ChompTalk.com

Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics

recent posts

about

University of Florida student – my sport is covering sports.
  • WSOC: Gators Lose Physical Match to Florida State

    WSOC: Gators Lose Physical Match to Florida State

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Walking into the home of the defending champions, the Gators were greeted to a pregame “Tomahawk Chop” chanted by a chorus of 3,100.

    Riding an electric crowd, the No. 6 ranked Florida State Seminoles downed the Gators 2-1 in a physical contest in which the home team ended with ten women.

    The Seminoles began the season ranked No. 1, but dropped five spots after losing both of their games in the “Battle of the Banc” to UCLA and USC last week, just like Florida did.

    Summary

    FSU set the tone early. In the 4th minute, last season’s TopDrawerSoccer Freshman of the year Yujie Zhao made a late run into the Gator box and rose for a header that sailed over the post.

    The Seminoles controlled the opening half; they had six shots compared to Florida’s two. When in possession, the Seminoles would regularly launch long balls to the forwards from deep, especially center back Malia Berkely. It kept the Florida defenders busy but was not enough to break a deadlock of zeros going into the break.

    The Gators best chance of the first half came in the 36th minute, when freshman Kouri Peace forced a turnover in the middle of the park that put her through on a breakaway. But, she could not generate a solid shot to challenge keeper Caroline Jeffers.

    It is safe to say the action picked up in the second half.

    In the 52nd minute, after a flurry of Florida crosses, the ball fell to senior midfielder Tess Sapone, who rocketed the ball off the half volley to beat Jeffers and put the Gators up 1-0.

    The lead lasted for a whole five minutes. Zhao released a ball over the top looking for forward Kristen McFarland in the 57th minute. UF keeper Susi Espinoza claimed the ball, but in a lapse of concentration she put the ball back on the turf seemingly looking for an offside flag on McFarland. When it never came, McFarland pounced on the free ball and put it into the back of the net, knotting the game at one.

    In the 70th minute, Florida State struck again. Midfielder Jaelin Howell neatly dribbled through the Gator defense and laid the ball across the six-yard box to a waiting Zhao, who blasted the ball into the net. Florida State leads 2-1.

    The Gators were gifted a chance to equalize, when Jeffers was controversially sent off after tackling Laney Steed in the box in the 80th minute. To the confusion of pretty much everyone in attendance, the referee went to replay to confirm the decision to give Jeffers the red and award Florida the penalty.

    Parker Roberts stepped up to take the spot kick, but it was saved by substitute keeper Brooke Bollinger to the delight of the crowd.

    From there, the Seminoles dominated possession and saw out the game to hand Florida their third loss of the season.

    FSU ended with fourteen shots, compared to Florida’s seven.

    Outlook for Florida

    The Gators now own a 2-3 record, and finally get to play their first home game Sunday against the University of Central Florida Knights.

    Florida played four ranked teams in their first five games in what is one of the toughest schedules in college soccer. Top scorer Deanne Rose missed the last two matches, and the team will hope she can return to action for the UCF game.

  • Staff Predictions: Florida / UT-Martin

    Staff Predictions: Florida / UT-Martin

    Photo by Roy K. Miller / Getty Images

    On Saturday, the Florida Gators will take on the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks as they prepare for the SEC opener in Lexington against Kentucky a week later.

    As we saw this past weekend, no team should be taken lightly, and there is no doubt that Dan Mullen won’t allow his team to look past this weekend’s contest.

