Welcome to the fourth episode of ChompTalk’s Bits and Pieces — an all-sports Gators podcast.
This week, two-time All-SEC and second team All-American Gators volleyball player Carli Snyder joins the show to talk about her relationship with Florida coach Mary Wise and what she’s been up to. Then, Payton and Ainslie wrap things up with a little CFB news dump (or rant, whichever you’d like to call it).
After listening, feel free to share thoughts, concerns and any helpful tips as to how we can improve moving forward in the comments or on social media. You can follow the podcast @bitsnpiecespod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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On this week’s Episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast from Chomptalk, David and Michael are joined by First Coast News’ sports anchor, Ben Murphy and Read and Reaction‘s, Will Miles.
Ben Murphy, a UF alumnus, goes in depth on the cancellations of the Big Ten and the PAC-12 fall athletic seasons and also discusses the quarterback situations across the SEC. Ben also talks about how the extra year of eligibility affects the University of Florida and how Dan Mullen can take advantage of the situation.
Also, joining David and Michael is none other than Will Miles, writer for readandreaction.com and well known analytical genius. Will shares his thoughts on the advantages of the extra year of eligibility, recruiting, and the Gators’ SEC only schedule, among other things.
Give it a listen and let us know what you think in the comments or on social media. Just click play on the audio player below:
It was widely reported, and confirmed by head coach Dan Mullen, that several players had chosen not to attend Florida’s first three practices.
Two of the absent players announced on Twitter their intentions of playing the 2020 season.
WR Trevon Grimes and DE Zachary Carter will return to practice and join their teammates in preparation for the season opener at Mississippi on September 26.
Carter sent out the following tweet Thursday morning:
Both Carter and Grimes are expected to start this season.
Carter is hoping for a breakout season as he tries to replace the void left by Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga. Carter recorded twenty-eight tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2019.
Grimes’ return is especially important to Florida’s success. The Gators lost four high-impact receivers from a year ago. Grimes has hauled in 59 receptions for 855 yards and five scores in two seasons with Florida.
Grimes transferred to Florida from Ohio State prior to the 2018 season. The talented receiver’s mother had a bout with cancer and currently works as a critical care nurse in South Florida.
While the story is centered on the return of a pair of Gators returning to play, Kassidy Hill, of SInow, encapsulates the moment perfectly:
Both Grimes and Carter clarified today they will be playing. That’s incredible news for them and the Gators.
Don’t let this overshadow though the legitimate concerns players have wanted addressed the past couple of weeks.
Welcome to the third episode of ChompTalk’s Bits and Pieces — an all-sports Gators podcast.
This week, Payton and Ainslie are joined by Savanna Collins, an alum of the UF J-School, to talk about women’s sports, the launch of Athletes Unlimited and her involvement in the new pro softball league. Then, the co-hosts shift gears towards college football, specifically regarding the Gators’ schedule, SEC teams’ tentative stadium capacity numbers and COVID-19 developments at universities across the country.
After listening, feel free to share thoughts, concerns and any helpful tips as to how we can improve moving forward in the comments or on social media. You can follow the podcast @bitsnpiecespod on both Twitter and Instagram.
Click the audio player below to listen to the second episode of ChompTalk’s Bits and Pieces.
The 2020 football schedule was finally announced by the Southeastern Conference on Monday.
Despite a tumultuous last few weeks in the college football world, with the Big Ten and PAC-12 opting not to play, the SEC has remained steadfast in their approach to a 2020 season.
Earlier this month, the conference announced the move to a league-only format and added two additional games to each team’s schedule. The Gators saw Texas A&M and Arkansas added to their eight previously scheduled opponents.
Florida’s 2020 Football Schedule:
Sept. 26: at Mississippi
Oct. 3: vs SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 10: at Texas A&M
Oct. 17: vs LSU
Oct. 24: vs MISSOURI
Oct. 31: BYE WEEK
Nov. 7: vs Georgia*
Nov. 14: vs ARKANSAS
Nov. 21: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 28: vs KENTUCKY
Dec. 5: at Tennessee
* Florida-Georgia game to be played in Jacksonville, FL with UGA serving as the home team.
Upon first glance, this schedule appears quite manageable. The Gators will not play consecutive road games at any point of the season and face Georgia on November 7, following a bye week.
Aside from the Georgia game, the most difficult part of the schedule appears to be back-to-back dates with SEC West foes Texas A&M (on the road) and LSU (at home).
How do you feel about the Gators’ schedule? How many wins do you think Florida finishes the 2020 campaign with?
In the third installment of The Gridiron Growl Podcast, David and Michael are joined by Joseph Hastings of Gators Territory to recap a wild week of recruiting for the Florida Gators and discuss what to expect in the upcoming weeks.
The University of Florida’s Director of Recruiting Operations, Lee Davis also joined the guys to discuss her role in the program, building relationships with athletes and families, the new facilities, and the budget.
Give it a listen and feel free to comment and let us know what you think.
For the second-straight week, the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA’s best team in terms of record, fell victim to a Florida Gator in the NBA Bubble.
After Chris Chiozza (guard, Brooklyn Nets) registered his first-career double-double in a win over Milwaukee on Aug. 4, Dorian Finney-Smith(forward, Dallas Mavericks) dropped a career-high 27 points against the Bucks on Aug. 8, as the Mavs won in overtime, 136-132. Finney-Smith drained six three pointers to go along with 11 rebounds.
