The Florida Gator volleyball team has already advanced further than last year's squad after their four set victory over the rival Miami Hurricanes tonight!
The first two high scoring Gators were both outside hitters. Sophomore Alex Holston led the way again this game as she had 19 kills for a total of 19.5 points with six digs on the defensive side. Junior Gabby Mallette totaled 12 kills for 13.0 points. She contributed defensively with just one solo block.
Rounding out the double digit scorers was true freshman Rhamat Alhassan with 10 kills. Despite her offensive production, the real story in tonight's game was her defense. She had three solo blocks while assisting on one block. She accounted for the Gators' second highest amount of points with 13.5.
Alhassan was not the only true freshman who played a significant role in the Gators' victory tonight. Outside hitter Carli Snyder also had a solid game both offensively and defensively. She totaled 10.0 points tonight with nine kills, six digs, and one solo block.
Defensively, six Gators had more than six digs. Apart from Mallette and Snyder (who I have already mentioned), all of these players were seniors. Together, Mackenzie Dagostino (nine), Taylor Unroe (nine), Holly Pole (seven), and Maddie Monserez (seven) combined for 32 digs. Dagostino also led the assists category with 51 of them tonight!
Now 2-0 in the tournament, the #8 Florida Gators (27-3) will prepare for Sweet 16 action against the # 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (26-7). This game will be on December 12th and can be seen on ESPN3. Game time is 8 p.m.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
2014 NCAA Volleyball Tournament First Round: Alabama State vs #8 UF
The #8 Florida Gator volleyball team began their National Championship hunt with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-12) sweep over the Alabama State Hornets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament today.
The only Gator player to score double digit kills was sophomore hitter Alex Holston with 14. She accounted for 16.5 total points as she had a service ace, a dig, and assisted on three blocks.
The next pair of Gators who contributed on offense were freshmen Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder. At middle blocker, Alhassan accumulated 9.5 total points as she had eight kills and assisted on three blocks. Snyder scored 8.0 total points with her eight kills from the outside hitter position.
Defensively, senior defensive specialist Maddie Monserez led the way with 11 digs. Behind her were fellow seniors Holly Pole and Mackenzie Dagostino with nine and seven digs, respectively. Dagostino, also the team's starting setter, had 35 assists today. The final senior to contribute on defense was Taylor Unroe with six digs.
After taking care of their first round opponent, the Florida Gators (26-3) will now set their sights on the rival Miami Hurricanes (22-8). Surprisingly, this is the first ever meeting between these two in-state rivals in the sport of women's volleyball. With that being said, it is sure to be classic. Game time is 7 p.m. on December 6 in the O-Dome. Winner goes to the Sweet 16.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
The only Gator player to score double digit kills was sophomore hitter Alex Holston with 14. She accounted for 16.5 total points as she had a service ace, a dig, and assisted on three blocks.
The next pair of Gators who contributed on offense were freshmen Rhamat Alhassan and Carli Snyder. At middle blocker, Alhassan accumulated 9.5 total points as she had eight kills and assisted on three blocks. Snyder scored 8.0 total points with her eight kills from the outside hitter position.
Defensively, senior defensive specialist Maddie Monserez led the way with 11 digs. Behind her were fellow seniors Holly Pole and Mackenzie Dagostino with nine and seven digs, respectively. Dagostino, also the team's starting setter, had 35 assists today. The final senior to contribute on defense was Taylor Unroe with six digs.
After taking care of their first round opponent, the Florida Gators (26-3) will now set their sights on the rival Miami Hurricanes (22-8). Surprisingly, this is the first ever meeting between these two in-state rivals in the sport of women's volleyball. With that being said, it is sure to be classic. Game time is 7 p.m. on December 6 in the O-Dome. Winner goes to the Sweet 16.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
UF Basketball: UF vs #11 Kansas
It was a tale of two halves for the Florida Gators tonight as they took on the #11 Kansas Jayhawks on the road. The Gators were on fire in the first half as they shot 56.3% from the field on route to building a 15-point halftime lead. In the second half, it was a completely different story as the Florida Gators fell apart. They shot just 34.5% from the field and at one point it seemed like the Gators could not buy a bucket as Kansas came storming back to win the game 71-65.
The player who deserves a ton of credit for engineering Kansas's comeback is sophomore guard Wayne Selden Jr. In the second half especially, the Florida Gators seemed to have no answer for Selden as he torched Florida for a game-high total of 21 points.
Kansas's second-half surge did not just come from Selden, however, as junior forward Perry Ellis and sophomore guard Frank Mason III had 10 and 12 points, respectively. They both had five rebounds a piece a well. It is also worth mentioning that Kansas went to the foul line 32 times compared to Florida's 10.
Looking at the game as a whole, it is easy to just look at Florida's second half collapse and ignore the fact that four Gators reached double figures in scoring. They were true freshman Devin Robinson, sophomore Chris Walker, graduate Jon Horford, and junior Michael Frazier II. Robinson, Walker, and Horford were the only Gators who were able to get the foul line.