    The following are our staff predictions for the game:

    Michael Pfeffer:

    I expect a much more polished performance this week. The fundamental errors that were rampant vs Miami have been the focal point over the last week and will continue to be worked on this week. Any remaining issues should be concealed by the massive gap in talent between these two teams. Florida will improve to 2-0 on Saturday night and they will make it look easy in the process. Florida cruises, 49-3

    Ainslie Lee:

    Saturdays in The Swamp are back! I assure you the team, Coach Mullen and all of Gator Nation is looking forward to this year’s home-opener. Coming off of a sobering win against Miami two weeks ago, the Gators have had plenty of time to address any issues ahead of Saturday’s matchup. We can expect to see a much more refined performance from the Gators as the talent gap between Florida and UT-Martin is much greater than the one we saw two weeks ago. I anticipate Lamical Perine and the Gator backfield to bounce back from an uneventful game one and really generate some offense for the Gators. The defense will have a field day with the Skyhawks and Coach Mullen will have an opportunity to rotate a lot of secondary guys into the game. Feleipe Franks will be charged up after a week of ruthless criticism and have a big night before getting yanked in the third quarter (assuming the scoreboard allows Mullen to make this move). Florida will head to Lexington 2-0 coming off of a convincing win over the Skyhawks. Gators roll, 52-13.

    Brandon Buckman:

    Week 2 for the Gators should be much easier for the Gators, although Tennessee-Marin put up 42 points on Northwestern State in week one they’ll be lucky to get a single touchdown in this affair. It’s the home opener in the Swamp, and Gator Country is as excited as ever, so I completely expect the energy from the Gators to be off the charts.

    For Mullen and staff, I would look at this game as a way to not only gain confidence heading into SEC play next weekend in Lexington, but also as a game to get some of the newer guys some experience and allow the veterans to sort of show out. UT-Martin throws in the towel at halftime, on the way to a Gators win 42-6.

    Mark Stine:

    This game is just a formality, as the Gators will certainly defeat UT Martin.

    Skyhawks head coach Jason Simpson has done a dandy job with the program since taking over in 2006, holding an 80-68 record in now his 14th season at the helm.

    Simpson has never defeated an SEC team in eight tries, and he should go 0 for 9 on Saturday.

    However, sports bettors should proceed with caution if they’re thinking of putting cash on the 41.5-point favorite in Florida.

    The Gators have a lot of issues to work out from their Week 0 matchup with Miami, namely penalties and ball security. And while Skyhawks haven’t defeated an SEC opponent under Simpson, they’ve kept the scoring differential under 40 points in five of eight attempts.
    I’ve got the Gators not covering the spread by a touchdown. UF wins 45-10

    UTM against SEC programs since 2008:

    2008: Auburn 37-20
    2010: Tennessee 50-0
    2011: Mississippi State 55-17
    2014: Mississippi State 45-16
    2014: Kentucky 59-14
    2015: Ole Miss 76-3
    2017: Ole Miss 45-23
    2018: Missouri 51-14

    Brian Fox:

    Florida should win, and honestly the game should be decided well before halftime. It will be interesting to see how long Mullen sticks with his starters as they prepare for the SEC opener.

    As Dan Mullen stated in his Wednesday press conference, a key interest is who plays as QB2. Undoubtedly, it will be dissected by the media and fans alike. While Franks is locked in as the starter, will Kyle Trask or Emory Jones get the snaps with the second team offense? We will find out on Saturday. Gators win 52-10

    Florida and Tennessee-Martin are set for a 7:30 PM kickoff. The game will be aired on ESPNU. You can follow @ChompTalk and @MikeyPfeffer on Twitter for live updates of the contest.

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

  • Previewing Florida / UT-Martin

    Previewing Florida / UT-Martin

    Photo by David Rosenblum / Getty Images

    After a sloppy start in the week zero matchup against Miami, the Gators began taking steps to polish the rough edges during their bye week. They will continue their efforts on Saturday night as they take on the UT-Martin Skyhawks. Florida enters their home opener as a 41-point favorite.

    The Skyhawks will present a unique look for the Gators offense, as they operate out of a 3-3-5 base package on defense. I expect a large portion of the offensive workload to be lumped on the running backs and the offensive line. This is a perfect opportunity for the Gators youthful line to build some cohesive depth.

    As a whole, the unit performed fairly well against a very good Miami front seven, but they must continue to improve in the running game. Florida managed only 57 yards rushing in week zero, a number that will have to get much better for Florida to achieve its season goals.

