The O-Dome was rocking as the undefeated #7 Missouri Tigers came to Gainesville to take on the #5 Florida Gators. Unfortunately the Gators fell to the Tigers in three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-23, and 25-23. As a die hard fan of the team, this was a hard loss to swallow. To see the Gators lose a game at home was really hard to cope with. Then I put things into perspective. This was a great game for the Gators to have with the National Tournament just weeks away. I believe this loss will light a fire underneath the girls and they will come out ready to play in the postseason. I give a ton of credit to Mizzou. With a team consisting of nine six footers, they came out and showed that the SEC will need to make room for another elite team besides the Gators. Mizzou capitalized on the Gators' mistakes. Blowing a 5-0 lead in the third set after a timeout and a plethora of service errors in the first set are just a few of the many mental mistakes the team made that Friday night against Mizzou. Despite this heartbreaking loss, which eliminates Florida's chances of winning an SEC regular season title, the Gators are still on pace to get another 25 win season.
My notables for this game are Ziva Recek, Chloe Mann, Alex Holston, and Gabby Mallette. Recek has been playing great this season, and she continued her stellar play with 12 kills and one ace. She accounted for 13 of the 56 Gator points. Mann led the team in kills with 16 and assisted with three blocks. She had most of the Gator points with 17.5. Both Holston (9) and Mallette (8) combined for 17 kills and Mallette had two solo blocks. Like Mann, Holston assisted on three blocks as well.
The Gators have nothing to be ashamed of. They fought valiantly in every set and barely lost. Missouri is undefeated for a reason. This was the Gator's first home loss this year but they look to restart the winning streak as they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 17. Meanwhile, Missouri will look to stay undefeated as they head on up to South Carolina to face the Gamecocks in an early 12:30 p.m. match on Sunday as well.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
UF Volleyball: #5 UF vs South Carolina
It was Veteran's Night at the O-Dome on this chilly November night as the #5 Gators hosted the South Carolina Gamecocks in this late season SEC matchup. After honoring those who served, the Gators got to work and swept the Gamecocks in three sets. The first two sets were blowouts (25-15, 25-9), but the last one was tight as the Gators only won by a score of 25-22. This match served as a fine tuneup before the match of the year against undefeated Missouri on Friday.
Sophomore hitter Ziva Recek played like a girl possessed. I came to this conclusion after I saw her hit one of the hardest balls in my life for a kill. That was one of the 15 kills she had on the night. Not to mention that she also had three aces and nine digs. She accounted for 18 of the 57 Gator points. The next highest belong to fellow sophomore Simone Antwi with 10 points. This is the best I have seen Recek play in a long time.
Behind Recek's monster performance, defensive specialists Holly Pole and Nikki O'Rourke had eight digs a piece. Gabby Mallette also came ready to go on defense as the sophomore assisted with three blocks. Simone Antwi also decided to attend this block party with Mallette as she had a solo block and assisted with two. Offensively, Antwi contributed with eight kills.
It would be near impossible to finish this article without mentioning junior libero Taylor Unroe and senior middle blocker Chloe Mann. Unroe had seven digs and two aces, one being the game winner. Chloe Mann, the heart and soul of the team, helped light a fire beneath her teammates as all of her eight kills came at critical times in the match. As a senior, Mann is doing a great job of not pressing or having the mentality that she has to do everything herself. She will take over the game if she needs to, but it is evident having watched her for many games that she trusts her teammates.
Behind Recek's monster performance, defensive specialists Holly Pole and Nikki O'Rourke had eight digs a piece. Gabby Mallette also came ready to go on defense as the sophomore assisted with three blocks. Simone Antwi also decided to attend this block party with Mallette as she had a solo block and assisted with two. Offensively, Antwi contributed with eight kills.
It would be near impossible to finish this article without mentioning junior libero Taylor Unroe and senior middle blocker Chloe Mann. Unroe had seven digs and two aces, one being the game winner. Chloe Mann, the heart and soul of the team, helped light a fire beneath her teammates as all of her eight kills came at critical times in the match. As a senior, Mann is doing a great job of not pressing or having the mentality that she has to do everything herself. She will take over the game if she needs to, but it is evident having watched her for many games that she trusts her teammates.
