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Michael Pfeffer lives in Knoxville, TN with his wife and daughter. Growing up in South Florida, he has been a lifelong Florida Gators fan. When not writing, he enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering at church and with a prison ministry.
  • Gators Earn Respect In Loss at Death Valley

    Gators Earn Respect In Loss at Death Valley

    Photo by Marianna Massey / Getty Images

    Baton Rouge, LA – The Florida Gators suffered their first loss in Death Valley Saturday night. Despite dominating in time of possession and play count, the Gators ultimately succumbed to the Tigers by a score of 42-28. The game was much closer than the final score indicates.

    From the beginning of the game, it was apparent that the Gators were in for a battle. Joe Burrow and the Tigers offense lived up to the billing as they amassed 511 yards on just 48 plays. In fact, Florida’s downfall was the explosive nature of LSU’s offense.

    Kyle Trask proved that the moment was not too big for him as he confidently led the offense on four 75 yard touchdown drives and a 28-21 lead before LSU took over. Trask finished the evening 23/39 for 310 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Unfortunately, that interception came in the endzone as the Gators were threatening to tie the game up once again.

    If there were a moment where you could pinpoint the changing of the tide for the Gators, I would likely point to the third quarter series when Emory Jones came in following an LSU touchdown that tied the game at 28 a piece.

    Although Trask had the hot hand, Mullen opted to give the series to Jones — who also played quite well on the night — presumably in an attempt to ignite the rushing attack. Unfortunately, LSU was ready for everything Jones had on the quick three and out possession. It was a crucial drive for the Gators in order to keep on schedule.

    Instead, they gave the ball back to an LSU offense that couldn’t really be stopped. The Tigers marched right down field and regained the lead.

    The larger story, however, is that the Gators went into Death Valley and proved that they were worthy of their top ten designation, even silencing the raucous homecoming crowd on four separate occasions. And who knows? Maybe the Gators could have even snuck out with a victory had the defense been at full strength.

    Florida sack leader, Jonathan Greenard left the game after the opening possession with an ankle injury. Later, Jabari Zuniga would do the same. So the Gators two most valuable edge rushers weren’t truly able to factor into the equation.

    The bottom line is this. Florida needs to simply continue with their plans. Georgia’s loss to an unranked South Carolina opened the door a little further for the Gators but even if they hadn’t, this loss to LSU wasn’t going to derail any of Florida’s goals for the season.

    If they travel to South Carolina and win — and I believe they will — then they get a week off to prepare for a Georgia team that is clearly beatable. If Florida wins out, they are guaranteed a spot in Atlanta, where they very well may get a second chance at LSU.

    Do not hang your heads in dismay, Gator Nation. Know that your mighty Gators played valiantly and they earned the nation’s respect on this Saturday night. They will return to the win column and there will be cause for celebration. Even in defeat, it’s great to be a Florida Gator.

  • VB: Gators Rebound at Arkansas with Sweep

    VB: Gators Rebound at Arkansas with Sweep

    Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

    The No. 14 Florida Gators bounced back with a straight-set victory (26-24, 25-16, 25-18) at Barnhill Arena after losing to Kentucky in five last weekend. Florida is now 3-1 in the SEC, good for fourth in the conference.

    How It Went Down

    As the final score indicates, the first set was very close. If either side had any sort of lead, the other team would go on a run to make it close again. At one point, the Gators led 24-21 and had a chance to close it out. However, the Razorbacks brought the score level before ultimately losing by two.

    After the first set, everything changed. Florida had the momentum and wouldn’t look back.

    In the second frame, the Gators led by as much as 10 at a few different points; at 17-7 and at 20-10.

    Lastly, the third frame was more like the first in many ways. However, fairly early on, Florida went on an 8-1 run to take a 13-6 lead. At that point, Arkansas was in too large of a deficit to come back.

    Stats

    The main storyline from the match was Florida’s defensive efforts. As a team, in just three frames, the Gators racked up 13 blocks. Lauren Dooley and Holly Carlton had outrageous individual performances, picking up 12 and nine blocks respectively.

    Thayer Hall led the way in digs with 15, followed by Allie Gregory with 13 and Paige Hammons with nine.

    No one from Florida had a particularly clean hitting night. Rachael Kramer was the most efficient, picking up seven kills on eight attempts.

