Tag: press conference

‘We feel good’: Todd Golden previews Florida basketball season

Gators men’s basketball coach Todd Golden likes where the team’s at leading up to the season-opener.

Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden shared an optimistic outlook on his team’s progress on Thursday, praising his players’ effort, commitment and development during a very productive training camp.

Entering his third year with the Gators, Golden emphasized the depth of the team’s roster as well as the team’s balanced offensive potential and ability to perform under pressure. With a focus on reaching top-40 defensive status, Golden is confident that Florida will shape into a strong, cohesive group poised for success as they prepare for their season-opening game against South Florida on Nov. 4.

Golden met with the media on Thursday and these are some things to take away from what he said.

Feelings on where the team’s at right now

“We feel good about where we’re at. I think we’ve had a good training camp. Feel like the guys have done a really good job of working collectively towards being ready to go for the beginning of the year. I thought we weren’t necessarily great in our first scrimmage, some positive things, but some things we need to do better.

“I thought we were better this past Saturday, just more complete, a little more physical, better on the glass. Looked more like the group that we want to be over the course of the year. So I think we’re tracking, but until we play the real games, TBD.”

The health of the team

“We’re in pretty good shape. I think as of today, we’ll have everybody lined up and ready to go for next week. Obviously, it’s end of training camp. Guys have bumps and bruises, some some soreness here and there. But overall, big picture we’re in good shape heading into the opener.”

Alijah Martin’s preseason performance vs. Charleston

“He played fantastic, obviously, was very efficient. I thought was impactful, not just scoring the ball, though, in all areas, did a great job defending and getting on the glass. And that’s kind of the benefit of having that perimeter with Walt (Clayton Jr.), Will (Richard), Alijah (Martin), Denzel (Aberdeen).

“These guys are all potent. They can all get you 20 (points) on any given night. Just having the ability to take advantage of a matchup where maybe a weaker defender is guarding one of those guys is going to benefit us all year. They’ve continued to be unselfish and play together.

“Saturday was Alijah’s turn. Monday, it could be Will’s or Walt’s or Denzel’s. We’ll see what it looks like. But I really think that’s going to be kind of the most important part of our success this season is that those guys continue to be unselfish. If they do that, we should be fine.”

Striving to be just as good on defense as on offense

“Just continuing to build off of our offensive success last year and, like we’ve talked about a lot, just making sure we can get in the ballpark defensively of being a really good team. Our goal internally is to be a top-40 defense. I think we were 91 or two or three on KenPom so that’s a big jump. That’s not going to be easy to do.

“But, I do think if we’re able to accomplish that, it will give us a good landing spot for where we want to go. Obviously, the defensive side of the ball being much better but without sacrificing any of the growth we’ve made on the offensive side of the ball.”

Feeling good on the team’s depth

“Yeah, I am. I think our roster’s continued to improve every year. I think depth is something that we have this year, obviously. We gotta stay healthy also. That’s really important. But guys like Kajus (Kublickas) now being a second year player. I feel better about his ability to help us in games.

“Isaiah Brown is a playable freshman. He’s a guy that’s capable. He’s behind some really talented older guys in front of him, but if we had an injury or if we had an issue, I think Isaiah could be more than serviceable out there and our front court’s deep right now with those four guys. So I feel good about that. But you can never have enough, for sure.”

Walter Clayton’s preseason accolades

“He’s been great. I think Walt (Clayton) is a guy that has a lot of confidence regardless. I think whether he was named preseason Naismith or not, he was going to be very confident in his abilities in a good way. So I think he takes it in stride.

“I think he appreciates the recognition, but he understands that at the end of the day, it’s more important to be on that list at the end of the year than it is at the beginning. And it’s gonna be very important that our team has a lot of success for him to continue to be recognized as well as other guys in a program like Will or Elijah.”

Florida basketball season opener

The Gators will face the South Florida Bulls in the Jacksonville Sports Foundation Invitational to open the schedule on Monday, Nov. 4 in Jacksonville. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Gators Sports Network.

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Gators football LB talks Brandon Spikes, Florida-Georgia Rivalry

Gators linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard talked about Brandon Spikes’ impact and the Florida-Georgia rivalry during Wednesday’s presser.

As Florida football gears up for their highly anticipated matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, Gators sophomore inside linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard reflects on one of the biggest rivalries in college football.

Howard remembers the impact of Brandon Spikes‘ iconic hit on running back Knowshon Moreno during the Gators’ matchup with Georgia back in 2008.

“Oh yeah. I mean, you see that everywhere,” Howard said about the hit during Wednesday’s press conference. “But, I mean, I’ve definitely seen it a couple of times.”

