UF Basketball/Football: A Weekend Full of FSU

This weekend, the Gator basketball and football programs welcomed the Florida State Seminoles to Gainesville. The Gators split with the Seminoles as the basketball team emerged victorious on Friday while the football team fell on Saturday. I'll start off with the basketball team.

On Friday night, the unranked Seminoles came into the O-Dome to face the #15 ranked Gators. The game was a nail biter the entire way as neither team could take control. Up seven points with less than three minutes to go, it looked like the Gators were going to remain unbeaten at home and extend their home win streak to 20 games. But FSU would not go down quietly and they managed to tie the game at 66 with 27 seconds left to go in regulation.

UF played for the last shot, but senior guard Scottie Wilbekin decided to go for the win with three seconds to go. The ball bounced off the rim and was corralled by Dorian Finney-Smith, who was fouled with one second to go. Finney-Smith just needed to make one of his two foul shots to give the Gators the lead. Of course, he wanted to make it interesting by missing the first shot. Now the biggest foul shot of the young season was upon Finney-Smith and the Gators. The sophomore reared back and fired up his shot. Swish. The Gators were up 67-66. All they needed to do was play defense.

After an FSU and UF timeout, it was time to decide a winner. FSU inbounded it to their star player in Ian Miller. Miller grabbed the ball at half court and threw up a prayer as the buzzer sounded. Everyone in the O-Dome held their breath as the ball soared towards the basket. As I watched the game from my home in South Florida, I felt time stop for a moment. The ball hit the basket and bounced out. Everyone in orange and blue breathed a sigh of relief. The #15 Gators had survived the upset and kept the O-Dome winning streak intact. It was a classic, but all Gator fans knew that game was much closer than it should have been.

My MVP for this game has to be sophomore guard Michael Frazier II. He made five threes and totaled 17 points on the day. He was by all means the hottest shooter the Gators had on the court and his performance down the stretch served as a crucial part in the Gators' win. He was the second highest scorer on the team behind Casey Prather who had 19 points.

I would also like to highlight some of the FSU players. Centers Boris Bojanovsky (14) and Michael Ojo (10) shot 100% from the field and combined for 24 points on the night. Their play, which well exceeded what is expected out of anyone at their position, was a big reason why the Seminoles were able to stay in the game until the very end.

The Seminoles will look to continue playing well as they head up to Minnesota to take on the Gophers on Tuesday, December 3. The Gators might be a little bit shaken after a much closer contest with their rival than anticipated. Regardless, head coach Billy Donovan should have their minds right as they go up against an undefeated UConn Huskies team on Monday, December 2.

And now the football team...

I'll start off with the obvious. They lost. Was it ugly? Kind of. Did we all see it coming? Yes. Will changes be made? I certainly hope so. #2 Florida State strolled into the Swamp and beat an injury-plagued Florida Gator team 37-7. However, do not let the final score fool you as the Gators stayed within three points of the Seminoles until about five minutes and some change in the second quarter. After "Famous Jameis" Winston completed a long pass to convert a 3rd down and 25, the flood gates open.

Using wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin as his main resource, Winston accumulated 327 passing yards and three touchdowns. Benjamin accounted for all of the touchdown receptions, and he had 212 receiving yards of his own. Even though Jameis finally found his groove and ran a clinic on the Gators like everyone expected, every single Gator fan should be proud of that Gator defense.

Completely outmanned and going up against the likely Heisman winner (pending the allegations), the defense played its heart out. They picked off Winston on FSU's first drive and kept them in check for the first 20 minutes of the game. Knowing the offense would most likely not pick them up, the defense did its job the entire way. 

Even with a dismal offense, the Gators somehow found a way to score in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as Skyler Mornhinweg connected with fullback Hunter Joyer for a touchdown. Speaking of Mornhinweg, he should not at all take the flak for yet another lackluster performance by the Gator offense. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown.

Sure he took a couple of sacks and lost a fumble, but fans have to keep in mind that he is the third string quarterback. Nobody, including Mornhinweg himself, ever thought he would be playing in this game. The Gators might had been able to score a few more points via the wildcat offense, had senior Trey Burton not gotten injured after his 50-yard rush early in the game. 

I was ecstatic to see the Gators score a touchdown considering some people were saying they'd be lucky enough to score a field goal. That one chance for a field goal went wide right, which of course was not surprising to me or any other Gator fan in the Swamp. Regardless of the point spread and all the criticisms facing the Gators and Muschamp, the players fought on. They did not roll over on their Senior Day and let the Seminoles walk all over them. For that, I applaud the Gator football team.
They were dealt a terrible hand this year with all the injuries, but they still continued to persevere until the very end.

Within a few weeks I will be releasing my end of the season overview of the football team. In it I will briefly cover the games of this year, where the Gators failed, and my overall assessment of this season. Stay tuned!

