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  • WBB: Gators fall flat in the fourth quarter, winning streak comes to a close

    WBB: Gators fall flat in the fourth quarter, winning streak comes to a close

    Florida can’t overcome woes in the third quarter and lose to George Mason, 75-71

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    The Florida Gators laid everything on the line to force a comeback on Wednesday night. But team tripped up in the end with costly turnovers and Florida’s five-game winning streak has come to a close after a 75-71 loss to the George Mason Patriots.

    The four-game road trip is almost over and the Gators looked up to shape until the third quarter of Wednesday’s matchup.

    Florida shot well from the field but four ill-advised looks from beyond the arc proved costly as the Patriots rallied a comeback and ran away with a 51-48 lead at the end of the frame.

    UF brought it back to a one possession game thanks to a clutch jump shot by guard Lavender Briggs. The score rested with the Patriots on top, 51-48, but Florida gathered in a huddle led by head coach Kelly Rae Finley to draw up the perfect comeback.

    The drawing board may have looked attractive, but George Mason became a juggernaut and fended off any blow Florida tried to deliver. That is, until the one minute mark when Briggs delivered a swish from downtown to bring the score within one point. The final George Mason possession was the end of Florida’s efforts after an easy basket from inside the paint.

    Briggs finished the night in Fairfax, Virginia with a double-double including 15 points and 12 rebounds. The junior is 102 points away from recording 1,000 total career points. Meanwhile, UF guard Kiki Smith tallied 19 points and six assists to push the near-comeback.

    Florida’s next test is another road trip to take on the Texas Christian Hornfrogs (3-3) on Sunday. The meeting is set for a 2 p.m. from Fort Worth, Texas and you can catch the action on ESPN+.

  • Grading the Gators: Florida State

    Grading the Gators: Florida State

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    Florida took down rival Florida State for the third straight time Saturday. It capped off a regular season full of craziness, coach firings, uneven play and a deafening amount of noise in the system. But, a win over a rival will always be celebrated by a team’s fans now matter how bad the game was. Let’s look at how the Gators performed.

    Offense: C

    Another subpar showing for the Gator offense in these last few games. It managed 24 points with over 350 yards of offense but 17 of those came in the second half after a quarterback change. In the first half, bad interceptions by Emory Jones debilitated the Florida offense while they simultaneously kept the game close at a 7-7 tie. In fact, Florida failed to score on five straight drives after opening the game with a 75-yard touchdown finished off by a connection of Jones to Kemore Gamble. The last three drives were the picks by Jones. Interim Head Coach Greg Knox made the change to Anthony Richardson midway through Florida’s opening drive of the second half. After a field goal on that drive, Malik Davis got the Gators down into the redzone on the next one where Richardson threw a dime to Justin Shorter for a TD. Dameon Pierce stole the show to close out the game. He totaled 10 carries for 61 yards and a TD in the second half alone. He plowed into the endzone to make it a 24-7 game. More than enough for the Gators to hold on to for a win.

    Defense: B-

    And that’s because the Florida defense played quite a solid game. Brenton Cox Jr. led a pass rush that provided constant pressure to Jordan Travis. Cox finished with four Florida sacks plus a fumble recovery. The Florida defense allowed just 191 yards and seven points through three quarters. What really hurt this unit’s grade was a below average fourth quarter where the Seminoles seemingly doubled their yardage totals and tripled their points. They put up 157 yards and 14 points in the final 15 minutes. Thankfully for Florida, the Noles took forever to score their second touchdown and completely whiffed on an onside kick that sealed FSU’s fate. The Gators also forced two fumbles, recovered one and picked off Florida State quarterbacks on two occasions. One of them being an impressive first career interception for Jason Marshall Jr.

    Special Teams: B

    This grade is primarily as a result of Jeremy Crawshaw’s great day punting the football. He kicked five times for a 48.6-yard average with three of them downed inside the 20 and a behemoth 61-yard punt. He’s had a pretty solid year in his first season as the Gators’ starting punter. Chris Howard made the lone field goal of the afternoon between both teams as he made one from 36 yards out on Florida’s first drive of the second half. Punt return still remains to lack excitement and kick return is a non-factor.

    Conclusion:

    The Gators wrapped up their regular season and earned bowl eligibility by winning one of the worst games of rivalry week in 2021. This team easily could’ve quit once Dan Mullen was fired but it came out, sent the seniors off into the sunset with a win over a rival and now have one more opportunity to play and get a win this season.

  • MBB: Gators Rise in Polls Following 3-0 Week

    MBB: Gators Rise in Polls Following 3-0 Week

    Photo by Mark Brown | Getty Images

    The Florida Gators continued their early rise in the polls on Monday. The Gators place No. 14 in the latest AP Poll and No. 12 in the Coaches Poll. Both positions represent significant leaps.

    The Gators completed the week with a 3-0 record and a title at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, where they defeated a really solid Ohio State team for the championship.

    Florida wrapped up the week with a 84-45 rout of Troy at the O’Dome to improve to 6-0 overall. Defensively, the Gators have yet to yield 70 points, though they do have a long way to go in the 2021-22 campaign.