Robinson was the team's leading scorer tonight as he had 13 points on four of nine shooting. He nailed two three-pointers on three attempts and made three of his four foul shots. He was one of three Gators to nab a game-high five rebounds and defensively he recorded a steal and a block. He was also the only Gator player to foul out as he did so with 1:11 left in the game.
Coming in after Robinson is Chris Walker with 12 points. Even though he took just six shots, he was the most efficient Gator shooter from the field as he converted five of them. From the foul line, he sank two of his four attempts. He also had five rebounds and added one block on defense. Walker is still being used sporadically as he saw 15 minutes of playing time tonight, the second fewest in the game.
Jon Horford is next with 10 points on four of nine shooting. He made both his free throws and did not hit on any of his five three-point attempts. He rounds out the Gator rebounding leaders with his five boards to go along with his two steals on defense.
Finally, there is Michael Frazier II. Draining two of his five three-point attempts, Frazier II scored 10 points on 4 of 10 shooting. He brought down four rebounds and had two assists. He was not the only junior struggling in this game as Dorian Finney-Smith had just seven points on three of eight shooting. Finney-Smith made just one three-pointer and totaled just three rebounds and one assist. He had one block.
In the point guard competition, both Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza brought unique styles to the game tonight. Hill dished out a game-high eight assists while scoring five points on two of nine shooting. ChiChi had six points on two of five shooting, but he found a way to dish out four assists and defensively he had three steals. Both of the shots ChiChi made came from three-pointers.
Hill's passing out-shined ChiChi, but ChiChi's offensive threat from three-point land and defensive ability out-shined Hill. In regards to playing time, Hill still has a slight edge as he played 32 minutes compared to ChiChi's 24. Nevertheless, this is still a very interesting position battle to keep track of as the Gators head into the bulk of their non-conference schedule in December.
Now sitting at 3-4 after losing a completely winnable road game, the Florida Gators will travel back to Gainesville in preparation for their next game against the Yale Bulldogs (8-2). This game will be no cakewalk as the Bulldogs just upset the defending National Champion UConn Huskies on the road with a buzzer beater. This should be a good game to watch. This game is on December 8th and tipoff is at 7 p.m.
On the other side, the #11 Kansas Jayhawks (6-1) are fortunate to have won tonight's game as the Gators gave it away in the second half. Still, a win is a win. The Jayhawks will now turn their attention to their upcoming road game against the Georgetown Hoyas (4-2). This game is on December 10th and tipoff is at 7 p.m.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com & ESPN.com
Robinson was the team's leading scorer tonight as he had 13 points on four of nine shooting. He nailed two three-pointers on three attempts and made three of his four foul shots. He was one of three Gators to nab a game-high five rebounds and defensively he recorded a steal and a block. He was also the only Gator player to foul out as he did so with 1:11 left in the game.
Coming in after Robinson is Chris Walker with 12 points. Even though he took just six shots, he was the most efficient Gator shooter from the field as he converted five of them. From the foul line, he sank two of his four attempts. He also had five rebounds and added one block on defense. Walker is still being used sporadically as he saw 15 minutes of playing time tonight, the second fewest in the game.
Jon Horford is next with 10 points on four of nine shooting. He made both his free throws and did not hit on any of his five three-point attempts. He rounds out the Gator rebounding leaders with his five boards to go along with his two steals on defense.
Finally, there is Michael Frazier II. Draining two of his five three-point attempts, Frazier II scored 10 points on 4 of 10 shooting. He brought down four rebounds and had two assists. He was not the only junior struggling in this game as Dorian Finney-Smith had just seven points on three of eight shooting. Finney-Smith made just one three-pointer and totaled just three rebounds and one assist. He had one block.
In the point guard competition, both Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza brought unique styles to the game tonight. Hill dished out a game-high eight assists while scoring five points on two of nine shooting. ChiChi had six points on two of five shooting, but he found a way to dish out four assists and defensively he had three steals. Both of the shots ChiChi made came from three-pointers.
Hill's passing out-shined ChiChi, but ChiChi's offensive threat from three-point land and defensive ability out-shined Hill. In regards to playing time, Hill still has a slight edge as he played 32 minutes compared to ChiChi's 24. Nevertheless, this is still a very interesting position battle to keep track of as the Gators head into the bulk of their non-conference schedule in December.
Now sitting at 3-4 after losing a completely winnable road game, the Florida Gators will travel back to Gainesville in preparation for their next game against the Yale Bulldogs (8-2). This game will be no cakewalk as the Bulldogs just upset the defending National Champion UConn Huskies on the road with a buzzer beater. This should be a good game to watch. This game is on December 8th and tipoff is at 7 p.m.
