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  • Appleby named starter for Outback Bowl

    Luke Del Rio will serve as backup. 

    Jim McElwain told us that he would consider pulling the redshirt from a freshman quarterback for the Outback Bowl shortly after the SEC Championship Game. 

    That thinking didn’t last long as McElwain told press members in anticipation for the Outback Bowl that senior Austin Appleby would start and redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio would serve as his back up. 

    Appleby and Del Rio have  been wildly inconsistent as the starter this year, but four years of eligibility for both freshmen, Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask, proved to be too much for McElwain to burn a redshirt. 

    Florida has been in contact with former Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham as he nears a decision. Stidham transferred from Baylor in the wake of the scandal that saw head coach Art Briles fired. 

    It appears that Florida will head into next year with Del Rio, Franks, Trask, 2017 commit Jake Allen, and possibly Stidham (though Stidham appears to have Auburn as his leader).  

  • #5 Duke defeats #21 Florida in New York

    FINAL: DUKE 84, FLORIDA 74

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    #21FLORIDA 31 43 X 74
    #5 DUKE 41 43 X 84

     

    NEW YORK, NY-  The Florida Gators played against one of the top teams in the country on Tuesday night.  And for the most part, Florida went toe-to-toe with #5 Duke.  Florida allowed the Blue Devils to shoot at a 53% clip, and made several turnovers during the stretch run in the second half that ended any chance of a comeback.

    KeVaughn Allen led the Gators with 21 points on only thirteen shot attempts.  Kasey Hill added 13 points, and Devin Robinson chipped in with 11.  Florida C John Egbunu scored nine points and led Florida with 12 rebounds.  Although depth has been a key strength on this season, Florida’s bench only scored 13 points

    Duke was led by Luke Kennard, who scored 29 points, and Amile Jefferson who added 24 points.  The Blue Devils also got 22 points from Jayson Tatum off the bench.

    Florida will face Florida State on Sunday.  FSU is 8-1 so far this season , and are coming off a 98-49 thrashing of Southern Miss, which saw the Seminoles hit 14 three-pointers.

    ATTENDANCE: 15,294

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA:               7-2
    • DUKE:                      9-1

    Team Stats:

      FLORIDA DUKE
    FG % 43 53
    3-PT % 55 41
    FT % 70 93
    Offensive Rebounds 13 10
    Total Rebounds 32 35
    Assists 10 16
    Steals 6 8
    Blocks 8 6
    Turnovers 13 13

     

    What’s Next:

    #24 FLORIDA GATORS AT FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES

    DECEMBER 11, 2016 at 4:00 PM

    DONALD L. TUCKER CIVIC CENTER

  • Seminoles stun #11 Florida to end Gators’ season

    FINAL: FLORIDA STATE 3, FLORIDA 2

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th FINAL
    FSU 13 16 25 25 15 3
    FLORIDA 25 25 23 19 12 2

     

    GAINESVILLE, FL-  The Florida Gators women’s volleyball team went into intermission of their second round match against Florida State feeling really good.  Florida was dominating play and Florida State just didn’t have an answer.  Florida led 2-0 and looked well on their way to move on in the NCAA tournament. They even had a loud home crowd cheering them on, but then it all fell apart.

    Florida State, however, wasn’t going down without a fight.  The Seminoles took the final three sets to move on.

    Florida finished the season with a 27-4 record, but fell in the second round for the first time since 2013.

    Senior Alex Holston played her final match in a Florida uniform.

    Florida had more kills, aces, assists, and digs, but were unable to get the win.  Florida had 71 kills while the Seminoles had 56.

    Florida loses one player for next season, so expectations should be high as the Gators will play in the new O’Dome next year for the first time.