So now the stage is set. This Friday at 7 p.m., the SEC race will be decided. I've been waiting for this game for a while now. #7 Missouri remains the Gators' only loss in SEC play. If the Gators are able to pull off this victory on Friday, they will be tied at the top of the SEC standings. Assuming both teams win out, the Gators will win a share of the SEC regular season title. The SEC aside, no feeling is better than being that team who hands an undefeated its first loss. From what I saw tonight, the Gators are going to be ready to go against Missouri. It will be a match for the ages.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Men's Basketball: #10 UF vs UNF
With a very disappointing football season drawing to the close, Gator fans everywhere are excited as the UF basketball season kicks off. This weekend, I attended the Gators' game against the University of North Florida Ospreys. The Gators dominated from the get go and showed off their athleticism as they jumped to a big lead over the Ospreys in the first half. The big takeaway that I observed from the first half was the 17 consecutive free throws that the Gators made. They ended up sinking 27 on the day out of 32 attempts. The free throws made a big difference as the Gators would end up only beating the Ospreys by eight points.
The final score aside, I was very impressed with the play of the Gator basketball team. Sure they did not win by 20 like many were expecting, but it is just the first game of the season. They might need a few games to shake the rust off and reach that elite caliber of play that many expect them to be at when the likes of Kansas and Kentucky come to town. Here are some of the players who stood out to me. Senior forward Casey Prather was a scoring machine with a team high 28 points and eight rebounds as well. The other Kasey, true freshman Kasey Hill, played well in his debut as he scored 15 points and had four assists. Sophomore forward Michael Frazier II was the other player who impressed me as he had 19 points and nine rebounds. My moment of the game has to go to senior center Patric Young who came out of nowhere and swatted an Osprey shot into the stands. It was one of two Gator blocks on the day, the other one belonging to fellow senior Casey Prather.
The Gators' next opponent will be on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday, November 12, at 9 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN2. Meanwhile, the UNF Ospreys will hit the road to take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Wednesday, November 13, at 7 p.m.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
The final score aside, I was very impressed with the play of the Gator basketball team. Sure they did not win by 20 like many were expecting, but it is just the first game of the season. They might need a few games to shake the rust off and reach that elite caliber of play that many expect them to be at when the likes of Kansas and Kentucky come to town. Here are some of the players who stood out to me. Senior forward Casey Prather was a scoring machine with a team high 28 points and eight rebounds as well. The other Kasey, true freshman Kasey Hill, played well in his debut as he scored 15 points and had four assists. Sophomore forward Michael Frazier II was the other player who impressed me as he had 19 points and nine rebounds. My moment of the game has to go to senior center Patric Young who came out of nowhere and swatted an Osprey shot into the stands. It was one of two Gator blocks on the day, the other one belonging to fellow senior Casey Prather.
The Gators' next opponent will be on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers on Tuesday, November 12, at 9 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN2. Meanwhile, the UNF Ospreys will hit the road to take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Wednesday, November 13, at 7 p.m.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Monday, November 11, 2013
Football: UF vs Vandy
The Florida Gators hit absolute rock bottom this past Saturday as they lost their Homecoming game to the Vanderbilt Commodores by a score of 34-17. Vandy's win in the Swamp snapped a 22 game losing streak to the Gators and this was the first time since 1945 that they had beat the Gators in Gainesville.
Let that sink in. The last time the Gators lost to Vanderbilt at home, World War II was going on and gas was less than one dollar. But the ways things have been going this season, I am not surprised by this loss. Vandy had beaten Georgia on the road earlier this year, so I knew this game was going to be close.
Florida once again had another dismal offensive performance. When quarterback Tyler Murphy was not running for his life because of Vandy's constant pressure, he was completing short passes underneath for a maximum of eight yards. He threw for a career high 305 yards, but he had only one touchdown and three interceptions. I'll get to the three interceptions later. It is also worth noting that Murphy's only touchdown pass was defended perfectly by Vandy but the ball happened to ricochet off the defender and into the hands of freshman wide receiver Ahmad Fullwood.