On the other side, the #11 Kansas Jayhawks (6-1) are fortunate to have won tonight's game as the Gators gave it away in the second half. Still, a win is a win. The Jayhawks will now turn their attention to their upcoming road game against the Georgetown Hoyas (4-2). This game is on December 10th and tipoff is at 7 p.m.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com & ESPN.com
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
The Florida Gators' New Head Football Coach: Jim McElwain
The Florida Gators have found their new head coach for the 2015 season in Jim McElwain. This is an absolute excellent hire for athletic director Jeremy Foley as McElwain is an offensive-minded coach. Coming off his first head coaching stint with the Colorado State Rams, McElwain went 22-16 (14-10 in Mountain West Conference play) in three years with the team.
McElwain helped turn around a Colorado State program that had not made a bowl game since 2008. Against the team's main rivals in Colorado, Air Force, and Wyoming, he went 5-6. He was able to beat each of these team's at least once with most of these losses coming in his first year at CSU.
Speaking of his first year, let me give a quick recap of his three seasons at CSU. In his first year in 2012, the Rams went 4-8 (3-5 in MWC) and finished sixth in their conference. This was his first year, so he gets a pass.
In his second year in 2013, progress was made as the Rams went 8-6 (5-3 in MWC) and finished third in the conference. He led CSU to its first winning season and bowl win since 2008 with a 48-45 victory over the Washington State Cougars in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl.
In his third and final year in 2014, McElwain currently has the Rams at 10-2 (6-2 in MWC) and second in the conference. This turnaround was good enough to win him the 2014 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year Award. As it looks right now, the Rams will most likely win their bowl game.Offensively this year, the Rams are ranked 7th overall in passing yards (326.3 per game), 59th overall in rushing yards (171.6 per game), and 25th overall in points for (35.9 per game).
The stats mentioned above beat out the Gators in every category except rushing yards. This year Florida has been terrible on offense as they are ranked 107th overall in passing yards (180.7 per game), 45th overall in rushing yards (189.5 per game), and 58th overall in points for (30.5 per game).
As McElwain rebuilt Colorado State, what stands out to me is his development of senior quarterback Garret Grayson. Through 12 games Grayson is fifth overall in the nation in passing yards with 3,779 and tied for seventh in touchdown passes with 32. He has thrown just six interceptions! Between Jeff Driskel and Treon Harris, UF has 13 interceptions!
McElwain's ability to develop good quarterbacks stems from his days at Alabama under Nick Saban. He was there from 2008-2011 and held the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. McElwain played an instrumental role in guiding the Crimson Tide to two national championships as he developed both Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron. I have heard reports that he runs his program in a Saben-esque way.
As Jim McElwain becomes the 24th head coach in Florida Gator football history, I am very confident that he can have success here and bring the Gators back to prominence. I give it four years, five tops, before the Gators are back as a national powerhouse in the college football world. For the first year, all I want is a winning record and one other thing... TO BEAT FLORIDA STATE!
Regardless of how the first year of the McElwain era goes, I am behind him 100% and am excited to see how the Gators will look once he installs his offense! I have heard that the Gators plan to keep most of their assistant coaches, but we will see how true that really is once McElwain gets here. It's a great day in the Gator Nation and, Coach Jim McElwain, I cordially welcome you to the University of Florida! Go Gators! In all kinds of weather we all stick together!
*All stats accredited to ESPN.com & Wikipedia.com
McElwain helped turn around a Colorado State program that had not made a bowl game since 2008. Against the team's main rivals in Colorado, Air Force, and Wyoming, he went 5-6. He was able to beat each of these team's at least once with most of these losses coming in his first year at CSU.
Speaking of his first year, let me give a quick recap of his three seasons at CSU. In his first year in 2012, the Rams went 4-8 (3-5 in MWC) and finished sixth in their conference. This was his first year, so he gets a pass.
In his second year in 2013, progress was made as the Rams went 8-6 (5-3 in MWC) and finished third in the conference. He led CSU to its first winning season and bowl win since 2008 with a 48-45 victory over the Washington State Cougars in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl.
In his third and final year in 2014, McElwain currently has the Rams at 10-2 (6-2 in MWC) and second in the conference. This turnaround was good enough to win him the 2014 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year Award. As it looks right now, the Rams will most likely win their bowl game.Offensively this year, the Rams are ranked 7th overall in passing yards (326.3 per game), 59th overall in rushing yards (171.6 per game), and 25th overall in points for (35.9 per game).
The stats mentioned above beat out the Gators in every category except rushing yards. This year Florida has been terrible on offense as they are ranked 107th overall in passing yards (180.7 per game), 45th overall in rushing yards (189.5 per game), and 58th overall in points for (30.5 per game).
As McElwain rebuilt Colorado State, what stands out to me is his development of senior quarterback Garret Grayson. Through 12 games Grayson is fifth overall in the nation in passing yards with 3,779 and tied for seventh in touchdown passes with 32. He has thrown just six interceptions! Between Jeff Driskel and Treon Harris, UF has 13 interceptions!