    This week, Florida travels to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. OU is 6-1 on the season and defeated UCF in Orlando on Sunday.

    Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 PM (EST) on Wednesday, Bally Sports Florida is the broadcast partner for the game.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Gators Hire Billy Napier as HC

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Gators Hire Billy Napier as HC

    Check out the latest episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast as one of the worst kept secrets in college football has been made official as Billy Napier takes the reigns on the Gators football program. He still has some work to do at UL, but he is already putting together a staff. Who? Mark McLeod and Jake Hitt discuss some names.

    And despite losing their head coach, two assistants, and suffering through a difficult stretch of the disappointing 2021 season- the Gators beat arch-rival Florida State to rule supreme over the Big 3 in the Sunshine State.

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on the following platforms:

  • WBB: Gators Win Fifth Straight, Sweeping San Juan Shootout Competition

    WBB: Gators Win Fifth Straight, Sweeping San Juan Shootout Competition

    Florida slays the opposition on Caribbean vacation

    Photo by Brian Fox | ChompTalk

    Following a trip to the Caribbean, the Florida Gators return to Gainesville riding a five-game win streak after overcoming Saint Louis and George Washington. 

    The team faced little adversity in San Juan, Puerto Rico to win both matchups by double-digit scores. Guard Lavender Briggs held the spotlight for the Orange and Blue after putting up a combined 23 points and seven assists. Although sophomore forward Jordyn Merritt shined brightest versus the Billikens on Saturday to put up 13 points of her own.

    Florida def. Saint Louis, 69-54

    The first frame of action started with a bang from both teams. The Gators started to sneak away on the scoreboard after consecutive shots from beyond the arc found nothing but net. 

    The Gators claimed their territory within the paint to outshoot and outrebound the Billikens in the  Friday afternoon battle. Florida recorded 34 boards and 15 offensive rebounds, compared to Saint Louis’ total rebounds.

    Without a doubt, the Gator defense stole the show in the second quarter to hold Saint Louis to 14.3% shooting. The Billikens finished with 34% shooting but couldn’t muster a comeback in the second half. The performance was Florida’s best defensive effort of the season as the team managed to force 18 sloppy Saint Louis turnovers.

    Junior guard Nina Rickards and Merritt were the offensive tag team calling the shots to combine their efforts for 24 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Meanwhile, junior guard Kiki Smith returned from an injury, which occurred against USC Upstate, to tally up 11 points of her own, as well as five boards and three assists.

    Florida def. George Washington, 61-50

    The Gators earned their fifth-straight win in San Juan after an 11-point victory against the Colonials. 

    The decibel rate soared in Clemente Coliseum on Saturday night when Florida found more success on the hardwood. Briggs turned in her best game of the year after struggling to score against Saint Louis. The junior finished the night with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. 

    Senior forward Emanuely de Oliveria added a cherry on top of the offensive charge to go a perfect 3-3 from downtown and place 11 points on the scoreboard.

    Florida’s defense matched its performance from Friday to force 22 GWU turnovers, including 15 steals. Smith returned to the starting lineup again to nab eight steals of her own and nine additional points to the Gator lead. 

    Florida returns home to train for another road trip when the team travels to Fairfax, Virginia. George Mason University will host the Gators on Wednesday and the game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

  • Report: Gators Set to Hire Billy Napier as Head Coach

    Report: Gators Set to Hire Billy Napier as Head Coach

    Photo by Lee Coleman | Getty Images

    It appears the Florida Gators have their guy. According to multiple reports, Billy Napier will be the next head coach of the Florida football program. An announcement could come as early as Sunday or Monday.

    Napier has been the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette for the last four years and accumulated a 39-12 record over that span.

    This year, the Ragin’ Cajuns have compiled 11 straight wins after dropping their season opener to Texas. ULL is slated to face Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Championship Game on Saturday. It is unknown if Napier will coach that game.

    Napier, 42, spent several years as an assistant for Dabo Swinney at Clemson and more recently spent four years at Alabama learning under Nick Saban.

    The Gators’ coaching vacancy came last week as AD Scott Stricklin made the more to fire Dan Mullen after an underwhelming season on and off the field.

    UPDATE (2:12 PM):

    The Gainesville Sun’s Zach Abolverdi is reporting that Stricklin has a meeting with the team scheduled for 8:00 AM.

  • Gators Hold Off Seminoles to Reach Bowl Eligibility

    Gators Hold Off Seminoles to Reach Bowl Eligibility

    Final: Florida 24, Florida State 21

    Photo by David Rosenblum | Getty Images

    With :49 remaining in regulation, the Florida State Seminoles had just scored a touchdown to close within three points of rival Florida. Then, hilarity ensued.

    Needing to convert an onside kick attempt, FSU K Parker Grothaus stepped towards the ball then swung his foot to meet the top of the football and continued running towards waiting defenders. One problem. Grothaus either completely whiffed on the attempt or hit it so lightly the ball barely got off the tee. Ballgame. Florida took over from there and was able to sit on the clock and defeat their rivals from Tallahassee, 24-21.