    The positions that I will pay close attention to on the Gators offense are the tight ends, the running backs (behind Perine), and the offensive line. Of the three units, it is surprising that the line had the best performance in their debut. The tight ends were consistently out of position and whiffed on several big blocks.

    Perine was efficient in his performance, but behind him, I expected a lot more. To be fair, some of the struggles were caused by poor run blocking by the tight ends and the line, but the overall play of the backs was underwhelming.

    On defense, I am really just looking for tackling to improve, and maybe clean up some of those pass interference penalties. The defensive front should continue to disrupt and dominate, hopefully creating a few turnovers along the way.

    Against an outmatched opponent such as UT-Martin, Dan Mullen should be able to provide meaningful reps for a lot of the younger players, while also fine-tuning the play of the veterans. I don’t expect any surprises on Saturday. Florida should have this one well in hand by the halftime break.

    The Gators host the Skyhawks at the Swamp at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night. Coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.

  • VB: No. 7 Florida Gators Fall Victim to Sweep via No. 1 Stanford in Home Opener

    VB: No. 7 Florida Gators Fall Victim to Sweep via No. 1 Stanford in Home Opener

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    The No. 7 Florida Gators fell to the No. 1 Stanford Cardinal in their home opener in straight sets (25-22, 25-17, 25-19) on Wednesday night.

    Florida’s Heavy Hitters Struggle

    The Gators started the season 2-0 after wins over No. 25 Louisville and Dayton on Friday and Saturday. As a result of their performances, Thayer Hall, Rachael Kramer and Marlie Monserez were all awarded SEC honors. However, against Stanford, Florida’s impact players struggled to get going.

    After coming off of her highest kill match in her career, having registered 25 against Dayton, Hall struggled to convert her opportunities. She managed eight total kills and four errors from 29 attempts, ending the match with a .138 hitting percentage.

    Kramer had an even tougher night. From 10 total attempts, she got one kill and made six errors, ending the night with a -.500 hitting percentage. There was even one moment when she accidentally gave a perfect set for a Stanford player to spike back into the Florida court.

    A Dominant Display

    Senior outside hitter Kathryn Plummer had herself a night, registering 21 kills on 34 attempts in the three sets. The only other player to reach double digits in kills was Florida’s Holly Carlton who had 10.

    Some other Cardinal members who deserve a nod include senior setter Jenna Gray and senior libero Morgan Hentz. Gray registered 37 assists, and Hentz got 15 digs; both led the game in their respective areas.

    Mary Wise Praises Stanford Program

    It’s no secret that Stanford is among the elite women’s volleyball programs in the country. The Cardinal won the NCAA title last season and could very well do the same this year.

    After the match, Florida Gator volleyball head coach Mary Wise praised her opposition.

    “Stanford’s just a terrific program,” said Wise. “They’re well supported, well funded, and they bring in great players every year.”

    Wise acknowledged that there was a bit of an experience differential between the two sides, but she says that by the end of the season, the Gators will hopefully have “chipped away” at that gap.

    After the defeat, Carlton said that the Gators could learn to play as “underdogs.” She said that many players have been “elite” for their entire careers, but it could help to remove some of that pressure off of their shoulders.

    What’s Next?

    Next up, the Florida Gators go back on the road to face No. 8 Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have started the season with a 1-2 record, with losses against FSU and Texas. The game will begin at 8 p.m.

    For more, follow @ChompTalk and @jericksonreport on Twitter.

  • ICYMI: Recapping Dan Mullen’s Weekly Press Conference

    ICYMI: Recapping Dan Mullen’s Weekly Press Conference

    Photo by Roy K. Miller / Getty Images

    Florida will play it’s home opener this weekend against UT-Martin. As exciting as the first game in the Swamp is, this one will be made even more special by a tribute to George “Mr. Two Bits” Edmondson. Fans are encouraged to participate in the event by wearing Mr. Two Bits’ iconic yellow shirt.

    As Florida prepares for their meeting with the Skyhawks, Dan Mullen took a few moments to meet with the press, on Wednesday afternoon. Topics ranged from form tackling to the impact of hurricane Dorian and the school’s closing.