McElwain's ability to develop good quarterbacks stems from his days at Alabama under Nick Saban. He was there from 2008-2011 and held the role of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. McElwain played an instrumental role in guiding the Crimson Tide to two national championships as he developed both Greg McElroy and A.J. McCarron. I have heard reports that he runs his program in a Saben-esque way.
As Jim McElwain becomes the 24th head coach in Florida Gator football history, I am very confident that he can have success here and bring the Gators back to prominence. I give it four years, five tops, before the Gators are back as a national powerhouse in the college football world. For the first year, all I want is a winning record and one other thing... TO BEAT FLORIDA STATE!
Regardless of how the first year of the McElwain era goes, I am behind him 100% and am excited to see how the Gators will look once he installs his offense! I have heard that the Gators plan to keep most of their assistant coaches, but we will see how true that really is once McElwain gets here. It's a great day in the Gator Nation and, Coach Jim McElwain, I cordially welcome you to the University of Florida! Go Gators! In all kinds of weather we all stick together!
*All stats accredited to ESPN.com & Wikipedia.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Top 5 Defensive Linemen in Gator Football History
As the University of Florida all but wraps up its search for an offensive-minded head football coach, I begin the next portion of my Top 5 series with players on the defensive side of the ball. This week I will be ranking the big guys up front: the defensive linemen. Without further adieu, here are my Top 5 defensive linemen in Florida Gator history!
#5 Dominique Easley (2010-2013)
I begin this list with Dominique Easley, whose time at the University of Florida was plagued with injuries. His senior year, he played just one game before hurting his knee and missing the rest of the year. When he was healthy, Easley was an unstoppable force. He recorded 72 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Unfortunately, Easley won no collegiate awards due to him getting injured so much. However, he did help lead the Gators to the 2013 Sugar Bowl. In the game he recorded 5 tackles (3.5 for loss) in a 33-23 loss to the #21 Louisville Cardinals.
After withdrawing from UF during his senior year, Easley entered the 2014 NFL Draft and went 29th overall to the Patriots in the first round. He gets sporadic playing time in New England and is doing well his rookie year. As of Week 11, he has 10 tackles, one sack, and one interception.
The fact that the Patriots took Easley in the first round without him even playing his senior year is a testament to how good of a player he was during his time Florida.
#4 Shariff Floyd (2010-2012)
Playing right along side Easley was Shariff Floyd. In just three years at Florida, Floyd accumulated 92 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He was an absolute beast in his last collegiate game, which was the 2013 Sugar Bowl. In that game, he had five tackles (two for loss), two sacks, and one blocked pass.
Some of Floyd's accolades include:
#3 Derrick Harvey (2005-2007) / Carlos Dunlap (2007-2009)
(Derrick Harvey is in white, Carlos Dunlap is in blue)
A member of Florida's 2006 National Championship team, Derrick Harvey was an integral cog in Florida's defense. In three years he compiled 90 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles.
In the 2007 BCS National Championship game, he was an absolute force as he had 4 tackles (three for loss), with three of them being sacks! His performance in the game was enough to earn him Defensive MVP honors as the Gators routed the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes on route to the program's second National Championship.
Nothing (except maybe the Heisman), could be better for a defensive player than winning the MVP Award of the National Championship Game, but Harvey's accolades don't stop there. Some of his other achievements include:
Like Floyd, Harvey forewent his senior year to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. He was selected eighth overall in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He would play five seasons in the NFL before hanging up his spikes in 2012.
As Harvey's time was ending at Florida, Carlos Dunlap's was beginning. Like a majority of this list, Dunlap was in college for just three years and he was also a member of the 2008 Florida Gator National Championship team. In his three college years, Dunlap recorded 84 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
When January rolled around, Dunlap upped his game. In the 2009 National Championship Game, he was able to win Defensive MVP honors with just four tackles (1.5 for loss), one sack, and one blocked pass in a 24-14 victory over the #1 Oklahoma Sooners. In the 2010 Sugar Bowl, Dunlap closed out his Florida career in style with three tackles (two for loss) and two sacks in a 51-24 drubbing of the #3 Cincinnati Bearcats.
On top of winning Defensive MVP of the National Championship, some of Dunlap's other accolades include:
#2 Alex Brown (1999-2001)
Alex Brown set records while playing for the Gators. He holds the record for sacks in a season when he recorded 13 in 1999 as a sophomore. Brown was only getting started when he broke this record. He would eventually break the record for sacks in a career at UF as he finished with 33.
In his final college game, he helped lead the Gators to a 56-23 victory in the 2002 Orange Bowl with a one sack, six tackle performance. In his three years playing at Florida, he compiled 155 total tackles and 33 career sacks.
Some other accolades of Brown's include:
#1 Jack Youngblood (1968-1970)
Coming in at No. 1 is a Gator legend in Jack Youngblood. A part of the "Super Sophs" in 1969, he helped lead the Gators to a 9-1-1 record and a 1969 Gator Bowl victory. This was Florida's best record up to that point. Youngblood actually did finish out his college career, as he began playing for the Gators as a sophomore.
