Florida begins renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

A much-needed improvement project began at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium today.

The University Athletic Association started renovating the west concourse, which now will be closed to the public during the construction. The stadium will remain open and is accessible at Gate 18.

The most important part of the plan is to widen the concourse, which is not nearly big enough to handle a capacity crowd on game days. Florida also will upgrade concessions and bathrooms, as well as updating the overall aesthetic and adding more first-aid stands.

The UAA said the construction will last “through the beginning of the 2012 football season.”

Florida Uses Balanced Attack and Tough Defense to Down Belmont, 72-45

The University of Florida women’s basketball team used a balanced offensive attack, which saw nine different players score, and a lockdown defensive performance to cruise to a 72-45 victory against Belmont Tuesday evening at the O’Connell Center. 

“It was a great win for us, a great opportunity to try and spread our minutes around a little bit. It gave us an opportunity to work on things we don’t always get to do during games,” Gator head coach Amanda Butler said. “To have the type of balance and give everyone the opportunity at such quality minutes in a game situation is really valuable for our team going forward.”

Florida (6-1) took advantage of 29 Belmont (1-6) turnovers by turning them into 44 points. The Gators also used their size to their advantage as they outscored the Bruins 34-16 in the paint to help them to the 27 point victory.

For the contest, the Gators (6-1) were led offensively by a trio of players who topped the 10-point mark led by Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.), who scored 15 points and shared team-high honors with six rebounds. Brittany Shine (Sacramento, Calif.) put up a season-high 13 points, while Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) tallied 12 points, three assists and three steals in 21 minutes of play.

Using a balanced attack and stifling defense, the Gators jumped out to an early 22-12 lead 10 minutes into the contest. UF then went on a surge, closing the half on a 24-7 run to take a 46-19 lead into the locker room and never looked back en route to its sixth consecutive win. 

“We have such an advantage by having two people that can pressure the ball so effectively in Lanita Bartley and Jaterra Bonds,” Butler said. “We ask them to set the tone with their defense and ball pressure, and you saw that tonight. I thought they did a great job.”

For the first half, the Gators shot an impressive 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the floor and saw eight players record a point, led by 12 from Bartley and 11 from George. The Florida defense was also impressive in the first as the Orange and Blue held Belmont to 33.3 percent (seven-of-21) shooting and forced 21 Bruin turnovers.

The Gators didn’t let up in the second half extending their lead to as many as 37 points en route to the 72-45 victory. UF’s second half was keyed by Shine, who scored all of her season-high 13 points after the intermission. The Orange and Blue also got a solid second half contribution from Andrea Vilaró Aragonés (Barcelona, Spain), who scored the first six points of her Gator career on a pair of threes.

Florida returns to action on Friday, Dec. 2, when they face No. 11/12 Rutgers (6-0) at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

Ohio State names Meyer head coach

A little less than a year ago, Urban Meyer walked away from coaching, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and take care of health issues that had led to his stunning and brief resignation at Florida a year earlier.

On Monday, the man who led the Gators to two national titles in his six years at UF, stepped back into college coaching, accepting the head coaching job at Ohio State, an elite program that is under NCAA investigation.

A native of Ashtabula, Ohio, Meyer, 47, is going home. He played college football at the University of Cincinnati, where he met his wife, Shelley, and started his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Earle Bruce in 1987.

Despite his life-long ties to Ohio, Meyer said at his introductory news conference that Florida is his “dream” job and that he’ll always be a Gator.

“My six years in Florida … Florida was my dream job,” Meyer said. “Everyone says is Ohio State your dream job? That’s a term that’s thrown around loosely. To say since I was this big I wanted to coach at Florida, no. I’m not from Florida.

“The way coach (Steve) Spurrier (did things) and the way I really became a huge fan, I wanted to coach there. I will always be a Gator. We will always be part of that situation.

“(UF athletic director) Jeremy Foley. … I had a great conversation with him today and yesterday. (UF president) Bernie Machen is one of my great friends. However, this is my home state and it’s great to be home.”

Meyer said his health is excellent and he’s ready to coach again after spending the past year working as an analyst for ESPN and sharing lots of time with his wife and three children, Nicki, Gigi and Nate.

“Health-wise, I feel great,” Meyer said. “I had a health scare a couple of years ago that made me sit back and reflect. I didn’t feel right, but I feel fantastic now. I had the opportunity to do two things: improve my health and be with my family.

“I went out and researched and spent time with colleagues I respect. I don’t want to be one of those guys that sleeps in the office. A lot of quality coaches out there are able to have a little balance. I lost that balance (the last few years at UF).

“My health is in good shape. I’ve been checked out over and over again. I feel fantastic and I’m ready to go.”

