Tag: The Athletic

Gators near bottom in The Athletic’s college football stop rate rankings

Not unexpectedly, the Gators have one of the worst stop rates in the the FBS.

The 2023 season came to an unceremonious end last weekend at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles, who beat the Gators in the Swamp to give their rivals a losing record this fall.

One of the areas — and there were many — where the Orange and Blue faltered was on defense. Despite starting strong against FSU the corps once again collapsed in crunch time, leading to the 24-15 defeat.

The Athletic’s Max Olsen has been tracking the stop rates for all 133 Football Bowl Subdivision schools this year and Florida’s trajectory has been consistently downward. With the 12-game schedule now in the books, the Gators are ranked No. 122 with a 53.4% stop rate resulting in 2.65 points allowed per drive.

That is going to have to improve significantly if Billy Napier and Co. are going to pull this program out of the doldrums.

For the time being, that is the end of Florida football for the Gator Nation until the Orange and Blue game. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

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The Athletic staff writers fans of Florida Gators blackout jerseys

The Athletic approved of the new all-black threads donned by the Florida Gators against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Florida Gators debuted a new uniform this season during the home contest against the Arkansas Razorbacks, blacking out the jerseys from head-to-toe in honor of those who serve the military, police and fire department.

The uniforms received positive reviews from Florida fans and The Athletic added the blackout threads to its top-ranked alternate uniforms of the season.

The new, black, Florida alternates ranked at No. 10, tying with the all-gray uniforms donned by the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Christopher Kamrani was a fan of the Florida Gators all-black uniforms debut, and it sounds like he wouldn’t mind if the uniforms were brought back for a game in 2024.

“The combo of white numbers on all-black jerseys pops, both in photos and in 4K,” Kamrani wrote. “The all-white or all-black looks good so far if you’re able to make sure you have great helmets to go with the ensemble. Plus, the Gators in cursive rules.”

Another staff writer, David Ubben, thinks that every football team should wear at least one variation of a blackout uniform.

“My hottest uniform take: Every program should be allowed to wear black uniforms,” Ubben said. “I checked the Constitution; there are no laws against this, nor should there be. Let college football programs live.”

Were you a fan of the new all-black uniforms, or should the program abandon the idea?

The Florida Gators are heading into the offseason after a tough home loss to the Florida State Seminoles after being knocked out of bowl eligibility.

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Which coaching tier does The Athletic think Florida’s Todd Golden is in?

Florida head coach Todd Golden is still a relative newcomer to the coaching scene, but which coaching tier (1-7) does The Athletic think he fits into?

With so many great coaches around college basketball, it’s hard to rank each one individually.

How important is longevity? What about recent success compared to historic success? Does recruiting out of high school still matter more than the transfer portal?

All of these questions need to be asked when debating who the best coach in college basketball is at any given moment, which is why The Athletic opts to separate coaches into a tier list instead.

The first tier (out of seven) features the very best of the best. Kansas head coach Bill Self, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and St. John’s Rick Pitino are just three of the eight selected. Florida has already faced two of those names — Baylor’s Scott Drew and Virginia’s Tony Bennett.

But what about Florida’s own Todd Golden?

The powers that be at The Athletic believe Golden is in the middle of things at Tier 5, best described as a mix of “coaches on the rise” and “coaches who have now or have had Power 6 jobs on their second round.” Golden obviously fits in with the on-the-rise group, but Florida fans have been expecting a legend to walk through the doors since Billy Donovan left.

Golden simply isn’t there yet, but Florida is off to a hot start in his second year at the helm. He’s chasing the SEC’s best — Alabama‘s Nate Oats, Arkansas’ Eric Musselman, Auburn‘s Bruce Pearl, Kentucky’s John Calipari and Tennessee‘s Rick Barnes.

If Golden can get Florida to the NCAA Tournament and begin to compete with the teams mentioned above, he’ll move up the tier list quickly.

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The Athletic’s 2024 NFL mock draft has Bucs taking QB in first round

Could the Bucs try to land a franchise QB in the 2024 NFL draft?