Spikes has been around the team, sharing his insight and giving advice to the players.

“I mean, it’s phenomenal,” Howard said about Spikes’ impact. “I mean, having a linebacker great that played here, he understands what we go through. I mean, his insight has, I mean, tremendously boosted everybody in the linebackers room.”

There’s no question that the storied rivalry between the Gators and Bulldogs is a focal point for the team, serving as a source of motivation throughout the week.

Howard emphasized the importance of understanding rivalries from the moment new players joined the Florida football program.

“I mean, it’s been motivation throughout practice and throughout the week and, you know, rivalries and everything like that,” Howard said about the Florida-Georgia rivalry.

“We had this thing called rivalry 101, where we talked about rivalries with transfers and freshmen when we first got here. So we learned about it earlier, when we first got here. But no, it’s a big game, and we know it’s a rivalry game.”

Howard mentioned that his family will be at the game on Saturday.

“My mom, my pops, my brother,” Howard said. “I got my siblings, so I’m going to have the whole family there.”

Howard, previously at South Carolina, transferred to Florida this past offseason and has logged 33 total tackles, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries this season.

How to watch Florida vs. Georgia

The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Florida football center talks Week 10 matchup against Georgia

Gators veteran center Jake Slaughter talks about the upcoming matchup with Georgia on Saturday.

Redshirt junior center Jake Slaughter is ready for the challenge this Saturday as Florida football heads to Jacksonville to play the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

Slaughter, playing in his fourth season with the Gators, is the veteran of this offensive line and leads the line in most offensive snaps this season with 425.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Slaughter is ranked seventh in the country among centers in pass blocking with a grade of 85.4. His offensive grade of 77.9 puts him at No. 8 on the list of centers in the nation.

In the Gators’ last game, a home victory against the Kentucky Wildcats, Slaughter had the best PFF run block grade among the team’s offensive line with a 70.5.

Slaughter spoke with the media on Wednesday night and this is what he had to say leading up to the matchup with the Bulldogs.

The challenge of Georgia’s defensive front

“So they’re very multiple. That’s always challenging. You know, we’re a rule-based organization from the bottom up, so you have rules for every type of front, everything they’re going to show you, but they move a lot. It’s a lot of backward plugs.

“They do a little bit of the defensive back stuff, you know, backfield rotating and plugging and playing…It’s challenging, and some you look forward to playing against.”

The improvement of the Gators offensive-line

“I think we’ve taken a lot of great steps forward. I think there’s certainly room to improve in all aspects of our game, but I think we’ve definitely made solid improvements. And, you know, like I said earlier, it’s cohesiveness as a unit. It’s gelling together. You know, then it also comes down to technique and fundamentals that we’ve continued to improve.”

Austin Barber’s toughness

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Austin Barber is one of the toughest guys in our room, and one of the toughest guys I know. He’ll play through about anything…It says a lot about him as a man, as a football player.”

Loves playing with DJ Lagway

“DJ’s (Lagway) just fun to play with man. You know, every time he drops back, there’s potential for him to just make some unreal throw. So, yeah, that plays a lot in the belief. And I don’t want to leave Graham (Mertz) either.

“He’s (Lagway) a lot of fun to play with here. He’s got some swag to him. You know, we look up to him. He proved he can do it, so there’s no doubt in DJ. And he knows he’s got some, you know, some juice behind him.”

The challenges of establishing the run against Georgia’s linebackers

“Yeah, I mean, they’re good in the box. They’re really good. They’ve got linebackers…Well, you know, up front, they’re a good unit. So it’s like, anytime you’re playing against good players, you gotta go for good playing fundamentals and techniques across the board.”

How to watch Florida vs. Georgia

The Gators go up against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.

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Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green entering Penn State week

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell gives injury update on WR Bryson Green for Penn State game

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell gave an update on the status of wide receiver Bryson Green during his media availability on Monday.

He described the veteran wide receiver as ‘more of a game-time decision’ entering Saturday’s game against Penn State, that after Green missed the Badgers’ last two games with a lower-body injury.

Related: Wisconsin releases updated two-deep depth chart for Week 9 game vs. Penn State

Fickell clarified that the original plan was for Green to return this week against the Nittany Lions. His status for the game, however, appears dependent on this week of practice.

Green had 12 catches for 154 yards through the Badgers’ first four games of the season. His best outing was in the team’s loss at USC — four catches for 65 receiving yards. He left Wisconsin’s win over Purdue early with a lower-body injury and has yet to return to the field.