DFS has been on career-best offensive tear in the regular season’s final games, scoring in double digits in four consecutive contests between Aug. 4 and Aug. 11.
The Mavericks hold the No. 7 seed in the West and will face off with the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
While Finney-Smith flourishes, Al Horford (forward/center, Philadelphia 76ers) is looking to find offensive consistency. The five-time All Star scored 21 points in a 108-101 victory over the Orlando Magic on Aug. 7, the only time he’s put up over 20 points in the bubble.
However, Horford has shown he can score consistently when he takes enough shots. He had a three-game stretch of 18, 22, and 20 points just before the NBA season was postponed in March. Big Al had double-digit shot attempts in each of those games, and his 21-point outburst is the only contest inside the bubble in which he took at least 10 shots.
With point guard Ben Simmons out for the remainder of the season, the sixth-seeded 76ers will need to make Horford a bigger part of the offense in against the Boston Celtics in the first round.
A lot of former Gators received opportunities in the NBA bubble that they never would have seen in a typical season.
After not appearing in an NBA game since February, Michael Frazier (guard, Houston Rockets) played in the final four games of the regular season, averaging 15.5 minutes per contest. His best performance came in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, where he scored six points and grabbed four rebounds.
Udonis Haslem (forward, Miami Heat) also saw his first action of the NBA Bubble in the Heat’s final game of the regular season against Indiana Pacers, their first-round opponent. The 17-year veteran moved well and looked decently athletic despite playing in only his fourth game of the season. He had seven points and eight rebounds in over 23 minutes, and he nearly added a spicy putback dunk that was called off for basket interference.
Joakim Noah (center, Los Angeles Clippers) saved his most efficient performance for the Clippers’ final regular season game against his former college coach, Billy Donovan, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Noah dropped nine points on 4-of-7 shooting to go along with six rebounds, five assists and a steal in 29 minutes of action.
It’s possible Corey Brewer (forward, Sacramento Kings) played his final game in an NBA uniform. The 13-season veteran averaged just 6.5 minutes after signing a contract to join the Kings in the bubble. However, the Kings will return to Sacramento after finishing 12th in the West.
Welcome to the second episode of ChompTalk’s Bits and Pieces — an all-sports Gators podcast.
After a tumultuous week for college sports fans everywhere, co-hosts Payton and Ainslie take this opportunity to discuss (or rant about) the state of collegiate athletics amid the “to play, or not to play” debate that the Power 5 conferences are engaged in and how student athletes—current and otherwise—are using their platforms to make a difference.
After listening, feel free to share thoughts, concerns and any helpful tips as to how we can improve moving forward in the comments or on social media. You can follow the podcast @bitsnpiecespod on both Twitter and Instagram.
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One day after two Power 5 conferences cancelled (or delayed) their 2020 football season, Florida Gators players are openly sharing their desires to play via their social media accounts.
Several players have displayed their desires to play, including redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Trask and offensive lineman Jean Delance, among others.
Delance posted a tweet stating his desires to remain in Gainesville so he can avoid possibly exposing his grandmother to Covid-19. The 6’4 314 lb lineman explained that his grandmother has a rare form of cancer and lives with his family. The Texas native did emphasize that he wants to play safely.
Trask added a statement from the Florida football players:
In recent days, DE Zachary Carter, RB Lorenzo Lingard, and WR Jacob Copeland have all taken to Twitter to express their desires to play.
On Tuesday, the Big Ten and PAC-12 both announced the cancellation of the fall sports season (though they both expressed intentions to explore playing in the spring).
Despite those announcements, the SEC, ACC, and Big 12, have all opted to move forward towards a 2020 season.
Tentatively, the Gators are set to open the 2020 season on September 26. The SEC has yet to release a revised schedule. Just last week, the conference announced the two additional opponents each team would face as it moves to a conference only schedule. The Gators drew Arkansas and Texas A&M.
My decisions ultimately affect those close to me. @SEC If you are going to give us please understand I’m devoted to this season as long as we follow SAFE, and Healthy protocols with the advice from medical professionals and assistance. #WeWabtToPlaySafely
On the heels of Sunday evening’s commitment of five-star defensive back, Jason Marshall Jr., the Gators hit paydirt once again. Corey Collier announced his commitment to the University of Florida on Monday afternoon. Collier is the second commitment from Miami Palmetto in as many days and brings another massive victory to the Gators’ recruiting efforts.
The 6’2″ 170-pound safety is currently listed as a four-star prospect by 247Sports but boasts a composite score of 0.9640, meaning he is dangerously close to earning his fifth star. Collier is the third-ranked safety in the 2021 class and checks into the nation’s top 100 as the 83rd overall player in the cycle.
Forming a solid relationship with recruiters, Brian Johnson and Torian Gray, Collier chose the Gators from a list of thirty-five offers. Baylor, Miami, Clemson, and LSU were among the programs attempting to woo Collier to their respective campuses. The importance of Collier’s—and indeed, Jason Marshall’s yesterday—can not be overstated.
Historically, Florida has struggled to secure the top talent in Miami. In fact, Marshall’s commitment marks the first time in two decades that a five-star recruit from a Dade County high school has chosen the Gators. Even more than this, Florida had only signed a single Dade County top-100 player during that same timeframe. Now? They’ve earned the commitment of TWO top-100 players from Dade County in two days!
I don’t want to be too hasty and say that these commitments herald a shift in the hierarchy of the national recruiting powers. However, it certainly sends a message to the rest of college football… Dan Mullen and the Gators aren’t going away any time soon.
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