ChompTalk.com

Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics

recent posts

about

  • VB: Road to the Championship- Regionals Preview, Part One

    VB: Road to the Championship- Regionals Preview, Part One

    Photo by Brian Fox / Chomp Talk

    The Florida volleyball team is officially starting to prepare for the upcoming NCAA tournament. Last year, the Gators made it all the way to the National Championship game before falling to Nebraska in four sets.

    This season was not quite as magical as the last one, with the squad finishing the regular season with an overall record of 24-6 (15-3 SEC), putting Florida third in conference standings. Now, the team is looking to zero in on making it out of the first two rounds.

    This is the first part of the preview, as the Gators will compete on Thursday. If the team wins, another preview for the winner of UCF-FGCU will be posted. Stay tuned!

    Round One

    Florida failed to clinch home-court advantage for the first round of the tournament, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Gators will compete just two hours away in Orlando. (The location is based on UCF’s 11th overall seed). The team’s first test will be against the Florida State Seminoles… a team the Gators already topped once this season.

    Scouting the Opponent

    FSU finished the regular season 19-9. Some of the Noles’ quality losses include No. 2 Minnesota (0-3) and No. 8 Wisconsin (1-3). Bad losses include Colorado State (2-3), Miami (2-3), and Auburn (1-3).

    Thursday’s match will not be the first time these in-state rivals are meeting this season. Head-to-head, Florida State lost to Florida in Tallahassee 3-1 on September 12th. Florida took the first two sets, 22-25, FSU took the third 25-16, and Florida nabbed the fourth frame 25-19.

    Both teams made 47 kills in the match, but the Gators were much cleaner. They committed 17 errors compared to the Seminoles’ 28. Florida hit stronger, with an overall clip of .242, while holding FSU to .148. The Gators also won the blocking battle (14) compared to 8 FSU blocks. The Seminoles only had more aces (4) than Florida (2). Assists were pretty comparable with the Gators posting 40 and Florida State tallying 39.

    Weapons

    Both Florida and Florida State boast elite rosters with players that will come out in full force to a) beat a bitter rival and b) move on in the tournament.

    Florida has three All-SEC players in Rachael Kramer, Taelor Kellum, and Paige Hammons. Thayer Hall made the SEC All-Freshman team.

    FSU will roll out the ACC Player of the Year in Payton Caffrey. Taryn Knuth is another All-ACC first-team selection and Kelsey Wicinski made the second team.

    Extra Information

    Prediction

    Yes, the Gators topped the Noles once this year in four sets. But, in a tournament game highlighted by an in-state rivalry, I’m predicting that this game goes to five sets. I’m sticking with Florida, but Caffrey should make serious moves for the other team.

    Game Time

    The match will be played on Thursday at 4:30 PM. For those who want to watch, it will be broadcasted on WatchESPN. For those who want to listen, tune into ESPN 98.1 FM/850 AM. For general updates, @GatorsVB (Twitter) will be live-streaming play-by-play updates.

  • MBB: Gators tie NCAA three point record in win over UNF

    MBB: Gators tie NCAA three point record in win over UNF

    Photo via Getty Images

    On Tuesday night the Ospreys of North Florida headed west from Jacksonville to the O’dome to take on the Florida Gators. This one came easy for the Gators as they knocked down threes with ease and tied NCAA records in the process of a 98-66 victory.

    Since tip off, Mike White‘s team had it rolling. In the first half Florida had a lot of success on the offensive glass which opened up many three point opportunities. The Gators made seven three-pointers in the first 20 minutes. At the half, Florida opened up a 53-33 lead which essentially put the game away.

    From then on White was able to open up playing time for the deep bench as ten Gators played over ten minutes, which resulted in 42 bench points. The aggressiveness of the offensive glass was the game plan UF stuck to in the second half. Florida finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds and 42 total boards.

    The most intriguing part of Florida’s performance against UNF was their ability to consistently knock down treys. In doing so, UF tied an NCAA record with nine different players making a shot from downtown. The last time that feat had been accomplished was in 2008 by Michigan. Florida also previously set the mark in 2006.

    Freshman shooting guard Noah Locke lead the way finishing 4/7 from three point land and 18 total points, a career high. UNF Head Coach Matt Driscoll had a lot to say about the Gators aggressive offensive play saying the following in the postgame press conference;

    “What they really do a good job of is getting the three off the offensive rebound. How many offensive rebound kick out threes did they have tonight? That’s the most dangerous three you can have. They had nineteen second chance points. How many of them were threes? I’m going to guess five, maybe six. When you have that going for you, it’s double dangerous. Anybody who makes a three is always good and it’s always fun and makes you feel good.”