Wisconsin would likely again turn to C.J. Williams and Vinny Anthony to play increased roles if Green is to miss a third consecutive contest.

The Badgers and Nittany Lions are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.

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Northwestern QB Jack Lausch: 20-point loss to Wisconsin ‘didn’t reflect how we played’

Northwestern QB Jack Lausch shares his thought after Wisconsin’s 23-3 win:

Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch was not discouraged by his team’s performance in its 23-3 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.

“I don’t think much changed [from last week’s win over Maryland],” Lausch began. “We executed well, we moved the ball well. That’s the crazy part about football, you get down in the red zone and if you don’t execute, the score doesn’t reflect how you move the ball sometimes. I thought as a whole we could have executed a lot better obviously. I think this was close. I think the score didn’t reflect how we played…I don’t think there’s far to go.”

Related: What Northwestern head coach David Braun and players said after loss to Wisconsin

He shares the sentiment after Saturday’s game saw Northwestern finish with 209 total yards — 82 of which come through the air. The Wildcats drove inside the Badgers red zone twice. The first trip ended with a blocked field goal and the second with a made 26-yard chip shot field goal.

Here is Northwestern’s full drive chart from the 20-point loss:

  • Four plays, 32 yards — punt
  • Six plays, 14 yards — punt
  • Three plays, two yards — punt
  • Four plays, eight yards — missed field goal
  • 11 plays, 65 yards — blocked field goal
  • Three plays, seven yards — punt
  • Three plays, two yards — fumble
  • 13 plays, 59 yards — field goal
  • Three plays, three yards — punt
  • One play, -18 yards — safety
  • Three plays, seven yards — punt
  • Three plays, -1 yards — punt

That is 12 total drives excluding a kneel-down to end the first half. One safety, seven punts, a fumble and three field goal attempts. That is not quite a dynamic afternoon from the offensive group.

The star of the game, then, was the Badger defense against a Wildcats offense that had shown some recent life. Saturday was the second time in three weeks Wisconsin held its opponent out of the end zone entirely. It has now allowed just 16 total points over that three-game stretch — that form directly coinciding with the start of the team’s three-game win streak.

Northwestern drops to 3-4 with the loss. It has solid strong form at times this season, including its 37-10 road win at Maryland. But an outing with 82 passing yards and 209 total yards often won’t be enough to beat top Big Ten competition.

Wisconsin is back on the field next Saturday against No. 3 Penn State.

Northwestern, meanwhile, moves forward with a road trip to Iowa. Lausch and the Wildcats offense will need to find significant improvement if the team is to reopen the possibility of bowl eligibility.

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Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

The Buffalo Bills have signed free agent kicker Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad the team announced on Thursday.

The Bills released wide receiver Ahmarean Brown from the practice squad to make room for Havrisik.

Havrisik has appeared in just nine games in the NFL. They all came in 2023 for the Los Angeles Rams. Last year he made 15-of-20 field goals (75%) and converted 19-of-22 extra points (86.4%). He also spent some time on the practice squad for the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

Havrisik’s kicking percentages would rank towards the bottom of the barrel when it comes to NFL kicking. But, current Bills kicker Tyler Bass ranks that poorly right now.

Bass has had an inconsistent year through six weeks of the season. And his struggles date back to last year.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott expressed his concern with Bass.

McDermott said bluntly, “I can understand everyone’s concern [with Bass]. I’m concerned the same.”

The concern about Bass’ performance is what led to the Bills bringing in two free-agent kickers for workouts in September. And the concern remains a month later.

McDermott did, however, express his confidence that Bass would turn it around.

“He’s had some really good kicks in some really good moments, and some that weren’t his best,” McDermott said. “That’s part of the journey as well. I’m confident that he’ll continue to work through that and his best football is ahead of him.”

On Monday night against the New York Jets, Bass missed a field goal from 47 yards and he also missed an extra point that wasn’t particularly close to the uprights. It was a very windy night in East Rutherford in Bass’ defense.

Bass is 9-of-12 on field goals for the year. His 75% field goal percentage ranks 28th in the NFL. His 90% conversion rate on extra points ranks 32nd in the NFL.

The added competition in the special teams room with Havrisik can’t hurt.

The Bills need to turn their kicking around for the rest of the year. Bass will get a chance to get back on track against the Tennessee Titans at home in Week 7.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell discusses playing in Northwestern’s temporary stadium

Luke Fickell discussed the odd location of Saturday’s game:

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell is not concerned with the context or the setting surrounding his team’s trip to Evanston, Illinois to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.

That setting: Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium — a temporary facility built for the 2024 and 2025 seasons as Northwestern completes construction on the new Ryan Field.