    In a game defined by mistakes, Florida State made the most costly ones.

    With 5:42 remaining in the third quarter, FSU WR Ontaria Wilson muffed a 61-yard punt from Jeremy Crawshaw. Florida capitalized with an eight play touchdown drive that was complete with a 5 yard touchdown pass from Anthony Richardson to Justin Shorter.

    Florida made a number of errors, as well. In the first half alone, Florida QB Emory Jones threw three interceptions, almost singlehandedly keeping the Seminoles in the game.

    Florida took an early lead after scoring a touchdown on their opening drive. The Seminoles would even things up with a 68-yard drive following an interception in the second quarter.

    Florida RB Dameon Pierce made a monster run early in the fourth, continuing even after having his helmet ripped off, eventually ending up in the end zone, despite it not counting. Two plays later, Pierce found the end zone, with it counting on the scoreboard.

    The Gators outgained FSU 357-348 and converted 11-17 third down attempts. The Gators earned their sixth win of the year to become bowl eligible, despite losing their head coach and playing for interim head coach Greg Knox. Furthermore, the Gators made sure that their biggest rival would be ineligible for postseason with the win.

  • MBB: Appleby’s Heroics Lead Gators to Fort Myers Tip-Off Title

    MBB: Appleby’s Heroics Lead Gators to Fort Myers Tip-Off Title

    Photo by Mark Brown | Getty Images

    Ohio State forward EJ Liddell’s six foot leaner rattled off the rim with eight seconds remaining in a tie game. What happened next was really fun for Florida fans.

    Colin Castleton knocked the ball towards the perimeter where Myreon Jones picked it up and passed it off to Tyree Appleby at midcourt with just over three seconds left.

    Despite having the timeouts available, Florida head coach Mike White opted to see what his veteran team would do in such a situation.

    Instead, Appleby took a dribble and calmly sank a deep trey as time expired to give Florida the 71-68 victory to claim the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship.

    The Gators moved to 5-0 on the season and continue to play a brand of basketball that is bringing a lot of excitement to the hardwood.

    The Buckeyes led for more than 33 minutes including an 8-2 open to the game before the Gators managed to find any rhythm offensively.

    Phlandrous Fleming scored a team high 19 points and hit 9-10 from the charity stripe, including four straight with 9:03 remaining to get Florida to within two just minutes after the OSU lead swelled to ten.

    Prior to the game winning sequence, Appleby tossed it high and deep, but uber athletic Anthony Duruji rose up and slammed it home to tie the game at 68 and set up the grand finale.

    Castleton added 11 points and 13 rebounds while CJ Felder was also in double digits with 10 points on 3-4 from the field. The Gators knocked down 37% of their attempts while allowing the Buckeyes to make 53%.

    The Gators will return to the O’Dome with a matchup against Troy on Sunday before traveling to Oklahoma for a date with the Sooners next week.

    The game against the Trojans will tip at 12:00 PM and air live on SEC Network.

  • The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Dan Mullen Fired

    The Gridiron Growl Podcast: Dan Mullen Fired

    The Dan Mullen era at the University of Florida is over. Mullen did his best impression of Gainesville’s own Tom Petty over the last few weeks to seal his fate (Free Fallin’) and we are here to talk about it.

    Mark McLeod and Jake Hitt discuss the fallout of Scott Stricklin’s decision and many of the hottest names available (and maybe unavailable) to Florida.

    See Also: Twenty Possible HC candidates from Mark McLeod

    Click play on the following audio player to listen to this week’s episode of The Gridiron Growl Podcast:

    You can also follow The Gridiron Growl Podcast on the following platforms

  • MBB: Florida Cruises Past California; Move to 4-0 on Season

    MBB: Florida Cruises Past California; Move to 4-0 on Season

    Photo by Mark Brown | Getty Images

    The Florida Gators are proving to be one of the most exciting teams to come through Gainesville in quite a while. On Monday, the team pulled off an 80-60 rout of the California Golden Bears to open the Fort Myers TipOff.

    Florida was led by big man Colin Castelton who finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds while Tyree Appleby (15), Myreon Jones (13), and Phlandrous Fleming (11) each reached double figures in the points column as well.

    Much of the first half was back and forth between the two squads as it was knotted up at 17 with 8:36 remaining. But the Gators got hot before the intermission. Florida made five three pointers (including three from Jones) down the stretch to extend their lead to 46-27 by the break.

    Castleton and Appleby took over in the second half, combining for 18 of the Gators’ points in the period. Every time it looked like the Bears were going to make a run, Florida hit a dagger, like Elijah Kennedy’s three with 15:06 to go. The Gators controlled momentum thoughout the game and never let the lead drop below 19 over the final few minutes, despite rotating in the guys on the bench.

    Florida shot 52% from the field and made 8-19 from three-point range. They also turned the ball over just twelve times while forcing Cal into 18 turnovers.

    Florida will face Ohio State on Wednesday to complete the tournament in Fort Myers. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 and will be broadcast live on FS1.