Tag: Amari Burney

Depth Chart: Gators light at WR ahead of Week 11 matchup with South Carolina

The Gators might be thin at wide receiver this weekend when South Carolina comes to the Swamp.

The Florida Gators are still dealing with injuries, particularly at the wide receiver position, according to the Week 11 depth chart update released Wednesday evening.

The team’s leading receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], is still listed as questionable after missing the Texas A&M game, and backup [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] is out with an upper-body injury. Fraziars made his first-career start against the Aggies last week, so Florida will be down to it’s reserve options on Saturday.

Shorter is still listed as the starter, but freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] is set to make his first career start if he can’t go. Behind him and [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] will be Marcus Burke and [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] with [autotag]Kahleil Jackson[/autotag] as another option. [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is the starter in the slot.

The wide receiver room isn’t the only position group to deal with injuries. Starting left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with an upper-body injury. White is still listed as the starter, but that decision will be made as kickoff approaches.

Freshman kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag], who has exclusively served as Florida’s kickoff man this season, is out for a second straight week after missing the Texas A&M game. [autotag]Travis Freeman [/autotag]will back up [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] for all kicking duties.

At linebacker, [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] is back on the depth chart and off the injury report. He’s listed as a third-team option behind [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag].

Tight end Keon Zipperer will miss a second-straight game, and that’s all for the depth chart update this week. [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] are all out as well.

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Florida football to recognize seniors, others in final home game of 2022

The Florida Gators football team will recognize 17 players at its annual Senior Day when South Carolina comes to Gainesville this Saturday.

The Florida Gators will host the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday in their last home game of the 2022 season. The game will serve as the football program’s Senior Day, recognizing 17 players in [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s first season in charge of the Orange and Blue.

The game will also serve as the program’s Salute to Service game, honoring members of the armed forces, veterans, and local first responders throughout the day. The Gators will also honor their 1992 and 1997 football teams.

Those seniors will be doing their part to help the Gators achieve bowl eligibility this season. Making a bowl game would guarantee the Gators additional practices that would go a long way in setting the tone for the 2023 season.

Of the 17 seniors the Gators will honor, only four scholarship players can not return next season: [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag], [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag], and [autotag]Jordan Pouncey[/autotag]. This implies that the Gators will be active in the transfer portal and that Billy Napier’s roster overhaul is nowhere near finished, as explained in my column last week.

Saturday’s matchup against South Carolina is sold out, marking the 4th time the Gators have sold out a football game in Billy Napier’s first season at the helm. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST, with Senior Day activities to precede the kick. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

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Depth Chart: Florida dealing with injuries ahead of Texas A&M game

We know Florida will have to make up for the loss of Brenton Cox Jr. this week, but that wasn’t the only change made to the depth chart ahead of Texas A&M.

There were a number of notable changes on the weekly update to Florida’s depth chart, most of which had to do with injuries and departures from the team.

Following the departure of JACK linebacker [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]., [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag]. is now listed as the starter with [autotag]Lloyd Summerall III[/autotag] and David Reese behind him. Summerall should be the No. 2, but he is coming off an injury.

Nickelback Kamar Wilcoxson’s third-string spot at the STAR position was left blank this week.

Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] might be the most notable addition to the injury report. Florida’s leading receiver is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest with a lower-body injury. Shorter ranks in the top 10 for receiving yards among SEC players and has hauled in a pair of touchdown passes this year.

Expect sophomore [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] to receive an increased workload if Shorter can’t go.

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also dealing with an injury and won’t play on Saturdays. An Instagram post that was later deleted sparked some fear that he’d be out for the rest of the year, but Billy Napier said there’s still hope for him to return this year.

“Keon, I don’t know where that got blown out of — that’s wild,” Napier said with a smile. “Keon’ got a little bit of a knee (injury). Nothing long-term there. It’s very much to be determined based off his rehab and recovery right now. We don’t expect him to be available this weekend, but long-term no issue there.”

Inside linebacker [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] is questionable to play as well, but the corps of [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] should hold up with true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Derek Wing[/autotag]o behind them.

Linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag], tight ends [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore [/autotag]were all listed as out once again. Napier provided an update on Moore following a shoulder surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

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WATCH: Anthony Richardson connects with WR for 78-yard TD against Georgia

Florida’s got something brewing in the second half against Georgia. Anthony Richardson just connected with Xzavier Henderson for a 78-yard TD.

Florida came out of the first half down 28-3 against Georgia, but the Gators weren’t ready to give up. UF is in the middle of what would be a comeback for the ages, and quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] just provided the highlight play of the game.

After opening up the second half with a touchdown drive to make it 28-10, [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] forced a pair of turnovers that swung the momentum in Florida’s favor. The first possession only ended with three points, but Richardson connected with wide receiver [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] for a 78-yard touchdown, a career-long for both men.