     

    KILLS LEADERS:

    FLORIDA STATE FLORIDA
    Horton                 18 Holston                  23
    Kubura                 14 Snyder                    18

     

    BLOCKS LEADERS:

    FLORIDA STATE FLORIDA
    Keil                       5 Kramer                 5
    Calkins                 5 Alhassan              3

     

    DIGS LEADERS:

    FLORIDA STATE FLORIDA
    Woie                   19 Knop                     23
    Luke                    14 Snyder                  17

     

    ASSISTS LEADERS:

    FLORIDA STATE FLORIDA
    Burkert               30 Monserez             66

     

    ACES LEADERS:

    FLORIDA STATE FLORIDA
    Burkert                1 Monserez              3

     

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    NO MORE GAMES SCHEDULED

     

  • Chiozza leads #24 Florida to win at North Florida

    FINAL: FLORIDA 91, NORTH FLORIDA 60

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 45 46 X 91
    N. FLORIDA 25 35 X 60

     

    JACKSONVILLE, FL-  The Florida Gators defeated the North Florida Ospreys in their first true away game of the 2016-17 season.  In a rematch of last season’s NIT opening round game, Florida dominated, shooting 59% from the field while limiting UNF to 38% shooting.  For the first time in more than two years Florida entered a game ranked in the Top 25.  Florida faces the #5 Duke Blue Devils in Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday.

    Chris Chiozza led the Gators with 16 points and 9 assists in only 26 minutes of play.  Chiozza also only turned the ball over one time while fellow point guard Kasey Hill scored five points on five shot attempts, assisted on five baskets, and turned the ball over four times.  Justin Leon added 13 points and Canyon Barry scored twelve more points off the bench.

    Dallas Moore led North Florida with 31 points.  North Florida cut the lead to 48-36 after Moore scored six straight points, but the Gators fought back and dominated the remainder of the second half using a 23-5 run to stretch the lead.

    Florida defeated North Florida in this same arena in the NIT last year 97-68

    Florida will face North Florida at UNF Arena in Jacksonville on Thursday night.

    ATTENDANCE: 4,113

    RECORDS:

    • FLORIDA:               7-1
    • NORTH FLORIDA: 3-6

    Team Stats:

      FLORIDA N. FLORIDA
    FG % 59 38
    3-PT % 47 27
    FT % 71 74
    Offensive Rebounds 7 10
    Total Rebounds 21 29
    Assists 17 2
    Steals 8 4
    Blocks 3 3
    Turnovers 12 20

     

    What’s Next:

    #24 FLORIDA GATORS VS #5 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

    DECEMBER 6, 2016 at 9:00 PM

    MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK CITY

    (Photo taken during Florida-Gonzaga game at HP Field house in Lake Buena Vista, FL)

  • Williams’ career night propels #19 Florida to victory

    FINAL: FLORIDA 74, WOFFORD 51

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    WOFFORD 10 10 19 12 X 51
    FLORIDA 21 21 13 19 X 74

     

    EVANSTON, IL-  Florida Gators defeated the Wofford Terriers 74-51 in Ocala on Wednesday night.  Florida was playing in the home gym of the College of Central Florida for the second of two games while the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is under renovation.  The Gators shot the ball at a 53% clip while holding Wofford to 32 percent.

    The Gators were led by Ronni Williams who scored a career-high 26 points, including 12 in the first quarter.  Williams also had 11 rebounds.  Sophomore Eleanna Christinaki scored 20 points, and scored twelve straight at one point in the second quarter.  Haley Lorenzen added 10 points for Florida.

    Wofford was led by Chloe Wanink with ten points while freshman guard Cairo Booker contributed 9 points off the bench.

    Florida will face Long Beach State in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday as part of the Arizona State Classic.

    TEAM STATS:

      WOFFORD FLORIDA
    FG % 32 53
    3-PT % 20 31
    FT % 80 75
    Offensive Rebounds 14 10
    Total Rebounds 34 43
    Assists 11 23
    Steals 11 8
    Blocks 2 8
    Turnovers 19 23

     

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    #16 FLORIDA vs LONG BEACH STATE

    DECEMBER 3, 2016 at 4:30 PM

    WELLS FARGO ARENA

  • C Isaiah Stokes signs NLI with Florida

    Isaiah Stokes has signed his National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the University of Florida. 