    The Gators were able to dominate offensively in this one and the Ospreys could not stop it at all. Florida will celebrate this win and climb back above .500 on the season. Mike White now sits at 4-3 heading into the month of December.

    Notable Stats:

    Florida: 98

    Stone- 10 points, 4 rebounds

    Hayes- 12 points, 5 rebounds

    Nembhard- 11 assists, 0 turnovers

    Allen- 13 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds

    Locke- 18 points

    Hudson- 6 points, 6 rebounds

    K. Johnson- 11 points, 4 rebounds

    Ballard- 15 points

    North Florida: 66

    Horchler- 16 points, 10 rebounds

    Escobar- 11 points

    Gandia-Rosa- 13 points, 4 assists

    Sams- 15 points

  • FB: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Bids Farewell to the Gator Nation

    FB: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Bids Farewell to the Gator Nation

    Photo via Getty Images

    In a move that isn’t entirely surprising, Gators superstar DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has declared for the NFL draft. As one of the most improved players on the Gators roster, his draft stock has never been higher.

    In three years as a Gator, Gardner-Johnson has acquired quite the stat line. His final career numbers for Florida include 156 tackles, 4 sacks, 7 interceptions, 2 touchdowns, and 12 passes defensed. (Thoughhe did state that he will give 100% effort in the bowl game).

    The junior defensive back explained his decision in a heartfelt letter to the the fans saying, “I have grown mentally and physically as I now understand that my body is everything.”

    Gardner-Johnson continued, “However, the more I valued my body I realized that all the individuals around me can have a positive and negative affect (sic) on who I am or viewed as in the public eye. The University and my platform as a student-athlete made me strong from the struggles of being alone at night, to waking up in the morning knowing I have a job to do in order to achieve my goals. With that in mind, I write to you today to say that I’m ready to achieve my next goal and move on to the next chapter in my life. I have decided to forgo my senior year and declare for the NFL Draft.”

    Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is the first of Florida’s junior class to make decision of whether or not to stay.

  • FB: Gators land 2021 WR Trevonte Rucker

    FB: Gators land 2021 WR Trevonte Rucker

    Photo by Andrew Ivins / 247Sports

    The Gators picked up their third commitment for the class of 2021 on Monday. Four-star wide receiver, Trevonte Rucker is expected to do great things and could end up earning his fifth star by the time he suits up in the orange and blue.

    Rucker is a star at Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida where he is listed at 6’0″ and 155 lbs.

    This early into his prep career, Rucker has offers from 9 different schools. That number is sure to grow but for now, the Gators have beaten out schools like FSU, Oregon, and Missouri for Rucker’s services.

    Currently, Rucker is rated in the top 100 at No. 60 overall. He is the 11th rated WR in the class and checks in as the 8th best recruit in the state of Florida according to 247Sports.

  • VB: Gators Receive NCAA Tournament Bid, Set to Take on rival Seminoles

    VB: Gators Receive NCAA Tournament Bid, Set to Take on rival Seminoles

    Photo by Brian Fox / Chomp Talk

    The Florida Gators volleyball team is officially on the Road to the NCAA Championship! The team failed to secure one of the sixteen national seeds, but did receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.

    Florida will be taking on in-state rival Florida State in Orlando on November 29th for the first round of the tournament.

    Gator Grit

    The Gators finished 24-6 overall and 15-3 in the SEC with losses to Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

    The team features four All-SEC caliber players in Thayer Hall (All-Freshman), Rachael Kramer, Taelor Kellum, and Paige Hammons.

    Tournament Info

    If Florida beats Florida State (19-9), the team will take on the winner of Florida Gulf Coast (26-6) and UCF (27-3). The Knights clinched the #11 overall seed and maintain home-court advantage for the first and second rounds.

  • VB: Four Gators land on All-SEC teams

    VB: Four Gators land on All-SEC teams

    All photos by Brian Fox / Chomp Talk

    The Southeastern Conference announced the post-season volleyball award winners on Sunday.

    Despite finishing third in the conference standings, Florida wasn’t represented in the awards. Florida did, however, have four players earn All-SEC honors thanks to a balanced offensive attack.

    Paige Hammons, Taelor Kellum, and Rachael Kramer were all named to the All-SEC team while Thayer Hall earned All-Freshman team honors.

    Hammons-

    Hammons finished third on the team with 231 digs in the regular season and paced the Gators with 32 service aces. The sophomore from Louisville recorded double-digit kills in seven matches this season.

