ChompTalk.com

Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics

recent posts

about

Thanks for all the support. I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Anyone with comments/questions/suggestions please email me at: bdfoxjr@chomptalk.com
  • Antonio Callaway cited for marijuana possession

    Antonio Callaway cited for marijuana possession


    Florida star wide receiver Antonio Callaway has gained a lot of hype regarding the 2018 NFL Draft recently.  ESPN NFL guru Mel Kiper released a mock draft that had Callaway going number 21 overall to Baltimore.  Callaway has earned they hype, as he had 89 catches for 1,399 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also made big plays when it’s mattered most.  Surely, no Gators fan will soon forget 4th and 14 against Tennessee. 

    Just one problem, trouble seems to follow the 5’11 junior.  On Thursday the Tampa Bay Times reported that Callaway was cited for marijuana possession as a result of a traffic stop early Saturday morning. Callaway was found with seven grams of marijuana in the front pocket of his pants. Callaway was a passenger in the SUV. Both the driver of the vehicle and Callaway admitted to ownership. Callaway has a court date set for June 6.  

    Callaway was suspended last spring for violating the UF Code of Conduct in the midst of a sexual assault allegation.  Eventually Callaway was cleared of the charge during a Title IX trial as he said he was so stoned that he didn’t want to have sex. 

    Callaway is an elite receiver and those draft projections are a testament to that, however like numerous prospects before him, you can expect a drop in his draft stock. 

  • State Attorney drops battery charge against Caleb Brantley

    State Attorney drops battery charge against Caleb Brantley

    The Cleveland Browns may have landed the steal of the 2017 NFL Draft. The Browns selected Florida DT Caleb Brantley despite a pending charge of battery that was filed just days before the draft. Brantley was believed to be a second or third round talent, but saw his draft stock fall all the way to the sixth round due to the ongoing investigation. 

    On Wednesday, State Attorney Bill Cervone announced in a release that the charge had been dropped citing lack of evidence and conflicting accounts by the other party involved. 

    Brantley was charged by Gainesville Police on April 21 for the incident that happened eight days earlier. 

    Information in this article obtained via the Orlando Sentinel.

  • Gators season comes to end after loss to USC

    Gators season comes to end after loss to USC

    FINAL: SOUTHERN CAL 15, FLORIDA 12

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    USC 7 8 X 15
    FLORIDA 6 6 X 12

     

    Gainesville, FL –  The Florida Gators lacrosse season is over after a 15-12 loss to Southern California.  USC went on a 4-0 run over the final six minutes of regulation to end the Gators season.  Florida finished the season with a 17-3 record and Big East regular season and tournament titles.

    The Gators trailed for most of the first half and were down by as many as three goals before making a charge just before intermission.  The Gators then tied the game at 7 less than four minutes into the second half when Allie Pavinelli scored her second goal of the game.  Florida took the lead two minutes later when Mollie Stevens scored to put Florida up 8-7 with 24:05 to play.  The second half saw three ties and two lead changes.  The final lead change happened with 4:22 left.  USC forward Drew Jackson scored an unassisted goal to put USC up 13-12.  On the ensuing draw, Stevens started early, giving the ball to USC.  The Women of Troy would score on the possession, thus ending Florida’s chances at advancing.

    Florida had three players score two goals; Carli Marsh, Mollie Stevens, and Allie Pavinelli.  Caroline Benitez, Brianna Harris, Shayna and Sydney Pirreca, and Lindsey Ronbeck all added one goal for the Gators.

    Cynthia Del Core scored four goals for the Women of Troy, while All-American Michaela Michael added two more.

    Florida is eliminated in the NCAA tournament second round for the second consecutive year.  In 2016 the Gators lost to Penn State in Gainesville.

    Team Stats:

      USC FLORIDA
    SHOTS 24 34
    SOG 20 26
    SAVES 14 5
    DRAW CONTROLS 14 15
    TURNOVERS 19 14

     

    What’s Next:

    Florida’s season is now complete

  • Florida earns #1 overall seed for NCAA Tournament

    Florida earns #1 overall seed for NCAA Tournament

    The Florida Gators softball team was named the number one overall seed for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. 

    Florida finished the season 50-6 and won the SEC regular season title. Florida lost their first game in the SEC tournament to eventual champion Mississippi last Thursday. 