In the running game, freshman Kelvin Taylor had 48 rushing yards on 14 carries and one touchdown. Quinton Dunbar and Trey Burton led the way in receiving with six catches a piece. Dunbar was the recipient of Murphy's longest pass of 35 yards.
The Gators special teams was below average once again as the Gators went 1-2 on field goals and had 24 total yards on punt returns. Florida's defense did what it could considering Vanderbilt started with the ball in UF territory three times after what could have been three pick sixes from Tyler Murphy. The defense only allowed 183 yards, but it is virtually impossible to ask your team to get a stop when they are constantly backed up to their own end zone. The constant penalties were not helping the Gators either as they committed 11 penalties totaling 84 yards. This lack of discipline is a straight reflection of coaching.
To me, this is the straw that broke the camel's back. Losing to Vanderbilt at home on Homecoming was not what head coach Will Muschamp needed with an already agitated Florida fan base against him after losing to Georgia for the third straight year. He can say all he wants that it is injuries or a lack of leadership, but at the end of the day, anyone playing football for the Florida Gators likely has more talent than anybody playing for Vandy.
Talent has nothing to do with calling an option that loses five yards on first and goal from the one yard line. Talent has nothing to do with going deep once the entire game and then bailing on it because you got intercepted. Talent has nothing to do with how pitiful special teams has been this year. The last time the Gators had a losing season was 1979. They went 0-10-1 that year. I cannot even imagine what that year must have been like for Gator fans.
Now riding at 4-5 and on a four game losing streak, the Gators are in jeopardy of missing out on a bowl game. To go bowling in December, the Gators will need to pull off a miracle. They either have to beat #11 South Carolina on the road or beat #2 Florida State in the Swamp. After the way the Gators looked against Vandy, I cannot see them pulling off either of these wins or even keeping the games close for that manner.
If a loss to Vandy is not enough for athletic director Jeremy Foley to pull the trigger on Will Muschamp, would two blow out losses to Carolina and FSU change his mind? With injuries aside, would the Gators even be as competitive with Jeff Driskel at quarterback instead of Tyler Murphy? Was last year just a fluke year? These are a ton of questions that I do not have the answers to. All I know is this: by the time I graduate from the University of Florida, Will Muschamp will no longer be the head coach of the football team.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Let that sink in. The last time the Gators lost to Vanderbilt at home, World War II was going on and gas was less than one dollar. But the ways things have been going this season, I am not surprised by this loss. Vandy had beaten Georgia on the road earlier this year, so I knew this game was going to be close.
Florida once again had another dismal offensive performance. When quarterback Tyler Murphy was not running for his life because of Vandy's constant pressure, he was completing short passes underneath for a maximum of eight yards. He threw for a career high 305 yards, but he had only one touchdown and three interceptions. I'll get to the three interceptions later. It is also worth noting that Murphy's only touchdown pass was defended perfectly by Vandy but the ball happened to ricochet off the defender and into the hands of freshman wide receiver Ahmad Fullwood.
In the running game, freshman Kelvin Taylor had 48 rushing yards on 14 carries and one touchdown. Quinton Dunbar and Trey Burton led the way in receiving with six catches a piece. Dunbar was the recipient of Murphy's longest pass of 35 yards.
The Gators special teams was below average once again as the Gators went 1-2 on field goals and had 24 total yards on punt returns. Florida's defense did what it could considering Vanderbilt started with the ball in UF territory three times after what could have been three pick sixes from Tyler Murphy. The defense only allowed 183 yards, but it is virtually impossible to ask your team to get a stop when they are constantly backed up to their own end zone. The constant penalties were not helping the Gators either as they committed 11 penalties totaling 84 yards. This lack of discipline is a straight reflection of coaching.
To me, this is the straw that broke the camel's back. Losing to Vanderbilt at home on Homecoming was not what head coach Will Muschamp needed with an already agitated Florida fan base against him after losing to Georgia for the third straight year. He can say all he wants that it is injuries or a lack of leadership, but at the end of the day, anyone playing football for the Florida Gators likely has more talent than anybody playing for Vandy.
