It’s good to be back. After last year, things in the college football world are at full bore again. The fans are fully back. The energy is back in the building and you could clearly see that from how the Swamp was on Saturday. And with the return of football, comes another season of Grading the Gators.
Offense: C
Last year we saw an all-time great Gator offense light up scoreboards all throughout the Southeastern Conference. Now, the offense is full of new guys looking to cement their own legacy like those who did so in 2020. The first couple of series went at a lightning pace. Quick hitters, big chunks in the run game followed by lots of tempo. It seemed the Gators would be terrorizing the SEC employing this new look. Then the speed bumps hit. Florida should’ve been up 28 going to into the half and had to settle for 14. Emory Jones provided plenty of explosion in the running game but really did struggle as a passer. Mental mistakes on back-to-back drives in the redzone (one didn’t involve passing but it can’t go without mentioning) and multiple misplaced or missed throws stalled out the offense.
The running game really moved the ball for Florida. Jones and Anthony Richardson ripped off their fair share of runs but Richardson will be remembered more out of the two for what he did with his legs. Though the offensive line did struggle with blocking at times, Florida saw double-digit big plays on the ground. Malik Davis looks like his old self and Dameon Pierce continues to be a tough runner. Plus, fans got to see a little dose of the explosiveness Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman can provide.
The defense still had its troubles with getting off the field and little bit of confusion lining up from last year. But, overall, I think they played well. The front seven struggled at first to get any kind of pressure. FAU was able to get the ball out quick to start the game. But as the game wore on it harassed N’Kosi Perry and was the reason the defense got off the field on multiple occasions. Zachary Carter is truly going to be a problem this season. The Gators tallied six sacks, three by Carter alone, and at least eight quarterback hurries. If they can get that kind of production from the front, it can do well to help this secondary.
The secondary is still looking to figure it out. They’re still looking for a permanent option at the second cornerback spot. Avery Helm got the start and had a few lapses, Jason Marshall showed flashes but also had a bad pass interference call and Elijah Blades extended a drive with a facemask in the secondary. FAU won on several quick hitters and actually had a screen pass wide open that would’ve worked if not for an enforced error. But under 300 yards passing allowed is still an accomplishment.
Week 1 ToS CFB Defensive Player of the Week: DL Zachary Carter (Florida)
Zachary Carter LIVED in FAU’s backfield – Miami transfer N’Kosi Perry couldn’t breathe 😅
There wasn’t much opportunity for the kickers. Aussie punter Jeremy Crawshaw only punted twice but one of them was a 55-yard bomb to the FAU 15 and pinned the Owls at the 14 thanks to a great tackle from Ja’Markis Weston. Chris Howard and Jace Christmann combined to go perfect on extra point attempts and shared kickoff responsibilities. The only lapse was a 30-yard kickoff return allowed late in the fourth quarter. Speaking of returns, Xzavier Henderson provided some pretty good ones at the punt returner spot. His big 33-yarder set the Gators up with great position. His 12-yard return even moved the Gators from inside their own 20 to a more comfortable position at the 27 yard-line. I would love to see him continue to produce at that position.
Conclusion:
For a good chunk of this game, it was a rather boring affair where FAU hung around a lot longer than people probably liked. Anthony Richardson and the running game helped provide some excitement in the second half as the Gators finally pulled away in the fourth quarter. There were plenty of good things to take away from the season opener but there are still plenty of kinks they need to hammer out. And it’ll have to happen soon as Alabama comes to town in just two weeks’ time.
The Florida Gators coasted past Florida Atlantic to open the 2021 season on Saturday. While the victor was never in doubt, there was much to be improved on by the team wearing white at home for the first time in twenty years.
The Gators finished off the 35-14 victory, but appeared to play into a potential quarterback controversy.
Emory Jones was not sharp in his first start under center, finishing 17-27 for 113 yards, a touchdown, and a pair of interceptions. Anthony Richardson took over in the fourth and provided a spark that led to a few touchdown drives.
The Gators got on the scoreboard early as Dameon Pierce found the end zone less than five minutes into the game.
Florida then added to it with a Jones pass to Rick Wells before the end of the first quarter.
However, that was all the Gators offense was able to muster up in the first half.
