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  • Gators Rout Tulane to Claim Gasparilla Bowl Victory

    Gators Rout Tulane to Claim Gasparilla Bowl Victory

    Photo by Julio Aguilar • Getty Images

    Despite a pair of first half interceptions, freshman QB DJ Lagway led the Florida Gators to a decisive 33-8 win over Tulane in Friday’s Gasparilla Bowl.

    The Gators accumulated over 500 yards of offense while the Green Wave was held to less than 200 by the Florida offense.

    The Gators took a 6-0 lead into halftime, in part, due to a pair of Lagway interceptions, including one in the end zone. Kicker Trey Smack made field goals of 34 and 44 in the first half.

    Smack added another trey to open the second half scoring and make it a 9-0 ballgame. On Florida’s next drive, Tony Livingston caught a seven yard touchdown pass from Lagway after freshman Jadan Baugh did the heavy lifting on the drive. Baugh rushed for thirty yards on the drive.

    Another Smack field goal (30 yards) opened the fourth quarter scoring. After forcing a turnover on downs, the Florida offense was set up at the Tulane 34. Four plays later, KD Daniels found the end zone after recovering a Lagway fumble and sneaking out of the backfield and racing 25 yards.

    One of the highlights of the game came late when Florida handed the ball off to 450-lb DT Desmond Watson on 3rd and 1 and converted. Walk-on RB Anthony Rubio was the benefactor of keeping the drive alive and scored from nine yards out just a few plays later.

    Tulane added a touchdown and two-point conversion late to get to the final score of 33-8, but Florida wholly dominated both sides of the ball.

    Defensively, Florida allowed just 69 yards on the ground and came up with one sack, but Green Wave QB Ty Thompson was under heavy pressure all game.

    Lagway finished the day 22-35 for 305 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Baugh (70) led a rushing attack that combined for 224 yards. Chimere Dike led the receiving corps with 96 yards on six catches. In all, eight Gators caught a pass in the Gasparilla Bowl.

    Florida finished the year 8-5 overall despite a pair of ugly losses at the beginning of the season against Miami and Texas A&M.

  • MBB: No. 7 Gators Hold Off North Carolina, 90-84

    MBB: No. 7 Gators Hold Off North Carolina, 90-84

    Photo by Matt Kelley • Getty Images

    Florida guards Will Richard and Alijah Martin combined for 41 points as No. 7 Florida held off a massive second half rally by the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Jumpman Invitational Tuesday night. Florida pulled away in the final minutes to collect the 90-84 victory to improve to 11-0 on the season.

    The Gators joined the 2005-06 NCAA championship team as the only in program history to open the season with eleven wins.

    Florida raced out to a 35-17 lead in the first half, thanks largely to going 6-12 from three-point range early on. UNC ended the period on a run that saw them enter the break down by just twelve.

    The Tar Heels capitalized on that momentum and scored the first eleven points out of the half and eventually took a 70-68 advantage with less than eight minutes to play.

    But the Gators continued to fight, led by Richard’s 22 point, six rebounds effort and a 19 points, five rebounds, six assists night from Martin.

    Richard completed a second-chance opportunity with a putback that put Florida back ahead with under a minute remaining. The Gators wouldn’t relinquish the lead again.

    For North Carolina (6-5), senior guard RJ Davis led all scorers with 29 points.

    As a team, Florida shot 46% from the floor and made 11-32 from three. Additionally, the Gators outrebounded the Tar Heels by ten, 46-36.

    Florida returns to the O’Dome Saturday against North Florida. The Ospreys are 7-5 overall but have claimed power five wins over South Carolina and Georgia Tech already this year. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

  • MBB: Florida Improves to 9-0 with Thrashing of Virginia

    MBB: Florida Improves to 9-0 with Thrashing of Virginia

    Photo by James Gilbert • Getty Images

    The Florida Gators took down the Virginia Cavaliers 87-69 on Wednesday night at Exactech Arena as the Gators moved to 9-0 for just the third time in program history.