Talent has nothing to do with calling an option that loses five yards on first and goal from the one yard line. Talent has nothing to do with going deep once the entire game and then bailing on it because you got intercepted. Talent has nothing to do with how pitiful special teams has been this year. The last time the Gators had a losing season was 1979. They went 0-10-1 that year. I cannot even imagine what that year must have been like for Gator fans.
Now riding at 4-5 and on a four game losing streak, the Gators are in jeopardy of missing out on a bowl game. To go bowling in December, the Gators will need to pull off a miracle. They either have to beat #11 South Carolina on the road or beat #2 Florida State in the Swamp. After the way the Gators looked against Vandy, I cannot see them pulling off either of these wins or even keeping the games close for that manner.
If a loss to Vandy is not enough for athletic director Jeremy Foley to pull the trigger on Will Muschamp, would two blow out losses to Carolina and FSU change his mind? With injuries aside, would the Gators even be as competitive with Jeff Driskel at quarterback instead of Tyler Murphy? Was last year just a fluke year? These are a ton of questions that I do not have the answers to. All I know is this: by the time I graduate from the University of Florida, Will Muschamp will no longer be the head coach of the football team.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Monday, November 4, 2013
2013 Gators Men’s Basketball Preview
Coming off of a season where
they were just one win away from a fifth Final Four appearance, the 2013
Florida Gators Men’s Basketball team looks to make some noise this upcoming
season. Much of the Gator squad returns this year as they only lost one senior,
Erving Walker, to graduation. Four seniors will be tasked with leading the
Gators this year, the most touted one being center Patric Young.
Ranked #8 in the nation in the
preseason polls, the Gators are definitely one of the teams to beat in the SEC.
Yet, it is the #1 Kentucky Wildcats who are expected to win the conference due
to the ridiculous amount of talent that is coming in with their new recruiting
class. Upon looking at the Gators’ schedule this year though, another
successful year looks very foreseeable. The Gators play five teams ranked in
the Preseason Top 25 and they are one of two SEC teams (the other being Kentucky
as stated eariler) that are even ranked. The SEC is not known so much for
basketball as it is football, so it will most likely be a Florida/Kentucky
matchup for the SEC title this year.
On the national scale. This
should be another year where the Gators make a deep run in the tournament. With
a team heavily filled with veterans who know how to perform in big games, Gator
fans can be very optimistic this year. And of course, the team is led by
legendary head coach Bill Donovan. Five SEC titles, two National Championships,
and two SEC Coach of the Year awards are all that need to be said about Coach
Donovan. The Gators have all the pieces to the puzzle with the veteran players
and the coaching, and it will be up to them if they want to assemble the puzzle.
*Stats and Rankings accredited to Gatorzone.com
*Stats and Rankings accredited to Gatorzone.com
#5 UF Volleyball Beats TAMU in a Five Set Thriller
It is uncharacteristic of me to write about Gator Volleyball games that are on the road because I usually have no means to watch them. But this game against the Texas A&M Aggies was different. Earlier this season, October 4 to be precise, the Gators cruised to a three set victory over the Aggies here in Gainesville. On Sunday, however, a completely different Aggie team showed up. They took the first set from the Gators 26-24. When I tuned into the game via ESPNU, I could not believe the Gators were losing! In the second set, the Gators struggled as they barely escaped with a 25-23. In the third set, the Gators returned to their dominant form and crushed the Aggies by a score of 25-8. Junior libero Taylor Unroe racked up eight straight points while serving and three of those eight points were aces. Up 2-1 going into the fourth, I figured it was over. The Gators are ranked #5 for a reason. They put teams away to win games. But the Aggies would not go away. They put up a valiant fight and staved off a match point to win the fourth set 26-24.