    Stokes is a 6’8 250 LB center who will bring added depth to the Gators front court. 

    Stokes has lost more than fifty pounds in an attempt to become quicker on the court. Stokes played offensive line on his high school football team, and held scholarship offers from Auburn and Notre Dame for football. 

    Stokes transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton from Memphis, TN and focused on basketball. Florida beat out Memphis, Iowa State, Tennessee, and TCU for Stokes commitment. 

    Stokes is the younger brother of Jarnell Stokes, the former Tennessee standout. 

  • USA Today reports Jim McElwain “could be intrigued” with Oregon opening

    Florida fans have been upset and disappointed by the lack of offense the team has played with. Social media shows many Gators fans questioning head coach Jim McElwain, and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.  Many fans have even called for one, or both to be fired. 

    The coaching carousel hasn’t really gotten going, as only a few Power 5 openings have come available, and several of those spots have already been filled. USA Today reports that Oregon is leaning towards firing head coach Mark Helfrich after “laying the groundwork” for a coaching search. 

    In the same USA Today report, Dan Wolken weighs the potential candidates for Oregon. Surprisingly, Wolken included McElwain stating, 

    “There also are whispers that Florida’s Jim McElwain could be intrigued by the opportunity to return to the Pacific Northwest, close to where he went to college and started his coaching career at Eastern Washington. Despite winning SEC East titles in his first two years, McElwain has been a bit under-appreciated by the Florida fan base and just got a new athletics director in Gainesville.”

    Well, Florida fans, if Wolken knows what he’s talking about, you may end up with a new coach like you hope. 

    McElwain is 18-7 in his two seasons as Florida’s head coach. McElwain is also the first SEC coach to earn back-to-back trips to the SEC Championship Game in his first two years. Florida faces Alabama in Atlanta on Saturday. 

    Stay posted with The Gator Chomp Blog for more updates as this story develops. 

    Original USA Today Article From USA Today: Where we stand on college football coaching hires and firings

  • Florida defeats Miami for third place finish at Advocare Invitational

    FINAL: FLORIDA 65, MIAMI 56

      1st 2nd OT FINAL
    MIAMI 30 26 X 56
    FLORIDA 34 31 X 65

     

    LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL-  The Florida Gators defeated the Miami Hurricanes in the third place game of the Advocare Invitational.  The Gators finished the four day tournament 2-1 facing competition that will likely make it to the NCAA tournament.  Miami and Gonzaga also made the Sweet 16 last season.

    Florida was led by Kasey Hill with 16 points and only one turnover.  Keith Stone was the surprise contributor as he added 15 points in 25 minutes of play.  Stone finished two rebounds short of his first career double-double.  Devin Robinson was the only other Gator to reach double digit points with 10.

    Miami got 15 points from Ja’Quan Newton and Bruce Brown and twelve from Dewan Huell.

    Florida held Miami to less than thirty eight percent from the field.

    Florida will face North Florida at UNF Arena in Jacksonville on Thursday night.

    ATTENDANCE: 2,941

    RECORDS:

    • Miami:                 4-2
    • Florida: 6-1

    Team Stats:

      MIAMI FLORIDA
    FG % 38 46
    3-PT % 29 33
    FT % 67 70
    Offensive Rebounds 16 9
    Total Rebounds 37 33
    Assists 8 11
    Steals 4 9
    Blocks 2 11
    Turnovers 13 9

     

    What’s Next:

    FLORIDA GATORS AT NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS

    DECEMBER 1, 2016 at 7:00 PM

    UNF ARENA

  • Florida DT commit Fred Hansard flips to Penn State

    Defensive tackle Fred Hansard announced Sunday of his commitment to Penn State. Hansard had been a Florida commit since August. 

    Hansard took an official visit to Penn State this weekend, a game which Penn State beat Michigan State and earned the Big Ten East Division Championship. 

