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Tag: Florida Gators

  • Florida turnovers spark Kentucky victory

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    By  STEVE McCLAIN

    LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky took advantage of four Florida turnovers and Cutter Boley threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns as the Wildcats handled the Gators 38-7.

    Seth McGowan ran for two touchdowns, and Dante Dowdell scored on a 65-yard run in the first home SEC win for Kentucky (4-5, 2-5) since a 33-14 win over Florida on Sept. 30, 2023.

    Gator quarterback DJ Lagway was picked off three times in the first half before being replaced by freshman Tramell Jones Jr. after halftime. Kentucky scored 10 points off the Florida (3-6, 2-4) miscues.

    Boley completed passes to 10 different receivers, including scoring passes of 29 yards to J.J. Hester and 15 yards to Jason Patterson.

    “This whole week, we came with juice, and everybody was excited, and everybody was ready to play,” Boley said. “We had a heartbeat tonight, and it was just really good to see these guys play hard.

    Kentucky led 24-7 at the half and put the game away to start the third quarter with a 13-play drive that took 7:26 off the clock. McGowan ended the drive with his second score of the night, a 5-yard run.

    “That was an enormous drive to start the second half. We mixed it up and had balance,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “Having a long drive and getting seven points out of it is pretty important.”

    The Takeaway

    Florida: The Gator defense came into the game 32nd in the nation in points allowed per game at 20.5. But the turnovers put them in a tough position, and they gave up 401 total yards. It was Florida’s second straight loss after Coach Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19.

    Kentucky: After consecutive wins, there is a path, albeit a tough one, to the postseason. Kentucky hosts Tennessee Tech, No. 5 in the FCS coaches poll, next Saturday. With a win next week, a victory on the road over No. 15 Vanderbilt or No. 14 Louisville would make the Wildcats bowl eligible.

     

    Calzada makes wrong headlines

    Former Kentucky starting quarterback Zach Calzada has apologized for a social media video he posted showing him flashing $100 dollar bills in response to being criticized. The transfer quarterback hurt his shoulder and then lost his starting job to Boley after two games. After the video went viral Thursday and made national headlines, Calzada posted an apology. The Kentucky athletic department stated, “Zach has taken responsibility for his actions. He has done the right thing and apologized. Now, it’s time to move forward.”

    Comedy of errors

    The two teams combined for four turnovers in the final 35 seconds of the first half.

    The antics started when Wildcat Quay’sheed Scott picked off a Lagway pass at the Kentucky 26 and returned it 55 yards. Boley then fumbled and Aaron Chiles recovered at the Florida 22. Three plays later, Daveren Rayner picked off another Lagway pass. On Kentucky’s first play, Bryce Thornton intercepted a Boley pass.

    Up Next

    Florida: Travels to No. 7 Mississippi.

    UK: Hosts Tennessee Tech.

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  • The world’s tallest teenager becomes the tallest player in college basketball history

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Todd Golden had people yelling at him at halftime Thursday night to get 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux in the game.

    Golden relented with 2:09 to play — and made history in the process — after chants of “We Want Ollie” swept through the O’Connell Center.

    Rioux became the tallest person to ever play college basketball when he made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida. Rioux, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Canada and the world’s tallest teenager, drew so much attention from the Ospreys that he didn’t even touch the ball.

    “It felt great,” Rioux said. “The support from everybody was amazing, even on the bench and even the fans. I think everybody supported me. I’m very grateful.”

    When asked about making history, Rioux quipped: “It’s another day, I guess.”

    Rioux made everyone in attendance smile. Even North Florida forward Trey Cady smirked when he measured himself against Rioux. Cady was giving up more than a foot in the matchup.

    “There’s people yelling at me at halftime about playing him,” Golden said. “I’m like, ‘Listen, it will happen. The time will come.’”

    Rioux is 2 inches (5 centimeters) taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley. He already owned a spot in the Guinness record book when he signed with Florida in 2024.

    Golden gave Rioux the option of playing sparingly last season or taking a redshirt season and working on his game. Rioux chose the latter. Nonetheless, he was a walking viral video, from riding his bike on campus, to ducking under every doorway, to cutting down nets while standing flat-footed during Florida’s NCAA Tournament run.

    “He’s put in a lot of great work,” Golden said. “To his credit, he’s kept a great attitude without getting a lot of reward in terms of playing time and opportunity.”

    Golden had made it clear that Rioux would only play late in blowouts, the result of having all four frontcourt players returning. But Olivier doubled down on wanting to be at Florida and welcomed the challenge of playing against Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu, and Micah Handlogten in practice and behind them in games.

    “I talked to the guys at halftime when we’re up 24 and I expressed to them the importance of getting off to a really good start so we can get some of the younger guys and some of the guys from down on the bench an opportunity to play and to get some rip,” Golden said. “Obviously the game was in our control and thought it would be a good opportunity to get him out there and get his first college experience, and I think he was pretty excited.

    “It was pretty neat for him to finally see the floor.”

    Fans delivered the loudest ovation of the game — second only to Florida unveiling its championship banner during pregame introductions — when Golden motioned to Rioux at the end of the bench. Rioux pulled off his long-sleeved T-shirt and hustled to the scorer’s table to check in.

    Teammates and coaches celebrated wildly, and fans screamed every time the ball got near Rioux. He’ll have to wait until his next outing to actually touch it.

    “So much fun,” Handlogten said. “When he was checking into the game, I kind of stopped him and I was like, ’Play with confidence. You’ve worked your butt off for two years now to get to this spot. Now’s your moment. This is your time to shine.

    “To see him out there running up and down the court with a little smile on his face, it was really good to see.”

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  • No. 3 Florida dominates North Florida, 104-64

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Condon had 25 points and 10 rebounds, Micah Handlogten notched his second double-double in as many games and No. 3 Florida bounced back from a season-opening loss with a 104-64 drubbing of North Florida on Thursday night.

    It was so lopsided that 7-foot-9 walk-on Olivier Rioux, the world’s tallest teenager, made his collegiate debut. The 19-year-old Gators freshman got the loudest ovation of the night when he pulled off his warmup jersey and entered the game with 2:09 to play. Rioux didn’t even touch the ball.

    Coming off a five-point loss to 13th-ranked Arizona in Las Vegas, the Gators unveiled their national championship banner during pregame introductions and then put on a show in their home opener.

    They looked much more like repeat contenders in this one, especially on the defensive end.

    Condon dominated inside three nights after getting outplayed by freshman Koa Peat, adding four assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Florida (1-1) finished with a 64-24 rebounding advantage and outscored the Ospreys 66-22 in the paint. Handlogten finished with 17 points and 13 boards.

    Thomas Haugh chipped in 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Gators, who won their 35th consecutive home opener and improved to 12-0 against the Ospreys.

    North Florida (0-1) was hardly a factor in its season opener, the first game under new coach Bobby Keenen. Kamrin Oriol led the way with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting. But the rest of the team managed a combined 11 field goals.

    The Ospreys shot 31.1% against Florida’s much bigger and more physical lineup.

    The Gators were far from perfect, though. They were 6 of 32 from 3-point range, bringing their season total to 13 of 59 from behind the arc.

    Up next

    North Florida plays at No. 18 Tennessee on Wednesday.

    Florida hosts rival Florida State on Tuesday.

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  • Peat leads No. 13 Arizona to 93-87 win over No. 3 Florida

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    By  W.G. RAMIREZ

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — Freshman Koa Peat scored 30 points to lead No. 13 Arizona to a 93-87 win over third-ranked and defending national champion Florida in the Hall of Fame Series on Monday night.

