ChompTalk.com

Hoo boy. It’s the Gators’ first time facing Oklahoma since the Sooners joined the SEC, and let’s just say it’s a good preview of postseason.

It’s not exactly a 1:1 comparison – the Sooners have been in their usual rare form, while the Gators have had some hiccups. They haven’t been their usual improve-every-week selves; there’s been a lot of up and down so far this season. However, also worth considering is that Florida is also likely out of contention for the regular season SEC title, so it doesn’t go into this with much to lose. Can the team take that attitude and go all out to beat the Sooners in their own house?

Personally, I doubt that, but I do expect a strong showing. I think we may see some more play with lineups – this team has not found its final six on… really any event, in my opinion, so Rowland will likely take tonight as an opportunity to try another iteration. Athletes also need resting and rotating out, so don’t be surprised if we see new faces pop up here and there.

Some key things to look for – keeping it close after rotation one would be huge. Don’t expect Florida to lead, given that bars is where the Gators have had the most trouble this season, but a close meet after one is a good sign. After two, if Florida has closed any of the distance, that’s even better: that demonstrates that the vault team is ON, because Oklahoma’s bars team is ridiculously good, ranked No. 1.

After the half, Florida needs a clean floor set and then to go lights out on beam, and if they want to win, the Gators may need some help from a little Sooner beam meltdown. Crazier things have happened.

It all starts at ESPN2 at 9pm ET, but if you can’t tune in, we’ll have the action right here for you, and scores will also be right here.

9:01pm: Broadcast is live – Bart Conner and Bridget Sloan are commentating, I love this song.

Pederson, OU VT: Y1.5, big step forward, some knees in the air for sure.

Pilgrim, UF UB: Good opening handstand. Pak is clean, low bar handstand work is solid. van Leeuwen – oh no! She can’t quite get her hand over the bar right and slams down on the ground. Looks like maybe she hyperextended her shoulder or elbow? Hard to tell.

She stays on the ground for quite some time, but decides to get up and rechalk! Gets back up, just does her dismount – full in is stuck cold! That’s a tough start but glad she seems okay.

Torrez, VT: Y1.5, just a little scoot forward. Legs come apart a little early in the air but toe point is gorgeous as she flies, not the biggest distance but overall an excellent vault.

McCusker, UB: She’ll need to reset this lineup and start over for the team. Good opening handstand. Maloney to pak, clean. Great low bar handstand there, Chow 1/2 is gorgeous. Stalder to double tuck, little slide forward. Good reset!!

Wells, VT: Y1.5, a little off to one side but stuck?? Wow. Maybe a small adjustment in the slow-mo? Hard to say from here.

Draser, UB: Good low bar handstands to start. Maloney to pak, leg form actually pretty clean. DLO, a little low on her landing, step forward, but another hit, they need that.

Bowers, VT: Y1.5, little step forward – better dynamics than the other vaults so far.

Blakely, Jr., UB: Ricna to pak, some leg sep there but gets through it. Final handstand is over 180, double front half out is stuck cold!

Mueller, VT: Y1.5, step forward. Also off to one side, lands on the white line on the right.

Wong, UB: Maloney to pak, pretty clean. van Leeuwen, also excellent. Maybe shy on final handstand? DLO stuck!

Davis, VT: Y1.5, great distance, sizable step forward.

Harris-Miranda, UB: Great opening handstand. Ray is good, not the most dynamic she’s done. Bail is dead on. Great final handstand work. DLO is stuck cold! That’s clutch.

AFTER ONE: OU 49.475, UF 49.275

Two tenths is not as close as we’d maybe like to see, but given what happened with Pilgrim, I’m not upset. Some of the scoring feels a little suspect to me… a 9.875 for Harris-Miranda at the end is a crime, frankly.

Looks like Pilgrim is out for vault at the least, and unlikely to return tonight. Being monitored closely.

9:26pm: Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, big bounce forward but very clean twisting form. Would much rather do that than undercook it.

Sievers, OU UB: Maloney to pak, some leg sep it looked like in the Maloney? Short on last handstand. Full in, little step back.

Bui, VT: Y1.5, didn’t quite get the block she’d want, has to take a step back on her landing. Underdone for sure.