    Florida was led on the offensive end by Walter Clayton Jr., who scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. He was also the Gators’ best facilitator as he had four assists.

    Clayton was one of four Florida players in double-figures. Junior forward Alex Condon put up 19 points and was almost perfect from the floor, going 7-of-8 with a 3-pointer. In addition to his scoring, Condon led the Gators with eight rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.

    Alijah Martin and Denzel Aberdeen were the other two double-figure scorers as Martin had 16 on 6-of-14 shooting and Aberdeen scored 12 as he went 4-of-5 from the field.

    Virginia dominated the opening minutes of the game and led by as many as nine in the first half. However, the Gators stormed back with a 15-0 run over a seven-minute period, which included two long balls from Aberdeen who led Florida with 10 points at the break. The largest lead of the half for the Gators was 10.

    After Florida’s long run, the Cavaliers finished the half strong and trailed by just four going into the second.

    The second half was dominated by the Gators. After shooting a respectable 43% from the field in the first, Florida was red-hot in the second, shooting an unbelievable 64%, including going 5-of-10 from long range. This phenomenal shooting performance allowed the Gators to have a 14-point advantage in the half and coast to victory in the final few minutes.

    One of the biggest stories of the game was the turnover battle. Virginia gave the ball away 15 times as opposed to just six turnovers for Florida. The Gators took advantage of this turnover differential and had a 20-4 upper hand in points off of it.

    In the losing effort, the Cavaliers were led by Elijah Saunders, who scored a career-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep. Isaac McKneely was the only other Virginia player in double-figures as he had 12 points, all of which came from downtown.

    This fantastic start to the season for Florida has been nothing short of special as the Gators have won nine straight to begin the year, all of which by at least 13 points. Florida is now 9-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season when the Gators started 17-0 and went on to win the national championship.

    Florida will have 10 days off before it looks to extend its win streak to 10 against Arizona State in Atlanta at the Holiday Hoopsgiving. This will be the first time the Gators have met with the Sun Devils since 2008, when Florida won 70-57. Tipoff on Dec. 14 is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on SEC Network.

  • Gators Flip 4-Star OT Tavaris Dice From Auburn

    Gators Flip 4-Star OT Tavaris Dice From Auburn

    Photo by Andrew Ivins • 247Sports

    Just hours ahead of Florida’s rivalry matchup against Florida State, Gators head coach Billy Napier tweeted out the sunglasses emoji, his bat-signal indicating a new commitment on the recruiting trail.

    Peach State prospect Tavaris Dice announced his commitment to Florida Saturday afternoon. Dice is a 6’4, 295 lb prospect out of Fairburn, GA. 247’s Blake Alderman states that Dice has been a priority target of the offensive lineman despite his March commitment to Auburn.

    Dice officially visited UF in June but has been back to Gainesville a number of times, including being in the Swamp for the wins over LSU and Ole Miss.

    Dice was the starting left tackle for Tri-Cities as a sophomore before transferring to Langston Hughes prior to his junior season.

    The Gators now have twenty-one commits in their 2025 recruiting class that ranks No. 15 in the nation. Dice becomes the third offensive line prospect committed to Florida, joining recent additions Jahari Medlock and Daniel Pierre Louis.

  • Staff Predictions: Gators at Florida State

    Staff Predictions: Gators at Florida State

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    Florida and Florida State was once a proud conclusion to the regular season that often served as an elimination game for the national championship. It hasn’t been that way for a while now. At times in the last decade-plus, one team has played a dominant season while the other has flailed, and, much like this season, there have been times where both programs were down on their luck.

    The pride these days comes from playing the in-state rival and having bragging rights for another year. Last year, Florida State capped their perfect regular season with a 24-15 win in the Swamp. But what does this year hold?

    The following are our staff’s predictions for the 2024 Sunshine Showdown.