    Peat was impressive in his college debut, shooting 11 of 18 from the floor and adding seven rebounds and five assists. He was fouled making a defensive rebound with 14.2 seconds left and hit his two ensuing free throws to seal the victory in both teams’ season opener.

    But, it was consecutive dunks by Peat late in the second half that sent the crowd at T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy and punctuated his first college game.

    Jaden Bradley was also impressive, scoring 27 points, including 11 of Arizona’s final 18 points, to help seal the win.

    Ivan Kharchenkov shook off an injury late in the first half that sent him to the locker room and finished with 12 points for the Wildcats.

    Thomas Haugh led Florida with 27 points, Xaivian Lee scored 14 and Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten each had 11.

    The Wildcats shot 49.2% (30 of 61) from the field, while Florida’s poor second-half shooting (14 of 38, 36.8%) sealed its fate.

    The Gators opened the game strong, pushing their lead to 12 points after hitting 11 of their first 16 shots.

    The Wildcats clamped down on defense and held Florida to 5-for-16 shooting the rest of the half while going on a 32-16 run by hitting 11 of 18 shots down the stretch.

    Arizona, which shot 50% from the floor in the first half, led 50-46 at halftime.

    Up next

    Arizona: Hosts Utah Tech on Friday.

    Florida: Hosts North Florida on Thursday.

    ___

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  • No. 5 Georgia rallies and escapes with a 24-20 victory against Florida

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    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes, Chauncey Bowens scored on a late 36-yard run and No. 5 Georgia escaped the rivalry known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” with a 24-20 victory against Florida on Saturday.

    It was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive victory in the series and their eighth in the last nine meetings. But this one was closer than any of those others. 

    Georgia stopped Florida on a fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs 18-yard line with a little less than eight minutes to play, a momentum-turning moment in a back-and-forth game. Stockton and Zachariah Branch took over from there, putting Georgia (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) in position for its fourth come-from-behind victory in six league games.

    Bowens darted up the middle following the duo’s second connection and scampered untouched to the end zone.

    Florida (3-5, 2-3) had a chance late, but DJ Lagway’s deep pass short-hopped intended receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant got behind the defense and probably would have scored had the pass not been badly underthrown.

    Stockton, a noted alligator hunter in the offseason, completed 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards. Branch caught 10 passes for 112 yards. 

    Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for 115 yards on the ground.

    Florida played inspired football in its first game since firing coach Billy Napier. Receiver Eugene Wilson III was the biggest benefactor of Napier’s departure. He more than doubled his receiving yards on the season, finishing with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.

    Interim coach Billy Gonzales made an aggressive call to go for it on fourth down, but giving the ball to Jadan Baugh up the middle was as predictable as anything Napier did in his four seasons with the Gators.

    Poll implications 

    Georgia avoided becoming another top-10 team to lose Saturday and should stay put in the top five. No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami lost on the road, with the Commodores falling at Texas and the Hurricanes dropping a game at SMU.

    Georgia loses two defenders 

    The Bulldogs lost two starting defenders in the first half.

    Defensive lineman Jordan Hall injured his right knee on Georgia’s first defensive series. Hall’s leg got slammed into when teammate Raylen Wilson tackled Eugene Wilson III over the middle. Hall was helped off the field and into the locker room. The team quickly ruled him out for the game.

    Defensive back KJ Bolden was ejected for targeting in the second half. He was penalized 15 yards for leading a tackle with his helmet.

    Florida receiver watches second half in a walking boot 

    Florida freshman receiver Dallas Wilson came out of the locker room after halftime wearing a walking boot on his right foot. Wilson caught one pass for 7 yards in the first half.

    He missed the first four games this season with a left foot injury. He scored three touchdowns in his first two college games but has been relatively quiet since.

    The takeaway 

    Georgia: The Bulldogs have too many holes to be considered a threat in the playoffs. Branch is the team’s only offensive star, and the Dawgs rank last in the SEC in sacks. 

    Florida: Trey Smack set a school record with his ninth career field goal of 50 yards or longer, breaking a tie with Caleb Sturgis. Smack’s 54-yarder in the fourth put the Gators ahead 20-17. 

    Up next 

    Georgia plays at Mississippi State next Saturday.

    Florida plays at Kentucky next Saturday.

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  • Gonzales facing Georgia in long-awaited shot to be head coach as Gators’ interim

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Billy Gonzales has coached as many years at Florida as Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier. He has twice as many national titles, too.

    Gonzales is in his third stint with the Gators, having first stepped foot on campus under Urban Meyer in 2005. He returned with Dan Mullen in 2018 and came back again when Billy Napier asked in 2023.

    Now it’s his program — for the next five games anyway.

    What You Need To Know

    • Billy Gonzales is in third stint with the Florida Gators after being on the staffs of Urban Meyer, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier

    • He is the interim coach for the next five games after AD Scott Stricklin fired Billy Napier

    • Gonzales has waited three decades for this opportunity and will make his debut Saturday against Georgia

    • The Bulldogs have won the teams’ past four matchups

    Gonzales agreed to serve as the team’s interim coach when athletic director Scott Stricklin fired Napier on Oct. 19. Gonzales jumped at the offer. After all, he’s waited more than three decades for this opportunity.

    “It’s always been about the players,” said Gonzales, 54. “When you get into coaching and you have an opportunity, it’s most importantly about the players. And, for me, it was to hopefully continue to give back to what the coaching staff gave me when I was a player, and that’s to provide guidance, to provide another family, another father figure.”

    He hesitated for a second and then continued: “Obviously, I like winning. We want to win. We’re at the University of Florida. We want to win games. And let’s call it what it is: We’re out here to try to get that done as well, too.”

    Gonzales has a chance to get a huge victory when the Gators (3-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) play No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) in the rivalry game known as “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in Jacksonville on Saturday.

    The Bulldogs have won four in a row in the series, with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. Although coach Kirby Smart’s team has looked susceptible at times this season — trailing at halftime in four of five conference games — Georgia has turned it up late to remain in the SEC race and in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

    No one really knows what to expect from Florida following a bye week. Gonzales made no staff changes other than installing quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara as the primary play-caller. They plan to spread things out and push the ball down the field, no surprise considering Gonzales is a longtime receivers coach.

    But there has to be concern about players checking out with so little at stake down the stretch.

    “Just playing for the (Gators) patch and playing for the name on our back,” left tackle Austin Barber said. “That’s the big thing for us. We got a lot of seniors out there, and we want to put out a good product for them. And it’s just about playing for the university and playing for the fans.”

    Gonzales might be the ideal interim coach to keep the team together. He won two national titles alongside Meyer and has experienced the firings of Mullen and now Napier. He has so much respect for the program that he chose not to move into Napier’s office or even use his parking spot.

    “I’ve been asked to oversee the program right now by Mr. Stricklin,” Gonzales said. “I always told him, ‘We are doing this together as a staff. It’s us working together. It’s us working with our players.’ Always will be, and I take great pride in that.”

    Gonzales has heard from several head coaches he worked for in the past week, including Meyer and Mullen. They told him the same thing: Be yourself.

    Gonzales’ coaching career has been all about serving. He volunteered at his alma mater, Colorado State, in 1993. Meyer, an assistant at the time, put Gonzales in charge of slot receivers the following spring. It led to a paid position at Division III MacMurray College in Illinois and then a move to Kent State.

    One of his earliest memories is driving to a hardware store twice a week in his “beat-up, old, white Chevrolet” to buy carbon dioxide canisters and white paint to line the practice and game fields.

    “I had to go read a book on how to line a field,” he recalled. “I took great pride in it.”

    He’s taking a similar approach to this coaching opportunity, even though it’s temporary.