    Florida will host Florida A&M, Florida International, and Oklahoma State in regional play beginning Friday May 19.  FIU (45-13) and Oklahoma State (35-23) will play the first game Friday at 12:00 PM.  The Gators will take on FAMU (23-30) thirty minutes after game one concludes.  The winner of the double elimination regional will advance to Super Regionals the following weekend.  

  • Jarrad Davis signs rookie contract with Detroit Lions

    Jarrad Davis signs rookie contract with Detroit Lions

    Former Florida Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis signed his first NFL contract on Friday. Davis was the first pick for the Detroit Lions and the 21st overall pick in last month’s draft. 

    Davis’ contract is for four years and valued at $10.5 million. The Lions will have a team option for a fifth year. 

    The Detroit Free Press was the first to report the signing.  Friday was also the start of Detroit’s rookie minicamp. Davis will wear the familiar #40 in Detroit and is expected to start at middle linebacker for the Lions this season. 

  • Tim Walton and Kelly Barnhill earn SEC honors

    Tim Walton and Kelly Barnhill earn SEC honors

    The Southeastern Conference announced the yearly softball awards and All-SEC teams on Tuesday.  Not surprisingly, Florida is well represented in both categories.  

    Florida head coach Tim Walton was named the SEC Coach of the Year after guiding the Gators to a 50-5 overall record and a 20-3 SEC record.  Florida finished 3.5 games ahead of Auburn and Tennessee in the final standings.  Walton now has a record of 658-132 at the school. 

    Florida right-handed pitcher Kelly Barnhill was the obvious choice for SEC Pitcher of the Year. Barnhill had a nation leading ERA of 0.33 while accumulating a 22-1 record in the circle.  Barnhill was SEC Pitcher of the Week five times and is a finalist for National Player of the Year.  

    Six Gators players were named to the All-SEC First Team:

    • Barnhill (22-1, 0.33 ERA, 278 K)
    • Nicole Dewitt (.340 BA, 5 HR, 35 RBI)
    • Delanie Gourley (18-3, 0.80 ERA, 191 K)
    • Kayli Kvistad (.390 BA, 7 HR, 47 RBI)
    • Amanda Lorenz (.381 BA, 9 HR, 36 RBI)
    • Aleshia Ocasio (.315 BA, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 11 SB, 8-1 record 1.17 ERA)

    Justine McLean was named to the All-SEC second team after hitting .302 with 14 RBIs.  McLean led the Gators with 15 stolen bases.  

    Sophia Reynoso was included on the SEC All-Freshmen roster.  Reynoso hit .310 for the Gators while hitting two home runs and driving in 23 rbi.  

    In addition to being named to the first team, Dewitt was also named to the SEC All-Defensive team. Dewitt had a .984 fielding percentage and only made two errors all season. 

    The SEC Tournament begins Wednesday.  Florida received a first round bye as the #1 seed. The Gators will face the winner of Mississippi and Mississippi State Thursday afternoon. 

  • Florida lacrosse wins Big East Tournament

    Florida lacrosse wins Big East Tournament

    FINAL: FLORIDA 18, DENVER 12

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    DENVER 4 8 X 12
    FLORIDA 11 7 X 18

     

    Villanova, PA –  The #2 ranked Florida Gators lacrosse team has been a force in the Big East for the three seasons they’ve been a member.  Not only has Florida earned each regular season championship, the Gators have also gone three-for-three in the Big East Tournament.  Florida earned their third conference tournament title with an 18-12 victory over conference newcomer Denver.  The Gators will now prepare for the NCAA tournament, which starts next weekend.

    Mollie Stevens set the tone from the beginning for Florida.  Stevens won the first two draw controls, and would score on both possessions.  Stevens finished with five goals en route to being named Most Outstanding Player in the tournament.

    Florida had a 4-0 lead before Denver finally got on the board with 21 minutes to go in the first half.  The Gators led the Pioneers 11-4 at halftime.  The second half saw a much more balanced game as Denver had much more momentum than they did in the first.  Denver, however, was never able to get within five goals of Florida.

    Sammi Burgess, Lindsey Ronbeck, and Sydney Pirreca each added three goals to the Gators scoresheet.  Shayna Pirreca and Carli Marsh both scored twice for Florida’s cause.

    Denver was led by Julia Feiss with five goals and Emily Conway with four goals.

    Florida is ranked #2 in the country and is an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.  The lacrosse selection show is Sunday night at 9:00 PM on NCAA.com.