Florida’s chances to win were slim entering halftime, but the Gators have played well enough to put the nation on alert. Whatever Billy Napier said to the team during the break sparked something in the players, and it’s been a completely different game since.

Those Florida fans who left at the half are likely kicking themselves for missing out on an incredible third quarter. Here’s a look at the play in question and some reactions from the Florida faithful.

USA TODAY Sports projects Florida to play a familiar opponent in bowl game

According to USA TODAY Sports’ latest bowl projections, the Florida Gators are projected to play in the Las Vegas Bowl against a recent foe.

USA TODAY Sports has released its updated bowl projections following Week 6 of the college football season. They currently have the Florida Gators playing the Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl, set to take place on Dec. 17.

Florida and Utah have already seen each other on the field this season, with the Gators pulling off the upset win over the defending Pac-12 champions 29-26 in [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s first game as Florida’s head coach. The game served as a coming-out party for [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], whose electric play kept the Gators in the game. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag]’s interception preserved the win deep into the game’s final drive.

The projected Las Vegas bowl would be interesting, but very unlikely to happen. A post-season rematch between teams that met in the first game of the season does not typically happen. If it does, it usually has national championship implications tied to the rematch. This game would not. On top of that, the return leg of their home-and-home is scheduled to open the 2023 season in Salt Lake City. Both programs would challenge this bowl assignment so these teams don’t have to see each other three times in a calendar year.

Next up for the Gators is a rivalry game against LSU. The game will be Napier’s and LSU coach Brian Kelly’s first meeting in the rivalry. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Here’s CBS Sports’ outlook ahead of the Florida-EWU game

Here’s what CBS Sports’ staff thinks of Sunday’s noon affair in the Swamp.

It has been a harrowing week for the Sunshine State in the wake of Hurricane Ian, which caused billions of dollars of damage as it pummeled the peninsula with heavy rains, wind and flooding. As a precaution, college football games that had been slated at major schools were rescheduled, including the Florida Gators’ matchup with the FCS Eastern Washington Eagles in the Swamp, which was moved back a day to Sunday.

The visitors have never stepped foot on a football field in Florida while also never having faced a Southeastern Conference team in their history. Not only that, but Sunday’s game marks the third attempt at playing this game after being postponed due to COVID in 2020 and this year’s delay due to the storm.

While the matchup does not raise many eyebrows on paper, the CBS Sports college football staff broke down what they expect to see in the makeup game. Below is why they believe that Florida will cover the 29.5-point spread.

Florida will be looking to wash the taste of two early SEC losses out of their mouths but will take at least some solace in the play of starting quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson [/autotag]last week in the loss to Tennessee. After throwing four interceptions without a touchdown pass and failing to throw for more than 168 yards in his first three games, Richardson threw for 453 yards and two scores while adding 62 yards and two scores on the ground. He’s a premier athlete that an FCS opponent should be ill-equipped to handle and prepping for the 6-foot-4-inch, 236-pounder will be a problem for the Eagles.

Meanwhile, the Florida defense has forced seven turnovers in the first four games of the year and could have opportunities to steal possessions again on Sunday against an Eastern Washington offense that has turned the ball over five times. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] has three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble already this year and could play a major role on Sunday.

On the other hand, here is a look at how they think EWU can cover the spread.

Eastern Washington is a proud program with a long history of success and Aaron Best will have his squad ready to compete. The Eagles have made the FCS playoffs in three of the last four seasons and have been to the semifinals or further in five of the last 12 seasons, including a national championship win in 2010 and a runner-up finish in 2018.

Quarterback Gunner Talkington has thrown for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns with just three interceptions so far this year and he could tax a Florida defense that gave up 576 yards to Tennessee last week. Freddie Roberson (11-214-2) and Efton Chism III (16-145-3) are his two top receivers and if they can manage to have a big day, the Eagles could hang around in this one.

The game is set to kick off at noon EDT on Sunday inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and can either be watched on the SEC Network+ or heard on the Gators Radio Network.

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Florida announces Players of the Week for Tennessee game

Florida may have lost on Saturday, but there will still plenty of performances worth recognizing from the boys in Orange in Blue.

Despite the final score of Saturday’s game between Florida and Tennessee, there was a lot to like from the Gators.

On Monday, the team took a moment to recognize the top performers from the contest and revealed who the Players of the Week were. Three players on offense, defense and special teams (game-changers) were selected.

On offense, quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] and receivers [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] got the nod. Richardson provided 515 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in what was easily the best game of his collegiate career so far. Shorter led the way with seven receptions for 155 yards, and Pearsall also broke the century mark (103 yards) on five grabs.