It came down to a fifth set. The Gators had not played a fifth set all year and as an avid follower and reporter of the team I was indeed nervous. I had to mute the volume because the ESPNU announcers were very bias and seemed to be rooting for Texas A&M. I had dealt with enough annoying announcers after watching the Gator football team on CBS with those "geniuses." The fifth set was a back and forth affair as the Aggies matched the Gators for every point they scored. Suddenly, the Aggies went on a run and went up 11-8. For those not familiar with volleyball, the fifth set is only up to 15. The Gators dug deep and began to trim the lead down, but the Aggies soon found themselves with a match point up 14-13. I held my breath as the ball was served. The only thing going through my mind was the Aggies 0-8 all time record against the Gators. I was devastated when I saw the ball hit Chloe Mann and fall to the court because I had never actually seen the Gators lose before. But my spirits were lifted as the point was Florida's because Mann had blocked the ball! With a second life and the score 14-14, who else but Taylor Unroe was serving. The Gators promptly went up 15-14 and it all came down to one last serve from Unroe. She threw the ball high up and hit a rocket that skimmed over the net and fell to the floor. It was an ace. The game was over. Florida won 16-14. I put my arms up to celebrate the victory and lauded Taylor for coming up clutch when the Gators needed her. This win was a big one because the Gators could not afford to lose any SEC games since they lost to Missouri earlier in the season. Missouri has not lost a single game this year and had also beaten Kentucky in three sets on this day.
As customary, here are the players who stood out to me. It would be impossible to not mention Taylor Unroe as the junior libero had six aces, one being the game winner. Sophomore Ziva Recek scored a double double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Offensively, Senior Chloe Mann (22 kills) and freshman sensation Alex Holston (21 kills) rose to the occasion as the combined for 43 kills on the day. Sophomore Gabby Mallette had 10 kills of her own as well as two solo blocks. The stellar performances aside though, it took a complete team effort to pull this win off. The Gators now enter their bye week and will resume play Wednesday, November 13, against the South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. in the O'Connell Center. This is the start of a three game home stretch for the Gators. On the other side, the Texas A&M Aggies will look to regroup after their near upset of the #5 team in the nation. They will hit the road to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday, November 8, at 7 p.m.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
It came down to a fifth set. The Gators had not played a fifth set all year and as an avid follower and reporter of the team I was indeed nervous. I had to mute the volume because the ESPNU announcers were very bias and seemed to be rooting for Texas A&M. I had dealt with enough annoying announcers after watching the Gator football team on CBS with those "geniuses." The fifth set was a back and forth affair as the Aggies matched the Gators for every point they scored. Suddenly, the Aggies went on a run and went up 11-8. For those not familiar with volleyball, the fifth set is only up to 15. The Gators dug deep and began to trim the lead down, but the Aggies soon found themselves with a match point up 14-13. I held my breath as the ball was served. The only thing going through my mind was the Aggies 0-8 all time record against the Gators. I was devastated when I saw the ball hit Chloe Mann and fall to the court because I had never actually seen the Gators lose before. But my spirits were lifted as the point was Florida's because Mann had blocked the ball! With a second life and the score 14-14, who else but Taylor Unroe was serving. The Gators promptly went up 15-14 and it all came down to one last serve from Unroe. She threw the ball high up and hit a rocket that skimmed over the net and fell to the floor. It was an ace. The game was over. Florida won 16-14. I put my arms up to celebrate the victory and lauded Taylor for coming up clutch when the Gators needed her. This win was a big one because the Gators could not afford to lose any SEC games since they lost to Missouri earlier in the season. Missouri has not lost a single game this year and had also beaten Kentucky in three sets on this day.
As customary, here are the players who stood out to me. It would be impossible to not mention Taylor Unroe as the junior libero had six aces, one being the game winner. Sophomore Ziva Recek scored a double double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Offensively, Senior Chloe Mann (22 kills) and freshman sensation Alex Holston (21 kills) rose to the occasion as the combined for 43 kills on the day. Sophomore Gabby Mallette had 10 kills of her own as well as two solo blocks. The stellar performances aside though, it took a complete team effort to pull this win off. The Gators now enter their bye week and will resume play Wednesday, November 13, against the South Carolina Gamecocks at 6 p.m. in the O'Connell Center. This is the start of a three game home stretch for the Gators. On the other side, the Texas A&M Aggies will look to regroup after their near upset of the #5 team in the nation. They will hit the road to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Friday, November 8, at 7 p.m.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Football: UF vs Georgia
In a battle of two 4-3 teams, Georgia came out on top over Florida by a score of 23-20. The Gators attempted a valiant comeback in the second half, but it was just too late as Georgia had done enough damage in the first half to hold on for the victory. Florida led the defensive turnovers battle with one- a debatable dropped pass that was ruled a lateral pass and recovered by the Gators- but that still was not enough as Florida's defense was picked apart by Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley. Had Gurley not had to leave early because he was not feeling well, the game most likely would have been a blow out.