    RECORDS:

    • DENVER:              14-4
    • FLORIDA:             17-2

    Team Stats:

      DENVER FLORIDA
    SHOTS 31 49
    SOG 24 30
    SAVES 12 12
    DRAW CONTROLS 12 20
    TURNOVERS 17 15

     

    What’s Next:

    SELECTION SUNDAY

    May 7 at 9:00 PM

    NCAA.com

  • Oops she did it again: Barnhill again SEC Pitcher of the Week

    Oops she did it again: Barnhill again SEC Pitcher of the Week

    Florida sophomore pitcher Kelly Barnhill is in the midst of a historic season in the circle. Barnhill lowered her nation leading ERA to 0.16 after shutting out #8 Tennessee 5-0 on Friday in Knoxville.  

    On Tuesday, the SEC announced Barnhill as the SEC Pitcher of the Week. Barnhill held the Volunteers to two hits while striking out 12 hitters. Barnhill has earned the weekly honors four weeks in a row and five times total this year. 

    Friday’s win was the eleventh shutout by Barnhill and her twelfth complete game of the season. Barnhill has gone an impressive 50.1 innings without surrendering a run.  

    The #1 Florida Gators will face #2 Florida State in Tallahassee on Wednesday. 

  • Big East Champions: Florida defeats Georgetown for title

    Big East Champions: Florida defeats Georgetown for title

    FINAL: FLORIDA 15, GEORGETOWN 3

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    GEORGETOWN 2 1 X 3
    FLORIDA 8 7 X 15

     

    Gainesville, FL-  The #2 Florida Gators women’s lacrosse team has won the Big East Championship for the third time in a row after defeating Georgetown 15-3 on Saturday.  The Gators improved to 15-2 on the season and 9-0 in Big East play while the Hoyas fell to 9-8 and 7-2.

    The first ten minutes of play was fairly even as Florida and Georgetown took turns scoring.  Florida’s Sydney Pirreca started the scoring just twenty-three seconds into the game.  Georgetown’s Taylor Gebhardt scored just more than three minutes later to even the score at one.  Allie Pavinelli added a goal for Florida with 25:15 to go before GU’s Morgan Ryan tied it up.

    After the 2-2 tie, Florida went on an 11-0 run to break the game wide open.

    Florida led 8-2 after the first thirty minutes, but stretched the lead even further after the intermission.

    The Gators were led by Madisyn Kittell, Sydney Pirreca, and Pavinelli with three goals each.  Shayna Pirreca scored two more goals while Sammi Burgess, Caroline Benitez, Madi Hall, and Lindsey Ronbeck each added one goal.

    Florida outshot the Hoyas by a 36-17 total.  Florida GK Haley Hicklen made nine saves in earning the victory.

    With the win, Florida has earned the #1 seed in next week’s Big East Tournament.  Florida will face Temple on May 4th.

    RECORDS:

    • GEORGETOWN:              9-8  (7-2 BIG EAST)
    • FLORIDA:                       15-2  (9-0 BIG EAST)

    Team Stats:

      GEORGETOWN FLORIDA
    SHOTS 17 36
    SOG 12 24
    SAVES 9 9
    DRAW CONTROLS 9 11
    TURNOVERS 17 15

     

    What’s Next:

    FLORIDA GATORS vs TEMPLE OWLS

    May 4, 2017 / 4:30 PM

    BIG EAST TOURNAMENT in PHILADELPHIA, PA

  • Jarrad Davis drafted by Lions in First Round

    Jarrad Davis drafted by Lions in First Round

    Florida Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis was the only former Gator to be selected on the first day of the 2017 NFL Draft.  Davis was selected with the 21st pick by the Detroit Lions.  Davis was the second linebacker taken in the Draft after Temple’s Hasson Reddick.

    Davis’ excellent showing at Florida’s pro day coupled with his impressive interviews made him a guaranteed first round pick according to ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper.  Davis had an ankle injury that kept him out of the combine in Indianapolis.

    Davis spent most of his first two seasons at Florida serving primarily as a back-up linebacker and special teams contributor.  Davis recorded 94 tackles and 3.5 sacks and intercepted one pass as a junior.  Though he spent much of 2016 injured, Davis was credited with 60 tackles and 2 sacks.

    The NFL Draft continues from Philadelphia on Friday at 7:00 PM with rounds two and three.  Several former Gators are expected to be taken including Quincy Wilson, Marcus Maye, Jalen ‘Teez’ Tabor, Caleb Brantley, and Alex Anzalone.