Tag: weekly

Check out The Athletic’s staff predictions for Florida-South Carolina

The Athletic’s staff unanimously picked the Gators to get back in the win column on Saturday.

Coming off a 34-7 beatdown from the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, the Gators will be back in action on the road this week against a South Carolina team that also sits at .500.

However, the Gamecocks’ struggles have been a lot more pronounced this year. They nearly lost to East Carolina, and their only SEC win came by just one point against a Vanderbilt team that Florida beat 42-0.

The Gators should be able to get back in the win column this week, and that’s the unanimous opinion from The Athletic’s college football staff. Here’s how they each see the game playing out.

ESPN’s Football Power Index still loves the 4-4 Gators

Somehow, the 4-4 Gators remain in the top 10 of ESPN’s FPI.

There’s been an interesting disconnect this season between the product Florida puts out on the field and the way that advanced analytics systems view the team. The Gators are 4-4, are struggling mightily on defense and have seen the explosiveness of their offense decrease in recent weeks.

Still, Florida ranks in the top 10 of the SP+ rankings from ESPN’s Bill Connelly, and ESPN’s Football Power Index feels the same way, ranking Florida eighth in the latest edition.

Its projected record (7.5-4.5) is the lowest of any team ranked in the top 10, and somehow, the Gators prevail, ranking ahead of teams like Auburn, Clemson and Iowa State, and just behind the likes of Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Michigan.

One reason for this could be something that Dan Mullen has harped on a bit too much for Gators fans’ liking this year: The fact that the team has outgained every opponent this season.

While yards don’t equate to points, that is certainly abnormal and just given the numbers, you would not expect this Florida team to be sitting at .500 right now.

The defense stats don’t exactly capture how porous Todd Grantham’s unit has been this year, and offensively, the team has consistently ranked among the best this year thanks to a change in identity to focus on the run game.

Of course, FPI doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win games, and Florida is heading to a disappointing finish. But based on the way the team is viewed by FPI and other analytics systems, it stands to reason this team is a bit more unlucky than your average 4-4 team.

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Scouting the South Carolina Gamecocks ahead of Saturday’s matchup

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s South Carolina team.

The Florida Gators are in dire need of some positivity. Coach Dan Mullen is now just 2-7 in his last nine games against Power Five teams after dropping two straight games to rivals. The team had a bye to prepare for No. 1 Georgia on Saturday, but it suffered a 34-7 drubbing to fall to 4-4 (2-4 SEC) on the season.

Luckily, the road does get easier for the Gators the rest of the way. They should be heavy favorites in their four remaining games, and that starts with a road trip to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday night.

The last time UF made the trek to Columbia, it was a rainy and sloppy football game that saw the team emerge with a 38-27 victory. But things have only gotten worse for the Gamecocks since then, and they currently sit at 4-4 as well but with a 1-4 conference record (and the win coming over Vanderbilt).

Here’s what you need to know about this South Carolina program.

Gators see drop in CBS Sports 130 after loss to Georgia

The Gators fell even further to No. 37 after Saturday’s game.

Florida’s 34-7 loss to Georgia on Saturday in Jacksonville wasn’t anything unexpected. But it also sent the team to .500 on the season and guaranteed a losing record in SEC play for the first time under coach Dan Mullen.

The Gators haven’t been ranked in either poll since their loss to LSU two weeks ago, and even in the CBS Sports rankings, which include all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the team has taken quite a tumble in recent weeks.

After the beatdown from the Bulldogs, UF dropped seven spots in the latest CBS Sports 130 to No. 37, ranking below teams like Appalachian State, Nevada and Wisconsin.

That is far from where this team wanted to be heading into the season, and now even a fourth-straight New Year’s Six Bowl is completely out of the question.

This will be Mullen’s worst season as the head man in Gainesville, and the only question is how his program will respond to the way this season has played out to this point.

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SEC Power Rankings: Florida down a spot after Week 9 loss to Georgia

Things got ugly in Florida’s loss to Georgia this weekend, but the Gators are down just one spot in our Week 10 SEC power rankings.

Six more teams were on bye this weekend in the Southeastern Conference, but two upsets made for some good action in Week 9.

The 99th edition of the Florida-Georgia game started off hot but fell apart just before halftime in favor of the Bulldogs. Freshman Anthony Richardson got his first start at quarterback for Florida, but Dan Mullen‘s earlier assessment of him being too inexperienced to start seemed to hold true in this one.

Mississippi State beat its second-ranked team of the year in Kentucky, which eliminates the possibility of what could have been a one-loss season for Mark Stoops and the Wildcats. Auburn continued its hot streak with a win over tenth-ranked Ole Miss, ending Heisman candidate Matt Corral’s streak of consecutive games with a touchdown at 19 games.

Missouri and Vanderbilt rounded things out with a battle to see who will go without a conference win this season, and Vandebilt looks well on its way to a goose egg in the SEC this year.

With all that in mind let’s take a look at this week’s SEC power rankings.

10 things you should know about the Florida-Georgia game

Pat Dooley preps us up with his 10 important facts heading into this weekend’s rivalry game.