Dameon Pierce scored in the third to make it 21-0 before Richardson led a pair of touchdown drives in the final period.
As a team, Florida rushed for 400 yards and accumulated 553 of total offense against the Owls.
The Florida defense underwent a bend but don’t break mentality early, capitalizing on mistakes by the FAU offense. They kept the Owls shut out until the 4th quarter. Additionally, the Gators recovered two fumbles and came away with six sacks.
Team Stats:
First Downs: 26
Total Yards: 553
Passing Yards: 153
Rushing Yards: 400
3rd Down (O): 10-16
3rd Down (D): 5-12
Penalties: 9-91
Time of Poss.: 30:13
What’s Next:
Florida will travel to Tampa to take on a bad South Florida team next week. The game is scheduled for 1:00 PM from Raymond James Stadium.
This is a game that, on paper, shouldn’t even be close. However, Vegas doesn’t necessarily see it that way as Florida is only a 24-point favorite (for comparison sake, Mississippi State is a 36-point favorite against Louisiana Tech). That could be for a few reasons. Possibly, Florida enters 2021 completely underrated thanks to the loss of generational talent at QB, TE, and WR. Or, potentially, with a showdown against Alabama looming just two weeks later, maybe Vegas expects a vanilla showing from the Gators in an effort to hide strategy from Nick Saban and company. Either way, Florida is far too talented to not rout the Owls. Gators, 45-10.
I’m confident when I say the Gators will start off the 2021 season strong with a win against the Owls. While they took a hit on the offensive line, losing star players Kyle Pitts and Kyle Trask in the NFL draft, the comeback is inevitable. The defense did lack last season, but with the return of players such as defensive lineman Zachary Carter, they have a chance to redeem themselves. Quarterback Emory Jones and his ability to run the ball also makes big moves for the team. I simply do not see the 5-4 Owls taking the lead in the game. I say that Florida beats out Florida Atlantic by at least 20 points. Gators, 35-14.
There is not a doubt in my mind when I say that Florida should and will win this game. The Gators have built a solid depth chart, especially at running back, that will bully the Owl defense in four quarters of football. Quarterback Emory Jones should also have a fun day with his receivers and I wouldn’t be surprised if coach Dan Mullen unleashed freshman Anthony Richardson early in the game. On the contrary, I believe that the Gators will get off to a slow start on the first few drives and predict that Florida will put up only 17 points in the first quarter (I don’t mind being proven wrong in this scenario). FAU coach Willie Taggert and his team will believe the game is close but Florida will run away with it in the second half. Gators, 31-7.
There are so many questions surrounding this Florida team. There will be a lot of truth to the old saying you can’t tell the players without a program. NFL departures cost the offense an abundance of production. Gone are Trask, Pitts,Toney, and Grimes. However, there is talent up and down the offensive skills position depth chart. Dan Mullen will kickoff his 4th year in Hogtown with a cast of hopefuls that includes Jones, Richardson, Bowman, Fraziars, and Elksnis. How does “next man up” play for our first cliche’ of 2021? Defensively, the Gators were a mess that DC Todd Grantham and his staff failed to correct during the 2020 season. Mullen and Grantham turned to Wesley McGriff and Jule Montinar to fix a broken secondary. And there will be a host of new hopefuls throughout the Gators D like Newkirk, Valentino, Truesdell, Marshall, Blades, and Perkins to name a few. Evan McPerhson and Jacob Finn have departed the UF special teams. Mullen wisely wrapped up the spring early, giving S&D Coordinator Nick Savage additional time to work with a group who had little time together in 2020. FAU head coach Willie Taggart hit the transfer portal hard. Overall the Owls two-deep has a LOT of youth. Taggart + youth = spells disaster. Look for Florida to wear them down. Gators 49-10.
The Gators will certainly dominate the Owls, but it’s unrealistic to expect Florida’s offensive power from last year to return – not yet, at least. A cocktail of inexperience and excitement swirls in the glass of the Gator offense, which sits in front of quarterback Emory Jones. Jones threw the ball 32 times for 217 total yards in the 2020 season, so he’s proven he’s capable of success. Now, he just has to prove he can do it consistently. Defensively, the Gators will have to iron out details amongst an unacquainted secondary. Against an FAU offense that averaged 18.89 points per game, wrinkles shouldn’t be a problem. Gators 31-10.