    Hall picked up the most kills on the team with 10. However, it took her 31 swings and five errors to get that tally. Carlton and Hammons each contributed with eight kills as well.

    As a team, the Gators hit .245. It was actually Razorback freshman outside-hitter Maggie Cartwright who led the game with 12 kills. She took 29 swings and committed three errors for a clip of .310.

    Marlie Monserez continued her consistent output of assists, leading the match with 31.

    What’s Next?

    Next up, the Gators will travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. The match will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

    For more of the latest, follow @JEricksonReport and @ChompTalk on Twitter.

  • Staff Predictions: Florida vs LSU

    Staff Predictions: Florida vs LSU

    Photo by James Gilbert / Getty Images

    Florida celebrated Homecoming with a dominant victory over a top-ten opponent. This week they take on the exact opposite role. The Gators will head into a hostile Death Valley as LSU celebrates their own homecoming.

    The following are our staff predictions for the game:

    Michael Pfeffer:

    Florida is going to face a major challenge when they take on the Tigers Saturday night in Death Valley. When we made our staff predictions before the season began, I said the Gators’ only loss would be to LSU. Joe Burrow is having an incredible season and the Tigers have scored more than any other team in SEC history, through their first five games. However, as it turns out, the Gators match up quite well with LSU. If the Gators can minimize mistakes, they can absolutely pull off the upset. I like the Gators to win, 24-21.

    Ainslie Lee:

    I told Brian before writing this, I would much rather pound my forehead on the keyboard and let that be my prediction. Update: I still feel that way. Nonetheless, here we go… Three sets of Tigers in three weeks — odd. But this Tiger team is different. This Tiger team is better. And this Tiger team could present serious issues for the Gators. It pains me to say it, but Joe Burrow is good — if not great at throwing the football. Yet, if I’m being honest, when you look at the teams he’s played, the luster dims. “But he beat Texas!!” I know. And I’m not wowed. The Longhorns have lost their curb appeal, in my eyes. They could get it back with a win this weekend, but nonetheless, I’m just not impressed with LSU’s resume. Between that and the fact that the Tigers are already getting emotionally invested in this football game, I’m going to be a homer, here. I’m going to take the Gators, on the road, in Death Valley, on a night game with a full moon. Every possible factor is against the Gators. However, Dan Mullen’s game management and Todd Grantham’s defensive strategies will prevail. 28-24, Gators.

    Brandon Buckman:

    Gainesville was insane last weekend, with homecoming, College Gameday, and Florida upsetting Auburn, it was good chaos in Gator Country. This weekend, the Gators are taking on yet another top ten team in the likes of LSU. The Tigers are an incredible offensive team led by the SEC’s best passing quarterback, and some tall, athletic receivers to pass to. You can expect this game to be played at a fast pace as both teams feature two pass dominant quarterbacks. This is a game that Florida won last season in Gainesville, but this year Dan Mullen and squad head west to Baton Rouge, and I think the number six ranked Tigers get revenge on the Gators, 34-24.

    Mark Stine:

    While stopping the run helped Florida achieve success over Auburn, the Gators’ focus must shift to stopping the SEC’s No. 1 passer in LSU’s Joe Burrow (372.9 yards per game).
    However, Florida represents the SEC’s No. 2 passing defense (183.3 yards per game) and leads the conference in sacks (26). With a showdown between two dominant units, this contest will be decided by who can make plays in the red zone.

    The Tigers have not been denied in the red zone once this year, scoring all 31 times they have visited. But the Gators’ opponents have only scored five times in 14 red-zone visits. Florida’s defense thrives off turnovers, but Burrow has only thrown three interceptions this season compared to 22 touchdowns. He also has two high-quality, red-zone threats in Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, the SEC’s leading receivers.

    While UF has red-zone weapons of its own (most notably tight end Kyle Pitts), LSU’s top-end talent will give the Florida defense more problems than it can handle.

    The Tigers will come out victorious in Death Valley, 31-21.

    Brian Fox:

    The Gators are heading into a hostile environment riding the high of a dominant effort against Auburn last week. LSU made the move to a spread offense this year and the results have been sensational. Despite his struggles last year, Tigers QB Joe Burrow looks like a bonafide Heisman candidate this far.