    As is usually the case, Mullen declined to answer questions surrounding suspension. He offered the same pat answer, saying that he would make announcements on that — if there were any to make — about thirty minutes before kickoff on Saturday night.

    In their week zero victory against Miami, the Gators made a lot of fundamental errors, including a plethora of missed tackles. Mullen brushed over the topic, saying that there were “a lot” of missed tackles. The staff utilized the bye week to brush up on fundamentals as well as to extend their “preseason” camp. Many of the practices last week were based on special teams and individual groups, rather than game week preparations.

    Dorian posed a massive threat to the Atlantic coast early this week. As a precaution, the university closed on Tuesday and Thursday. The team was able to tweak their practice schedule, however, and will kickoff as scheduled at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday night. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

    With such an underdog opponent, it is expected that the Gators will be up big, allowing some of the backups to get live game experience. When asked about the guys behind Feleipe Franks, Mullen responded with candor.

    “Well, I don’t mind getting those guys in all the time,” said Mullen. “Those guys work hard at practice to go get reps, and so it’s… also, you never know how the games are gonna play out. You look at the last game, we didn’t run a ton of plays, but a lot of those were, you know, we’re turning the ball over. We had a great drive… turn the ball over. Then we had a one or two play drive and turned the ball over, and that’s really not getting you into the flow of things offensively. You know? And then we had a three play touchdown drive that was a short one, and then a four play touchdown drive that was a super-long one. You know? So it was kind of a different flowing type game. So the opportunity didn’t arise. Hopefully, the opportunity arises that we get more reps and get guys in the game.”

    Mullen continued by making light of the constant debate surrounding the quarterback position and exaggerated reactions of the fan base and the media alike.

    “I will say this,” Mullen stated. “If we do get a second quarterback into the game, whoever the first one is, you guys will make way too much out of already.”

    The reactions and overreactions from Florida’s performance against Miami have kept the internet abuzz for the past two weeks, and I doubt it will slow down as the season continues. Florida has the opportunity to improve to 2-0 this weekend, while showing how much improvement they’ve made since their first outing.

    Stay tuned for even more discussion and coverage from Chomp Talk as Saturday approaches.

  • VB: Gators Face Defending National Champions Stanford in Home Opener

    VB: Gators Face Defending National Champions Stanford in Home Opener

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Wednesday at 8 p.m., the No. 7 Florida Gator volleyball team will play its 2019 home season opener against the 2018 national champion and No. 1-ranked Stanford Cardinal.

    Both teams started the season 2-0. The Gators swept Louisville and came back against Dayton from two sets down. The Cardinal, on the other hand, managed to get through the College of Charleston and Duke without dropping a set.

    As a result of their performances, the Gators moved from No. 10 to No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches poll this week.

    History

    The two storied programs have met on 11 different occasions, with Stanford edging the hosts overall with six wins. All 11 games have taken place with Mary Wise at the helm for the Gators.

    The last time these two met was in 2017. The Gators defeated Stanford in five sets to make their way to the national championship game. Rachael Kramer had a positive night, registering eight kills and five blocks. Unfortunately for Florida, they would come up short against Nebraska in the end.

    Since 1984, the Gators bolster a 30-5 record in home openers.

    Gators Recognized for Early-Season Results

    Three Gators were awarded SEC honors for their impact in the Cardinal Classic matches over the weekend.

    Thayer Hall was named both Player of the Week and Offensive Player of the Week. Rachael Kramer was recognized as the Defensive Player of the Week, and Marlie Monserez was named Setter of the Week. This is the first time Monserez has received SEC honors in her career.

    Hall had standout performances against Louisville and Dayton. Between the matches, she averaged 4.62 kills per set and 5.12 points per set. Against Dayton, she picked up a staggering 25 kills to lead both teams and to break her personal record.

    Game Details

    Florida and Stanford are scheduled to start at 8 p.m. in Exactech Arena. Courtney Lyle and Holly McPeak will have the call live on the SEC Network.