In his three years for the Orange and Blue, Youngblood compiled 148 total tackles and 29 sacks. His 29 sacks are the most on this list and remained a Gator record until the late 70's.
As the best defensive lineman (in my opinion) to come out of Florida, it is not surprising that Youngblood might have a few accolades under his belt. Some of these recognitions include:
Very fittingly, Youngblood was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001. He is one of just two Gators from the Florida Football Ring of Honor to be in both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame. The other Gator is Emmitt Smith, who was inducted in 2010.
Honorable Mention: David Galloway (1978-1981), Kevin Carter (1991-1994), Jermaine Cunningham (2006-2009), Dante Fowler Jr. (2012-2014)
I hope you enjoyed this Top 5 article! Next week I'll be ranking the Top 5 linebackers to play at the University of Florida. Until then, stay tuned to my upcoming article on the Gator basketball game against Kansas on December 5th and a potential article I might be writing on the next Gator head football coach.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com, College Football @ Sports-Reference.com, Pro-Football Reference.com, & Wikipedia.com
*All pictures accredited to totalsportslive.com, philly.com, zimbio.com, nflmocks.com, bestsportsphotos.com & sportstalkflorida.com
#5 Dominique Easley (2010-2013)
I begin this list with Dominique Easley, whose time at the University of Florida was plagued with injuries. His senior year, he played just one game before hurting his knee and missing the rest of the year. When he was healthy, Easley was an unstoppable force. He recorded 72 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.
Unfortunately, Easley won no collegiate awards due to him getting injured so much. However, he did help lead the Gators to the 2013 Sugar Bowl. In the game he recorded 5 tackles (3.5 for loss) in a 33-23 loss to the #21 Louisville Cardinals.
After withdrawing from UF during his senior year, Easley entered the 2014 NFL Draft and went 29th overall to the Patriots in the first round. He gets sporadic playing time in New England and is doing well his rookie year. As of Week 11, he has 10 tackles, one sack, and one interception.
The fact that the Patriots took Easley in the first round without him even playing his senior year is a testament to how good of a player he was during his time Florida.
#4 Shariff Floyd (2010-2012)
Playing right along side Easley was Shariff Floyd. In just three years at Florida, Floyd accumulated 92 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. He was an absolute beast in his last collegiate game, which was the 2013 Sugar Bowl. In that game, he had five tackles (two for loss), two sacks, and one blocked pass.
Some of Floyd's accolades include:
- First-team All-American in 2012
- First-team All-SEC in 2012
#3 Derrick Harvey (2005-2007) / Carlos Dunlap (2007-2009)
(Derrick Harvey is in white, Carlos Dunlap is in blue)
A member of Florida's 2006 National Championship team, Derrick Harvey was an integral cog in Florida's defense. In three years he compiled 90 total tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles.
In the 2007 BCS National Championship game, he was an absolute force as he had 4 tackles (three for loss), with three of them being sacks! His performance in the game was enough to earn him Defensive MVP honors as the Gators routed the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes on route to the program's second National Championship.
Nothing (except maybe the Heisman), could be better for a defensive player than winning the MVP Award of the National Championship Game, but Harvey's accolades don't stop there. Some of his other achievements include:
Like Floyd, Harvey forewent his senior year to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. He was selected eighth overall in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He would play five seasons in the NFL before hanging up his spikes in 2012.
As Harvey's time was ending at Florida, Carlos Dunlap's was beginning. Like a majority of this list, Dunlap was in college for just three years and he was also a member of the 2008 Florida Gator National Championship team. In his three college years, Dunlap recorded 84 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
When January rolled around, Dunlap upped his game. In the 2009 National Championship Game, he was able to win Defensive MVP honors with just four tackles (1.5 for loss), one sack, and one blocked pass in a 24-14 victory over the #1 Oklahoma Sooners. In the 2010 Sugar Bowl, Dunlap closed out his Florida career in style with three tackles (two for loss) and two sacks in a 51-24 drubbing of the #3 Cincinnati Bearcats.
On top of winning Defensive MVP of the National Championship, some of Dunlap's other accolades include:
- SEC Champion in 2008
- First-team All-SEC in 2009
#2 Alex Brown (1999-2001)
Alex Brown set records while playing for the Gators. He holds the record for sacks in a season when he recorded 13 in 1999 as a sophomore. Brown was only getting started when he broke this record. He would eventually break the record for sacks in a career at UF as he finished with 33.
In his final college game, he helped lead the Gators to a 56-23 victory in the 2002 Orange Bowl with a one sack, six tackle performance. In his three years playing at Florida, he compiled 155 total tackles and 33 career sacks.
Some other accolades of Brown's include:
- First-team All American in 1999 and 2001
- First-team All-SEC in 1999, 2000, and 2001
- SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2001
- SEC Champion in 2000
- UF Hall of Fame inductee in 2012
After Florida, Brown was drafted 104th overall in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He would make one Super Bowl appearance in his eight-year career before ending his career with the New Orleans Saints in 2010.