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com

Worst Loss in Gator Football History

Wow... just wow. I do not know where to begin here. How do you let an FCS team rush for over 400 yards against you. Going off of that, how do you let two different players individually rush for over 100 yards against you? Those questions too hard, Coach Muschamp? Then how about this one. How do you straight up lose to the Georgia Southern Eagles at home while not allowing a single pass completion!?

This is by far the worst loss in the history of the Gator football program. Georgia Southern did what Louisiana-Lafayette almost did last year. Except this time there was no blocked punt to save the Gators. No, this time the Gators saw a fourth down pass fall incomplete at the goal line to secure a 26-20 loss to Georgia Southern and the first losing season for UF football since 1979.

The Gators paid the Eagles half a million dollars just to come down here so they could -what many thought- get manhandled. The Eagles had been 0-20 against FBS schools before this game. Not only that, they had 19 scholarship players not playing due to injuries. Give Georgia Southern a lot of credit though. They came in as a 28 point underdog and shocked the world... well most of it. Personally, this loss did not stun me as much as the Vanderbilt one did.

Injuries are no longer an excuse for Will Muschamp on what has been an atrocious debacle of a season. It does not matter if the practice squad is out there. These players are at UF because they can play football. Anyone playing for UF likely has more talent than a player going to Georgia Southern.

I was on board to give Muschamp one more year even after the Vandy upset. Now however, I have drawn the line. He is not a fit for Gator football. Honestly, who calls timeout after an incomplete pass!? There is nothing smart about that whatsoever. Not even Lane Kiffin would do that, and we all know how successful he was at USC. UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley needs to look at what USC did and act in the best interest of this university before many alumni and boosters get upset. I know he said he was "committed 1000%" to Muschamp but it appears the only thing Muschamp is committed to is losing.

The Gators got gashed by an offense that Georgia Tech runs. Even Miami, the most overrated team in the country, found a way to stop the triple option when they played Tech. But this is not about the overrated Hurricanes, it's about the dilapidated Gators.

I am still trying to let it sink in that the Gators will not be playing in a bowl game this year. It appears that the team has given up on Muschamp and they will not give #2 FSU any type of resistance next Saturday. It will be interesting to see what the line for the game is. The Gators' only hope is that Jameis Winston gets hosed for this rape accusation that has been filed against him and that somehow he will not play next Saturday.

In reality though, Winston will play. Not only will he play, he will dominate. Winston will most likely solidify his Heisman chances when the game vs UF is all said and done. How can UF possibly prepare for this overmatched showdown verses the second best team in the country? It's simple. They sit down and watch Miracle, Facing the Giants, GridIron Gang, and every other motivational/inspirational movie ever made. Maybe, just maybe, this will give the Gators enough mojo to lose by less than 21. Buckle up Gainesville, next Saturday is going to be rough.

UF Volleyball Senior Night

Seniors Chloe Mann and Taylor Brauneis closed out magnificent careers at the O-Dome last Friday as the #4 Gators defeated the LSU Tigers in three sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-20). The Gators finish with an impressive home record of 15-1 and will close out the regular season at #9 Kentucky on Wednesday, November 27, at 8 pm. The LSU Tigers will conclude their season at Ole Miss on Wednesday as well.

Now for the standouts. In their final home game, Chloe Mann and Taylor Brauneis went out on a good note. Mann had 10 kills and one block while Brauneis had 39 assists with two kills. The game ended on a kill by Mann, which I thought was very fitting. Sophomore Gabby Mallette was the main offensive force of the night as the senior tallied 15 kills. On defense, Taylor Unroe had 10 digs. Service-wise, sophomores Simone Antwi (3) and Ziva Recek (2) combined for five aces.

The #4 Gators have all but survived a grueling November as the NCAA Tournament looms closer and closer. From what I have seen, the Gators have been slowing up a bit down the stretch. However, when the bright lights come on the stakes are high, I believe the girls will rise to the occasion. I'll try to catch the Kentucky game on ESPNU and give a report. If I can't, then I'll be preparing my NCAA Volleyball Tournament preview. Until then, stay tuned.

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com

Football: UF vs #10 South Carolina

The Florida Gators lost their fifth straight game last Saturday. This week's perpetrator was the #10 South Carolina Gamecocks. Coming in as a two touchdown underdog, the Gators surprised many when they entered halftime up 14-8. With redshirt freshman quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg taking the place of an injured Tyler Murphy, the Gators ran a very unconventional wildcat offense for most of the night. It worked in the first half as running back Kelvin Taylor ran for two touchdowns and 90 yards on 12 carries. By the end of the first half, Mornhinweg had only thrown two passes. Could the Gators possibly win this game without having to use their quarterback? Well that answer was a definite no. Once the Gators fell behind, their running game became obsolete and it was up to Mornhinweg to win the game. Considering he had barely thrown the ball all game, I was not at all surprised when he threw an interception late in the game that virtually sealed Florida's fate.