    The key to this game will be establishing a running game, keeping the defense off the field, and limiting mistakes. A tired defense could crumble against an offense with the capabilities of the LSU O.

    Due primarily to the environment, I’m taking LSU 27-23.

    __________

    Florida and LSU are set to kickoff at 8:00 PM EST. The game will be aired live on ESPN. You can follow @MikeyPfeffer and @ChompTalk on Twitter for live updates. Also make sure to check out Own The Fourth Quarter featuring Michael And Will Miles of readandreaction.com.

    What are your predictions, Gator Nation? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook.

  • WSOC: Gators drop first SEC game to Ole Miss

    WSOC: Gators drop first SEC game to Ole Miss

    Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

    Ninety minutes of high-tempo soccer didn’t go Florida’s way despite a dominant performance Thursday night at Oxford. The Rebels had moments of brilliance that helped knock the Gators down to third place on the SEC standings.

    Lots of action at Oxford

    Florida’s goal in the 25th minute silenced the lively 863 spectators at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium.

    Sophomore Cassidy Lindley’s second attempt at a cross reached Junior Madison Alexander at the top of the box. In a matter of a second, the Michigan native took a touch and fired the ball past Ashleigh Orkus. Alexander also opened the scoring against Texas A&M from the spot on Sunday.

    Mississippi showcased their physical presence at the dawn of the first half scoring from a long cross into the box. Saydie Holland and Channing Foster broke through Florida’s line of defense and swarmed Susi Ezpinoza. Holland tapped it for Foster to score on an empty net followed up with an acrobatic celebration. The home fans had all reasons to be pumped.

    Sophomore Lonnie Mulligan took the Gators by surprise scoring 35 seconds into the second half.Coach Becky Burleigh’s team was quick to respond just two minutes later. After another blocked cross, Lindley resorted to hitting the rebound at goal from a tight angle and hit the back of the net.

    But the Rebels spoiled the party with 15 minutes left on the clock. A perfectly executed lobbed freekick from 40 yards out found Molly Martin leaping over Carina Baltrip-Reyes. Espinoza had no chance to block that one.

    The Gators had not lost to the Rebels since 2009 and all three UF losses in he history of the series have been suffered in Mississippi.

    What’s left for the Gators

    Florida is now 4-1 in SEC play and have five games left on its schedule. More in detail, the Gators will have the luxury of playing their next two matches at home.

    On Sunday at 1 p.m., the Gators will face bottom of the table Kentucky and fifth place Auburn on Friday, Oct 18.

    The last three conference games will be against Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. The toughest of the three being South Carolina at home.

  • Battle In The Bayou: Gators vs. Tigers

    Battle In The Bayou: Gators vs. Tigers

    Photo by James Gilbert / Getty Images

    After last week’s win over the Auburn Tigers, Dan Mullen and Co. got right to work preparing for the Gators’ third consecutive game against Tigers. What was last week’s biggest game in the college football universe is dwarfed by the test that lies before Mullen and his Gators.

    Florida travels to Baton Rouge this weekend to face the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers. The Tigers opened as a 13.5 point favorite for the 8 p.m. showdown in Death Valley. Such a line illustrates the continued dismissal of the Florida Gators as legitimate contenders for the CFP in the eyes of the nation.

    Many in the national media have already hailed the Tigers as victors of Saturday’s contest. However, upon closer look at the numbers, such a pick looks almost foolish.

    See also: Dan Mullen’s Monday Press Conference Recap

    Sure, LSU has displayed a prolific offense behind the leadership of Joe Burrow, who might just earn an invitation to NYC in December. But LSU hasn’t faced a defense quite like the Gators. In fact, they haven’t even come close. Out of the four FBS programs that LSU has faced this season, Georgia Southern boasts the best defense, ranking 60th in total defense, nationally.

    Furthermore, the Gators will be the first Power Five program whose defense ranks inside the top 100 the Tigers have faced all season. The Gators rank eleventh in total defense, but lead the nation in interceptions and red zone defense. They also rank fifth in sacks and thirteenth in tackles for loss.

    The point in all of this is to say that Florida will bring an elite defense — one that is fully healthy for the first time since week two — into Death Valley. I have no doubt that Joe Burrow and the trio of Jefferson, Chase, and Marshall Jr. Will make some plays, but they will be challenged in a way that they haven’t even come close to thus far in 2019.