…
The Gators and Owls are set to kickoff the 2021 season from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 7:30 PM on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network.
The athletic year has already begun, and Gator gymnasts are officially on campus and gearing up for the new season! We’ve talked a lot about this stellar class in the past as they committed, but let’s put them all together and see what their addition the team looks like in context. This may just be the best class of Florida gymnasts in program history, so let’s meet the freshmen!
Sloane Blakely
Blakely comes to Gainesville from the storied WOGA program in Frisco, Texas with a whole host of titles under her belt. She became the first gymnast to outright win all four events and the all-around at J.O. Nationals earlier this year and finished in first on beam at her first J.O. Nationals in 2016. In between, she competed at the elite level for several years, qualifying to three U.S. national championships and contributing to the USA’s team title at the International Gymnix meet in Canada in 2019. There, she also earned the bronze medal in the all-around and the silver on beam.
As you might guess from her accolades, Blakely has a strong all-around program and could slot in on any event for the Gators. However, beam is where she really shines, with a wide variety of unique skills that will wow the crowd and excellent technique and rhythm that should impress the judges. Here she is at the Nastia Liukin Cup earlier this year, where she earned 5th for this difficult routine full of attack.
Brianna Edwards
A local product, Edwards will join the Gators from Navarre, Fla. and Gulf Coast Gymnastics. While some may think she might fade in the sea of big names joining the team this year, Edwards has the kind of personality that will not be denied. Growing up in an Air Force family, she started gymnastics with a friend in Okinawa in fourth grade and has been dedicated ever since. At Gulf Coast, she progressed through the Junior Olympic levels quickly, reaching Level 9 in 2019 where she became the national vault champion and earned bronze on floor. She advanced to Level 10 last year, qualifying to her first J.O. Nationals on beam and floor and placing second on vault at Florida’s state championship.
Edwards proclaims vault to be “her” event, and her titles support that notion. It’s certainly where she’s most likely to contribute for the Gators, with a floaty full-twisting Yurchenko (FTY) that she lands remarkably and reliably well. It’ll be fierce competition for that lineup, especially without a 10.0 start-value (SV) vault, but if anyone has that fight in them, it’s Edwards. Here’s her FTY from Elevate the Stage, a high-profile J.O. meet where she won the vault title!
Morgan Hurd
Hurd has been the subject of many a fan question throughout the last year, speculating over whether or not she would actually end up in Gainesville, if she would go pro or continue in elite, et cetera ad nauseum. While not on the roster yet, Hurd does plan to join the team in January, following her stint on the Gold Over America Tour with Simone Biles, and will be added to the roster once she is enrolled in classes. She hails from First State Gymnastics in Delaware, where she’s trained elite for the last seven years. A six-time national team member, Hurd has won a whopping five World Championship medals, three World Cup titles, and team titles at both Pacific Rim Championships and the Pan American Games during her nine international assignments representing the U.S. One of those was the 2017 World AA title, making her the only non-Simone Biles AA world champion since 2013.
Though she suffered several injuries in 2020, Hurd was very much on the comeback trail this year, and had she had just a little more time (and the selection process taken past achievements into account, as it has previously), she would likely have been selected for Olympic Trials. Regardless, she’s still an asset to this Gator team and could contribute anywhere. It may be some time before we see her on bars, as her elbows are still recovering from her most recent surgery, but beam and floor will be absolute standouts for her. Here’s her floor routine at the 2018 American Cup, where she won the all-around and a share of every event except vault. Her elegant dance and powerful tumbling are a lethal combination for some top-notch scores in years to come.
Riley McCusker
The Gators have not one, but two world champions joining the team this year. McCusker comes to Gainesville from New Jersey by way of Arizona Sunrays, home of Olympian Jade Carey, who welcomed McCusker in as her training partner after she left an abusive training environment at M.G. Elite. Like Hurd, McCusker is a long-time U.S. national team member and earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2018 World Championships. She also has three Pan American Games medals and a silver World Cup medal to her name, as well as a national bars title. Unfortunately, earlier this year, she sustained an ankle injury at what was to be a huge comeback meet for her, the GK U.S. Classic. However, she was able to continue to compete bars for the remainder of the meets leading up to Tokyo, taking the national silver medal on the event and qualifying to Olympic Trials, where she trained, but did not compete, beam as well. Despite her progress, she was not named to the team or as a replacement athlete due to a fall on one night of competition.
