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Orange Bowl Preview

December 29, 2019

Photo by Matias J. Ocner / Getty Images

With the Capital One Orange Bowl set to kickoff in a little over 24 hours, I thought this would be a perfect time to really take a look at the matchup. The Gators are seeking their first 11-win season since 2012 and enter the game as a solid 14.5-point favorite over the Wahoos. Meanwhile, Virginia has the opportunity to win ten games for the first time since 1989 by winning their first ever Orange Bowl appearance.

Cavaliers head coach, Bronco Mendenhall, has the program on the rise and nothing would validate that more than an upset win over the Gators. However, such a feat is much easier said than done. The Gators have the advantage in nearly every statistical category that matters.

Virginia will rely heavily on the playmaking abilities of senior quarterback, Bryce Perkins. Perkins leads the Cavaliers in rushing with 745 yards. He has the athleticism to be able to hurt Florida if they take him lightly.

When he isn’t running through opposing defenses, Perkins has a trio of big and talented wide receivers in Hasise Dubois, Joe Reed and Terrell Jana. Each of them are over six-feet tall and they account for over 60% of Virginia’s aerial production.

The good news is that Florida will finally have a healthy Jabari Zuniga to complement the exquisite talents if Jonathan Greenard. Between the two of them and Adam Shuler’s ability to disrupt the interior of the offensive line, it’s likely that Perkins remains in a perpetual state of discomfort on Monday night.

The bad news is that the Gators will have to try to cover three big targets without the services of CJ Henderson, who has decided to forego the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. This means that the burden will primarily fall on Marco Wilson, Kaiir Elam, Brad Stewart Jr., and Trey Dean III to close off the aerial routes for Virginia’s offense.

Even in Henderson’s absence, Florida boasts one of the best secondaries that Virginia has faced all season. I believe they will be up to the task but it is a matchup worth keeping an eye on as the Gators have struggled against big wideouts this season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Florida will likely be able to do everything they intend to do. The matchup is perfect for Kyle Trask and the Gators receiving corps, who have anchored the offense all season. Since losing Bryce Hall and Brenton Nelson midway through the season, the Virginia defense has allowed an average of 10.2 yards per play through the air.

The lack of a formidable running game is something that both teams have in common but the Gators have embraced it and have found much success in doing so. In the end, Virginia is just too far outmatched to keep this one close. I like the Gators to cover the spread and win big in their second consecutive New Year’s Six bowl game. Florida cruises to a 42-18 victory and a top five finish.

The Capital One Orange Bowl will be broadcast live from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Television coverage begins at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN on Monday, January 30.
MBB: Gators rout 49ers 102-63; SEC play looms

December 28, 2019

Final: Florida 102, LBSU 63

Photo by Michael Reaves / Getty Images

The Florida Gators head into SEC play next weekend after a dominating effort over Long Beach State that resulted in a 102-63 victory.

Florida is now 8-4 on the season.

How it happened:

Gators freshman Omar Payne made his first career start and Florida played with a more traditional two guard, three forward lineup due to the absence of Scottie Lewis. Lewis missed action due to the concussion protocol.

The Gators started out hot, scoring on their first nine possessions and taking a 14-0 lead into the first media time out. However, that did not prelude the characteristic dry spell for the Gators, as they kept hot throughout the entire game.

The Gators didn’t slow down in the second half, as they kept pouring it on the 49ers. Noah Locke was sensational from behind the arch, and Kerry Blackshear looked like the guy he was hyped to be preseason.

In all, six Gators reached double-figures in the scoring column including: Blackshear, Keyontae Johnson, Locke, Payne, Ques Glover, and Tre Mann.

With a massive lead, the Florida bench saw a lot of action and contributed 48 points to the effort.

Fast Stats:

Blackshear: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3-5 3FG

Johnson: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 8-12 FG

Payne: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block

Nembhard: 5 points, 13 assists, 1 turnover

Locke: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4-9 3FG

Quick Stats:

FG%: 53%

3FG%: 40%

TO: 10

Rebound +/-: +18

Up next:

The Gators will head into SEC play with a lot of momentum. They will take on Alabama to start the new year in Gainesville on Saturday, January 4th at 6:00 pm.
Staff Predictions: Orange Bowl vs Virginia

December 28, 2019

Photo by Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

The Gators are headed to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl against ACC opponent Virginia.