    “I love Florida. This is a special place to me,” Gonzales said. “A goal of mine would be to stay here. My first goal is to make sure we put a fantastic group of players on that football field that are going to compete and play for the University of Florida.”

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  • Mississippi’s AD prepares again to keep Lane Kiffin

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    OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s athletic director might go pretty far to keep Lane Kiffin away from Florida, LSU or any other high-profile college football job opening.

    But Keith Carter seems done attending hot yoga class with his coach.

    “He didn’t go this week,” Kiffin said with a grin during his weekly press conference. “He went in for the first time against Georgia but he says he’s not going now because we lost.”

    Both men have other priorities, anyway.

    Kiffin and the No. 7 Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) host South Carolina (3-5, 1-5 SEC) on Saturday to continue their chase for a conference title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

    For Carter, it’s the annual contract negotiation process as he tries again to turn away suitors for Kiffin.

    Kiffin has a six-year contract that has already been extended twice since 2022 and is scheduled for another renewal in early December that stretches into the next decade. Kiffin is set to make $9 million this season, 10th-highest in the country, and Carter has repeatedly said Ole Miss will do what it takes financially to keep Kiffin in Oxford.

    Carter said earlier this month he’d already been talking with Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, and would “be proactive with working out a deal with Lane and Jimmy.”

    Carter grew up in the small town of Perryville, Arkansas, the son of a banker who emphasized that personal relationships were as critical to success as the accompanying finances. Carter remembered the life lesson while building his athletic reputation.

    Carter became an All-SEC and honorable mention All-American guard at Ole Miss in the late 1990s, playing on three NCAA Tournament teams. After a professional career in Italy, Carter joined the athletic department in 2009 and became the athletic director in 2019, approximately the same time Ole Miss named a new chancellor, Dr. Glenn Boyce.

    Kiffin’s hiring in 2020 was the first of several shrewd hires but was criticized at the time. Kiffin’s best success as a head coach had been a pair of Conference USA titles at Florida Atlantic.

    Kiffin had missed out on openings at Power Five schools after high-profile exits from the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, Southern Cal and Alabama. He had a reputation as an offensive savant but was candid regarding the need for changes in his personal life.

    Carter identified with Kiffin personally, especially regarding overlooked talent and rejection. Growing up in Arkansas, Carter was bypassed as a recruit by the talent-laded Razorbacks and joined a struggling Ole Miss basketball program, lifting them to a pair of SEC division titles, national rankings and NCAA Tournament play.

    Since the Kiffin hire, Carter has shored up his program by repeating the script in the hire of men’s basketball coach Chris Beard, who left Texas after charges of domestic violence. The charges were dropped shortly afterward and an exonerated Beard rewarded Carter by leading the Rebels to a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament appearance last season.

    Carter emphasizes advantages offered at Ole Miss, such as first-class facilities and a friendly fan base. His son, Knox, is the quarterback of the Oxford High Chargers, coached by Chris Cutcliffe, the son of former Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe, whose reputation as a quarterback “whisperer” includes Peyton and Eli Manning.

    The lifestyle pace of Oxford is slower than most major college towns. The daily media demands are less and the smaller group of sports writers have personable relationships with Kiffin, especially compared with other SEC schools. Kiffin’s eccentricities, such as an extensive social media presence, are not just tolerated, but embraced and celebrated by Ole Miss fans.

    When asked if Kiffin, Carter and Boyce have an atypical relationship among staff members, Kiffin quickly agreed.

    “Dr. Boyce and Keith have been amazing. They’ve done everything they can to help us win and I’ve been very appreciative of them as my two bosses and my friends. They’ve been amazing people for me to be around and I consider them really good friends.”

    Good enough that Kiffin understands if Carter won’t join him for hot yoga sessions anymore.

    “It’s not about who is the best in there,” Kiffin said. “But maybe we liked getting Keith in there and watching him struggle.”

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  • Stricklin begins national search for UF coach, names Gonzales for rest of season

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said Monday that he fired coach Billy Napier on Sunday because he felt now was the time in the best interests of the program long term. 

    He said he is launching a nationwide search to hire a new coach who can win a national championship. Stricklin said he would make the hire and be solely responsible but that he would hire TurnkeyZRG to be a partner in the search process. He said he will take suggestions from others, including the trustees and Turnkey.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said Monday he will conduct an extensive search for a new football coach

    • Stricklin fired Billy Napier on Sunday after the Gators’ 3-4 start

    • He said he is looking for a coach who can win a national championship

    • Among the coaches whose names have been linked as possible replacements are Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, former Penn State coach James Franklin and USF coach Alex Golesh

    “We will have a wide variety of candidates,” Stricklin said, despite reports naming some possible successors. “We want people who can win national championships.”

    Some coaches whose names have been linked to the job in media reports are Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, former Penn State coach James Franklin, who was just fired by Penn State; Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and USF coach Alex Golesh, whose 18th-ranked Bulls are 6-1 this season with a victory against Florida. Golesh also is a former UCF co-offensive coordinator.

    In the interim, receivers coach Billy Gonzales will take over as coach for Florida’s remaining five games, beginning against rival Georgia (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville. The Gators (3-4, 2-2) have a bye week to regroup from the chaos that often comes with a coaching change.

    He has worked on the Gators staff for 12 years with three different coaches.

    “Florida is a special place to me,” Gonzales said. “I take this new role to heart. It’s important to me.”

    Gonzales said Napier’s coaching staff will be kept in place and quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara will call plays. He said running the offense will be a collaborative process but that offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Russ Calloway will organize it.

    Florida owes Napier roughly $21 million, with half of that buyout due within 30 days. The rest will be spread over three annual installments beginning next summer, meaning the Gators will be paying three head coaches for the second time in seven years once they hire Napier’s replacement; they did the same with Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen in 2018. The football program will honor the contract as written, Stricklin said.

    Stricklin said the financial hit “is not insignificant” but that resources won’t be a factor in who Florida hires.

    “We have a little more time to make a hire and be very thorough,” he said.

    Stricklin said Florida has a “standard of excellence of winning that we have to perpetuate. …We’re here to win championships.”

    He warned that the process of replacing Napier will be tricky, though, pointing out that only three current college coaches have won national championships, so it’s likely whoever Florida hires will not previously have won one.

    But he added that Florida has never invested more in its football program’s infrastructure, facilities and name, image and likeness expenditures than it has of late.

    Stricklin announced Sunday that Napier was fired after going 22-23 in four seasons at Florida, including 12-16 in Southeastern Conference play. The firing came despite a 23-21 victory that looked like it was going to be gut-wrenching loss until defensive tackle Michai Boireau picked off a pass with 21 seconds remaining and the Bulldogs near field-goal range.

    “We’re all sad and disappointed that it didn’t work out,” Stricklin said.

    Napier took his dismissal “as graciously as you would expect,” Stricklin said. “…None of us will find a finer individual. His integrity, his character, the investment that he has made in this program.”

    The Gators program is in a lot better place than when Napier took it over, Stricklin said.

    “This place is important to him,” Stricklin said.

    Gonzales said he is hoping for a smooth transition, and Napier has left the Gators with “an arsenal of plays within the system.” He said he has full trust in the staff and players to finish the season strong. He said he wants to put the players in advantageous position to perform at their best.

    Stricklin met with the team after he fired Napier and said that although the situation is difficult, he expects a strong finish.

    “I believe we have the talent to compete with anyone left on our schedule,” Stricklin said. “…The University of Florida matters to this group. ….Winning is important to this group.”

    He said the staff, boosters and fans, “owe it to them to do everything we can to support them the rest of this season.”