Though she’s still recovering from her injury, McCusker should make an immediate impact on the Florida bars and beam lineups. Her gorgeous toe point and attention to detail should earn her high marks, particularly in her handstands and dance elements. Further down the line, expect her to contribute on floor as well and to contend for the vault lineup, though without a 10.0 SV, that’s the last lineup she’ll likely join. Check out this fantastic bar set from McCusker’s silver-winning performance at U.S. Championships earlier this summer.
Leanne Wong
Much to the surprise of some fans, Wong became the only member of the incoming Gator Gymnastics class to make the trip to Tokyo for the Olympics, having been selected as a replacement athlete earlier this summer. As the youngest member of this class, Wong did not have as many opportunities to make World Championship teams as some of her classmates, but she still earned many accolades along her road to Tokyo. She started with a J.O. national AA title in 2016 before making the jump to elite, and she was added to the junior elite national team just a year later winning the junior vault title at U.S. Championships. In 2018, she became the junior national champion and represented Team USA at the Junior Pan Am Championships, where she won team gold and an individual medal in every event except floor. In her senior debut at the American Cup, part of the World Cup series, she won gold, defeating world champion Grace McCallum and several other veteran international elites. She went on to win team gold at the Pan Am Games and be named an alternate to the 2019 World Championships team. This year, she earned the national bronze medal on floor and earned a berth to Olympic Trials, where she was then named as an alternate.
Wong, unlike McCusker and Hurd, does not appear to have any injuries to contend with as she transitions to college gymnastics, so it’s quite possibly she’ll be an all-around threat from day one. She doesn’t really have a particularly weak event, but definitely expect her to make waves in the floor lineup, as that has been her strongest event as of late. With better guidance on routine construction from coaches Rowland and Burde and choreography from VAC Miranda, you can bet Wong’s floor routine will pack a massive one-two punch of tumbling and showmanship. Here’s her floor routine from U.S. Championships this year where her elegance was unmatched and her cleanliness paid off.
Shilese Jones?
In case you haven’t heard the rumblings, the Gators may be adding one more stellar freshman to this class in January – Shilese Jones. It’s a bit of a strange situation, as no one is really certain why Jones hasn’t signed an NLI, but she remains publicly and proudly committed to Florida, and the word around the gymternet is that she will be coming to join the team this season. If this is the case, Gator fans are in for a real treat. Jones is yet another U.S. national team member that has had success on both the domestic and international stage, with two Pan Am Championships medals, a second-place finish at Winter Cup earlier this year -the first domestic meet post-COVID shutdown, and bronze on vault at Olympic Trials.
Her eponymous skill on floor is a 1.5-twisting double back, though she hasn’t had an opportunity to get it named, and she’s known for her gorgeous execution on vault and bars as well. If we do get to see her in the orange and blue in 2022, she’ll have a chance at all four lineups, though her strongest events would likely be vault and floor. She’ll be joining Biles and teammate Hurd, among many other star athletes, on the Gold Over America tour this fall, after which she may head to Gainesville. Keep your eyes and ears peeled! We’ll break the news here when her announcement is officially made. In the meantime, check out her stuck DTY from U.S. Championships, which earned her one of the few 15.0+ scores of the weekend.
In total, if Jones is included, this new class of Gator gymnasts boasts five U.S. national team members, six J.O. Nationals appearances, two Nastia Liukin Cup berths, 24 national championship medals, 21 international assignments, and six World medals. Statistically, this may be the most decorated class in program history! If you thought competition for lineup berths was tight last season, just wait – not only does Florida add these talented six, but seniors Megan Skaggs and Alyssa Baumann are both returning for the COVID-eligibility year, so of the routines competed at nationals last year, the Gators lose none.
With all 24 postseason routines returning and all these stellar freshmen joining, Rowland and her staff will have their work cut out for them, now more than ever, as they decide which six on each event will score best for the team. This team still has something to prove, an axe to grind, and with a roster like this, they may be unstoppable.