College football’s regular season has come to an end, which means we’re just five months away from the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his predictions for the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Wednesday. Brugler has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Louisiana State QB Jayden Daniels with the No. 7 overall pick. Here is what Brugler had to say about the theoretical selection:

Offensively and defensively, the Buccaneers are a middle-of-the-road team, and they’ll have several interesting roster decisions to make this offseason. For one, Tampa Bay will be in the mix to select this draft’s QB3, and Daniels could be it. He has a dynamic skill set to create explosive plays with his arm and legs.

At the beginning of the season, I wouldn’t have guessed that Daniels would appear in the top 10 of my first mock draft. But in studying his tape and seeing his continual improvements, you start to run out of reasons why he doesn’t belong. I think several teams slotted in the top 10 will think the same way.

In a draft loaded with first-round caliber quarterbacks, it’s no surprise the Bucs might be eyeing one with an early round pick. Selecting a player like Daniels is certainly not out of the realm of possibility for Tampa Bay.

The LSU quarterback is in the midst of arguably the best season among any college football player right now. Daniels, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, led the Tigers to a 9-3 record overall and 6-2 record in the Southeastern Conference.

Daniels fell just shy of 4,000 passing yards this season, but the quarterback ran for more than 1,100 yards on the ground and had 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing). He is the first SEC quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 3,500 yards in a season since Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Daniels is a finalist for four national awards — Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien, Maxwell and Unitas Golden Arm. He most likely will be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy Award when the ballot is released Dec. 4. 

Brugler has Daniels as the third quarterback taken off the board in the first edition of his mock draft. Southern California QB Caleb Williams and North Carolina QB Drake Maye are expected to be selected in the first two picks. 

Daniels’ success in Baton Rouge has been uncannily similar to former LSU QB Joe Burrow. Both quarterbacks transferred schools after three college seasons, and each had mediocre performances in their first season with the Tigers.

Their legacies were left in their final seasons with the team. Both Burrow and Daniels produced 50 touchdowns in their final year with LSU and solidified themselves as one of the most talented quarterbacks in SEC history.

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Malik Nabers, Jayden Daniels are top 10 picks in latest NFL mock draft

It could be a busy draft night for former LSU players.

It could be a busy draft night for former LSU players in a few months, and in the latest mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, three Tigers players are projected as first-round picks.

[autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], who may find himself as this year’s Biletnikoff Winner, has been the most productive receiver in college football this season. He’s projected to go sixth overall to the New York Giants.

Meanwhile, [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — who hasn’t seen a lot of draft hype but has had his stock rise in recent weeks — jumps into the top 10, going to the Buccaneers one pick later.

[autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who is having a prolific season in his own right despite splitting targets with Nabers and others, is also projected to go at the end of the round to the Steelers with the 23rd pick.

Were this prediction to come to pass, it would be the most players LSU has seen drafted in the first round since 2020 when five players were selected on the first night, headlined by [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] with the top pick.

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Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

Vikings land defensive help in Dane Brugler’s first mock draft

Dane Brugler’s first mock draft of the year is out and it goes in a direction that Vikings fans won’t be expecting

The NFL’s regular season still has a handful of weeks left, but it’s never too early to start looking ahead towards the NFL draft. That’s exactly what The Athletic columnist Dane Brugler has done, dropping his first mock draft of the year.

In a departure from most mocks, Brugler has the Minnesota Vikings picking up some help on the defensive side of the ball, rather than sending them a quarterback like most prognosticators have at this point. With the 20th pick, Brugler has the Vikings grabbing Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton.

This pick may be a bit surprising to some who follow the college game and the NFL draft closely, as Newton isn’t necessarily seen as a consensus first-round selection — as Brugler points out in his analysis of the pick. Newton is considered by many to be undersized for the position, listed at just 6’2 and 295 pounds.

That makes the pick more confusing, as an undersized defensive tackle doesn’t necessarily fit what Brian Flores and the Vikings defense want to do in their 3-4 scheme. With that said, Flores has shown a propensity for finding spots for players who have talent, and using that talent to its fullest capability.

Newton would be an interesting fit for the Vikings defense, but if anyone could make it work, it would be Flores.

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The Athletic’s SEC vibes rankings not feeling Florida football at all

The Gators landed just ahead of the cellar-dwelling Vanderbilt Commodores

The current mood surrounding Florida’s football program is a somber one after a devastating defeat at the hands of its most fierce rival, the Florida State Seminoles, last Saturday. The Gators gave away a game they should have won in the Swamp, and instead, succumbed to the ‘Noles by a final score of 24-15.