    Speculation about Napier’s future mounted as the season went along, facing multiple ranked teams. He is the third consecutive coach to be fired by Florida in the middle of a season but the fourth Gators coach to be fired since the Urban Meyer era.

    The University of Florida draws student-athletes from all over the state, including Central Florida. According to one Lake Nona parent whose son plays for the football team, the players were notified on Sunday that there would be a meeting Sunday, and that’s when Charles Emanuel said he could almost guess what it was pertaining to.

    Though many fans and some leaders with the program seem to be unhappy with the wins and losses over the years, Emanuel said he likes the work Napier has done with the team, and that he’s thinking of him and his family during this time, not just the season.

    “I thought Billy’s done a really good job with this team,” he said. “My wife and I we’ve enjoyed the fact that our son has been there, and he’s treated our son well. I think he treats his players well, and I think all the players will tell you he’s a players’ coach,” Emanuel said.

    Spectrum News 13’s Brandon Green and Jaclyn Harold contributed to this report.

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  • Florida fires coach Billy Napier after four-year run

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida fired coach Billy Napier on Sunday, dumping him a day after an error-filled win against Mississippi State that included more head-scratching calls and offensive lulls like those that marked much of his four-year run with the Gators.

    Athletic director Scott Stricklin made the move following a 23-21 victory that looked like it was going to be gut-wrenching loss until defensive tackle Michai Boireau picked off a pass with 21 seconds remaining and the Bulldogs near field-goal range.

    The game-sealing takeaway energized the Swamp, but the home crowd quickly turned on Napier and booed him as he sprinted off the field. Stricklin had seen enough and pulled the plug on a run that most of Florida faithful thought lasted longer than it should have.

    Napier went 22-23 in four seasons at Florida, including 12-16 in SEC play. He was 5-17 against ranked opponents, including 0-14 away from home, and declined to give up his play-calling role despite calls to do so.

    Equally damning: his 3-12 mark against rivals Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee includes the fewest wins by a Florida coach in such games since the late 1930s.

    Receivers coach Billy Gonzales is expected to serve as interim for Florida’s remaining five games, beginning against rival Georgia (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville. The Gators (3-4, 2-2) have an off week to regroup from the chaos that often comes with a coaching change.

    Jettisoning Napier will temporarily quell a frustrated fanbase, but the group won’t truly be satisfied until the Gators hire someone with a proven track record at college football’s highest level.

    Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is expected to top the list, although Stricklin passed on him when he hired Napier from Louisiana-Lafayette in November 2021. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also could be targets.

    Florida owes Napier roughly $21 million, with half of that buyout due within 30 days. The rest will be spread over three annual installments beginning next summer, meaning the Gators will be paying three head coaches for the second time in seven years once they hire Napier’s replacement; they did the same with Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen in 2018.

    Napier sealed his fate against the Bulldogs. He dialed up a QB rollout on a third-and-1 play in the waning minutes that led to a punt and gave Mississippi State a chance down the stretch. He also called a QB keeper on a third-and-7 play earlier in the game, botched the final possession before halftime and was flagged for having 12 men on the field during a 2-point try.

    It was a fitting end for a coach who often looked in over his head in the powerhouse SEC. Between repeated penalties, game organization issues, clock management miscues and running an offensive scheme that was as predictable as it was pedestrian, Napier stuck around longer than many thought he deserved.

    Stricklin gave the coach a public vote of confidence shortly before the Gators won their final four games of 2024. They hoped to carry that momentum into Napier’s fourth season, but quarterback DJ Lagway missed close to eight months recovering from injuries — and it showed.

    Lagway looked mostly lost in the pocket as Florida struggled to move the ball. Suddenly, the two-time Sun Belt Conference coach of the year, a guy who gained fame at his previous stop by saying “scared money don’t make money,” seemed afraid to get the ball down the field like Lagway did with such ease as a freshman.

    Most outsiders saw this ending coming. Although Napier accomplished plenty while helping the program navigate name, Iimage and likeness compensation and revenue sharing, he churned through assistants while failing to find much consistency on either side of the ball.

    There’s an argument to be made that the Gators actually regressed from Game 1 (an interception in the final minute to beat then-No. 7 Utah in the Swamp) to Game 45 (an interception in the final minute to beat Mississippi State in the Swamp) under Napier despite a seemingly more potent roster.

    Whoever replaces Napier will inherit a sleeping giant, a three-time football national champion that recently caught up in the facilities race and has enough booster support to be a factor in the SEC.

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  • Florida holds on to beat Mississippi State 23-21

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Billy Napier started to jog off the field, heard the boos and kicked it into another gear. He was trying to escape the negativity.

    His ultimate exit could come as early as Sunday.

    Jadan Baugh ran for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown, DJ Lagway threw for 280 yards to offset two interceptions and Florida held on to beat Mississippi State 23-21 on Saturday in what may have been Napier’s finale.

    “I think I’m built for it; I’m made for it,” Napier said. “I chose the coaching profession; I was called to coach. The good comes with the bad. The bad comes with the good. The game’s about the players, and I’m proud of the way they played.”

    “I love the game of football,” he added, choking back tears. “I love the game.”

    The Gators (3-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) intercepted Blake Shapen’s pass in the waning seconds with the Bulldogs (4-3, 0-3) in field-goal range. Defensive tackle Michai Boireau got the pick, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

    “It ain’t over until the clock hits triple zeros,” Boireau said.

    Florida handed Mississippi State its 15th consecutive loss in league play, but a comedy of errors should be enough for athletic director Scott Stricklin to show Napier the door.

    Napier improved to 22-23 overall and 12-16 in league play in four seasons, but this one included enough head-scratching decisions that Stricklin could easily justify firing him after a win.

    Most notably, Napier dialed up a QB keeper on a third-and-1 play in the waning minutes that gave the Bulldogs a chance down the stretch.

    He also called a keeper on a third-and-7 play earlier, took consecutive penalties that turned a chip-shot field goal into a long one, primarily ran the ball to get to the goal line and then threw incomplete three times, botched the final possession before halftime and was flagged for having 12 men on the field during a 2-point try.

    Florida also had a long touchdown called back because of a penalty for the fourth time this season.

    Still, the Gators were talented enough to overcome the miscues. Napier, however, had little leeway left for any sort of clunker.

    “That was a great memory there,” Napier said. “And I think there’s a lot of life lessons for them in terms of what happened out there.”

    Shapen threw for 324 yards, including 155 to Brenen Thompson. Davon Booth ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Shapen’s final pass was the difference.

    “I love the call. I don’t like what the outcome was,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said. “We had a ton of opportunities. It comes down to that last play.”

    Florida played shorthanded on defense

    The Gators were shorthanded in the secondary, playing without safety Jordan Castell and cornerback Cormani McClain. Standout cornerback Devin Moore injured his right shoulder on Mississippi State’s opening drive and spent the rest of the afternoon in a sling on the sideline.

    The mounting injuries — the team was already without cornerbacks Dijon Johnson and Aaron Gates — left the Gators with significant inexperience in the back end. Redshirt freshman Jamroc Grimsley and walk-on safety Alfonzo Allen Jr. made their first career starts, and freshman cornerback Ben Hanks III played for the first time this season.

    The takeaway

    Mississippi State: The Bulldogs kept it close throughout and potentially should have had more points. Kyle Ferrie missed a 41-yard field goal wide right in the second quarter, but replays appeared to show the ball going over the upright.

    Florida: If the Gators fire Napier, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin should be a top target. The short list also should include Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. There’s little chance Florida would go outside a sitting Power Four coach.