An early goal to open the scoring on Thursday night would not nearly be enough for the Gators as they dropped their third straight match.
Top-ranked rival Florida State triumphed over Florida 5-2, remaining perfect and dwindling the Gators to 0-4-1.
Graduate Kit Loferski became the second Gator ever to open the season with Florida’s first three goals (the other being Sara Yohe in 1997) when she sent a ball past the Florida State goalkeeper off a pass from Alivia Gonzalez. Her goal gave the Gators their first lead all season and ended the team’s 213 minute scoring drought.
Less than a minute of play later, Florida Junior Cameron Hall would conceded a penalty as FSU entered the box.
Jaelin Howell, 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy winner, would convert on the spot-kick, evening the score, killing the Gators’ momentum.
Florida State’s attack did not stagnate. Former Gator Beatta Olsson made a highlight worthy play as she scored on an impressive bicycle kick of the cross to put the Seminoles in front.
Insurance was added when forward Clara Robbins scored a third unanswered goal for the Seminoles with fifteen minutes remaining in the first half.
Halftime did not interrupt the Seminole’s attack as Olsson was able to score her second goal off the corner kick, extending the Florida State lead to 4-1.
Florida’s mistakes piled on with another foul in the box. Clara Robbins executed on the penalty kick. The five Florida State goals marked their highest ever scored against instate rival Florida.
Florida would end the game on a lighter note. Transfer Shaye Seyffart got a secondary shot to go in off a corner, giving the Gators their first multi goal game this season.
Coach Amato and the Gator’s are hoping this last second goal can push the team in the right direction for the remainder of the season.
“I think every time out, practice or games, we have been taking a step and trying to grow in terms of our work rate… and figuring out what it takes to win at this level” Amato said. “I do think we have more in us and we’re going to keep pushing forward so by the time the season’s over we’re where we need to be.”
The road trip will resume on Sunday at 1 p.m. when Florida heads to Fort Myers to face Florida Gulf Coast.
The Florida Gators enter the 2021 season riding the high of beating Georgia, winning the SEC East, and giving Alabama a stiff fight in the SEC Championship Game. However, the Gators finished the year 8-4 including a disturbingly lopsided Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma.
For every high in 2020, the lows were even more excruciating (think shoe toss).
So what does the 2021 season have in store for Florida?
That may be the most difficult thing to estimate before the season begins because QB Emory Jones has such a limited sample size thus far. Furthermore, the Gators lost generational talent at the tight end and wide receiver positions.
This team is loaded with more questions than answers. Let’s take a look, position-by-position:
QB
Emory Jones is ready to be QB1 for this offense. He has patiently waited his turn and is expected to make significant leaps in his first year as the primary signal caller for Dan Mullen’s offense.
Anthony Richardson has also received a lot of attention and is expected to see a good bit of playing time this season.
RB
The Florida running back room is LOADED. Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis are the experienced guys that will be relied on pretty heavily, but if they are unable to produce, Mullen and RB coach Greg Knox won’t hesitate to play Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard, or Demarkcus Bowman.
Wright showed flashes of brilliance last year while both Lingard and Bowman have home run potential from anywhere on the field.
WR
While the running back room is packed, the wide receiver room is in a good place as well, assuming a few key players show off the development expected. The Gators lost Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes, but will look to Jacob Copeland and Justin Shorter to step up. Additionally, guys like Trent Whittemore, Rick Wells, Ja’Markis Weston, and Xzavier Henderson will need to make an impact and prove themselves able to help Jones out by consistently catching the football.
In my opinion, Copeland has to be the leader of this group. He was given the No. 1 jersey by Mullen and must prove that he is the alpha of the wide receiver room.
TE
Kemore Gamble will have every opportunity to prove he is the best option for this team at the tight end position. In order to do so, he does not have to be Kyle Pitts 2.0, but has to be able to run and pass block and make catches when called upon. This will be a vastly different offense this season and blocking will be of much more importance at the edge of the offensive line.
Keon Zipperer and Nick Elksnis both had a very good fall camp, according to the staff and will be rotated in, but Gamble will have the chance to show off his talents first and foremost.
OL
The Florida offensive line was much maligned a year ago. Whether it was pourous pass protection or the inability to move the defenders off the line of scrimmage in the run game, the unit struggled, at best. Take into account that the top two performers from the group (Forsythe and Heggie) have exhausted their eligibility, and it appears all hope is lost.