    On the opposite side of the ball, LSU boasts a defense that doesn’t have the same striking power that Auburn had in the front end. What they do have is a talented group of defensive backs led by safety, Grant Delpit — who is listed as questionable for this Saturday with a head injury — and true freshman cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr., who was absent from Wednesday’s practice.

    The Tigers rank 52nd nationally, versus the pass and have allowed 206.8 YPG through the air. The Gators rank 19th and average just over 183 yards per game in the same statistical category.

    The Gators offense has struggled in the running game throughout the first six games of the season but Kyle Trask has been excellent dispersing the ball to Florida’s talented and deep receiving corps. This is especially true over the middle of the field where the Tigers have been quite vulnerable this season.

    Through five games, LSU has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 72% of their passes at a whopping 10 yards per attempt. Only Vanderbilt is worse at defending passes over the middle of the field, in the SEC.

    Dan Mullen has defeated Ed Orgeron’s Tigers in his previous two meetings. The Gators upended the fifth-ranked Tigers in the Swamp last season and Mullen easily defeated LSU in his last meeting as the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

    LSU defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda will bring plenty of pressure to try to keep Trask from finding his rhythm, but Dan Mullen knows this all too well. Mullen has prepared gameplans to counter Aranda’s aggressive style many times and will likely exploit the holes that are inevitably left behind the blitzing Tigers defense.

    In my opinion, the Gators match up quite favorably to LSU. Ultimately, this game is going to come down to whether or not Florida can protect the football. The Gators have had four turnovers in two different games this season. The fact that they still won those games is a testament to how good this team actually is. If they can keep from turning the ball over, we may see them take another big step forward.

    Despite picking LSU as Florida’s only loss in the preseason, I am taking the Gators to win a close game. I think Florida leaves LSU stunned and wins 24-21.

    The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. EST. For the second week in a row, Florida will be featured on College Gameday as they enter into a top ten battle.

  • MBB: 4-star SG Niels Lane commits to Gators

    MBB: 4-star SG Niels Lane commits to Gators

    Photo by Jon Lopez / Nike via 247Sports

    Florida head coach Mike White received some positive news on the recruiting trail on Tuesday. 4-star SG Niels Lane committee to the Gators via Twitter.

    Lane is the third prospect to commit to Florida’s 2020 class following the commitments of Juco PF Osayi Osifo and SF Samson Ruzhentsev.

    The 6’5, 195 lb Lane is rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports. The composite ranking has the Roselle, NJ native as the No. 84 prospect in the country and the No. 14 shooting guard.

    Lane also had offers from Connecticut, Texas, Cal, and Georgia, among others.

  • Gators in the NFL: Week 5

    Gators in the NFL: Week 5

    Photo by Quinn Harris / Getty Images

    It was another defensively focused week for the Florida Gators of the NFL. There were consistent performances from around the league, but one former Gator shined in his first career start.
    After spending the majority of his rookie season on injured reserve for the New England Patriots, Duke Dawson (corner, Denver Broncos) was traded to Denver. Dawson got his first career start on Sunday in the Broncos’ 20-13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He had four tackles (two solo) and a critical fumble recovery when his teammate, Justin Simmons, intercepted a pass by Phillip Rivers but fumbled on the return.

    Jonathan Bullard (defensive lineman, Arizona Cardinals), formerly of the Chicago Bears, made his second start of the season for Arizona. Bullard contributed seven tackles (five solo) including a tackle-for-loss, as the Cardinals picked up their first victory of the season, 26-23 over the winless Cincinnati Bengals.

    Marcus Maye and Brian Poole were the New York Jets’ starting safety tandem in the team’s 31-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Maye had five tackles (four solo), while Poole had four tackles (four solo) and a forced fumble.

    Joe Haden (corner, Pittsburgh Steelers) and Dante Fowler Jr. (linebacker, Los Angeles Rams) also had decent outings in their teams’ defeats. Haden made six tackles (five solo) including a tackle-for-loss in Pittsburgh’s 26-23 loss to division rival Baltimore. Fowler collected four tackles (two solo) and 1.5 tackles-for-loss in the Rams’ heartbreaking 30-29 defeat to the Seahawks on Thursday night.