Florida will look to win its second straight New Year’s Six bowl game.

The following are our staff predictions for this year’s game.

Michael Pfeffer:

Florida has the clear advantage in this one and that’s why they enter Monday’s contest as a 14-point favorite.

Virginia will rely heavily on the playmaking ability of their dual threat quarterback, Bryce Perkins. As Perkins goes, so goes the Virginia offense.

The problem is that Florida will be more than ready for anything the Cavaliers can throw at them. The Gators will have Jabari Zuniga back to full health and Jonathan Greenard has been a nightmare for opposing offenses this season.

Even with the absence of CJ Henderson, Florida boasts one of the best secondaries in the nation and should challenge the Cavaliers receiving corps on every play. On the opposite side of the ball, I expect Kyle Trask to continue his dominance and bring home the Orange Bowl Championship. Gators win big: 42-18.

Ainslie Lee:

While some have called the Gators’ offense one-dimensional due to their inability to run the football well, the Cavaliers’ situation is a little worse.

They aren’t just one-dimensional — they’re a one-man show. With Bryce Perkins taking snaps for Virginia, the Cavaliers will utilize him on a pretty consistent basis.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga will be licking their chops at the idea of getting their hands on Perkins — who stands behind a mediocre offensive line.

Offensively, Kyle Trask and the gang shouldn’t have to change their game plan too much. Though, the offensive line will have to execute as the Cavs have tallied 45 sacks on the year — which is just one less than Florida’s 46.

In all, though, this is Virginia’s game to win and Florida’s game to lose. There is little intrigue about this matchup, and it threatens pulling the Gators into complacency. However, thus far, Mullen has done a great job in keeping his guys competitive regardless of the game. And behind his team, Mullen will finish his second year back in Gainesville 21-5 with his second-straight NY6 win with a 37-10 win over Virginia.

Brandon Buckman:

Virginia comes into this game with a record of 9-4, and a national ranking of 24th. In my opinion, UVA had a rather easy schedule having only played two ranked teams, a 15-point loss to Notre Dame and a blowout loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game.

Florida, on the other hand, has played one of the tougher schedules in the country. Thanks to the SEC’s dominance of college football, the Gators were still able to outscore opponents 396-173 this season. I expect the Gators defense to control this game, like they have all season. I am not sure how deserving Virginia is to be in a New Year’s Six bowl game, but I think Florida gets a convincing 45-7 win to finish the season 11-2, making Dan Mullen 21-5 in his first two seasons in Gainesville.

Mark Stine:

At No. 24 in the country, Virginia is more talented than its ranking leads on. Yes, UVA had head-scratching losses to Miami and Louisville as well as 62-17 spanking at the hands of Clemson in the ACC Championship. But the Cavaliers hung with No. 14 Notre Dame in South Bend, and they’re led by some explosive offensive talents.

Bryce Perkins is one of the most underrated players in the country. The senior quarterback leads the ACC in total offense (304.6 yards per game), amassing 745 rushing yards (over 200 more than UF leader Lamical Perine) and 3215 passing yards this season.

His three-headed monster at receiver, seniors Hasise DuBois and Joe Reed and junior Terrell Jana, account for 69 percent of Virginia’s receiving yards and each have 65 receptions or more.
At 6-foot-3, DuBois is a playmaking target who Perkins can heave it up to. Reed, who leads the nation in kickoff return average (34.73 yards), is Perkins’ explosive home-run threat, while Jana is a reliable possession target.

With this balanced offensive attack, I think Virginia competes well with Florida in the first half, similar to how it did at Notre Dame.

However, compared to Florida’s No. 14 scoring defense (14.4 points per game) and high-powered passing attack (300. 4 yards per game), I think the Cavaliers are just a little outmatched.

Gators pull away, but UVA covers the 14.5-point spread, 31-20.

Brian Fox:

Florida is looking to win their second straight New Year’s Six bowl game, and this year they will be facing an opponent that is making their first such bowl appearance in Virginia.

The Cavaliers earned the bid by being the highest ranked ACC team not invited to the College Football Playoff despite a 9-4 record and a 62-17 loss in their most recent contest.