Safety [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and linebacker/STAR [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] earned the honors on defense. Miller played hurt after missing just one week with an ankle injury and totaled six tackles against Tennesse while forcing a fumble and recovering another. Torrence led the team in total tackles with 13 (11 solo), and he also broke up a pass. Burney finished second on the team with eight tackles (seven solo), including 2.5 tackles for a loss, a pair of sacks for nine yards and a forced fumble.

Punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] were all recognized for their efforts on special teams. Black made the big play of the night, snatching the ball out of the air on the onside kick to give Florida a last-second shot at the end zone. Crawshaw only delivered one punt on the night, but it landed inside the 20 and [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] missed his field goal, so it sort of had to be him. Wilson finished with five total tackles, including one on a kickoff return.

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Florida-Tennessee headlines USA TODAY Sports’s biggest Week 4 matchups

USA TODAY Sports is amped about this afternoon’s tangle in Tennessee.

Week 4 of college football has finally arrived and with it comes Saturday’s marquee matchup between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers in Neyland Stadium. The 52nd meeting between these two historic Southeastern Conference rivals brings a high level of excitement as both the Gators and Vols sit in the top 25 of both major polls coming into the game.

The series in more recent years has been dominated by the Orange and Blue, which has won 16 of the last 17 meetings as well as five-straight. However, this year’s team on Rocky Top appears to be a formidable opponent that is perched to snap the streak and revive this once-heated rivalry.

USA TODAY Sports’ Eddie Timanus surveyed the biggest matchups in Week 4 and chose the UF-UT game as the superlative, offering the following breakdown of Saturday’s gridiron grind.

Why watch: The level of optimism in Knoxville is higher than it’s been in years with the Vols flying high. They’ll have to be ready to take on a desperate bunch of Gators, whose league hopes would be all but extinguished if they lose a second SEC East contest. Florida QB [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] still seeks his first TD pass of the season as defenses have taken away his running lanes since his strong opening performance against Utah. He can expect more of the same, with Vols LB Aaron Beasley likely to provide the surveillance. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is pick free through three games, making excellent use of WRs Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. Gators LB [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag], whose end-zone INT saved the Utah victory, will try to make Hooker’s job difficult.

Why it could disappoint: Tennessee is also fighting history, having dropped 16 of the last 17 series meetings. But Florida might not have the fire power to mount a rally should it fall behind on the road.

Florida and Tennessee are slated to face off in Neyland Stadium on Saturday starting at 3:30 p.m. EDT and can be watched on CBS Sports as well as heard on the Gators Radio Network.

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Big changes made to Florida’s depth chart ahead of Week 3 meeting with USF

The Gators will be down two key starters in Week 3 against the USF Bulls, according to the newest depth chart. Here’s who is replacing them.

Florida’s Week 3 depth chart confirmed what many fans had feared since the conclusion of the Kentucky game last weekend: starting linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and starting right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] are out with lower body injuries and no public timetable for a return.

Billy Napier left things at “they won’t play this week” when asked about the severity of the injuries, but he did name their replacements on the weekly depth chart that is provided each Wednesday night before a game.

Redshirt freshman [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] is taking over for Tarquin on the right side of the line with [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] serving as his backup. Waites was previously starting left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraigae[/autotag]’s backup, but Josh Braun has moved into that role for now.

Braun is best served as a backup guard, but Napier decided that he’s the best option to come in at left tackle with Barber now in a starting role. The new addition to the offensive line rotation is freshman [autotag]Jalen Farmer[/autotag] at right guard. 

For Miller, Jeremiah [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] is his listed backup, and the expectation is to see true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] get some more snaps as well.

As far as the other injured players go, the same five from last week are still listed with just one exception. Cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] has been upgraded from “Out” to “Questionable,” which is an encouraging sign for a player that missed all of last year following ACL surgery. Hill could be back in the next few weeks, which would give the Gators another weapon in the secondary to work with.

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Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for Week 3 matchup with USF

After missing most of last season with a torn bicep, Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller is back on the injury report and will miss Saturday’s game against the USF Bulls.

For the second straight year, the Florida Gators are losing linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] to injury heading into Week 3 of the season.

In 2021, Miller tore his bicep in a Week 2 matchup with the USF Bulls. This season, he’ll miss the rematch because of a lower-body injury, according to Florida’s Week 3 depth chart.

While last year’s injury kept him out for the remainder of the season, it’s unclear just how bad things are for Miller this time around. Head coach Billy Napier left it at “he won’t play this week,” which leaves plenty to the imagination.

The team lost its identity when Miller went down a year ago, and it was a big decision to return for a sixth year to the program. Defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] Sr. called him the “quarterback of the defense,” and said that losing him “makes it very difficult” for the team.

Miller is a loud, experienced presence that’s helped guide UF’s defense over the first two weeks of the year. He’s second on the team with 15 total tackles and came up big a few times against Utah.

Jeremiah [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] will step into the starting role, per the depth chart, but expect plenty of field time for true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] as well. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is now the lead man in the position group.

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