    Jon Bostic (linebacker, Washington Redskins) had another solid day of tackling ball carriers. He made seven tackles (five solo), while Quinton Dunbar (corner, Washington Redskins), accounted for four tackles (three solo) and defended a pass in the 33-7 loss to New England.
    Again, Demarcus Robinson (wide receiver, Kansas City Chiefs) and Trey Burton (tight end, Chicago Bears) were the only two offensive players worth noting, and each had mediocre days. Despite being targeted six times, Robinson had three catches for 31 yards in the Chiefs’ 19-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Burton caught three passes on four targets for 16 yards in the Chicago Bears’ 24-21 defeat to the Oakland Raiders in London.

  • ICYMI: Mullen’s Monday Presser

    ICYMI: Mullen’s Monday Presser

    Photo by James Gilbert / Getty Images

    When you’re the Florida Gators, things rarely get easier from one week to the next. Win an emotional top ten matchup and you’re rewarded with another one… on the road. Spirits are high in Gainesville, but the Gators know that there’s no time to dwell on last week’s win if they want to leave Baton Rouge with their undefeated record intact. And so it’s business as usual for Dan Mullen and the Gators, and that means Mullen met with the media, as usual, on Monday.

    After going down with a minor sprain of his MCL, Kyle Trask appears primed and ready to once again lead the Gators offense. Dameon Pierce also left Saturday’s game against Auburn after taking a helmet-to-helmet collision on his first and only carry of the game. He will be a day-to-day designation as we head into preparations for LSU.

    Jabari Zuniga has missed several weeks with an ankle sprain and should be nearly 100% for Saturday nights showdown with LSU. He was held out as a precaution versus Auburn. This is great news for one of the nation’s top defenses as they prepare to take on the number one scoring offense in the country.

    The Swamp was rocking on Saturday afternoon and the crowd clearly affected Bo Nix and the Tigers. Saturday night, Kyle Trask will face the hostile side of that environment when he enters Death Valley for an 8 p.m. kickoff between a pair of top ten schools. Dan was asked how he prepares an inexperienced quarterback for such a setting.

    “We’ll have to see on Saturday night, how he handles it,” Mullen replied. “I mean we practice that way. When we’re at practice, we practice with crowd noise. We practice with that playing in road games. So it’s not like he’s coming out to practice for the first time having to go practice for this scenario. You know? I mean, he had to come in for a tough situation against Kentucky on the road. I mean, especially coming in and we’re behind and they had that place sold out. So it’s not like his first time ever having to step on the field in a tough environment.”

    The Gators defense made a statement last Saturday. They held Auburn to a little less than half of their season average in several offensive categories. The Tigers converted just 2 of 11 third downs and went three and out six times against a Gators defense that committed no penalties in the game.

    Against LSU, the Gators will need to produce another stellar performance. With the emergence of Joe Burrow as a Heisman contender, Florida’s secondary will be tasked with shutting down his receiving corps, while the defensive front applies copious amounts of pressure to the Tigers star quarterback. But what if the defense isn’t able to slow Burrow and company? I believe they can, but for the sake of argument, can the Gators offense keep up in a shootout? Dan Mullen was quick to respond saying, “We’ve got some good players, too.”

    Many have questioned why Mullen never gave Trask the chance to start over Franks before his injury. The logical and accurate response to that is that there is almost no difference in their production. Both quarterbacks are very talented and display different skill sets. While Trask has a slightly quicker release, he doesn’t possess the running ability that Franks did. However, Trask has stepped into the starting role and performed quite well in the process.

    When asked what he’s seen of Trask that maybe wasn’t as evident on the practice field, Mullen was ready.

    “How he’s going to perform when he gets on the field,” Mullen began. “You know? I love guys that… you know, I hate the word, ‘gamer.’ ‘Hey, I’m a gamer. It’s gonna be different when I get out on the field.’ I wanna see it every day at practice. I want to see you show me over and over that you can do it. But when the lights come on, it is different. It is, to me, how you respond in those situations. And the guy I saw is a good decision maker. You know? A smart decision maker with the ball. Accurate passing, you know, getting the ball out, getting us into the right checks, being able to hang in the pocket and make big throws that you see in practice, you don’t know always how that’s going to translate when now, they can hit you. You know? And now the speed of it picks up and I’ve seen him really continue to do what we expected him to do and what he could do.”