    Brian Fox: For just the second time this year, the Seminoles are riding the momentum of a win and this time it’s to face rival Florida. Unfortunately, for the guys from Tallahassee, the momentum Florida has gained after back to back wins over ranked teams and on the recruiting trail (including flipping three former FSU commits) is far more significant. Florida has the better talent across the board and the game shouldn’t be close. ESPNBet opened the week with Florida as a two touchdown (14-point) favorite, but the line has grown to 17. If Florida plays they way they have the last few weeks, this game won’t even be that close. Frankly, Billy Napier needs this win and to do so by as much as possible. Florida, 38-10.

    Ryan Friedwald: It’s rivalry week. I despise FSU and nothing makes me happier than seeing them be this bad. Florida has zero excuse to lose this game and I don’t think they will. The momentum for the Gators are at an all time high and FSU is just bad. Florida by a million . Florida, 35-10.

    …

    The Gators and Seminoles will kick off from Doak Campbell Stadium at 7:00 PM. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

    What do you think the final score of the game will be and why? Share your thoughts in the comments or on social media.

  • Gators Heating Up On Recruiting Trail

    Gators Heating Up On Recruiting Trail

    Photo by James Gilbert • Getty Images

    Despite being left for dead just three weeks into the 2024 football season, Florida and head coach Billy Napier have drastically turned things around on the football field and on the recruiting trail.

    After two of the more exciting experiences at the Swamp over the last decade-plus, Florida is finally capitalizing with the prospects in the 2025 recruiting class.

    The Gators have gained eight verbal commitments since Veteran’s Day, seven of those since November 17. Furthermore, they’ve been able to snag commitments from prospects who were previously committed elsewhere, including three from rival Florida State.

    Here’s who Billy Napier has had commit to his program since November 11 (On November 7, AD Scott Stricklin announced Napier would return for the 2025 season):

    11/11 3-Star K Evan Noel, Nation’s No. 1 kicker, previously committed to Arkansas

    11/17 3-Star QB Tramell Jones, Nation’s No. 21 QB, previously committed to Florida State

    11/18 3-Star DL Stephon Shivers, 6’5 365 lb, Nation’s No. 49 DL, previously committed to Georgia

    11/19 3-Star IOL Daniel Pierre Louis, 6’5 290 lb, Nation’s No. 79 IOL, previously committed to Florida State

    11/25 4-Star LB Ty Jackson, Nation’s No. 207 overall player, No. 21 LB, previously committed to USC

    11/25 3-Star WR Muizz Tounkara, 6’4 190 lbs, Nation’s No. 92 WR, previously committed to Arizona

    11/25 3-Star OT Jahari Medlock, 6’6, 280 lb, Nation’s No. 79 OT, previously committed to Cincinnati

    11/26 3-Star RB Byron Louis, Nation’s No. 23 RB, previously committed to Florida State

    Florida has risen all the way to No. 17 in the 2025 national rankings after having been in the mid-fifties before this run of commitments. The Gators are still in pursuit of some major targets including: 4-Star OT Solomon Thomas (FSU commit), 4-Star WR Jamie Ffrench (Texas commit), 4-Star OT Tavaris Dice (Auburn commit), among many more.

    It’ll be interesting to see how many high school signees Florida takes with the scholarship limit raising to 105 for next year. The Gators are also expected to be big players in the transfer portal.

    Note: All ratings via 247Sports

  • Staff Predictions: Gators vs Ole Miss

    Staff Predictions: Gators vs Ole Miss

    (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

    Following perhaps the most important win of the Billy Napier era, the Gators are set to take on Mississippi in the final home game of the season Saturday.

    While the Gators are coming off a huge win against a ranked LSU team, the Rebels enjoyed their bye week and had a chance to get healthy. Their last time our, Ole Miss knocked off a top-five Georgia team.

    The following is our staff’s predictions for the Florida – Ole Miss game.