Related: What Northwestern head coach David Braun said about Wisconsin football, Phil Longo and QB Braedyn Locke

For Badgers fans who haven’t followed this story, that means the days of a 3/4-empty Ryan Field with ankle-long grass are in the past. Wisconsin’s final game in that building was its 42-7 win over the Wildcats in 2022, Jim Leonhard’s first game as interim head coach.

Northwestern has since moved to this temporary setup. It is 2-2 in the new building this season with wins over Miami (OH) and Eastern Illinois, and losses to Duke and Indiana. Saturday will actually be the final game played there this season, as the Wildcats will move to play the remainder of its home games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Here is a look at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, a 12,000-seat practice field with one sideline abutting Lake Michigan.

Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; A general view of the temporary Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium where the Northwestern Wildcats will play the Miami (Oh) Redhawks in a football game. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Fickell was asked about playing in the unique setting during his media availability this week. He did not want to buy into the new stadium as any significant storylines.

“Wherever they ask us to play or tell us to play, we’ll play,” Fickell said. “If it’s a parking lot, we’ll play in a parking lot. I don’t think we got a whole lot to say after how we performed and how we played [against Northwestern] last year. So I couldn’t care less where we’re playing at and what the situation is.”

That performance he references is a 24-10 loss to the Wildcats at Camp Randall Stadium. The loss was the low point of the 2023 season for the Badgers, and was the game that led Northwestern to remove the ‘interim’ tag from head coach David Braun.

Fickell expanded on his message to the team and how the players should handle the trip.

“Anytime you go on the road in the Big Ten you’re going to have to handle some things,” Fickell continued. “Whether it’s a new stadium, whether it’s the wind. Whether it’s a locker room. It is what it is. Not going to spend a lot of time worrying about that. But obviously our guys will be aware that it’s not where they’ve probably played in the past or what they would expect. But again that can’t be any distraction or of any concern this week. Because we have a lot of work to do.”

Members of that 2022 team who currently start for the 2024 Badgers include WR Vinny Anthony, LT Jack Nelson, LG Joe Brunner, RT Riley Mahlman, TE Riley Nowakowski, DL Ben Barten and Curt Neal, OLB Darryl Peterson, ILB Jake Chaney, CB Ricardo Hallman and Austin Brown, and S Hunter Wohler and Preston Zachman.

A lot has changed since the 2022 Badgers led by Graham Mertz got Jim Leonhard his first win as a head coach. This trip to Evanston, Illinois guarantees to be different, both in the context surrounding the game and in its location.

All eyes should now turn to the weather forecast and the wind dial readings. Whether Fickell focuses on it or not, this new stadium setting has the chance to severely impact the on-field play.

Wisconsin and Northwestern will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.

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Billy Napier talks preparation for road matchup at Tennessee

Billy Napier says players have to be “tough minded” to play on the road as the Gators play at Tennessee in Week 7.

After defeating the UCF Knights 24-13 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida football has won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

They look to make it three-straight wins, but it’s a tall task because they have to play on the road in Knoxville, Tennessee against the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers in a ruckus Neyland Stadium.

Despite Tennessee losing to the Arkansas Razorbacks in their last game, this team should not be taken lightly. They have one of the best scoring defenses in the country and they will be playing with a lot of energy, especially coming off a brutal loss on the road.

Florida head coach Billy Napier met with the media on Monday and here’s what he had to say about the Volunteers.

Napier credits Tennessee’s football team

“Tennessee has a really good football team,” Napier said. “I think all three parts of their team, present challenges. (I) have a ton of respect for how they play, the tempo and offense, but the physicality of the run game paired with the explosive plays, the vertical shots and the perimeter concepts can be very challenging, and I think defensively they continue to get better.”

Respect for the Volunteers

“They play really hard, and I think they’re sound in what they do, and they’ve been very productive,” Napier said. “So going to play in Knoxville against the team that, in my opinion, has a ton of capability and certainly has been impressive so far this year. I know they struggled a little bit last week, but in our league right now, each week is like an NFL game. It’s coming down to the last second. So we’ve got respect for Tennessee.”

Napier talks about the Florida-Tennessee rivalry

“Obviously, this is a rivalry game, one that has a ton of history and tradition,” Napier mentioned. “You know, I grew up watching this game, and certainly have a ton of family dynamics here in terms of having history with this game, so we know the importance, and certainly our players are going to be focused and excited about preparing.”

Napier went on to say, “I do think fundamentals are very, very important in games like this, and I do think you have to be tough minded to go play on the road in this league, and that’ll be part of the prep. And overall, (I’m) excited about the week here and looking forward to getting to work with the players today.”