Pederson, UB: Maloney to pak, leg form pretty clean. Short on last handstand again, maybe it’s my angle here? DLO, little step back.

Ferris, VT: Y1.5, BIG amplitude, but big hop forward.

Fatta, UB: piked Tkachev, gorgeous. Pak floats nicely too, although catches oddly. DLO, little bounce on the landing.

9:30pm: Wong, VT: Yhalf on, pike half off – little slide back, good height but not the most distance she’s gotten

Torrez, UB: Good opening handstand. Ray is great, pak is good – maybe a little leg sep? DLO, a little whippy, but stuck!

Disidore, VT: Y1.5, twists very quickly, just a single step forward, pretty controlled honestly. Good for her!

Davis, UB: Piked Jaeger is gooorgeous. Pak is so floaty. Great final handstand. Blind change is good, double front half out is stuck – that should be an EXCELLENT score.

Harris-Miranda, VT: Y1.5, STUCK COLD YES MA’AM! Some knees in the air but still an excellent, excellent vault. Best one of the night imo.

Bowers, UB: Piked Jaeger is strong. Great handstand to follow. Pak is clean. Solid final handstand. Full in, has to swim for it a little but doesn’t move!

AFTER TWO: OU 98.775, UF 98.65

The lead is closer! That’s what we wanted to see! Just over a tenth behind, this Gator team could catch up with a stellar back half – but they may need some help from the Sooners, especially given how home floor can go in Norman.

9:46pm: Davis, OU BB: Full turn is clean. Bhs loso, pretty solid. Front aerial to scale choreo, that’s fun! Really showcasing her flexibility here in the low beam section. Beat jump to ring jump, maybe a little shy of true ring position? Roundoff double full is stuck! Wow, a great start for the Sooners on beam.

Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, one of her good ones! Some crossing over in her twisting form, but helps her get around I think. Dance series is lovely, gorgeous extension as always. 1.5 to front lay, straight into her arabesque, excellent.

Fatta, BB: Bhs loso, solid. Side aerial, very crooked but somehow keeps the wobble small. Hitchkick to switch side, clean. Switch to split, I think hits 180 but it’s close, she’s tight here. Bhs gainer full off the side, stuck.

Ferris, FX: Gorgeous full in to open, well controlled. Dance series looks very clean and pretty accurately rotated. 1.5 to front lay, super under control. Closes with Gator chomp, yeah that’ll be a good score.

Pederson, BB: Full turn, looked like she was going to check but doesn’t? Bhs loso, little break there. Hitchkick to switch side, fine. Side somi, super squatty, hate that. Roundoff double full is stuck though!

Clark, FX: DLO to start, let’s see – control is better this week but she’s still shuffling that front foot. At least she kept it in bounds this week! Super sharp in this choreo section, obsessed. Leap series is FABULOUS, so high and such great straddle positions. Front through to double tuck, MUCH better controlled. She’s getting better dialed in now, hoping next week will see a better landing on the DLO.

Bowers, BB: Opening low beam choreo is nice. Full turn is clean. Bhs loso, lean to the side, that’s a check. Split leap to switch half, great extension through her toes. Roundoff double full is stuck!

10pm: Blakely Sr., FX: Goes for her opening pass and lands short, OH NO. Oh god. Stays down for a second, Adrian Burde cuts the music off, and Blakely gets up on her own, hops off on one foot as fast as she can go… I can’t. This was her year.

Wells, BB: Side aerial, looked liked a switch leg, that’s fun. Switch leap to switch leap, a little shy on the second it looked like. Lean on the bhs loso but keeps it small. Dismount fine – I’m still shaken, sorry.

Wong, FX: I’m so glad it’s her after that, she’s got ice in her veins. She’s got this. DLO to open, overdoes it almost but covers with choreo. Dance series is great, not as sharp as maybe it is sometimes but plenty clean. Whip half to front full, excellent. A true power move from the CEO.

Torrez, BB: Wolf jump is nice and tight, love that. Side aerial to loso series, really attacks the beam. Full turn, clean. Switch to straddle, great positions in the air. Bhs gainer full – so efficient, stuck cold.