    Kellum-

    Kellum finished third in the SEC in blocks per set and sixth in hitting percentage. The senior was a three-time winner of the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and earned the SEC POW in early October.

    Kramer-

    The 6’8 Kramer finished the regular season ranked first in the conference in blocks per set and fifth in hitting percentage. This is the second straight season the junior earned All-SEC accolades. She also garnered All-Freshman honors in 2016.

    Hall-

    Hall became the first Gator to record 20 kills in her collegiate debut in the Mary Wise-era and posted double-digit kills in 16 of the 23 matches she competed in. The heralded recruit from Spartanburg, SC earned the SEC Freshman of the Week honor twice this season.

    Florida will find out their NCAA fate Sunday night during the NCAA Selection Show. The show will air on ESPNU at 8:30 PM.

  • FB: Gators land 4-star RB Nay’Quan Wright

    FB: Gators land 4-star RB Nay’Quan Wright

    Photo via Andrew Ivins / 247Sports.com

    Saturday afternoon the Florida Gators defeated their in-state rival Seminoles. By Saturday evening Nay’Quan Wright had pledged his commitment to Dan Mullen and the Gator Nation. The 4-star running back hails from Opa Locka, FL, where he plays for Miami Carol City High School.

    At 5’8″ 185 lbs, the talented back will need to bulk up before facing SEC competition but that should be no problem under strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage. Wright currently holds a 247Sports composite score of 0.9069 and is ranked as the No. 15 RB and No. 264 player overall for the 2019 recruiting cycle.

    After sustaining an ankle injury that caused him to miss his junior year, Wright was eager to show what he could do at FNL. “It was a blessing to be back in The Swamp,” Wright said. “And to show the coaches I still have it.”

    The back entered his senior season with a career total of 234 carries for 1,793 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also hauled in 13 receptions for an additional 141 yards and a score.

    Quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson and running backs coach Greg Knox have been in constant contact with Wright throughout his recruitment. After receiving 20 offers from schools like Georgia, UCF, Alabama, and FSU, it was the Gators staff that won his heart.

    “Man, I was brought up on loyalty. I mean, you can be family, but if you’re not loyal you’re not really family,” Nay’Quan said. “What really stands out for me is that through the injury I was still hearing from those guys. Some schools backed away, but they were one of the schools that didn’t back away from me.”

  • FB: Tyrie Cleveland suffered broken collarbone against Florida State

    FB: Tyrie Cleveland suffered broken collarbone against Florida State

    Photo via Getty Images

    Florida WR Tyrie Cleveland almost came down with an excellent catch despite good coverage early in the Gators blow out win over rival Florida State on Saturday.

    Cleveland landed hard on his shoulder and needed assistance as he was escorted immediately to the locker room.

    Head coach Dan Mullen confirmed in his post game press conference that Cleveland suffered a broken collarbone.

    Cleveland’s season will end with 18 catches for 212 yards and three scores.

    Florida defeated the Seminoles 41-14 and will await the bowl selection process to find out where they will play. The Gators have put themselves in position to earn a New Year’s Six Bowl, but with many games still to be played today and conference championships taking place next weekend, much is to be determined.

  • FB: Florida ends several streaks in routing of FSU

    FB: Florida ends several streaks in routing of FSU

    Florida: 41 FSU: 14

    Photo via AP Images

    Tallahassee, FL – With a New Year’s Six bowl game in their sights, the Gators ended a five game skid against Florida State on Saturday. Florida entered Doak Campbell Stadium with one thing in mind, beat Florida State!

    The win solidified a successful first year under Dan Mullen. In one game, Mullen snapped the longest Gators losing streak in series history, ended a 36 year bowl streak for the Seminoles, all but assured the Gators an NY6 berth, and showed his team off in front of all of FSU’s visiting recruits.

    As far as wins over rivals go, this one must have been especially satisfying for the Gators. Florida controlled the game from start to finish, leaving FSU fans looking just as defeated as their team.

    The offense produced plenty of explosive plays, including Lamical Perine‘s 74 yard touchdown run. The run was Florida’s longest play of the year. Despite early success, the Seminoles defense was worn down by the Gators rushing attack and eventually gave out.

    See also: WR Tyrie Cleveland leaves FSU game with broken collarbone

    Save for a handful of plays, the Gators defense proved to be troublesome for the Seminoles. Florida State was held below 300 yards and seemed out of sorts most of the day.

    FSU QB Deondre Francois was battered and bruised, being sacked 5 times. Jachai Polite and Jabari Zuniga were providing plenty of pressure and forced Francois into turning the ball over 3 times.