    Up next

    Mississippi State hosts No. 21 Texas next Saturday, the Longhorns’ first trip to Starkville since 1991.

    Florida gets a week off, potentially with an interim coach, before facing No. 9 Georgia in Jacksonville.

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  • Defending champ Florida is No. 3 in preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll

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    The Florida Gators won the NCAA men’s national basketball championship in the 2024-25 season, but they aren’t No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll released Monday.

    Instead, Purdue is No. 1 for the first time.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida is ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25 college basketball poll

    • The defending champion received eight of 61 first-place votes

    • Purdue received a No. 1 ranking for the first time in a preseason poll

    • The Houston Cougars, who the Gators beat in the spring to win the title, are ranked at No. 2

    The Boilermakers earned 35 of 61 first-place votes to top Monday’s poll to begin the 2025-26 season. That put Matt Painter’s squad ahead of the two teams that played in last year’s NCAA title game, with runner-up Houston at No. 2 and reigning champion Florida at No. 3.

    Todd Golden’s Gators received eight first-place votes to start this year with their highest preseason ranking since the last time they entered a year as reigning champions in 2006-07, the start of a run to a second straight title.

    “We are obviously excited to get the season going and being ranked No. 1 in the preseason is a great indicator of what we feel this team can accomplish,” Painter said. “But the goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year. We’re thrilled that people think this highly of our team, but there is a long ways to go and a lot of work to do to reach that goal in April.”

    Purdue started a year ranked as high as No. 2 once before, in 1987-88 under Gene Keady.

    It’s another milestone for Painter, the former Keady player who has built his own successful program that is still looking for its NCAA title breakthrough as he enters his 21st season. Purdue had never been ranked No. 1 in any AP poll before the 2021-22 season, which marked the first of three consecutive seasons in which the Boilermakers have reached the top. The last was during the 2023-24 season behind two-time AP national player of the year Zach Edey in a run all the way to the national title game.

    The Boilermakers reached last year’s Sweet 16 before falling to Houston on a last-second basket, but they return a first-team AP All-American in point guard Braden Smith, scoring leader Trey Kaufman-Renn (20.1) and veteran guard Fletcher Loyer.

    The top tier

    Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, the team that Florida defeated in the NCAA championship game last spring, earned 16 first-place votes to match the program’s best-ever preseason AP ranking after last year’s finals run. The other No. 2 appearance was by the 1967-68 team led by Elvin Hayes.

    UConn came in at No. 4 and earned the remaining two first-place votes. St. John’s was fifth, with Rick Pitino’s Red Storm surpassing the program’s previous best ranking in a preseason AP poll (No. 7 in 1984-85).

    Duke was next at No. 6, followed by Michigan, BYU — which landed the nation’s No. 1 recruit in A.J. Dybantsa — Kentucky and Texas Tech to round out the top 10.

    Quick transitions

    It hasn’t taken long for Pat Kelsey to get Louisville back among the national elite, with the Cardinals checking in at No. 11 after a 27-win season to start his tenure. The Cardinals were 12-52 in the two seasons before his arrival.

    Louisville is one of five programs with a second-year coach in the preseason poll, joining Michigan, BYU, Kentucky and No. 14 Arkansas with John Calipari.

    Jayhawks lower

    Kansas checked in at No. 19, the lowest preseason rank for Bill Self’s Jayhawks since starting at No. 24 in the 2008-09 season as the reigning national champion. Kansas had been ranked outside the top 10 only once since that year (No. 13 in 2011-12) while starting at No. 1 in 2019-20 as well as each of the past two seasons in that stretch.

    Steven Pearl’s debut

    Auburn opens at No. 20 as it enters its first season since the unexpected retirement of coach Bruce Pearl following last year’s Final Four run.

    Pearl stepped aside last month after 11 seasons, triggering a transition to his 38-year-old son Steven, who climbed his father’s staff through the elder Pearl’s Auburn tenure but has never been a head coach nor coached elsewhere in college.

    Conference watch

    The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 each had six ranked teams to make up 72% of the field. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East were next with three each, while the West Coast Conference had one with No. 21 Gonzaga. The Big 12 was the only league in that group to have three top-10 teams.

    SEC poll

    The Gators have been chosen as the media’s pick to win the 2026 SEC title.

    Kentucky senior guard Otega Oweh was selected as the Preseason SEC Player of the Year. Kentucky was selected to finish second.

    Voters in the preseason poll were a select panel of both SEC and national media members. 

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  • No. 5 Texas A&M continues perfect start with 34-17 win over Florida

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    By  KRISTIE RIEKEN

    COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Marcel Reed threw for 234 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as No. 5 Texas A&M continued its perfect start with a 34-17 victory over Florida on Saturday night.

    It’s the first 6-0 start for the Aggies since 2016 and they improved to 3-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

    “This doesn’t mean anything if we don’t finish,” coach Mike Elko said. “It’s been the word since the offseason. It’s the only thing that we’ve talked about. We’re really excited with where we are, but we’re nowhere yet … we’re focused one week at a time, one game at a time, we’re focused on finishing every opportunity that we have.”

    Florida (2-4, 1-2) was unable to build off last week’s 29-21 upset over then-No. 9 Texas that snapped a three-game skid as coach Billy Napier fell to 0-14 on the road against ranked opponents.

    Texas A&M scored touchdowns on its first three possessions but managed only a field goal after that until Rueben Owens scored on a 2-yard run that made it 31-17 with about 4 1/2 minutes to go.

    “As the quarterback, I have to stay calm and keep everybody else calm,” he said. “It’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. You want to score on every possession, but it doesn’t work like that all the time.”

    That score came after Florida couldn’t take advantage of a turnover and Texas A&M took more than eight minutes off the clock on the drive. The Aggies led by 7 when Jordan Castell intercepted Reed in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter. DJ Lagway’s pass was deflected and fell incomplete on fourth-and-6 near midfield to give Texas A&M the ball back to start the drive that ended in the score by Owens.

    Napier was asked about the decision not to punt on fourth down.

    “I think that the analytics would say at that point you go for it,” he said. “But in general, yes that’s one you think about.”

    Dayon Hayes sacked Lagway and forced a fumble that the Aggies recovered on the first play of Florida’s next drive and they tacked on a field goal to seal the victory.

    “I don’t rock with the losing. I don’t like that,” Lagway said. “We can’t get comfortable with this. It’s not acceptable. And I feel like there’s a lot of guys responding to that, and it’s not acceptable, and I’m tired of it, and I can’t go on like this. We got to fix it.”

    The Gators looked good early and it was tied at 14 at the end of the first quarter before Texas A&M outscored them 20-3 the rest of the way.

    Lagway threw for 245 yards with two touchdowns and Vernell Brown III had six receptions for 77 yards as the Gators faced their fourth straight opponent ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll.

    The Aggies had 183 yards rushing a week after running for a season-high 303 yards despite starter Le’Veon Moss leaving before halftime with an apparent injury. Owens ran for 51 yards and Moss had five carries for 46 yards and a touchdown before limping off the field in the second quarter.

    Brown fumbled early in the third quarter and it was recovered by Taurean York on the Florida 29. Texas A&M couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 26-yard field goal that made it 24-14.

    Florida cut the lead to 24-17 on a 45-yard field goal with about seven minutes left in the third quarter.

    Lagway put the Gators up early with his 1-yard TD pass to Amir Jackson on their first drive.

    The Aggies evened it up when Reed scrambled eight yards for a score on the second play and their first possession. A 67-yard grab by Mario Craver set up that score.

    Texas A&M took a 14-7 lead on Reed’s 22-yard pass to Jamarion Morrow later in the first quarter.