#1 Jack Youngblood (1968-1970)
Coming in at No. 1 is a Gator legend in Jack Youngblood. A part of the "Super Sophs" in 1969, he helped lead the Gators to a 9-1-1 record and a 1969 Gator Bowl victory. This was Florida's best record up to that point. Youngblood actually did finish out his college career, as he began playing for the Gators as a sophomore.
In his three years for the Orange and Blue, Youngblood compiled 148 total tackles and 29 sacks. His 29 sacks are the most on this list and remained a Gator record until the late 70's.
As the best defensive lineman (in my opinion) to come out of Florida, it is not surprising that Youngblood might have a few accolades under his belt. Some of these recognitions include:
- First-team All-SEC in 1970
- First-team All-American in 1970
- Named to All-time Florida Gators team in 1983
- Voted to the Florida Gator All-Century Team in 1991
- College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1992
- UF Hall of Fame inductee in 2001
- Inducted into Florida Football Ring of Honor in 2006 (with Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith, & Danny Wuerffel)
Very fittingly, Youngblood was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001. He is one of just two Gators from the Florida Football Ring of Honor to be in both the College Football and NFL Hall of Fame. The other Gator is Emmitt Smith, who was inducted in 2010.
Honorable Mention: David Galloway (1978-1981), Kevin Carter (1991-1994), Jermaine Cunningham (2006-2009), Dante Fowler Jr. (2012-2014)
I hope you enjoyed this Top 5 article! Next week I'll be ranking the Top 5 linebackers to play at the University of Florida. Until then, stay tuned to my upcoming article on the Gator basketball game against Kansas on December 5th and a potential article I might be writing on the next Gator head football coach.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com, College Football @ Sports-Reference.com, Pro-Football Reference.com, & Wikipedia.com
*All pictures accredited to totalsportslive.com, philly.com, zimbio.com, nflmocks.com, bestsportsphotos.com & sportstalkflorida.com
Saturday, November 29, 2014
UF Football: UF Blows Chance to Upset #3 FSU
The Florida Gators came up just short in their upset bid of undefeated #3 Florida State as they lost a tough one 24-19 in Tallahassee. The Gators squandered so many opportunities to win this game as they missed two field goals and threw a pick six in the red zone. This loss appropriately ends the Muschamp Era at Florida and I am happy he will not be coaching the bowl game.
I figured that Florida would go with a heavy run game as this strategy nearly worked for Boston College the week before against FSU. Unfortunately, Florida could never get its run game going as running backs Kelvin Taylor (37) and Matt Jones (29) combined for just 66 yards. The leading rusher was quarterback Treon Harris with 41 yards on nine rushes.
With the run game not working, the Gators had to go to the air. Treon completed 13 of his 32 passes for just 141 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Out of those two interceptions, the one that really hurt was the pick six thrown from Harris on the FSU 14-yard line in the first quarter. This completely changed the momentum of the game and was just one of many mistakes that cost the Gators the game. I will elaborate more on this interception later in the article.
In the receiving core, senior tight end Clay Burton caught the only Gator touchdown pass of the day on his lone 15-yard reception. Sophomore Demarcus Robinson led all receivers with four receptions for 71 yards. Robinson also dropped a critical pass on fourth down late in the game to essential secure the loss for Florida. I did not want to blame Treon because I thought the ball hit Robinson's hands. After looking at the play again though, I saw that Robinson only got his right hand on the ball. It was unfortunately a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver.
Now on to that pick-six. The only reason it happened was because Tevin Westbrook, a senior tight end, could not catch an easy pass thrown to him. The ball deflected off his hands right to FSU's Terrence Brooks who then proceeded to take it to the house. This single play resulted in Westbrook being benched for Burton. Westbrook already held a special place in our hearts for his touchdown drop against LSU, now we can make room for yet another gaffe that only came in the biggest game of the year.
I am not going to solely blame Demarcus Robinson's or Tevin Westbrook's drops for the loss. It would be ignorant of me to blame an entire game's outcome on just two dropped passes. However, I will say that these mistakes can be grouped in with the various factors I mentioned earlier that did cost the Gators the game.
The last thing I'll say about the offense is that it was still terrible. Muschamp was lucky that Austin Hardin (sort of) showed up or it would not have even been close. I believe that the last offensive series for the Gators was Will Muschamp spiting the whole university for firing him. Now this is just my OPINION and may not even be true, but let me elaborate.
After getting bailed out by a pass interference penalty on fourth down, the Gators had the ball at midfield with 2:11 left in the game. Muschamp then proceeded to call a deep pass on both first and second down. This made no sense to me. The run game might not have been working at all up to that point, but there was no reason to at least not give it another shot instead of having to solely rely on the arm of a true freshman quarterback in crunch time.