    The Gators opened as a 13 point underdog for Saturday’s game. It is the largest line that Mullen has ever faced in six years – including his time as offensive coordinator – at Florida. When asked if he would use that as a motivational tool, Mullen responded with jovial sarcasm.

    “Do we get those points before the game starts?” Mullen quipped. “No, well then it doesn’t really have much use for us. If they gave us the points before the game starts, then I would definitely use them. I mean, if we walked in and it said Florida 14, LSU 0, then I would definitely use that. The rest of it’s irrelevant.”

    Florida began preparations for LSU on Monday afternoon. Be sure to follow along with us at Chomp Talk for all of the latest news and info throughout the week, including my preview and staff picks of the top ten showdown between the Gators and LSU.

  • Grading the Gators: Reese ambushes Auburn running game

    Grading the Gators: Reese ambushes Auburn running game

    Photo by Roy K. Miller / Getty Images

    David Reese is the Mighty Putty of college football, if you’re defensive front has a whole or a leak, he’ll plug it up. The do-it-all linebacker contributed another gritty performance against Auburn and is on his way to All-SEC accolades.

    Here’s how Reese, the Florida defense and all UF’s units graded against Auburn.

    Offense: C+
    Freddie Swain is fast. Really fast. He’s not just a possession receiver.
    The senior wide receiver weaved through the Auburn secondary after catching a nine-yard slant on Florida’s second offensive play of the game, and UF never trailed after his 64-yard, tone-setting touchdown.
    The Gators’ offensive production relied heavily on big plays, starting with Swain and ending with Lamical Perine’s 88-yard scamper.
    Those two plays alone accounted for over 38 percent of UF’s total offense and half of its points. Florida punted seven times, fumbled four times and turned the ball over on downs twice on 17 drives.
    Quarterback Kyle Trask had an average day (19 for 31, 234 yards, two touchdowns), but he didn’t march the Gators down the field very often. If we hypothetically eliminate Swain and Perine’s touchdowns, Trask only led three drives that started in UF territory and ended in Auburn territory (all of which occurred in the fourth quarter and didn’t end in points).
    In fact, redshirt freshman Emory Jones led the best drive of the day when he came in for Trask in the second quarter. Jones picked up three first downs before a field goal conversion.
    Trask’s biggest issue was his pocket awareness (as it has been since he took over for Franks). He was sacked four times and fumbled three of those times, and two of those fumbles he could have avoided.
    Yes, Derrick Brown put Brett Heggie on skates for a big sack-fumble in the fourth quarter, but let’s look at Trask’s second fumble caused by K.J. Britt. Britt beat Stone Forsythe on the left side, but Trask had enough time to get rid of the football. The quarterback took two short hops in place rather than stepping up, which would have bought him the necessary time to escape and throw. And on his first fumble of the game, Trask simply didn’t recognize the outside-linebacker blitz and was clobbered.
    However, Trask also didn’t really have the aid of a running game.
    Perine’s distant sprint made up two-thirds of UF’s rushing production. If you take away that ridiculous run, the senior gained only 42 yards on 13 carries.
    Florida’s young offensive line was definitely the main reason for mediocre rushing, as the unit allowed seven tackles for loss.
    With no run game and a quarterback who is still developing his pocket senses, the offense will have an extremely difficult time going on the road to LSU.

    Defense: A
    If there was any debate about who Florida’s best defensive player is, it’s over now.
    Reese is currently the SEC’s leading tackler (49 tackles) after a 13-tackle performance on Saturday. His sure tackling and ability to plug rushing lanes helped hold Auburn to a season-low 124 yards on the ground.
    Reese and the UF defense were at their best on third down, as they stonewalled the Tigers to a measly 2 for 14 on third down (1 for 5 on third and short). Auburn’s lowest mark entering the game was 4 for 12 against Texas A&M.
    The Gators also cemented themselves atop the SEC in turnovers forced (17) by adding three interceptions. Shawn Davis is tied for the SEC lead in interceptions with three, as his return into Auburn territory led to a UF touchdown by Josh Hammond on the next offensive drive.
    Donovan Stiner’s huge interception in the end zone stifled Auburn’s best offensive sequence of the game, as the Tigers took the ball from their own five yard line only to come away empty.
    AU only had two red zone appearances the entire game, as the UF defense forced six three-and-outs.
    This defense has to be one of the SEC’s best, if not one of the country’s best, as the unit continues to fly around the field and make plays.