Any time you get to a big game week – and despite Florida’s record it is a big game – you will hear plenty of theories on how one team or the other can win the game.

Then, the game starts. And everything is blown out the window.

Take Florida’s loss to Kentucky. We all supposed that if the Gators could defend well and limit the running game, Florida would win. Of course, none of us had the game-changing drastically on a blocked field goal that went for a game-changing touchdown or that Florida’s advantage in the running game would be offset by 15 penalties.

Often in games like Florida-Georgia, the things we don’t think of jump up and change the game. Like Florida using a fake field goal that turned former walk-on Michael McNeely into a folk hero would spark a Florida win in 2014.

Or that Judd Davis would kick four field goals in the worst conditions ever for the game and Anthone Lott would call the most timely time-out in the history of the series to allow the Gators to escape in the 1993 game.

They may be hidden stats, but all we can go by going into the game is what each team has done so far this season.

So, let’s take a look:

CBS Sports picks Georgia to win Saturday, says Mullen should start Richardson

Sallee said UF should make a change at quarterback, but he doesn’t expect that to make a difference in the outcome on Saturday.

It’s no surprise that Florida finds itself as considerable underdogs on Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs. UGA has arguably the best defense in college football, and no one has been able to score on it consistently. The Bulldogs are giving up just 6.6 points per game, and that will make things difficult for whichever quarterback gets the nod for the Gators.

Most fans know who they want that guy to be, and CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee concurred. He said that for UF to have a chance in this one, it needs to start redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson.

Richardson entered for Emory Jones in the second half last game against LSU facing a 15-point deficit. He led a comeback effort that ultimately failed as a result of the defense being unable to stop the Tigers.

Coach Dan Mullen hasn’t yet named a starter, but many feel that Richardson gives the team the best shot. Here’s Sallee’s take.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Florida coach Dan Mullen each have quarterback questions to answer this week. But, let’s be real, Mullen’s is the only one that truly matters.

Junior Emory Jones has started all seven games for the Gators, but has 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while proving to be a liability at critical times through the air. Freshman Anthony Richardson, on the other hand, hasn’t had his chance yet. He’s averaged 10.6 yards per attempt, rushed for 348 and three touchdowns, and has done so with significantly less playing time than Jones.

Mullen this week was noncommittal on who will get the first snap vs. Georgia.

“We’re going to keep playing them the same way,” Mullen said. “We plan on playing both of the guys like we have.”

Psst … Dan … start Richardson.

The writing is on the wall for Jones. He’s inconsistent under pressure, isn’t a big-play threat through the air and is comparable to Richardson in terms of his ability on the ground. Richardson is a big-play threat through the air but hasn’t had the opportunity to shine in big spots nearly as much as Jones.

It’s a gamble to start Richardson. It’d be like chasing a flush with pocket hearts and another on the flop. It isn’t the best idea, but at least it has a chance of working. Starting Jones would be like betting big with seven-two off-suit and four face cards on the table.

It’s hard to argue with Sallee’s logic here. While Jones deserved the chance to be this team’s starter to begin the year, he just hasn’t been effective enough under center. Richardson hasn’t been perfect, either, but he’s at least shown signs of tremendous playmaking ability. He’s likely the future of the program at quarterback, and with the team sitting at 4-3, now is as good a time as any to make the change.

However, regardless of who starts the game, it doesn’t impact Sallee’s projection. He sees the Bulldogs winning comfortably and covering a 14-point spread in the process.

The Gators defense is going to get torched by Georgia’s offense no matter who starts at quarterback. Stetson Bennett IV and JT Daniels have both been wildly successful deep downfield this year, and the one thing that we know about Florida’s defense is that coordinator Todd Grantham will blitz 20 guys as long as the refs don’t notice. It won’t work, though. Georgia will put this one to bed midway through the third quarter and the Bulldogs win with ease. Pick: Georgia (-14)

While not being elite statistically, Georgia’s offense has been fairly explosive, ranking 28th in the FBS in offensive EPA (expected points added). Meanwhile, while Florida has had a lot of offensive success (thanks largely to improved offensive line play), this will be the toughest defensive front it’s had to face so far.

The Bulldogs are an elite team, and it will take a stellar, near mistake-free performance for the Gators to emerge victorious in this one.

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Florida basketball left off preseason Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

There’s nowhere to go but up in the Coaches Poll for Florida this season after the Gators failed to earn a single vote.

USA Today released the first Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll of the 2021-2022 college basketball season on Wednesday, but Florida was left off out of the Top 25 after failing to secure a single vote.

Florida lost in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but the team looks a lot different after losing players to the NBA and transfer portal. Center Colin Castleton is expected to be the team’s best player with Keyontae Johnson out indefinitely.

The Gators started last season at an unofficial No. 27 in the Coaches Poll and worked their way up to No. 25 after starting off well. Florida spent most of the rest of the year trying to get back into the Top 25, except for one week in February where the voters ranked Florida No. 23 in the country. In last season’s final poll, Florida finished with just eight votes and out of the Top 25.

Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn all made the Top 25, and LSU finished with two votes. There’s a lot of work to be done for Florida to move up in the rankings, but there’s an entire season to play. The Gators kick off their season against Elon at home on Nov. 9 at a time yet to be determined.

The full results of the Coaches Poll can be found below.

Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25

Rank Team Record PTS 1st Prev Chg Hi/Lo
1 Gonzaga 0-0 771 29 NR — 1/1
2 UCLA 0-0 709 2 NR — 2/2
3 Kansas 0-0 705 0 NR — 3/3
4 Villanova 0-0 658 0 NR — 4/4
5 Texas 0-0 634 0 NR — 5/5
6 Michigan 0-0 627 0 NR — 6/6
7 Purdue 0-0 578 0 NR — 7/7
8 Baylor 0-0 542 0 NR — 8/8
9 Duke 0-0 490 0 NR — 9/9
10 Illinois 0-0 466 0 NR — 10/10
11 Kentucky 0-0 438 0 NR — 11/11
12 Oregon 0-0 382 0 NR — 12/12
13 Alabama 0-0 360 0 NR — 13/13
14 Houston 0-0 343 0 NR — 14/14
15 Arkansas 0-0 340 0 NR — 15/15
16 Memphis 0-0 337 0 NR — 16/16
17 Tennessee 0-0 280 0 NR — 17/17
17 Ohio St. 0-0 280 0 NR — 17/17
19 Florida State 0-0 225 0 NR — 19/19
20 North Carolina 0-0 224 0 NR — 20/20
21 Maryland 0-0 150 0 NR — 21/21
22 Auburn 0-0 87 0 NR — 22/22
23 Connecticut 0-0 73 0 NR — 23/23
24 St. Bonaventure 0-0 71 0 NR — 24/24
25 Virginia 0-0 60 0 NR — 25/25

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan St 55; Texas Tech 46; Southern California 38; West Virginia 18; Indiana 13; Virginia Tech 9; Loyola-Chicago 9; Oklahoma State 8; Arizona 8; Creighton 7; Syracuse 6; Colorado St. 5; Drake 4; Richmond 3; Notre Dame 3; Iowa 3; Rutgers 2; Louisiana State 2; Colorado 2; Xavier 1; Nevada 1; Butler 1; Boise St. 1.

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Gators Wire predictions: Does Florida even have a chance against Georgia?

The Gators Wire staff weighs in on the upcoming game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

If there is one football game that every Gators fan circles on the calendar each year, it is the annual rivalry matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs. Long known as the World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, this game never fails to entertain the jort-wearing throngs of the two respective schools and has hosted some of the most memorable moments in college football history.

This year’s matchup has the potential to once again be a classic… or it could go very badly for the Orange and Blue. The Dawgs enter the game as the top-ranked team in the nation and have looked impressive so far during the 2021 campaign. The Gators arrive in Jacksonville unranked for the first time this season and have underwhelmed throughout their schedule.

The Gators Wire staff weighed in with their takes and predictions ahead of Saturday’s afternoon tangle in Jax. Here is a look at how we think things will turn out against one of the best Georgia teams Florida has ever faced.

Here’s what The Athletic thinks of Florida’s chances against Georgia

Anything can happen in a rivalry game, but The Athletic doesn’t think Florida can pull off the upset.

Heading into the season, many figured that this week’s matchup between Florida and Georgia would have some impact on who wins the SEC East and makes the College Football Playoff. Losses to Kentucky and LSU have Florida out of both of those races, and the Gators can play spoiler to the No. 1 team in the country at best.

The Bulldogs are elite, especially on defense, and they opened as heavy favorites with a -650 money line and 14.5-point spread listed on Tipico Sportsbook. Although Florida only lost to No. 3 Alabama by two points, the Gators had the benefit of playing at home, making all the difference for the offense. Anthony Richardson had to replace Emory Jones on the road against LSU and Kentucky’s crowd noise forced eight false starts earlier in the year.

The world’s largest outdoor cocktail party has a great reputation for being one of the best environments in college football, but it remains to be seen how Florida will play at a neutral site. Zachary Pekale of The Athletic doesn’t think Florida will be able to get out of its own way, despite being a potential challenge for Georgia.

At what point is it acceptable to worry about Florida? The Gators started the year ranked 13th in the AP poll and put up a good fight at home against Alabama but have since gone 2-2 with uninspiring performances on the road in losses to Kentucky and LSU. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time after UF got run over in a 49-42 loss to the Tigers … Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones combined for four interceptions while Florida trailed most of the afternoon. The Gators are most likely the toughest offensive team Georgia has seen up to this point, but UF has been mistake-prone and tends to get in its way.

While it may brutal, it’s an accurate description of Florida’s play in 2021. Over the by week, head coach Dan Mullen said that the team tends to make a different mistake each week that costs the game and that they’re working on being more consistent. Georgia is the ultimate test of consistency. The Bulldogs don’t like letting teams score, and Kentucky is the only team to get into their end zone twice.

Pekale adds that Georgia is 12-3 against Florida when only the Bulldogs are ranked, so Gator nation could be in for a rough one on Saturday.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

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