    The game was hard fought through much of the first half and was well within reach with 13-7 score at halftime. From that point on, the Gators could do no wrong. Feleipe Franks and the Florida offense exploded in the second half, capitalizing on every one of State’s mistakes.

    The final score of 41-14, marks the fifth time this season that the Gators have scored 40 or more in a game. That is 2 more than in the entire Jim McElwain era.

    The Gators have the opportunity to win their 10th game just one year following a 4-7 campaign. Mullen has already made such an impact on the program in just his first season, it is a safe assumption that Florida football is well on its way back to being a championship contender.

    Follow Chomp Talk (on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) to find out which bowl game Florida will be in and who they will play on Sunday, December 2nd.

    Passing Leaders

    Florida

    Franks: 16/26, 254 YDS 3 TD

    FSU

    Francois: 14/29, 154 YDS 1 TD 2 INT

    Rushing Leaders

    Florida

    Perine: 13 CAR, 129 YDS 1 TD

    Scarlett: 20 CAR, 88 YDS 1 TD

    FSU

    Patrick: 10 CAR, 52 YDS

    Francois: 11 CAR, 41 YDS 1 TD

    Receiving Leaders

    Florida

    Grimes: 5 REC, 118 YDS 1 TD

    Jefferson: 4 REC, 92 YDS 1 TD

    FSU

    Terry: 3 REC, 78 YDS

    1st Downs

    Florida: 24

    FSU: 16

    Total Plays

    Florida: 79

    FSU: 65

    Time of Possession

    Florida: 36:02

    FSU: 23:58

    Passing

    Florida: 254

    FSU: 154

    Rushing

    Florida: 282

    FSU: 139

    Penalties

    Florida: 7-49

    FSU: 10-60

    Total Yards

    Florida: 536

    FSU: 293

    Turnovers

    Florida: 0

    FSU: 3

    SEC East Standings

    Georgia 7-1 11-1

    Kentucky 5-3 9-3

    Florida 5-3 9-3

    South Carolina 4-4 4-4

    Mizzou 4-4 8-4

    Tennessee 2-5 5-6

    Vandy 2-5 5-6

    *Some games may still be in progress

  • VB: Gators Close Out Regular Season With Win Over South Carolina

    VB: Gators Close Out Regular Season With Win Over South Carolina

    Photo by Brian Fox / Chomp Talk

    The Florida Gators volleyball team finished the regular season 24-6 (15-3 SEC) with a three-set sweep over the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday. The Gators got the win on Senior Night, where seniors Allie Monserez and Taelor Kellum were honored for their contributions to the team.

    Set 1

    Florida led by as much as 19-9 late in the match, but South Carolina went on two separate runs to pull the score to 23-20, Gators. The Gamecocks’ luck ran out, though, as they committed a service error, bringing Florida to set-point. A Holly Carlton kill sealed the deal and Florida eked this one out 25-21.

    As a team, the Gators hit .300, posting 14 kills on the frame. Rachael Kramer was responsible for four of the kills, while Paige Hammons and Carlton notched three apiece.

    Set 2

    Florida led the Gamecocks 15-12 halfway through, but it was pretty tit-for-tat until that point. Once again, the Gators led 23-20 late in the set. But, this time, South Carolina brought the score to 23-22. Carlton and Mia Sokolowski each made a kill to close out the set and push Florida to 2-0 in the match.

    The squad hit slightly better this time around at .350. They also forced 18 kills in set two. Hammons led the way with four, but Kramer, Thayer Hall, Kellum, and Carlton all contributed three.

    Set 3

    The Gators were down 5-4 early on, but a service run behind Paula Cerame and Allie Gregory made the score 12-5, Florida. All the momentum was behind the home team and the Gators closed out the set 25-16 and won the match on their Senior Night.

    The team hit .344 in the final set and Hammons dazzled with a stellar six kills.

    Gator Notables

    Paige Hammons, who has been one of the team’s strongest offensive presences as of late, registered 13 kills in the match.

    Rachael Kramer, Holly Carlton, and Taelor Kellum each contributed 8 kills on the night as well. All three players all hit over .400 against the Gamecocks.

    The Monserez sisters combined for 39 assists, with Allie making 26 sets and Marlie making 13.

    Once again, Allie Gregory led the squad in digs, this time with 17. This match was the 27th time Gregory topped that category this season.

    Up Next

    Now that the regular season is over, Florida is looking forward to the National Championship. Last season, the team placed second overall. This year, the Gators are waiting to find out their seed and whether or not they will get home-court advantage for the first two rounds. The NCAA Tournament selection show airs Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.