Even with starting cornerback CJ Henderson out after declaring for the NFL Draft, the Gators’ talent is superior to Virginia at almost every position.

Virginia boasts a good front seven that registered 45 sacks and should allow the Cavaliers to keep it close through at least the first half. Ultimately, the Gators will wear down Virginia and earn their eleventh win of the season. Florida 31-13.

__________

Florida and Virginia will kickoff at 8:00 PM on December 30 and will be aired live on ESPN. You can follow @MikeyPfeffer and @ChompTalk for live updates.

What are your predictions, Gator Nation? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.
MBB: Gators fall to 7-4 with loss to Utah State

December 21, 2019
Final: Utah State 65, Florida 62

Photo by Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Sunrise, FL – Florida faced Mountain West foe Utah State in the Orange Bowl Classic on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the Gators struggled with their shot all game and dropped the contest, 65-62.

Florida opened the game missing their first 14 shots and fell behind 7-2 early on. The Gators took the lead after a Noah Locke three with just under 3 minutes left in the first half and entered the break tied at 27 despite their struggles offensively.

Florida opened a six point lead (38-32) early in th second half, but Utah State immediately went on a 10-0 run to quickly regain the lead.

Florida once again grabbed the lead with 6:06 remaining when senior Kerry Blackshear sank a pair of free throws.

The Gators went into miss-mode again and went on an 0-10 stretch that allowed Utah State to take 61-55 lead with less than two minutes to play and finish with the win.

Kerry Blackshear delivered a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds, but shot just 3-14 from the field. Blackshear made 15-17 from the free-throw line, but missed both in a late-game situation that could have helped change the momentum and possibly the outcome of the game.

The Gators made only 32% of their shots attempts, but allowed the Aggies to shoot at a 45% clip.

Florida falls to 7-4 with the loss.

Individual Stats:
- Blackshear: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 3-14 FG
- Scottie Lewis: 11 points on 5-9 FG, 5 rebounds
Team Stats:
- FG%: 32
- 3FG%: 24
- FT%: 82
- Reb+/-: +8
- Assists: 8
- TO: 13
- Bench Points: 6
What’s Next:

The Gators will have a week off before facing Long Beach State in Gainesville on Saturday, December 28.

This will be Florida’s final tune-up before entering SEC play.

LBSU is 3-9 with games against Utah Valley and Seattle before their matchup with Florida.
WBB: Gators fall to Wake Forest, 73-68

December 21, 2019
Final: Wake Forest 73, Florida 68

Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

Despite a fast start on Saturday afternoon, the Gators fell to 8-4 on the season after dropping a 73-68 decision to Wake Forest.

After shooting 53% in the opening half, th Florida offense struggled in the second half making only ten shots from the field.

Florida exited the first quarter trailing 24-21, but rebounded to take a 45-43 lead into the intermission.

The Gators came out of the break sharp and built the lead to as many as 8 with 7:55 remaining in the third period. A quick 9-0 Demon Deacon run quickly negated the lead. Wake Forest would outscore Florida 22-13 for the quarter.

The Gators stayed in the game thanks to a fourth quarter defensive effort that only allowed the Demon Deacons to shoot 2-9 (22%).

A Zada Williams layup brought the Gators within one at 67-66 with 3:03 to play in regulation, but a second chance bucket by Wake’s Gina Conti with 1:48 followed quickly by a steal and layin quickly put the Demon Deacons up by five to seal the win.

Individual Stats:
- Lavender Briggs: career high 23 points, 3 rebounds
- Kiara Smith: 14 points, 5 boards, 3 assists
- Zada Williams: 10 points on 5-6 from the floor, 5 rebounds
- Kristina Moore: 10 points, 4 rebounds
- Brylee Bartram: 9 points on 3-8 from three-point range.
Team Stats:
- FG%: 48
- 3FG%: 36
- FT%: 57
- Reb +/-: -7
- Assists: 10
- TO: 10
- Bench Points: 11
What’s Next:

The Gators have eight days to regroup before taking on Davidson in Gainesville on Sunday, December 29.