I give the Gators a ton of credit for not giving up and fighting to dwindle the lead to three in the second half. However, just like last year, they got caught up in all the chippiness of the rivalry and committed dumb penalties. The worst one I would have to say was when Neiron Ball stopped Todd Gurley on 4th down and 1 and then proceeded to take his helmet off. Why he did that is beyond me. Was it stupid? Yes. Did it cost the Gators prime field position? Yes. The Gators could have least drove down and tied the game with a field goal, but that dumb penalty gave the Gator offense terrible starting field position and led to another stalled drive at midfield. That was a big theme on the day. The most explosive play was an 83 yard pass from Tyler Murphy to Quinton Dunbar. What did that lead to? A missed field goal. The Gators were 1-3 on field goal attempts as the special teams situation remains a mess. It seemed poetic that when it appeared the Gators did make a stop to get one last chance at a comeback, it was negated by a hands to the face penalty. I never would have thought that a hands to the face penalty would be what clinched the game for Georgia. The Gators had seven penalties for 70 yards. That is a clear reflection of coaching right there.
This loss has officially eliminated Florida from contention for the SEC East division. In fact, the Gators are riding the fine line of bowl eligibility right now. At 4-4, the Gators need to beat Vanderbilt if they want to go bowling in December. The Georgia Southern game is all but guaranteed as a victory but South Carolina on the road is no cakewalk and Florida State at the end of the year will not be pretty. The season is about pride now for the injury plagued Gators. They have to play for each other and Head Coach Will Muschamp. If they have a poor showing against Vandy, then the seat beneath Muschamp will get just a bit hotter. I understand that Muschamp has a family to provide for and did have a stellar campaign last year. But at the end of the day, it is about winning. If the Gators do not make a significant change offensively then they will be stuck in this cyclical process of one step forward and two steps back.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
I give the Gators a ton of credit for not giving up and fighting to dwindle the lead to three in the second half. However, just like last year, they got caught up in all the chippiness of the rivalry and committed dumb penalties. The worst one I would have to say was when Neiron Ball stopped Todd Gurley on 4th down and 1 and then proceeded to take his helmet off. Why he did that is beyond me. Was it stupid? Yes. Did it cost the Gators prime field position? Yes. The Gators could have least drove down and tied the game with a field goal, but that dumb penalty gave the Gator offense terrible starting field position and led to another stalled drive at midfield. That was a big theme on the day. The most explosive play was an 83 yard pass from Tyler Murphy to Quinton Dunbar. What did that lead to? A missed field goal. The Gators were 1-3 on field goal attempts as the special teams situation remains a mess. It seemed poetic that when it appeared the Gators did make a stop to get one last chance at a comeback, it was negated by a hands to the face penalty. I never would have thought that a hands to the face penalty would be what clinched the game for Georgia. The Gators had seven penalties for 70 yards. That is a clear reflection of coaching right there.
This loss has officially eliminated Florida from contention for the SEC East division. In fact, the Gators are riding the fine line of bowl eligibility right now. At 4-4, the Gators need to beat Vanderbilt if they want to go bowling in December. The Georgia Southern game is all but guaranteed as a victory but South Carolina on the road is no cakewalk and Florida State at the end of the year will not be pretty. The season is about pride now for the injury plagued Gators. They have to play for each other and Head Coach Will Muschamp. If they have a poor showing against Vandy, then the seat beneath Muschamp will get just a bit hotter. I understand that Muschamp has a family to provide for and did have a stellar campaign last year. But at the end of the day, it is about winning. If the Gators do not make a significant change offensively then they will be stuck in this cyclical process of one step forward and two steps back.
*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
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