However, Florida is instituting an almost entirely different style of play and the offensive line just may be the biggest benefactor. A larger quantity of rushing opportunities paired with more frequent quick-hitting passes could allow this unit to gel in time for the conference schedule.
Starters LT-LG-C-RG-RT (per the team issued depth chart):
Gouraige – White – Eguakun – Reese – Delance
DL
The defensive line is one of the most intriguing position groups on the field because of what Florida has accomplished in the transfer portal. The Gators added interior linemen Daquan Newkirk and Antonio Valentino (Shelton) before announcing earlier this week the addition of Tyrone Truesdell. Bringing in these players will allow veteran Zachary Carter to slide outside and become more of a pass rush specialist. Brenton Cox and Jeremiah Moon are also players with high motors who will operate from that buck position to disrupt the opposing offense.
LB
Ventrell Miller is a star in the making. I trust my eyes and what I’ve seen to believe that he is as dominant a middle linebacker as we’ve seen in quite some time at Florida. His leadership will be important as it’ll be up to him to make sure the calls are in and his team is lined up correctly. Backing him up, Mohamoud Diabate might be the best athlete on the team.
Amari Burney and Ty’Ron Hopper will line up alongside Miller and both are athletic playmakers. Many like the upside of Hopper and it wouldn’t surprise me if he jumps Burney on the depth chart within a few weeks.
DB
Ah, the defensive backfield. While the entire defense was among the worst in program history, the secondary was one of the worst in the nation. As a result, both the safeties and cornerbacks coaches were let go and replaced.
But, Florida actually has a ton of talent in the secondary. Kaiir Elam is a candidate to receive an All-American brick as one of the nation’s best corner’s. The season ending injury to Jaydon Hill was unfortunate, but gives opportunity to Avery Helm (who is surprisingly listed as CB2). Behind them on the depth chart you have a true freshman in Jason Marshall and transfer Elijah Blades.
Trey Dean and Rashad Torrence are expected to start at the safety positions and quite frankly, safety play can’t possibly be worst than a year ago. In Florida’s initial depth chart, Tre’vez Johnson is listed as the starter at the star (nickel) position and he shined at times in very limited action as a true freshman in 2020.
ST
Dan Mullen was stunned by Evan McPherson’s announcement that he was heading to the NFL. It forced Mullen to hit the portal hard and, ultimately, he landed on a player he was familiar with in Jace Christmann. The former Mississippi State kicker made 32-40 field goals, including 11-17 from 40 yards +.
Freshman punter Jeremy Crawshaw attempted two kicks a year ago and averaged 49.0 yards (one was 50, one was 48).
Kaiir Elam was listed as the No. 1 guy in the punt return and I’m not sure if I like your top corner being that guy. But, that’s just my thoughts on it. Jacob Copeland and Ja’Markis Weston are listed as co-options on the kickoffs.
…
To be very clear, I really like the starters on both sides of the ball (except the offensive line), my biggest question mark about this team is the lack of experienced depth, particularly with the defensive front seven.
What is a realistic expectation for this team?
This is such a difficult question. If every single player mentioned above avoids injury and plays to their full potential, a CFP berth is within reach. Realistically, though, injuries happen and periods of poor play happen. Florida also happens to have a relatively difficult schedule as they face Alabama and LSU from the SEC West in addition to the annual game in Jacksonville against Georgia.
9-3 seems like a reasonable prediction for this team, but three conference losses doesn’t result in a trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game. Three losses may not put you second in the East. If a third place finish in the East is in the cards, so might be an Outback Bowl berth.
Florida head coach Mike White landed his highest rated commitment since Scottie Lewis as 4-star forward Malik Reneau offered his pledge to the program on Wednesday.
Reneau, originally from Hialeah in south Florida, plays for Montverde Academy and the Nightrydas Elite AAU squad is a 6’8, 210 pound prospect that 247sports has rated as the No. 84 prospect in the nation and No. 12 PF in the 2022 recruiting class.
Reneau shined this summer with Nightrydas where he put up 17.2 PPG and 8.5 RPG while adding 1.3 blocks during the Nike EYBL showcase.