The Wildcats are 7-5 on the season after falling to Charlotte on Saturday. In that game, freshman guard Suzi-Rose Deegan scored 30 points. She averages 15.9 on the season for Davidson.
WBB: Gators hold on to beat Xavier, 67-64

December 20, 2019
Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

The Florida women’s basketball team has made significant strides in the third year of the Cameron Newbauer era.

After defeating Xavier in the West Palm Beach Invitational on Friday, the Gators sit at 8-3 on the season, equaling their win total from a year ago.

Despite a lead by as many as 11, it took some clutch shots from the charity stripe to close out the victory for Florida.

Florida got out to a fast start, opening with the first seven points and rolling to an early 15-4 lead. The Gators took a 35-28 advantage into the halftime break.

Both teams struggled to find offense in the third quarter, but Xavier closed to within four points at 42-38 by the start the final period.

The Musketeers slimmed the margin to one possession, but a quick 7-0 run by UF put the Gators on top by ten with 5:17 remaining in regulation.

Xavier made a run in the final minute and after a pair of three-pointers inside the final 30 seconds, the Musketeers found themselves down just one at 65-64.

Sophomore Ariel Johnson was intentionally fouled and knocked down both free throws to seal the Florida win.

Individual Stats:
- Zada Williams: career high 25 points, 7 rebounds
- Lavender Briggs: 14 points, 9 rebounds
- Kiara Smith: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- Nina Rickards: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
Team Stats:
- FG% – 40
- 3FG% – 26
- FT% – 44
- Reb +/- – +6
- Assists – 19
- TO – 14
- Bench Points – 11
What’s Next:

Florida will face Wake Forest on Saturday at 12:15 PM to complete the West Palm Beach Invitational.

The Demon Deacons are 6-4 on the year and defeated Dayton 78-59 in a Friday matchup as part of the West Palm Beach Invitational.
Gators land commitment of 2021 OT Javonte Gardner

December 20, 2019

Photo via 247Sports

Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators received some good news Friday morning.

Orlando prospect Javonte Garner announced his verbal commitment to the University of Florida.

I Made My Verbal Commitment 🤫..

— Javonte “SPOOK” Gardner💰😎 (@ItVonte) December 20, 2019

Gardner is a 6,5 290 lb offensive tackle in the 2021 class who attends Jones High School.

Garder is the eighth commitment to Florida in the 2021 cycle. The Gators class currently ranks No. 4 nationally.

Gardner is not yet ranked via 247Sports or Rivals, but he also held offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky, among others.
Grant Holloway named recipient of The Bowerman

December 19, 2019
Photo by Karim Jaafar / Getty Images

Florida Gators track phenom Grant Holloway was named the 2019 recipient of The Bowerman, collegiate Track and Field’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

Holloway becomes just the second Gator to win the honor. Marquis Dendy earned the accolade following the 2015 season.

Holloway’s numerous awards include: the 2018-19 SEC Male Athlete of the Year, Two time SEC Indoor Runner of the Year, Eight time NCAA Champion, Six time SEC Champion, among many others. He’s also set several NCAA records that include 110-meter hurdles (12.98 seconds), 60-meter hurdles (7.35 seconds), and was part of the 4X100 relay that completed the race in 37.97 seconds.

Holloway led Florida to three NCAA team titles:
- 2017: Outdoor Track and Field
- 2018: Indoor Track and Field
- 2019: Indoor Track and Field
In 2018, the Chesapeake, VA native was also a finalist for The Bowerman, and even won the fan vote.
Gators in the NBA: Week 8

December 19, 2019

Photo by Glenn James / Getty Images

After a 120-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the debate of whether the Dallas Mavericks were better with or without star point guard Luka Doncic came to relevance.

Despite what you think, one thing is for sure, the stat line of a former Florida Gator is benefitting from his absence.

Dorian Finney-Smith (forward, Dallas Mavericks) scored 15 points in over 35 minutes of play against the Bucks. That’s his highest point total since Nov. 18 against the San Antonio Spurs (22), and it’s his second highest total of the season. He also had eight rebounds, three of which were on the offensive end.

Finney-Smith is one Dallas’ primary rebounders on offense. He averages 1.8 offensive boards per game, good for a tie with Kristaps Porzingis for the team lead.