    For more, follow @ChompTalk and @jericksonreport on Twitter.

  • FB: Jonathan Greenard named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

    FB: Jonathan Greenard named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

    Photo by Mark Brown / ChompTalk.com

    After a stellar debut in the Orange and Blue, Florida DE Jonathan Greenard earned the SEC’s Defensive Lineman of the Week for the opening week of play.

    Greenard, who transferred to Florida from Louisville as a grad-transfer in the off-season, led a fantastic effort by the Gators front seven. He recorded six tackles, two for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

    Florida sacked Miami QB Jarren Williams ten times and limited the Hurricanes to just 2-13 on third down.

    The Gators will face Tennessee-Martin in their home opener on Saturday. The game is slated for a 7:30 kick off and will air on ESPNU.

    *Alabama’s NT DJ Dale also garnered Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.

  • SOC: Gators Lose Frustrating Road Test to No. 4 UCLA

    SOC: Gators Lose Frustrating Road Test to No. 4 UCLA

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    After beating in-state opponents in their first two games, the Gators swapped coasts to take on California soccer heavyweights in a series of games that were dubbed the “Battle of the Banc.”

    Florida lost to No. 4 UCLA by two goals to none on Sunday at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The 20,000-seater usually hosts Major League Soccer side LAFC, but this weekend onlookers were greeted by some of NCAA soccer’s historically successful teams.

    This Florida loss comes on the heels of a 3-1 loss to No. 5 USC on Thursday night, also at the Banc. This defeat brings the Gators record to 2-2.

    Summary

    The Gators began the game in their usual 4-3-3 formation. Unusually, though, Deanne Rose was not a part of it. Rose, the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week and Florida’s leading scorer this season, was injured near the end of the USC game on Thursday. She was seen icing her left hamstring as time expired.

    Her Canadian national team teammate, Jessie Fleming, did start for UCLA and had the first chance of the game with a shot that went wide in the ninth minute. Both Rose and Fleming featured for Canada in the Women’s World Cup this past summer.

    Solid chances were hard to come by in the first half. Perhaps the Gators best opportunity came in the 35’, when Kit Loferski, who started at winger, ran with the ball before releasing a shot to the near post that was saved by UCLA keeper Teagan Micah. Micah was also at the World Cup this summer, representing Australia.

    Florida has been a second half team, scoring 5 of their 6 goals this season in the second 45. However, it was UCLA who struck when play resumed.

    In the 48th minute, the referee awarded the Bruins a penalty after UF goalkeeper Susi Espinoza brought Fleming down in the box. Junior midfielder Marley Canales converted the spot kick, putting UCLA up 1-0.

    Florida had their best chance of the game in the 54th minute, when Vanessa Kara’s shot was saved near post. She was in a good position but did not generate enough power to beat Micah.

    UCLA doubled their lead when freshman forward Kali Trevithick found Delanie Sheehan in the box to score her first goal of the season and put the Bruins up 2-0.

    Florida struggled for any meaningful chances in the final thirty minutes of the game. UCLA dominated tempo and possession to see out their fourth victory of the season and remain undefeated.

    The Bruins ended with 13 shots (8 on target) to Florida’s 6 (3 on target). Despite conceding the penalty, Espinoza made some good saves to keep Florida in it, but the offense could not produce. Loferski led the team with two shots on goal.

    Outlook for the Gators

    Florida flies back to the sunshine state for a matchup with No. 1 Florida State, who also lost to UCLA over the weekend, on Friday in Tallahassee. It is a difficult end to the Gators five-game road trip to start the season.

  • VB: Gators Complete Comeback from 2-0 Down Against Dayton

    VB: Gators Complete Comeback from 2-0 Down Against Dayton

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    The Florida Gators came back from two sets down to defeat Dayton and improved to 2-0 on the season.

    A Tough Start

    After rolling over No. 25 Louisville in straight sets, the Gators were expected to finish the weekend undefeated without much of a problem. However, things couldn’t have been much different in the first two sets against Dayton.