With the regular season now in the bag, The Athletic’s Seth Emerson published his weekly vibe rankings for the Southeastern Conference 14 schools, and this time the Gators landed at No. 13 — just ahead of the cellar-dwelling Vanderbilt Commodores. Here is what he had to offer.

“A how-to guide on blowing a golden opportunity,” Emerson begins.

“First, upon taking a 12-0 lead and getting the ball into your opponent’s territory, all the momentum on your side, you call a double-reverse flea flicker that results in a penalty, backs you up and derails your momentum. Check,” he continued.

“Next, when taking the lead back, you commit 50 yards of penalties in the fourth quarter. Check. And now your program will miss a bowl and has its third straight losing season for the first time since the 1940s. Check, please.”

For the time being, that is the end of Florida football for the Gator Nation until the Orange and Blue game. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida football falls again in The Athletic’s rankings after season finale

Billy Napier and Co. dropped four spots to No. 56 in this week’s update.

It was not the ending that the Gator Nation had hoped for, but Florida football’s 2023 campaign came to a close on Saturday night when the Florida State Seminoles outlasted them in the Swamp, 24-15.

The loss cemented the program’s third-straight losing season with a 5-7 record and the first it has missed a bowl game appearance since 2017. Suffice it to say that things have reached a nadir at the University of Florida.

After the final horn sounded on Saturday, The Athletic’s Chris Vannini took on the task of ranking all 133 members of the Football Bowl Subdivision, including Florida. Billy Napier and Co. dropped four spots to No. 56 in this week’s update.

For the time being, that is the end of Florida football for the Gator Nation until the Orange and Blue game. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

The Athletic’s staff is split while picking against spread for Florida-FSU

The Athletic makes their picks against the spread for the showdown between Florida and Florida State.

The Florida Gators are hosting the Florida State Seminoles in primetime television on Saturday night and there’s plenty of high stakes for both football programs.

For anyone making an insane parlay this weekend, you’re probably looking for some inspiration for who to choose between the two in-state rivals, and sports publication The Athletic released their weekly picks against the spread and the staff are split down the middle when it comes to the Gators and Seminoles showdown.

The Gators are 6.5-point underdogs at home on Saturday night with both of the team’s starting quarterbacks missing the game after suffering significant injuries last week.

Despite both programs relying on their backup quarterbacks this week, The Athletic’s staff believes it will come down to Florida’s defense.

“Florida also will have a backup quarterback in after Graham Mertz got hurt at Missouri last week,” the staff concluded. “Freshman Max Brown led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter after entering the game in the third quarter. The other side of the ball has been more of a problem. The Gators are on a four-game losing streak in which they have failed to hold an opponent under 33 points.”

Staff writers Dan Santaromita and Ari Wasserman are both taking the Gators to win against the spread, even if it means the team is losing a close contest. However, the writers do have a losing record while picking against the spread. Bet carefully, folks.

The Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles will kick off at 7 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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The Athletic believes Florida State will prevail on Saturday night

See who The Athletic thinks will come out on top during the rivalry showdown in Gainesville.

It’s finally rivalry weekend in college football as in-state and neighboring rivals gear up to challenge their biggest foes and possibly fight for post-season eligibility.

The Florida Gators are on the verge of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2017, but the undefeated Florida State Seminoles are knocking on the door and vying for a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff.

The Athletic made their picks for each major rivalry matchup this week, including the showdown between FSU and Florida. Despite starting quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Jordan Davis both going down with major injuries, the Seminoles are still favored to come out victorious by 6.5 points.

Senior columnist Stewart Mandel is sticking by the spread and is expecting a double-digit Seminoles win in The Swamp, 31-20.

“How do you forecast a game in which both teams will be playing without their quarterbacks?” Mandel wrote. “At least Jordan Travis’ replacement, Tate Rodemaker, has meaningful experience. Florida’s Max Brown is green. And FSU still has weapons in running back Trey Benson and wide receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman. They’ll be facing Florida’s 129th-ranked defense.”

Brown is a sophomore and making his first start for the Gators on Saturday. Prior to taking over the offense in the Missouri loss, Brown hadn’t taken a snap since the Vanderbilt blowout on Oct. 7.

The Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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