Even if Muschamp would have preferred to keep it in the air, he did not need to go all or nothing with deep passes. It would have been more efficient to just chip away at FSU's defense with short passes and let the receivers make plays with their legs. Regardless, Muschamp's offensive play calling at the end of this game showed me a lot about him. To me, it looked like he was just throwing the ball downfield in search of a miraculous touchdown instead of trying to systematically move the ball. The only reason that I personally think a coach would do this would be to stick it to a university that fired him.
Again, this is my opinion and it is most likely that Will Muschamp was not trying to spite UF. Still, he will always be remembered as the WORST head football coach in Florida Gators' history and this Gator fan right here will not miss him. He is better off not even coming back to Gainesville and, like I said in the opening paragraph, I'm happy he is not coaching the bowl game! I say that simply because he is just not a good head coach. As a person he is a great man, but great character cannot serve as a substitute for actually winning football games.
As the offense continued to play poorly, the defense played exceptionally well. They picked off Jameis Winston four times today and held him to just 125 passing yards. The Gators responsible for the four interceptions tonight were junior Brian Poole with two, senior Jabari Gorman, and freshman Quincy Wilson. In addition to his interception, Jabari Gorman led the team with nine tackles (one tackle for loss).
Redshirt senior Michael Taylor, junior Jonathan Bullard, redshirt sophomore Marcus Maye, and junior Antonio Morrison all combined for 16 tackles. Taylor had seven (two tackles for loss), Bullard had six (two tackles for loss), Maye had five (one tackle for loss), and Morrison had five (one tackle for loss). Junior Dante Fowler recorded the Gators' only sack of the night and had four tackles (one tackle for loss) in his final regular season game as a Florida Gator.
The defense shut down FSU's run game even though the Seminoles rushed for 181 yards. Both of FSU's offensive touchdowns came through the air on mismatches with senior tight end Nick O'Leary. Apart from that, Vernon Hargreaves III's secondary was on point as they recorded the four interceptions, broke up four passes, and blew no coverages.
In special teams, redshirt sophomore Austin Hardin could have been a hero today. He made four kicks with the longest being a new career-long of 52 yards. After making his first four, however, Hardin failed to make his next two kicks with the Gators down by just two points.
Even though he left six points on the board, Hardin should not be completely blamed for the loss either as the offense should have cashed in touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Still, it is gut-wrenching to think of what could have been had Hardin made all his kicks tonight.
In his last regular season game, senior Kyle Christy punted three balls for 139 yards. His longest punt was 53 yards and he landed one inside the 20 yard-line. He averaged 46.3 yards per punt.
The Gators now fall to 6-5 after being unable to defeat FSU for the second straight year. The Seminoles were not the better team as evidenced by the poor play of their "great" quarterback. This was a typical Florida Gator game. The offense did virtually nothing all game and the defense, as usual, had to carry the burden to keep the Gators in the game. Special teams somewhat showed up, but choked when it actually needed to make a play.
With Muschamp officially gone from the Gator sideline now, we can all be thankful that the style of play I mentioned above will no longer be a part of Gator football. The Gators will now await to see what bowl game they will be playing in. Some bowl games I think would be suitable are the: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Belk Bowl, or the Texas Bowl.
Looking at the bright side, we will at least get to see the Gators play one more time. Hopefully the team will show up and bring UF its first bowl victory since 2011. After the bowl game, Florida should soon name its new head football coach. A bowl win and a decent head coach would be a great way to cap of what has been once again another mediocre football season for the Gators.
As Florida lies in mediocrity, FSU keeps on trucking toward the College Football Playoff. After surviving for the EIGTH time this season, #3 Florida State remains undefeated at 12-0 and their 28 game-win streak remains intact. The will face #16 Georgia Tech (10-2) for the ACC Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week on December 6th. Kickoff time is yet to be determined.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
I figured that Florida would go with a heavy run game as this strategy nearly worked for Boston College the week before against FSU. Unfortunately, Florida could never get its run game going as running backs Kelvin Taylor (37) and Matt Jones (29) combined for just 66 yards. The leading rusher was quarterback Treon Harris with 41 yards on nine rushes.
With the run game not working, the Gators had to go to the air. Treon completed 13 of his 32 passes for just 141 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. Out of those two interceptions, the one that really hurt was the pick six thrown from Harris on the FSU 14-yard line in the first quarter. This completely changed the momentum of the game and was just one of many mistakes that cost the Gators the game. I will elaborate more on this interception later in the article.
In the receiving core, senior tight end Clay Burton caught the only Gator touchdown pass of the day on his lone 15-yard reception. Sophomore Demarcus Robinson led all receivers with four receptions for 71 yards. Robinson also dropped a critical pass on fourth down late in the game to essential secure the loss for Florida. I did not want to blame Treon because I thought the ball hit Robinson's hands. After looking at the play again though, I saw that Robinson only got his right hand on the ball. It was unfortunately a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver.
Now on to that pick-six. The only reason it happened was because Tevin Westbrook, a senior tight end, could not catch an easy pass thrown to him. The ball deflected off his hands right to FSU's Terrence Brooks who then proceeded to take it to the house. This single play resulted in Westbrook being benched for Burton. Westbrook already held a special place in our hearts for his touchdown drop against LSU, now we can make room for yet another gaffe that only came in the biggest game of the year.