    Special Teams: B+
    A week ago, Evan McPherson was having difficulty kicking the ball for touchbacks on kickoffs. Those issues subsided on Saturday, as Auburn only returned one kick for 22 yards.
    McPherson also proved his reliability on field goals, nailing his only attempt from 41 yards. He is now 7 for 8 on the season and is tied for fourth in the SEC with an 87.5 make percentage.
    Another big help in the field-position game was punter Tommy Townsend, who averaged a solid 47 yards per punt. Townsend was called upon seven and boomed three over 50 yards, including a 62 yarder. However, the punter made a critical mistake when he tried to run for a first down on a fake punt, but was tackled well short of the line to gain.
    Florida’s coverage team was great on Townsend’s punts as well, as only one kick was returned for negative yardage.
    The Gators didn’t return any kicks or punts themselves, but Swain’s secure hands were reassuring after a muffed punt by Auburn in the first quarter.

    Coaching: B+
    Florida had a significant challenge in facing an Auburn team that played old-fashioned, SEC football with a strong defense and a power running game.
    One of the biggest reasons for the Gators’ success was mitigating penalties. UF had zero penalties on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive penalties are caused by being undisciplined or out of position, and UF was neither. It stayed disciplined in its zone coverages and was gifted three interceptions as a result.
    The offense drew all of the penalties (five for 40 yards) with the exception of an unsportsmanlike conduct on special teams, but the flags were mostly caused by Auburn’s superior defensive front. Sometimes as on O-lineman, you have to hold to keep your already-injured quarterback from certain demise.
    Finally, while the play calling lacked any frills (with the exception of that Lucas Krull pass that looked doomed but somehow worked out), the Gators stayed patient and took their opportunities. Auburn is a good team, and it’s defense is tough, especially for a UF team handicapped by an inexperienced offensive line. So for the Gators to keep calm and execute when it matters (I’m looking at you, Emory Jones), it showed they were coached for the moment.

  • VB: No. 12 Gators Fall to No. 15 Kentucky on the Road

    VB: No. 12 Gators Fall to No. 15 Kentucky on the Road

    Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

    The 12th-ranked Florida Gators fell to the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats in five sets in Lexington. This is the first loss for the Gators in 10 matches.

    After dropping the first set (12-25), the Gators fought back to win the second (25-19) and third (25-22) to take a two-sets-to-one lead. However, the hosts ended up winning the fourth set (19-25) to force a fifth set, which they would ended up winning (8-15).

    Team Stats

    It wasn’t the prettiest of matches. Neither the Wildcats nor the Gators broke .250 as a team. The Gators ended with a percentage of .130, and the Wildcats ended the game with a .237.

    Florida and Kentucky both played well defensively. The Gators put up 16 blocks to the Wildcats’ 10. The Gators also edged the hosts in team digs with 77 to Kentucky’s 74.

    Lauren Dooley and Leah Meyer led the game in blocks with seven each. Gabby Curry registered the most digs in the game with 22. Allie Gregory and Thayer Hall both trailed closely with 20 and 19 respectively.

    Offensive Struggles

    Florida’s heavy hitters struggled against the Kentucky block. Hall, who has consistently been the Gators’ most lethal weapon, again led the team with 17 kills. However, it took 65 swings, and she gave away 11 errors. She ended the afternoon with a percentage of .092.

    Paige Hammons had an equally tough game. In 30 total attacks, Hammons picked up seven kills and six errors for a hitting percentage of .090.

    One of the bright spots in the attack for UF was Rachael Kramer. She picked up 16 kills and two errors on 28 attempts. She led the team with a clip of .357.

    What It Means

    As a result of the match, the Gators now sit at 11-3, 2-1 in the SEC. Florida has two more road SEC matches before they return to Gainesville. These come against Arkansas on Friday and Texas A&M on Sunday.

    Friday’s match will begin at 8 p.m. in Fayetteville. For the latest news on Gator athletics, follow @ChompTalk and @JEricksonReport on Twitter.