    It was tied again after Lagway found Dallas Wilson for a 6-yard touchdown on the next drive. That touchdown came two plays after Lagway connected with Brown for a 31-yard gain.

    Moss ran through a defender and dashed 22 yards for a score that gave A&M a 21-14 lead early in the second quarter.

    The takeaway

    The Aggies should move up at least one spot after No. 3 Oregon lost at home to Indiana Saturday. The loss drops Napier to 21-23 in four seasons in Gainesville with a tough upcoming schedule which includes games against No. 10 Georgia and fourth-ranked Ole Miss.

    Third-down shutdown

    Texas A&M’s defense has dominated on third down since the start of SEC play, allowing opponents to convert just 2 of 33 opportunities. The Aggies limited Florida to 1 of 10 on third down conversions Saturday after Mississippi State converted just 1 of 10 opportunities last week. Those performances came after they kept Auburn from converting any of its 13 chances in the conference opener.

    Big crowds

    The Aggies had a crowd of 105,086 Saturday night for their 10th straight game with at least 100,000 fans.

    Up Next

    Florida: Hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.

    Texas A&M: At Arkansas next Saturday.

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  • Keeler: CU Buffs coach Deion Sanders hasn’t hesitated to play freshmen. So why is he hesitating to play 5-star QB Julian Lewis?

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    BOULDER — There will be another Ju Ju.

    Lots of them, actually. If we’ve learned anything about CU recruiting in the Deion Sanders Era, it’s that if Coach Prime wants someone — like, really, really, really wants them — he gets them.

    Left tackle Jordan Seaton? Got him.

    Cornerback Cormani McClain? Got him. (Best not look at the young man’s Florida Gators numbers right now if you’re a Buffs fan. Seriously. Don’t.)

    Quarterback Julian Lewis? Got him, too.

    Keeping him? Well …

    At 2-4, 0-3 in Big 12 play, CU football is staring at a crisis/inflection point right now. No. 22 Iowa State (5-1) rolls into town for a Saturday matinee, and a trip to Utah (4-1), which is back to running the ball at will again, looms after that.

    Meanwhile, Coach Prime’s health concerns are mounting. And the Buffs have played three QBs in six games because, as the old adage goes, they don’t really have one. Not one who can sling it consistently at a Big 12 level, at any rate.

    After Kaidon Salter just tossed three interceptions at TCU, Ju Ju is the people’s choice again.

    Build for the future!

    The season’s already lost!

    What’s the difference between 4-8 and 2-10?

    If we don’t play Ju Ju this fall, we’ll lose him to the transfer portal! And that would be a tragedy!

    Would it, though?

    I mean, in terms of Lewis’ value in the open market, you’re absolutely right. Big Ten and SEC football programs, even bad ones, have more money right now than they know what to do with. The Buffs, as with many of their Big 12 peers, have to pick and choose their bidding wars.

    Although CU also, at the moment, has 24 offers out to quarterbacks in the Class of ’26, according to the 247Sports database. They’ve got five out to signal-callers in the Class of ’27, and four in the Class of ’28.

    Recruiting, at its core, is about salesmanship. Nobody sells — themselves, their school, a product, the future — the way Coach Prime sells. Charmers are charmers for life.

    Ask yourself this, too: If Lewis is that hot, why hasn’t he beaten out the two guys who’ve been driving you crazy?

    You’ve watched Salter for five games. You’ve watched backup Ryan Staub for two.

    As Coach Prime points out, he sees what you saw.

    Yet when asked about Ju Ju’s progress on Tuesday, Sanders said this, and bluntly:

    “He’s coming around the mountain when he comes.”

    Will he be driving six white horses?

    We kid, we kid. But the hesitation, given precedent, is more than curious, isn’t it?

    After all, Coach Prime has made a point of playing freshmen who earned his trust early. Seaton. Micah Welch. Omarion Miller. Dre’Lon Miller.

    Lewis, though?

    Not so much. Not yet, anyway.

    “I mean, he’s young, and you can’t throw everything at him,” Sanders explained after playing Lewis for two rocky series vs. Delaware last month. “So you don’t want to do that. You don’t want him to feel like he failed.

    “So you’ve got to proceed with — some guys want you to just throw him in there, and I’m too protective. I mean, I love the kid and I want the kid to be successful, so we’re very protective on what we do with him and what we can do with him and really how we call things with him. We want him to be in a situation to excel.”

    Again, he sees what you see. He sees a young man who only turned 18 two-and-a-half weeks ago. And it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see a QB who isn’t quite ready yet.

    Although …

    “I’ve never sat on the bench and said, ‘Whoa, I learned a lot today.’”

    That quote also came from Sanders, when he was a guest on the Kelce Brothers’ “New Heights” podcast a fortnight ago. He’d said that while explaining why son Shedeur didn’t want to be drafted by Baltimore and become All-Pro QB Lamar Jackson’s understudy

    “Who learns sitting on the bench?” Coach Prime continued. “Who does that?”

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Florida upsets No. 9 Texas 29-21 in the Swamp

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw for a season-high 289 yards and two touchdowns, both to a true freshman making his college debut, and Florida upset No. 9 Texas 29-21 on Saturday to end a three-game skid.

    Arch Manning and the Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) had a chance in the final minute thanks partly to a defensive penalty, but he threw incomplete deep and was sacked twice.

    Florida (2-3, 1-1) enjoyed its first victory since beating Long Island in the season opener.

    Lagway looked better than he had in four previous starts this season, and Dallas Wilson had a lot to do with it. The Tampa native showed speed, hands and arguably the most physicality of any Florida receiver in years.

    Wilson’s 55-yard TD catch late in the third quarter was one of the most impressive plays in the Swamp since Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin dominated opponents regularly.

    Wilson tossed aside cornerback Kobe Black at the line of scrimmage, spun out of the grasp of safety Jelani McDonald, tiptoed the sideline, ran through McDonald’s second attempt at a tackle and then powered through safety Michael Taaffe at the goal line.

    Wilson finished with six catches for 111 yards. It was the best debut for a freshman receiver at Florida in program history. Wilson was the star of Florida’s spring game in April but injured his left foot early in fall camp and spent weeks in a walking boot.

    He finally returned to practice during Florida’s off week and provided the jolt the Gators needed to end a three-game slide in which they scored 16, 10 and 7 points.

    Texas struggled to find consistency in front of a hostile crowd of 90,714. Manning was hurried and harassed all afternoon. He threw for 263 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    Manning was sacked seven times behind a line that got bullied without blitzes in Texas’ first visit to Gainesville since 1940.

    Poll implications

    Texas will surely tumble out of the top 10 in the next AP Top 25 College Football Poll.

    The takeaway

    Texas: The Longhorns have been one of the most disappointing teams in college football. The preseason No. 1 lost at Ohio State to open the season, wasn’t sharp in wins against San Jose State and Sam Houston State, and now this.

    Florida: The Gators may have found something during their off week. Lagway showed significant improvement, and Florida’s pass rush was dominant for the first time this season.

    Up next

    Texas faces nemesis and fifth-ranked Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas next Saturday.

    Florida goes on the road to face No. 6 Texas A&M next Saturday.

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  • Napier calls rumors about Lagway opting out midseason ‘comical,’ ‘a total myth’

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway wore a walking boot earlier this week, but coach Billy Napier said Wednesday his foot injury was “no issue at all.”

    Napier said Lagway is “100%” despite getting stepped on during a 26-7 loss at Miami last Saturday.

    Rumors swirled about Lagway’s injury, with some even suggesting he was considering opting out of the season while the Gators (1-3) try to regroup amid a three-game losing streak.