I am not going to solely blame Demarcus Robinson's or Tevin Westbrook's drops for the loss. It would be ignorant of me to blame an entire game's outcome on just two dropped passes. However, I will say that these mistakes can be grouped in with the various factors I mentioned earlier that did cost the Gators the game.
The last thing I'll say about the offense is that it was still terrible. Muschamp was lucky that Austin Hardin (sort of) showed up or it would not have even been close. I believe that the last offensive series for the Gators was Will Muschamp spiting the whole university for firing him. Now this is just my OPINION and may not even be true, but let me elaborate.
After getting bailed out by a pass interference penalty on fourth down, the Gators had the ball at midfield with 2:11 left in the game. Muschamp then proceeded to call a deep pass on both first and second down. This made no sense to me. The run game might not have been working at all up to that point, but there was no reason to at least not give it another shot instead of having to solely rely on the arm of a true freshman quarterback in crunch time.
Even if Muschamp would have preferred to keep it in the air, he did not need to go all or nothing with deep passes. It would have been more efficient to just chip away at FSU's defense with short passes and let the receivers make plays with their legs. Regardless, Muschamp's offensive play calling at the end of this game showed me a lot about him. To me, it looked like he was just throwing the ball downfield in search of a miraculous touchdown instead of trying to systematically move the ball. The only reason that I personally think a coach would do this would be to stick it to a university that fired him.
Again, this is my opinion and it is most likely that Will Muschamp was not trying to spite UF. Still, he will always be remembered as the WORST head football coach in Florida Gators' history and this Gator fan right here will not miss him. He is better off not even coming back to Gainesville and, like I said in the opening paragraph, I'm happy he is not coaching the bowl game! I say that simply because he is just not a good head coach. As a person he is a great man, but great character cannot serve as a substitute for actually winning football games.
As the offense continued to play poorly, the defense played exceptionally well. They picked off Jameis Winston four times today and held him to just 125 passing yards. The Gators responsible for the four interceptions tonight were junior Brian Poole with two, senior Jabari Gorman, and freshman Quincy Wilson. In addition to his interception, Jabari Gorman led the team with nine tackles (one tackle for loss).
Redshirt senior Michael Taylor, junior Jonathan Bullard, redshirt sophomore Marcus Maye, and junior Antonio Morrison all combined for 16 tackles. Taylor had seven (two tackles for loss), Bullard had six (two tackles for loss), Maye had five (one tackle for loss), and Morrison had five (one tackle for loss). Junior Dante Fowler recorded the Gators' only sack of the night and had four tackles (one tackle for loss) in his final regular season game as a Florida Gator.
The defense shut down FSU's run game even though the Seminoles rushed for 181 yards. Both of FSU's offensive touchdowns came through the air on mismatches with senior tight end Nick O'Leary. Apart from that, Vernon Hargreaves III's secondary was on point as they recorded the four interceptions, broke up four passes, and blew no coverages.
In special teams, redshirt sophomore Austin Hardin could have been a hero today. He made four kicks with the longest being a new career-long of 52 yards. After making his first four, however, Hardin failed to make his next two kicks with the Gators down by just two points.
Even though he left six points on the board, Hardin should not be completely blamed for the loss either as the offense should have cashed in touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Still, it is gut-wrenching to think of what could have been had Hardin made all his kicks tonight.
In his last regular season game, senior Kyle Christy punted three balls for 139 yards. His longest punt was 53 yards and he landed one inside the 20 yard-line. He averaged 46.3 yards per punt.
The Gators now fall to 6-5 after being unable to defeat FSU for the second straight year. The Seminoles were not the better team as evidenced by the poor play of their "great" quarterback. This was a typical Florida Gator game. The offense did virtually nothing all game and the defense, as usual, had to carry the burden to keep the Gators in the game. Special teams somewhat showed up, but choked when it actually needed to make a play.
With Muschamp officially gone from the Gator sideline now, we can all be thankful that the style of play I mentioned above will no longer be a part of Gator football. The Gators will now await to see what bowl game they will be playing in. Some bowl games I think would be suitable are the: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Belk Bowl, or the Texas Bowl.
Looking at the bright side, we will at least get to see the Gators play one more time. Hopefully the team will show up and bring UF its first bowl victory since 2011. After the bowl game, Florida should soon name its new head football coach. A bowl win and a decent head coach would be a great way to cap of what has been once again another mediocre football season for the Gators.
As Florida lies in mediocrity, FSU keeps on trucking toward the College Football Playoff. After surviving for the EIGTH time this season, #3 Florida State remains undefeated at 12-0 and their 28 game-win streak remains intact. The will face #16 Georgia Tech (10-2) for the ACC Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, next week on December 6th. Kickoff time is yet to be determined.
*All stats accredited to Gatorzone.com
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