    Brian Fox: The Rebels are the only team in the nation with a national Top-5 offense and defense, in terms of scoring. This will be a huge test and if Florida pulls off the win, it’ll be a monumental upset. Florida fans have largely clamored for Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin to take over the UF program. Saturday, they will get to see Kiffin coaching inside the Swamp for the first time since 2009 (with Tennessee). This is a loaded Mississippi team, I’m not sure UF can hit enough explosives to stay in it. Ole Miss, 38-17.

    Note: The Rebels two losses on the season have come against Kentucky and LSU, arguably the two teams Florida has played their best against this year (and both UF wins).

    Ryan Friedwald: Coming off of a fantastic win against LSU last week, the Gators look to finish out their games in the swamp with a win against Ole Miss. Unfortunately for the Gators, this will be a much tougher battle. The Rebels are coming off a dominant victory against the former national champions and look to keep pushing towards a spot in the SEC championship game. On paper, the Rebels should make easy work of Florida, but the fans forget about who they wanted to replace Billy Napier with earlier this season. The Gators are going to play hard for Napier this Saturday and prove that Lane Kiffin wasn’t the answer. If the Gators keep it close, there may be an upset in Gainesville. The defense needs to put up a similar performance as last Saturday for that to happen as Jaxson Dart has been playing fantastic football and will tear them apart if there isn’t any pressure. It will be an extremely close and low scoring game, but the Rebels will come out victorious with a 20-13 win.

    Aiden Wacksman: Ole Miss has found its stride as of late with three-straight SEC wins, including its victory against Georgia two weeks ago. The Gators, though, seem to be trending upward as of late, too. Florida still lacks depth due to injuries, but I believe it will give the Rebels a hard time in The Swamp. I believe this game will come down to the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of each team’s pass rush. For the Gators, former UF edge rusher Princely Umanmielen will be a key player to watch on the Ole Miss defense. I believe Florida will put up a strong fight, but come up just short of a win. Ole Miss, 27-24.

    …

    Florida and Mississippi kickoff from the Swamp at 12:00 PM.

  • MBB: Martin’s Career Night Leads Florida Over Southern Illinois

    MBB: Martin’s Career Night Leads Florida Over Southern Illinois

    Photo by James Gilbert • Getty Images

    The Florida Gators beat down the Southern Illinois Salukis 93-68 on Friday night at Exactech Arena as Alijah Martin scored 32 points and the Gators improved to 6-0 to equal their best start to a season in 12 years.

    Martin, the graduate transfer from FAU, was just two points off his career high. He knocked down eight triples, the most he’s had in a game, and tied for the second most in Florida history. Overall, Martin went 11-of-19 from the floor. He also led the team in rebounds with nine and assists with five.

    Sophomore Thomas Haugh played very well off the bench for the Gators, setting a new career high with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting and was 3-of-5 from downtown. Haugh also brought down seven rebounds and had four blocks.

    Martin and Haugh were the only two Gators in double-figures, but five others made 3-pointers as Florida connected on 16 shots from deep. This was the most the Gators have had in a game since they made 17 against Texas A&M in 2019.

    Florida started the first half somewhat slowly but turned it on in the final eight minutes. The Gators were up 19-15 and quickly turned that into a 27-point lead as they went on a 31-4 run. This run was largely due to the stellar offensive production from Martin who scored 18 points with four long balls in the half. Along with his 3-point shot, Martin nearly tore the rim down on a fast-break tomahawk slam that almost blew the roof off the O’Dome.

    As a team, the Gators shot 8-of-20 in the half from beyond the arc after coming into the game shooting under 29% from 3-point range. One of these triples came from Urban Klavzar, which was his first made shot from deep at Florida.

    The second half was much of the same as Martin and the Gators continued to pour it on from deep. At one point, Martin made four consecutive shots from beyond the arc as he was unstoppable all night.

    The Salukis had three men score in double-figures, led by Ali Dibba who had 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Jarrett Hensley and Kennard Davis Jr. were the other two with 14 and 11 respectively.