    What You Need To Know

    • The foot injury to Gators quarterback DJ Lagway is “no issue at all,” coach Billy Napier said Wednesday

    • He also dismissed rumors that Lagway could opt out midseason

    • Florida is on a three-game losing streak but has a bye this week 

    • Cornerback Dijon Johnson underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a season-ending knee injury, Napier said

    “It’s comical,” Napier said. “The kid has been back in here since Sunday, working his butt off. Monday, (Tuesday), had a really good day. We can’t control that outside narrative, obviously.”

    “But he’s just fine. He’s been in the building just like he’s on the staff, so he’s been back to work. And certainly, yeah, that’s a total myth that’s out there.”

    Lagway has completed 67.5% of his passes for 690 yards, with five touchdowns and six interceptions this season. He missed most of the offseason and training camp while recovering from core-muscle surgery, a sore shoulder and a strained left calf.

    His Heisman Trophy odds have dipped more than Napier’s approval rating. But Napier has no plans to switch to freshman backup Tramell Jones Jr. He reiterated Wednesday that he will continue to serve as the primary play-caller despite Florida coming off a 141-yard performance against the Hurricanes and having scored one touchdown in each of its last three games.

    The Gators are off this week before hosting No. 10 Texas (3-1) on Oct. 4.

    “There’s a renewed emphasis on accountability,” Napier said. “Obviously, we have to play better. Every position group is contributing to our issues. I know, obviously, a lot is made of DJ and his situation, but I do think when we look at it from a big-picture standpoint, we’ve got to play better around them.”

    “Just some of the points of emphasis are eliminating negative plays. And I do think that first-down efficiency has contributed to some of our problems as well. But, in general, I think we have to address that part of our team, and there’s got to be some changes, and certainly that’s what we’re doing.”

    Also Wednesday, Napier said cornerback Dijon Johnson sustained a season-ending knee injury against the Hurricanes and had surgery Tuesday. Johnson’s injury means sophomore and Colorado transfer Cormani McClain will step into a bigger role moving forward.

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  • Hurricanes ease past Gators 26-7 to move to 4-0

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    By  TIM REYNOLDS

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, Marty Brown rushed for a pair of scores and No. 4 Miami struggled at times before beating Florida 26-7 on Saturday night.

    Brown had a 2-yard rush to cap the first drive of the game for Miami (4-0), then had a 1-yard plunge with 4:08 left to seal what became the Hurricanes’ ninth win over the Gators in the teams’ last 11 meetings.

    Fletcher scored from 1 yard out with 1:57 left.

    Jadan Baugh had a 7-yard touchdown run for Florida (1-3), off to its worst start since 1986. The loss sent embattled coach Billy Napier’s record with the Gators to 20-22, and came on a night where Florida had its fewest total yards in a game in more than 25 years.

    The Gators were outgained 344-141 and quarterback D.J. Lagway completed 12 of 23 passes for only 61 yards. It was Florida’s lowest yardage since managing only 119 against Alabama on Dec. 4, 1999.

    Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 17 of 30 passes for 160 yards and an interception. Beck improved to 3-0 all-time against Florida; in the last 25 years, only fellow former Georgia quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Aaron Murray also had three wins over the Gators as starters.

    The Hurricanes were fuming after a play early in the third quarter where it appeared Brown — on fourth-and-1 from the Florida 48 — bounced off a pile, kept his legs moving and broke free for what would have been a touchdown and a 19-0 Miami lead with an extra point pending.

    Southeastern Conference referee David Smith said Brown’s forward progress was stopped, taking the score off the board, and Miami punted four plays later. The Gators scored on the ensuing drive, and a game where the Hurricanes thought they had gone up by three touchdowns was suddenly a 13-7 contest.

    Beck got picked off on the next Miami drive, but the Hurricanes snuffed out that Florida possession by getting a fourth-down stop on the first play of the fourth quarter and holding on to the six-point lead. Florida never got any closer.

    The takeaway

    Florida: The Gators had 32 yards of offense on their first six drives, before going 80 yards on the third-quarter possession capped by Baugh’s touchdown run. That extended Florida’s NCAA-record scoring streak, which now is up to 465 games dating back to 1988.

    Miami: Even on an off night for the offense, the Hurricanes’ defense showed up yet again. Miami improved to 10-0 at home since the start of last season and has now won seven consecutive games against in-state opponents.

    Up next

    Florida: Host Texas on Oct. 4.

    Miami: Visit Florida State on Oct. 4.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • Florida football assistant coach Jabbar Juluke suspended for pregame scuffle

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Southeastern Conference and University of Florida have announced a three-game suspension of Jabbar Juluke, associate head football coach and running backs coach at Florida, for his involvement in an altercation prior to the Florida-LSU football game on Saturday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Florida associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been suspended for three games

    • The suspension followed his involvement in an altercation before the UF-LSU game Saturday

    • SEC officials and the Gators did not explain specifically what Juluke did

    • He will miss games against No. 4 Miami, No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Texas

    Juluke will miss a tough stretch of the Gators’ schedule, as the next three games are at No. 4 Miami, at home against No. 8 Texas and at No. 10 Texas A&M.

    In a news release, the SEC and school didn’t describe Juluke’s specific role in the altercation, but players from both teams could be seen yelling at each other before the game. LSU won, 20-10.

    “Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “This suspension is appropriate, and any future misconduct by Jabbar Juluke will result in more severe disciplinary action.”

    Juluke apologized for the incident.

    “There’s no excuse for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.

    “I know more is expected of us as coaches, and I commit to living up to that expectation.”

    Head coach Billy Napier, whose team is off to a 1-2 start, said Juluke will learn from what happened.

    “Coach Juluke’s actions prior to our game against LSU are not up to the standard of our program. Coach Juluke is a man of character and has taken full responsibility for his actions,” Napier said.

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  • Miami’s Beck has faced Florida a few times, but Saturday to be 1st time as ‘Cane

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    CORAL GABLES, Fla. — There’s a lot of things that Miami quarterback Carson Beck had to learn when he joined the Hurricanes in January.

    The meaning of rivalry weeks was not among them.

    For the first time, Miami is set to face its two biggest rivals — Florida and Florida State — in consecutive games during the same season. (Technically, there have been three instances of Miami seeing those opponents in back-to-back games, all when the Hurricanes ended one season facing the Gators and opened the next season against the Seminoles.)

    What You Need To Know

    • No. 4 Miami will play host to Florida on Saturday

    • Carson Beck is the Hurricanes’ quarterback this year and has defeated the Gators twice when he played for Georgia

    • Beck said he is very familiar with rivalry games — at Georgia and among college teams in Florida

    • Miami already has played USF this season, and it will take on Florida and Florida State, too

    It starts Saturday, when Beck and the fourth-ranked Hurricanes (3-0) play host to the Gators (1-2). Miami beat Florida last season, and Beck was Georgia’s starting quarterback for wins over the Gators — the Bulldogs also count Florida as a big rival — in 2023 and 2024.

    “I’m very up to speed,” Beck said. “Obviously, being at Georgia, we value our rivalries. I mean, Georgia-Florida is one of the biggest games of the year for us every year. Being in Miami, you get two in-state rivalries, which is pretty dope. The tensions rise. The competition is always heightened with those rivalry games. And obviously, I’ve been in Florida my whole life, so I’m super familiar with all the rivalries.”

    In turn, the Gators are also super familiar with Beck.

    He has the chance to be the third quarterback in the past 25 years — fellow former Georgia quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Aaron Murray are the others — to beat Florida three times as a starter. Beck was 44 of 68 passing for 624 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions against Florida in the past two seasons, getting wins by scores of 43-20 and 34-20.