    Jamie Peterson struck 11 kills in the first two sets alone. However, what was perhaps more of an issue was the amount of errors the Gators committed.

    The Gators gifted 16 points to the Flyers in the first two sets off of service and attack errors.

    The Gators Roar Back

    A big reason for the Gators’ comeback was sophomore outside hitter Thayer Hall. After the first two sets, she had nine kills to lead Florida. However, her numbers were even better in the third and fourth sets, in which she recorded seven kills each.

    Even within the individual sets, Florida needed to stay resilient. In the fourth set, early on, the Gators were at an 8-4 disadvantage. In the fifth and final set, Dayton and Florida traded blows back and forth, going point for point. However, despite their inconsistency, Mary Wise’s team got the job done.

    Key Performers

    Gators

    Sophomore setter Marlie Monserez had a night to remember, racking up a total of 50 assists. The next-highest assister was Dayton’s Brooke Westbeld with 26.

    One of her favorite targets was Hall. She put in work, ending the match with 25 kills to her name. For context, that’s just 11 less than the entire Dayton team managed in all five sets.

    On the defensive side of things, Darrielle King led the team with six blocks. Allie Gregory got the most digs for Florida with a total of 18.

    Dayton

    A few of the Flyers also deserve recognition for their individual performances on Saturday.

    Jamie Peterson got 23 of her team’s 36 total kills. Amelia Moore matched King in blocks with six. And last, but not least, Maura Collins recorded a whopping 30 digs, almost doubling the next-highest amount any player had in the match (18).

    In the end, despite their efforts, the Gators would be the team tallying another win onto their record.

    What’s Next?

    The Gators will head back to Gainesville to face No. 1-ranked Stanford on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Three days later, the Gators will be in the Midwest to face No. 3 Minnesota.

    While Wise will be happy with her team’s resilience tonight, she’ll know that better teams will punish early mistakes; teams like Stanford and Minnesota.

    For the latest updates on the Florida Gator volleyball team, follow @ChompTalk and @jericksonreport on Twitter.

  • VB: Gators Kick Off Season with Win over No. 25 Louisville

    VB: Gators Kick Off Season with Win over No. 25 Louisville

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Although the Florida Gator volleyball team started its season on the road on Friday, not everyone was truly away from home.

    The Gators traveled to No. 25 Louisville and defeated the hosts in three straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-21).

    Junior outside hitter Paige Hammons was no stranger to the city, as she lived there prior to Gainesville. She attended Sacred Heart Academy during high school.

    Big Hopes for 2019

    In an interview prior to the start of the season, Hammons announced the intent of the Gators this season.

    “With the talent we have and the depth we have on this team, [a national championship] is easily in reach.” -Paige Hammons

    While these may be bold claims at such early stages of the season, almost all of the Gators from last year’s team returned, except for Allie Monserez and Taelor Kellum.

    Additionally, the Gators looked like a team hungry for success against Louisville.

    Florida-Louisville History

    Heading into the match, Florida had been successful in all seven encounters with Louisville. Under Mary Wise, the Gators were five for five.

    Key Stats

    Thayer Hall led the way for Florida in kills on the night with a total of 12. She scored six in the first set, followed by four in the second and two in the third.

    In her return home, Hammons added another six kills.

    Overall, the Gators landed 41 kills to Louisville’s 32. Florida’s hitting percentage was .304 to Louisville’s .107. However, the most telling stat of the match was Florida’s defensive success at the net. The Gators scored from 14 blocks. Louisville only mustered three points from blocks.

    What’s Next?

    The Gators won’t be able to celebrate their first victory of the season for very long. On Saturday, at 4 p.m., Florida will face Dayton. The Gators have only ever played Dayton twice (once under Wise), having won both meetings.

    After that, things really start to heat up.

    Next week, the Gators will face two top-5 ranked opponents in No. 1 Stanford (H) and No. 3 Minnesota (A).

    Stay tuned for more content, and follow @ChompTalk and @jericksonreport on Twitter for updates.