Napier gives praise to Tennessee’s quarterback

“He’s a unicorn,” Napier said about Tennnessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. “But he’s a big, athletic (player). I mean, he’s ripping balls in the outside…15, 20 yards deep. You know, he’s throwing all the vertical shots. He’s got (a) big time arm. He’s accurate. He can escape, extend (plays). He’s just a young player. He’s getting experience and he’ll continue to get better. But (there’s) a lot of hype around him and I think on the tape, you can see why.”

Up next for the Gators

Florida travels on the road to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Purdue head coach Ryan Walters offers blunt assessment of team after blowout loss to Wisconsin

Purdue head coach Ryan Walters had blunt assessment of team after blowout loss to Wisconsin

Purdue head coach Ryan Walters was clear in his assessment of the Boilermakers after their 52-6 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday:

“The most disappointing thing is, if I’m being completely honest, that we’re a bad football team right now,” Walters said postgame.

Related: Studs and duds from Wisconsin’s 52-6 win over Purdue: Trech Kekahuna emerges

The comments come after the Boilermakers dropped to 1-4 on the season with the blowout loss to the Badgers. It was their fourth-straight defeat, all by a decisive margin. The team currently ranks No. 114 in the nation in ESPN FPI and No. 89 in SP+ after the loss — challenging to be the single worst team in the Power 4.

It has been outscored 184-44 during its four-game losing streak. Walters even made changes after the third loss, firing offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and promoting analyst Jason Simmons to the role. The Boilermakers then managed just six points against the Badgers, while Walters’ defense allowed 52.

The assessment from Purdue’s head coach doesn’t lack truth. The Boilermakers have regressed significantly after a 4-8 season in 2023 in his first year at the helm.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, answered some questions with its performance on Saturday. Some still remain — mostly surrounding whether the team can replicate that performance against better competition.

Wisconsin’s first chance to answer that question comes next Saturday when the team travels to play a strong Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) team.

Purdue continues with games against No. 23 Illinois, No. 3 Oregon, Northwestern, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Penn State, Michigan State and No. 18 Indiana. The team has a real path to a 2-10 or 1-11 finish.

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Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers need to find No. 1 lead running back

Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell: Badgers need to find No. 1 lead running back

Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell met with the media on Monday to discuss the state of the team entering Saturday’s Week 6 matchup against Purdue.

One topic of discussion was the running back room. Wisconsin has yet to see a clear top running back emerge, with Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker mostly splitting snaps and carries.

Fickell was clear in his vision for the position. He says the Badgers need to find a lead No. 1 running back, clear No. 2, and so on.

“We have a little of a tough ride right now at the running back spot,” Fickell said, “Meaning we have a bunch of guys. And it’s probably one of the things that I am going to kind of put on the offense a little more. To say ‘Look, I don’t know that you can play four or five running backs.’ We’ve got to focus in on, ‘Hey, who’s going to be No. 1, who’s going to be the next guy, and then who’s the spare.’ It doesn’t give them an opportunity to get in rhythms. Chez [Mellusi] being one of those guys, Tawee [Walker] being another one. So we’re going to have to figure it out.”

Mellusi has 232 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries through four games thus. Walker has 147 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries, though he missed the team’s Week 2 win over South Dakota. Others to receive include Cade Yacamelli (12 carries, 153 yards) and true freshman Darrion Dupree (16 carries, 61 yards).

Fickell’s tone that finding a lead running back is something he will ‘put on the offense a little more’ points to this change possibly happening as soon as Saturday. In his words, the staff needs to give the backs a chance to ‘get hot.’

“That’s what’s really kind of difficult for Chez, for Tawee. Even for some of the young guys,” Fickell continued. “When we talk about continuing to develop, finding winning habits. We need to find winning combinations too. There’s not one thing you can say that ‘this is going to give us the best opportunity.’ It’s going to have to be the body of work. We’re going to have to give some guys opportunities early in games and have to ride with them a little bit more…Right now, I don’t think we’re giving those guys enough opportunity to see if they can get hot. See if they can create some things. I think to date, our longest run is 25 [yards]…There’s bigger plays that need to be had at that position.”

Purdue enters Saturday ranked No. 130 in the nation (of 133 teams) in rush defense. It allows an average of 242 rushing yards per game, and has given up 12 rushing touchdowns through four weeks.

Wisconsin’s matchup against Purdue should give Fickell and his staff a golden opportunity to find a lead running back. It will be interesting to watch how the snaps are handled at the position, and whether we already see a clear No. 1 emerge.

The Badgers and Boilermakers will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.

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