The Gator defense played very well. They only allowed one touchdown which happened to come on a fourth down. Apart from that, they made Carolina kick five field goals. Unfortunately, Carolina kicker Elliott Fry made four of those five field goals. The defense played its heart out, and should be very proud of itself after giving up 34 points to Vandy the previous week. Special teams was below average once again as kicker Austin Hardin missed a 32 yard field goal. This was UF's only field goal attempt on the night and it is still evident that the starting kicking spot is still up for grabs this late in the season. The other special teams issue I saw was a Florida fake punt on 4th and 13 on the UF 32 yard line. Trey Burton took the snap and threw it up for teammate Leon Orr to catch. Leon Orr is a 6'5, 302 lb. nose tackle. It did not surprise me that he dropped the ball. I do not blame him for dropping the ball. His job is to tackle, not catch. However, some may say that he is an athlete and regardless of his position he should still make that play because of his athleticism. I'll leave that issue up for debate.

After this loss, Gator fans were once again fuming and calling for head coach Will Muschamp to be fired. I am not going to lie and say I was not apart of this group. However, I always take a few days to reflect after football games and put things into perspective. Muschamp has basically been coaching with the backup squad out there this entire season. Never have I seen a team plagued by more injuries than the Gators this year. As rough as things seem now, I honestly believe that Muschamp deserves one more year. If he cannot get it done with a healthy Gator squad, then I will honestly believe that last year was a fluke. Apart from the injuries, if Muschamp is let go all of his recruits will be lost as well. He should at least be given a chance to do something with his recruits before any big decisions are made.

I will say this though. Offensive Coordinator Brent Pease needs to go. I know the Gators were limited in the passing game, but they cannot run the offense they ran against South Carolina if they want to beat FSU in two weeks. The Gators have been terrible offensively during the Muschamp era and some type of change needs to be made with staff personnel in my opinion. If the Gators can get some type of offense going next year to go along side this mighty defense, then Gator football will return to dominance in no time.

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com

Men's Basketball: #11 UF vs Arkansas Little-Rock

This past Saturday, the #11 Florida Gators defeated the Arkansas Little-Rock Trojans by a score of 86-56. The game was not as lopsided as the final score indicates however. The Gators and Trojans were tied at 27 entering halftime. I do not know what Head Coach Billy Donovan said to his team, but they came out and put on a show in the second half. It is crucial that the Gators take care of these opponents while they have them because their conference schedule will not be as forgiving.

Once again it was senior Casey Prather who led the team in scoring with 27 points. Prather made 10 out of the 11 shots he took. The next highest came from redshirt sophomore Dorian Finney-Smith who had 17 points. Finney-Smith shot well from downtown as he went 3-4 on three point attempts and he also nabbed nine rebounds. This was his first game back since his suspension and it is safe to say that he has shaken off the rust. Defensively, freshman Kasey Hill had a game high five steals and senior Patric Young had two blocks. As a team, the Gators had 11 steals and six blocks.

The Gators managed to get past a slow start and rout a team who they were supposed to rout. It should be more of the same on Monday as the Gators take on the Southern Jaguars at 7 p.m. in the O-Dome. Arkansas Little-Rock will stay on the road and take on Middle Tennessee at 7 p.m. on Monday as well.

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com

UF Volleyball: #5 UF vs Alabama

The #5 Florida Gators closed out their three match home stand with a three game sweep over the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, this sweep was not an easy one as the Gators won the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-23. Things were a bit easier for them in the third set as they won 25-17. The Tide came ready to play, but at the end of the day Florida's talent stymied any hope of an upset. I believe that this match was close only because the Gators were so fatigued after playing three games in a week with a total of two off days. With the season winding down, the team will need to rejuvenate and catch fire if they want to make noise in the postseason. Under the leadership of Head Coach Mary Wise and seniors Chloe Mann and Taylor Brauneis, the Gators should have no problem taking their game to the next level when the situation demands it.

Offensively in today's match it was all Gabby Mallette. The sophomore tallied eleven kills and represented 11.5 of the team's 53 points. Defensively, it was a block party as the Gators had 10 blocks on the day. One last interesting note I would like to make is that libero Taylor Unroe, whose primary job is digging and serving, actually got a kill in the match today. Keep in mind that Unroe is 5'7. Apart from her rare kill, Unroe did have two service aces on the day as well.

The Gators are now on the homestretch of the season and they just have to keep their focus as the National Tournament looms. Next up for the Gators are the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville. The game will take place on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The game can be see on ESPNU. I will definitely try to watch the game and write a post game report, but I will probably have it on mute. I am not a fan of what appears to be an anti-Florida bias that the ESPNU announcers present when they talk, whether they know it or not. As for the Alabama Crimson Tide... at least the football team is still #1 in all the polls, and that is mostly what fans in Tuscaloosa care about. All joking aside, the Crimson Tide (who sport a nifty 21-8 record) will do battle with the Ole Miss Rebels back home at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 22.

*Stats accredited to Gatorzone.com

UF Volleyball: #5 UF vs #7 Missouri

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