    These three were not nearly enough for a Southern Illinois team that was suffocated by the Florida defense the whole game. The Gators had nine blocked shots and seven steals as a team. They were also the better team in transition as Florida had a 20-6 advantage in fast-break points.

    The Gators have started this season off extremely well but now the schedule will start to ramp up. Florida will face five straight Power 4 opponents over the next few weeks beginning with Wake Forest in the ESPN Events Invitational on Thanksgiving Day. Tipoff against the Demon Deacons at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee on Thursday is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN.

  • MBB: Florida Cruises Past FAMU for Fifth Straight Victory

    MBB: Florida Cruises Past FAMU for Fifth Straight Victory

    Photo by James Gilbert • Getty Images

    The No. 21 Florida Gators dominated the Florida A&M Rattlers on Tuesday night en route to an 84-60 victory at Exactech Arena as Florida continued its strong start to the season and improved to 5-0.

    The Gators were led by the senior backcourt pairing of Will Richard and Walter Clayton Jr. Richard led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting and three 3-pointers. He also brought in seven rebounds, five of which were on the offensive glass. Clayton also knocked down three triples as he added 17 points with five assists and a pair of steals.

    Along with Richard, four other Gators players had at least seven boards in the game. Sophomore Thomas Haugh also had seven rebounds to go along with 12 points. Alijah Martin, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon all had nine boards in the game as Florida beat the Rattlers 47-36 on the glass.

    The Gators were on fire in the first half, jumping out to a 46-22 lead at the break. This was largely due to their stellar stretch of play to end the frame. Florida closed out the first on a 19-2 run in the final 5:06, which was capped by two 3-pointers from freshman Isaiah Brown, the first two made baskets of his career.

    The Gators shot lights out in the half as they made 49% of their shots from the field and went 7-of-16 from beyond the arc.

    The second half was a different story. After extending its lead to a game-high 30 points with 13:40 to play, Florida took its foot off the gas pedal and cruised the rest of the way. In the second, the Gators shot just 34% from the floor including 3-of-18 from long range.

    Even with the second-half struggles for Todd Golden’s team, the lead was too insurmountable for FAMU to come back from as Florida finished off its wire-to-wire victory of the season.

    The Rattlers had just one man in double-figure as opposed to the Gators’ four. That one was Sterling Young who scored 12 points, nine of which came in the second half, in just 16 minutes on the floor. Jamine Charles also had a good game for Florida A&M as he had nine points on 4-of-7 shooting and corralled a game-high 12 rebounds.

    Coming into this season, Florida had high expectations, but after this phenomenal undefeated start, those expectations have only grown. The Gators will look to improve to 6-0 on the year on Friday as they will host the Southern Illinois Salukis at Exactech Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET in Gainesville and can be seen on SEC Network.

  • 2025 4-Star QB Tramell Jones Commits to Gators

    2025 4-Star QB Tramell Jones Commits to Gators

    Photo by Andrew Ivins • 247Sports

    Less than a week ago, 2025 QB Tramell Jones was committed to play college football in Tallahassee for the Florida State Seminoles. However, three days after decommitting from FSU, the Jacksonville, FL native announced his commitment to Florida.

    https://x.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1858280216902463707?t=rEvUESMTudtOmk9ss1YMHg&s=19

    Jones was in attendance as the Gators knocked off No. 22 LSU, 27-16, in The Swamp Saturday. The Mandari High signal caller had been committed to the Seminoles since April 2023 and had made numerous visits to Tallahassee since.

    According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Jones is the No. 238 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle and the nation’s No. 21 quarterback. Jones accounted for over 7,000 passing yards and 75 passing touchdowns through his prep career despite missing all but two games in 2024 due to a broken leg.

    Jones also received offers from Miami, Maryland, Pitt, and Virginia Tech, among many more.

    Jones is the thirteenth commitment in the Gators’ 2025 class. Florida moves up to No. 33 in the nation.