Harris-Miranda, FX: Front through to double tuck, looked like the landing surprised her but she doesn’t move those feet. Dance series is nice and sharp. Really hitting these musical cues, love it. 1.5 to front half to stag jump, great connection and quick twisting.

AFTER THREE: OU 148.3, UF 148.0

I am so gutted for Sloane Blakely. This was her year, she was doing so well, she had finally found her groove on floor and was slaying beam as usual. She’s been confirmed out with a lower body injury now – my guess is Achilles but could also be ACL – and that will likely be her season. Sister Skye was also clearly shaken – probably pretty triggered, given the same thing happened to her a year ago – but HC Rowland is right, no one is better equipped to help Sloane through this tough time.

10:19pm: Last one – let’s see what the Gators can do in the face of adversity.

Draser, UF BB: Series is solid. Switch to switch half, some flexed feet but good positions. Full turn is clean. Roundoff 1.5 – stuck! A great start.

Bui and McCusker will be subbing in for Blakely and Pilgrim. Oh boy.

Davis, OU FX: Front double full, legs a little wild. Does a kick instead of an arabesque in the corner, interesting tactic to mask momentum issues. Dance series is clean. 1.5 to front full, better control there. Not a huge fan of this choreo, to be honest.

Nguyen, BB: Onodi to bhs, very crooked in the air but self-corrects well. Full turn is clean. Switch to split, a little hesitation but I think she’ll be fine to get connection credit. Bhs 1.5 dismount, little adjustment to bring her heels together.

Pederson, FX: 1.5 through to 2.5, pretty clean and well controlled. Front double full, runnnns out of it into another kick in the corner. Dance series at the end, good positions in the air, some flexed feet.

Wong, BB: Switch to split leap, gorgeous extension. Front aerial to sissone, quick connection. Bhs loso, VERY solid. Gainer tuck full, little hop back. She needs to figure out that dismount or switch back to the double full, it is not working for her.

Mueller, FX: Front tuck through to double tuck, very well controlled. Really bringing the drama in this choreography, or attempting at least – not sure she’s really bringing the performance on this yet. Front lay to Rudi, twisting is clean, maybe a little wild on her step back. Dance series is clean. Ending choreo… I’m so confused. Oklahoma choreo is not for me.

Harris-Miranda, BB: Bhs loso bhs, looked like she was going to lean but locks those arms down, doesn’t move a muscle. Dance series lovely, full turn is clean. Front toss – big lean, thought she was going to come off but she didn’t! Good fight! Roundoff 1.5 stuck! Floated that thing so well.

Fatta, FX: Front double full to stag jump, VERY precise in that landing, wow. Front tuck through to 2.5, also well controlled. Dance series doesn’t have as much amplitude as maybe I expected? Choreo is fine – Fatta has always given me Dance Moms energy, so this routine makes sense for her, ha.

Bui, BB: Wolf turn, fine. But falls getting up out of it? Oof. She needs more time to settle into college I think. Bhs loso, some flexed feet but very solid. Split 1/2 from side stand, bobble, but holds on. Bhs 1.5, little hop forward.

Bowers, FX: Why does so much of this choreography lead with her rear end? Like they’re in leotards, that’s not necessary. Front double full to front tuck, super floaty. Double pike is also well controlled. Really hitting all her musical moments and serving the appropriate amount of creepy for her character. Dance series has great amplitude.

McCusker, BB: Double wolf turn, so clean. Bhs loso, she’s off from the start and has to hop down, oof. Remounts – switch leap to split jump, gorgeous extension. Beat to front aerial, very clean. Gator chomp in her routine, love that she still gets to do one. Gainer full off the side – she’s upset, that’s tough.

Torrez, FX: DLO, super high. Leap series is excellent, great amplitude. Front through to double tuck, really well controlled. Hop L turn is fine, probably there to push her difficulty just up to a 10.

FINAL: OU 198.075, UF 196.625

I’m at a loss tonight… I’m mourning what this season could have been, had all these athletes not gotten injured. Kayla, Skye, Lily all coming in injured, Morgan medically retiring, Kayla getting reinjured, Kaylee’s back, Sloane getting a concussion and now this? I’m just… not our year, I guess.

I think I’ll be here for next Friday against Mizzou, but will keep y’all posted on Twitter. Stay sane out there, Gator fans. G’night.