    Hansard had been highly sought after and was the top DT in New Jersey. He was considering Florida, Michigan, and Rutgers in addition to Penn State. 

  • Same ole story: FSU dominates Florida, Florida offense struggles

    FINAL: FLORIDA STATE 31, FLORIDA 13

    1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT FINAL
    FLORIDA 0 3 3 7 X 13
    FSU 7 3 7 14 X 31

     

    TALLAHASSEE, FL-  The Florida Gators entered Saturday’s game against Florida with playoff prayers.  A win over Florida State and an SEC Championship game victory against Alabama may have been enough to put Florida in the playoff conversation.

    Those dreams ended Saturday.  Florida once again managed no offense.  Florida’s defense did enough to win the game until becoming gassed in the fourth quarter.

    Florida QB Austin Appleby was under duress all game as the Seminoles constantly had defenders in the back field.  Appleby finished the day 19-35 for 149 yards.  Despite the pressure Appleby held on to the ball too long.  Two plays in particular, Appleby held the ball for eight seconds, and ten seconds before taking a sack rather than throwing the ball away.

    The Gators ground game never got going either.  Florida State played with eight in the box the entire game, daring Florida to run it since they were unable to throw the ball.  Jordan Scarlett finished with 53 yards on 14 carries.

    Marcell Harris led Florida on defense with eleven tackles.  Florida very rarely put pressure on FSU QB Deondre Francois, resulting in zero sacks on 26 drop backs. Harris recovered a fumble and returned it twelve yards for Florida’s only touchdown.

    Florida State pounded the football, Heisman candidate Dalvin Cook rushed for 153 yards on 26 carries.

    SCORING RECAP:

    • 1st Quarter: D. Cook 28 yard run (Aguayo kick)
    • 2nd Quarter: R. Aguayo 22 yard FG
    • 2nd Quarter: E. Pineiro 38 yard FG
    • 3rd Quarter: E. Pineiro 41 yard FG
    • 3rd Quarter: D. Francois pass to T. Rudolph 46 yards (Tyler kick)
    • 4th Quarter: F. Stevenson 27 yard run (Tyler kick)
    • 4th Quarter: M. Harris 12 yard fumble return (Pineiro kick)
    • 4th Quarter: D. Francois 8 yard run (Tyler kick)

    PASSING LEADERS:

    FLORIDA FSU
    Appleby:  19/35 149 yards Francois: 15/26, 138 yards, TD, INT

     

    RUSHING LEADERS:

    FLORIDA FSU
    Scarlett:  14 carries, 53 yards Cook:   26 carries, 153 yards, TD
    Callaway:   1 carry, 24 yards Francois: 9  carries, 63 yards, TD

     

    RECEIVING LEADERS:

    FLORIDA FSU
    Callaway:   6 receptions, 58 yards Rudolph:  4 receptions, 63 yards, TD
    Perine:  2 receptions, 26 yards Cook:  3 receptions, 26 yards
    Cleveland:  2 receptions, 19 yards Tate: 2 receptions, 22 yards

     

    TEAM STATS:

      FLORIDA FSU
    FIRST DOWNS 14 18
    TOTAL PLAYS 64 66
    TOTAL YARDS 205 387
    PASS YARDS 149 138
    RUSHING YARDS 56 249
    TURNOVERS 2 3
    PENALTIES 4-44 3-35
    TIME OF POSSESSION 27:59 32:01

     

    WHAT’S NEXT:

    FLORIDA GATORS VS ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

    DECEMBER 3, 2016 at 3:30 PM

    GEORGIA DOME

    COMING THIS WEEK ON THE GATOR CHOMP BLOG:

    – An opinion piece about the state of Florida’s coaching staff, and changes that are necessary.

    -Sights and sounds from Atlanta as THE GATOR CHOMP BLOG will be on site for the SEC Championship Game.

    -We will continue to keep you updated on key injuries.