Al Horford (center/power forward, Philadelphia 76ers) is also having a prolific season on the offensive glass. He is averaging 1.7, behind only Joel Embiid on his team.

Horford is scoring 13.4 points per game, a decent mark that is a little below average for him (14.1 for his career). The dip may be due to volume of ball handlers on the 76ers (from Embiid and Ben Simmons to Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson), but it’s also due to a lack of efficiency from Horford.

The five-time All Star is eighth on his squad in field-goal percentage (47.1) and 10th in three-point shooting percentage (34.3). Both marks are below his career averages of 52.4 and 36.6, respectively. He’s also only going to the charity stripe 1.5 times per contest and hitting at 67.6 percent, both below his career figures of 2.3 attempts and 75.3 percent.

Bradley Beal (guard, Washington Wizards) continues to score at a high level, as he is fifth in the NBA in scoring (27.6 points per game).

Not only does he lead Washington in scoring but assists as well (7.0). Beal’s best recent performance came in a 133-119 win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday, when he dropped a 35-point, 10-assist performance.

Beal came back with a 22-point, seven-assist and seven-rebound night against Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, but the Wizards suffered a 110-109 loss. Beal went 1 for 9 from three, as he continues to be inconsistent from deep.

Beal is hitting at an uncharacteristic 33.3 percent rate (38.1 percent for his career) and taking 8.0 threes per game. That’s a career low in three-point percentage and a career-high in attempts.

Beal’s teammate, Chris Chiozza (guard, Washington Wizards), has seen an increase in playing time recently, although he didn’t play against the Pistons or Bulls. However, Chiozza had a career-high eight points on Saturday in a 17-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He also recorded four rebounds, two assists and two steals in his 18 minutes of action.

Mark Stine is a contributing writer for Chomp Talk. Follow him on Twitter @mstinejr.
Despite Zero Surprises, Gators Sign Excellent 2020 Class

December 18, 2019

Photo by Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

For all of the hype and drama that surrounded Florida’s recruiting efforts in the week before the early signing period, Wednesday fell abundantly flat. The Gators finished the day with the eighth-ranked class, fulfilling plenty of needs along the way. However, it felt a bit like waking up on Christmas morning to find that you had received all of your gifts throughout the year and had nothing left to unwrap.

In all honesty, I understand the feeling of disappointment that has been expressed by Gator Nation, but I’m not entirely sure that it is warranted. Dan Mullen and his staff pulled in some major talent in what may just be his best signing class to date. I’m not just speaking of the national ranking. There is some serious talent coming to Gainesville for the 2020 season.

Gervon Dexter and Derek Wingo have proven to be nasty defenders with speed and intensity. In fact, both players should probably be five-star recruits (Wingo is, according to Rivals.com). More importantly, both players provide very usable depth to positions of need.

Mullen paid specific attention to the trenches with this cycle. On the offensive line, the Gators received five commitments. Of those five all but one has signed his national letter of intent. Moreover, two of those signees – Issiah Walker and Joshua Braun – are top 300 recruits that flipped to the Gators.

Defensively, Florida simply reloaded. Three of the five true defensive lineman that the Gators signed on Wednesday are ESPN top 300 recruits. Add to that, the transfer of five-star outside linebacker, Brenton Cox and the Gators are looking downright elite from a talent standpoint.

The Gators added talent and depth along the offensive and defensive lines. Likewise, they shored up some of the depth issues in the secondary and robbed one of their rivals (Tennessee, I’m looking at you) in the process.

In addition to all of this, Florida enrolled one of the nation’s top dual threat quarterbacks in hometown hero, Anthony Richardson, who is already turning heads in limited practice time.

So signing day didn’t go exactly how many fans wanted it to. That doesn’t mean the Gators didn’t recruit well. Just remember, had Mordecai McDaniel and Joshua Braun waited until Wednesday to flip from Tennessee and Georgia respectively, the narrative coming out of early signing day would be a much different one.

Although the Gators will need to bolster some of the skill positions, Florida is very much in play for several transfer and Juco targets. In the meantime, Florida has begun bringing elite talent back to Gainesville, they’ve corrected much of the depth issues that have plagued the Gators over the last few years, and they have finished with a class that ranks eighth nationally. It’s great to be a Florida Gator!

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