The Gators earned the commitment over Florida State, Miami, and Memphis, among others.
Up 24-23 in the fourth set, Stanford setter Kami Miner lofted a backset to middle blocker Holly Campbell who delivered her eighth kill of the night to secure a four-set victory over the Gators.
After climbing inside the top-five in the national rankings, Florida wrapped up its west coast road trip Tuesday with its first loss this season.
The Gators built a four-point advantage in the first set until Stanford won 11 of the next 16 points to prevail in a tie-breaker. The Cardinal carried their momentum into the second set in which they jumped out to an 18-8 lead and won by 7 points.
Florida fought back in the third set when senior outside hitter Thayer Hall kickstarted a nine-point swing with a trio of kills. The Gators went on to win by the largest margin of any set (8) largely due to their efficiency. Following a pair of average attacking sets, Florida landed 14 kills on 23 attempts with only a pair of errors. This elevated the Gators’ hitting percentage to .522, but they came back down to earth during an inefficient fourth set (.154) that proved the third set to be an outlier.
Florida gained an early 6-1 lead in the fourth set after freshman Merritt Beason landed a pair of kills. Up 12-7, Florida redshirt senior T’ara Ceasar committed a service error before four attack errors and a Stanford kill gave the Cardinal their first lead of the set. Seesawing points ensued until Stanford pulled away just in nick of time to win the match.
Box Score
No. 5 Florida: 24-18-25-23
No. 20 Stanford: 26-25-17-25
Stat Leaders
Aces
Monserez: 2
McKissock/Hall/Ceasar: 1
Kills
Ceasar: 13
Beason: 12
Hall: 11
Assists
Monserez: 41
McKissock: 5
Hall: 4
Digs
Monserez: 21
McKissock: 16
Hall: 8
Blocks
Dooley: 7
Monserez/Beason: 4
Next Up
The Gators will return to the east coast ahead of Sunday’s home opener versus No. 10 Minnesota. The match will begin at 2 p.m. and air on ESPNU.
Backed with host Mark McLeod’s twenty four years of experience covering the Florida Gators, The Gridiron Growl Podcast is back from it’s short summer hiatus.
In the season two debut, Mark is joined by ChompTalk.com frontman Brian Fox to talk Gators football before being joined by Brent Beaird of First Coast News in Jacksonville.
Mark and Brent take a look around the Southeastern Conference as we prepare for the open of the NCAA football season.
Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:
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Florida looked strong in possession throughout Sunday’s match, but were held scoreless for the second straight game. In a game dominated by Florida, Miami’s only shot on goal would give them the golden goal in overtime.
Miami defeated Florida 1-0 to improve to 2-1-0 while the Gators dropped to 0-3-1 on the season.
The Gators were gifted an early opportunity to take the lead when Junior Kouri Peace got past the defense. Peace sent a shot wide right, unable to take advantage of an open net after a mistake from Miami’s goalkeeper, Melissa Dagenais.
Struggles from Thursday’s game lingered versus Miami, as the Gators were unable to find the last pass to get past Miami’s back line.
Defensively, Florida kept Miami on the outside in efforts to limit Miami from getting looks in the box.
The Hurricanes took seven corners in the first half, but the Gator’s defense held their ground, preventing Miami from taking any shots on Goldberg.
After the half, Florida came out energized, continuing to dominate time of possession. The ball was controlled by the Gators for the majority of the half as their ball movement led to nine shots. Five of those came on goal adding to their two in the first half.
“We were hoping by having some volume chances that would lead to goals” Amato said. “I think just that final decision at the top of the box, whether it’s somebody stepping through the ball on a shot or getting on the end of a cross or getting in a position to deliver a quality cross – we didn’t find that key moment there.”
Seven shots on goal were not enough as Dagenais made a play on all of them, increasing her save total to twelve on the season, sending the game to overtime.
A different story emerged as overtime play began. Florida was unable to preserve their offensive momentum, and Miami took control of the ball. A Miami free kick led to Taylor Shell sending a ball through Goldberg, awarding Miami with their second win of the season.
“As the game went on, it was going to come down to one moment” Amato said. “They found a way to get the moment there at the end of the first overtime.”
Florida will head to Tallahasee to face No. 1 Florida State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
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