    “He’s a good quarterback,” Florida defensive lineman George Gumbs Jr. said. “I feel like going into every game with a good quarterback, our goal is to affect the quarterback. The quarterback is usually going to be the team. So, once we affect the quarterback, we slow the offense down.”

    Miami’s three opponents so far this season — Notre Dame, Bethune-Cookman and USF — have had similar mindsets going into their games against the Hurricanes. None were successful.

    Among quarterbacks with more than 20 pass attempts so far this season, Beck leads the country with a 79.3% completion percentage. He’s 65 of 82 through three games for 812 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, both of those picks coming against USF last week and neither exactly being his fault. And nobody in the past 30 years has gotten off to such an accurate start in three games, with at least two of those contests coming against AP-ranked opponents.

    Plus, there’s this: Beck simply knows the Gators. It’s a plus for Miami this week.

    “You prepare for everything historically, what teams have done and whatnot,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “But without question, experience at that position and understanding conceptually what we do versus what opponents show us is always a tremendous bonus. And certainly, he takes a lot of pride in studying his opponents. So, any insight from him is welcome and respected.”

    Beck is from Jacksonville, not too far from Gainesville, and around his freshman year of high school, he decided that he would attend Florida to play both football and baseball. Plans changed, obviously, but he clearly has more than just a basic understanding of the rivalry.

    And he knows Florida’s defense is better than the Gators’ 1-2 record. Florida’s defense has yielded only two touchdowns this season so far and has given up just seven in its past seven games going back to last year.

    “It’s a really good defense, and they’ve shown that this year in the three games that they’ve played,” Beck said. “So again, it’s going to be a challenge for us. But you know, we’re excited to accept that challenge.”

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  • LSU intercepts 5 of DJ Lagway’s passes in 20-10 victory

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    By  BRETT MARTEL

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Garrett Nussmeier threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, Dashawn Spears returned one of his first two career interceptions 58 yards for a touchdown and No. 3 LSU beat Florida 20-10 on Saturday night.

    After the ejection of LSU preseason AP All-America linebacker Whit Weeks for a targeting penalty in the game’s opening minutes, the Tigers (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) intercepted five of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s passes and sacked him three times.

    Lagway’s career high in interceptions came in what was widely seen as a pivotal bounce-back game for the Gators (1-2, 0-1) and fourth-year coach Billy Napier after a surprising home loss to South Florida a week earlier.

    The Gators amped up the intensity more than an hour before kickoff when many of them jogged or walked a lap around the entire field — a route that took them near the tunnel to the LSU locker room.

    As Florida players stared down hecklers in the LSU student section, several Tigers players warming up in the area began shouting as well as they advanced toward the Gators. Shoving ensued, and as officials and uniformed officers on the field diffused the standoff, an official threw a “sideline warning” flag.

    After kickoff, the game was hard fought, with defenders hitting hard and offensive linemen vigorously finishing blocks — including one by LSU lineman Weston Davis that wiped out Tigers coach Brian Kelly along the sideline. Kelly was uninjured.

    But both offenses stumbled.

    LSU, which had starting center Braelen Moore back in the lineup after an ankle injury last week, gained just 96 yards rushing (with 51 coming on a late run by Caden Durham) and punted seven times. Nussmeier also was intercepted on a risky throw back across the middle that infuriated Kelly.

    Florida, which punted five times, finished with 366 total yards to LSU’s 316. Lagway finished 33 of 49 for 287 yards and one TD passing.

    Nussmeier’s 23-yard scoring pass to Zavion Thomas gave LSU a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.

    Florida responded with Lagway’s floating 10-yard pass to Aiden Mizell as he crossed the back of the end zone in tight coverage from Tamarcus Cooley, who disgustedly kicked the ball after the play, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

    Lagway’s second turnover was AJ Haulcy’s interception that set up Damian Ramos’ 45-yard field goal, giving LSU a 13-10 lead as time expired in the first half.

    Spears’ second interception and long return put LSU up 20-10. And after Cooley redeemed himself with an interception of Lagway’s pass in the end zone with less than seven minutes remaining, cornerback DJ Pickett had an interception to end Florida’s final possession.

    The takeaway

    Florida: The Gators’ evident intensity and effort was canceled out by turnovers and other mistakes, including an offensive holding call that nullified an 87-yard touchdown pass to Jadan Baugh in the first half.

    LSU: The defense has been good enough to compensate for an offense that has been inconsistent and less explosive than expected with the experienced Nussmeier — a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite who passed for 4,052 yards last season — under center.

    Up next

    Florida: At Miami next Saturday.

    LSU: Hosts Southeastern Louisiana next Saturday.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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    Associated Press

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  • LSU intercepts 5 of DJ Lagway’s passes in 20-10 victory

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    By  BRETT MARTEL

    BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Garrett Nussmeier threw for 220 yards and a touchdown, Dashawn Spears returned one of his first two career interceptions 58 yards for a touchdown and No. 3 LSU beat Florida 20-10 on Saturday night.

    After the ejection of LSU preseason AP All-America linebacker Whit Weeks for a targeting penalty in the game’s opening minutes, the Tigers (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) intercepted five of Florida quarterback DJ Lagway’s passes and sacked him three times.

    Lagway’s career high in interceptions came in what was widely seen as a pivotal bounce-back game for the Gators (1-2, 0-1) and fourth-year coach Billy Napier after a surprising home loss to South Florida a week earlier.

    The Gators amped up the intensity more than an hour before kickoff when many of them jogged or walked a lap around the entire field — a route that took them near the tunnel to the LSU locker room.

    As Florida players stared down hecklers in the LSU student section, several Tigers players warming up in the area began shouting as well as they advanced toward the Gators. Shoving ensued, and as officials and uniformed officers on the field diffused the standoff, an official threw a “sideline warning” flag.

    After kickoff, the game was hard fought, with defenders hitting hard and offensive linemen vigorously finishing blocks — including one by LSU lineman Weston Davis that wiped out Tigers coach Brian Kelly along the sideline. Kelly was uninjured.

    But both offenses stumbled.

    LSU, which had starting center Braelen Moore back in the lineup after an ankle injury last week, gained just 96 yards rushing (with 51 coming on a late run by Caden Durham) and punted seven times. Nussmeier also was intercepted on a risky throw back across the middle that infuriated Kelly.

    Florida, which punted five times, finished with 366 total yards to LSU’s 316. Lagway finished 33 of 49 for 287 yards and one TD passing.

    Nussmeier’s 23-yard scoring pass to Zavion Thomas gave LSU a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.

    Florida responded with Lagway’s floating 10-yard pass to Aiden Mizell as he crossed the back of the end zone in tight coverage from Tamarcus Cooley, who disgustedly kicked the ball after the play, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

    Lagway’s second turnover was AJ Haulcy’s interception that set up Damian Ramos’ 45-yard field goal, giving LSU a 13-10 lead as time expired in the first half.

    Spears’ second interception and long return put LSU up 20-10. And after Cooley redeemed himself with an interception of Lagway’s pass in the end zone with less than seven minutes remaining, cornerback DJ Pickett had an interception to end Florida’s final possession.

    The takeaway

    Florida: The Gators’ evident intensity and effort was canceled out by turnovers and other mistakes, including an offensive holding call that nullified an 87-yard touchdown pass to Jadan Baugh in the first half.

    LSU: The defense has been good enough to compensate for an offense that has been inconsistent and less explosive than expected with the experienced Nussmeier — a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite who passed for 4,052 yards last season — under center.

    Up next

    Florida: At Miami next Saturday.

    LSU: Hosts Southeastern Louisiana next Saturday.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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    Associated Press

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