in the air. Really hitting her musical moments. Combo pass to double stag, drops down in a crouch for her finishing choreo. Nailed that.

AFTER THREE: LSU 148.175, UF 147.9

Gators need to make up 3 tenths… not sure if that’ll happen tonight. Not in the PMAC.

8:47pm: Rotation 4!

Draser, UF BB: Good to see her in this week. Bhs loso, her elbows buckled on her bhs but she landed that somehow!! Switch to switch half, definitely some feet there. Roundoff 1.5 twist dismount is stuck! Way to fight.

Ballard, LSU FX: Really bringing the drama in this opening choreo. DLO to open, a little banana-shaped but well controlled on the landing, takes it right to the line. 1.5 to front lay, big step forward, definitely dragged that back foot some. Dance series is lovely. Going for a third pass – double pike, basically a two-foot stick, held it for a hot second then put the foot back to the lunge. Incredible.

Blakely Sr., BB: Front aerial to bhs, well connected. Split leap to switch half to beat jump, so quick with those and great split positions. Full turn is fine. Gainer full off the side – counts to herself to 5 to make sure she holds it long enough! Love that.

Dunne, FX: Front through to double tuck to open, nice and high, great. Switch to switch ring half, that ring position was NOT acceptable. Double pike to close, good control there. Attempts what I assume is a ring jump full at the end? Never reached ring position at ALL and rotation was not there either to be honest.

Pilgrim, BB: Bhs loso, super steady. Cat leap to front aerial, so clean. Switch to split leap, gorgeous toe point, well over 180. Bhs gainer full off the side, stuck! The Gators fighting for every tenth here.

Drayton, FX: DLO, a little short, has to bend her knees and shuffle forward a little. Gorgeous switch ring to switch half. Front tuck through to double tuck, veeeeery close to the line, but knew exactly where she was. Kinda fell out of her wolf turn, don’t think she made it a full double rotation and put her hand down – will that be a fall? Judges will decide.

Nguyen, BB: Onodi to bhs, gorgeous, connection is fine. Full turn is clean. Switch leap to split jump, extension is great, 180s a little off axis but I think she still reached them. Bhs 1.5, little shift forward for her dismount.

9:00pm: Chio, FX: Full in, nice open body position, but also short, step forward. Combo pass is clean, well twisted. Dance series is clean. LSU giving some crucial tenths away.

Wong, BB: Switch leap mount, big bobble but stays on somehow with one foot??? Moves into the rest of her dance sequence, clean. Bhs loso, locks it down. Gainer tuck full off the end, little hop on the dismount. Just not her night.

Finnegan, FX: Double arabian to stag to open, incredible amplitude. Dance series is gorgeous, ring position is definitely legit here. 2.5 to punch front, has to step back instead of forward, so maybe a little underdone but covers well. Really putting on a show with the choreo through the whole routine – definitely a strong score.

Harris-Miranda, BB: Series is SOOOO steady, bhs loso bhs. Dance sequence is lovely, hits those 180s well. Front toss is solid, she’s locked in. Bhs 1.5 twist, a shift back on that landing. Still, an excellent routine.

Bryant, FX: Double front looks so easy for her as always. Switch leap through to tour jete half is good for her dance series, splits are great, although definitely some feet not fully pointed. Front lay to Rudi to close it out – they’re mobbing her like she’s won the natty again, but that was probably enough to clinch the meet for the Tigers.

FINAL LSU 197.55, UF 197.45

Sooooo close to fighting back to snipe that, but just a few too many flubs – still, a massive improvement over last week. That’s what matters to this coaching staff: getting better each week and progressing toward the ultimate goal of being prepared for postseason.

Finnegan and Harris-Miranda tie for the all-around title at 39.5! Finnegan wins vault, McClain bars, Bryant and Blakely Sr. beam (9.95!), and Blakely also tied for the floor title with Finnegan at 9.95.

Some really great signs for the Gators tonight, despite the loss – Ferris in the floor lineup is a big boon, although I do think they’re missing Pilgrim in a significant way. Draser back into beam, despite the scare, is also good news; she was a strong leadoff for the beam team last year. Vault being so strong is always good news, too, especially when we look ahead to the next ESPN2 meet the Gators will have – vs. Oklahoma.

That’s all for me tonight. I’ll be back next week for the rivalry night vs. Georgia at 6:15pm on Friday. See you then!