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said he first talked to Meyer about the job Nov. 20 and met with Meyer on Nov. 23 in Gainesville. Smith said Meyer was offered the job Sunday and accepted Monday morning.

Meyer said when he resigned from UF last December, he thought his coaching career was over.

“I was, in my mind, convinced I was done coaching,” he said. “I was concerned with health issues and family. I just wanted to be around them and I didn’t like the state of college football.

“I moved away. I went on with ESPN, did a lot of traveling, spent a lot of time with family. I didn’t realize I’d miss it so bad. Shelley and I went for a walk one day and I said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’’’

Ohio State said Meyer will receive a six-year contract that pays $4 million annually, plus another $2.4 million total in "retention payments." He was making $4 million a year at UF.

“If not for the coaching position at Ohio State, I would not have coached this year,” Meyer said.

There also are reports that Meyer could take UF strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti with him to Columbus.

Meyer said he plans to hire the best coaching staff in college football.

Foley, who hired Meyer away from Utah seven years ago to replace Ron Zook, wished Meyer well in a statement released by UF on Monday.

“We will always be indebted to Urban Meyer and his contributions to the University of Florida. He elevated our program, winning multiple national championships and made a strong impact in this community,’’ Foley said. “Over the past 11 months, he has clearly had an opportunity to determine that now is the right time to return to coaching.

“He is good for college football and we knew he would return to the sidelines to coach again. We wish nothing but the best for him and his family as he embarks on a new chapter in his career.”

In his six seasons at Florida, Meyer led the Gators to two SEC titles and two national championships (2006 and 2008). His record was 65-15.

Health issues he experienced during the 2009 season led Meyer to resign on Dec. 26 of that year. A day later, he announced he would take a leave of absence instead, with the plan to return in time for the 2010 season.

Meyer took time off and returned to the team on a limited basis by the start of spring practice.

Last season, the Gators struggled, finishing the regular season with a 7-5 record. Less than two weeks after a 31-7 loss to arch-rival Florida State in Tallahassee, Meyer stunned Gator Nation again when he resigned Dec. 8, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and concerns with his health issue (esophageal spasms).

There’s a good chance that Meyer’s new team will be facing his old one in a little more than a month. Florida and Ohio State appear headed for a date in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, but Meyer will not coach in the bowl game. That responsibility goes to interim head coach Luke Fickell, who will be part of Meyer’s coaching staff. Fickell took over when Jim Tressel was forced out in May for breaking NCAA rules.

Will Muschamp, who took over for Meyer at UF, has had a tough first season with the Gators, finishing the regular season at 6-6, the school’s worst regular-season record since 1979 (0-10-1).

A little more than a week ago, Muschamp said he would be surprised if Meyer returned to coaching this soon, citing Meyer’s concerns about his health, which he has shared with Muschamp.

But after Saturday’s loss to Florida State, when it had become obvious a few days earlier that Meyer likely would be the Buckeyes’ new coach, Muschamp said he approved of Meyer’s return to coaching.

“It’s good for college football,” he said. “If it’s what Urban wants, I’m happy for him.”

Several Florida players who were recruited to UF by Meyer expressed support for him on Twitter on Monday.

“Congrats to coach Meyer and his family,” freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel posted.

“Good things happen to good people. Congrats Coach Meyer,” wrote sophomore cornerback Cody Riggs.

Junior defensive tackle Omar Hunter said after Saturday’s loss to Florida State that he would be fine with Meyer’s decision to accept the Ohio State job.

“Not a problem with me at all,” Hunter said. “If he wants to be at Ohio State, good luck to him. I love Coach Meyer. He brought me here at Florida. I could never say anything bad about Coach Meyer. I respect him a lot and love him as a coach.”

Another Gator recruited by Meyer, sophomore linebacker Jelani Jenkins, Tweeted his support for his current coach.
 
“Lol we got champ we’ll be just fine wouldn’t trade him for anyone,” Jenkins posted.

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Gators Give Donovan Victory No. 400 in Blowout Win Over Stetson

ORLANDO -- Mere hours after a certain two-time national championship coach made earth-shattering news on the college football front Monday, his Gainesville neighbor and close friend etched himself further into college basketball history. 

And deeper into the hearts of Gators everywhere. 

Billy Donovan added to his already sterling resume of dizzying UF digits Monday night in 10th-ranked Florida’s 96-70 defeat of Stetson before 5,843 at the Amway Center, a win that marked the 400th of Donovan’s coaching career. 

“It’s hard to believe,” Donovan said. “It’s certainly a reflection that time is moving on.”  

In hitting his latest milestone, the 46-year-old Donovan became the youngest active NCAA Division-I coach to reach 400 career wins, replacing 48-year-old Bill Self of Kansas, who reached the mark two seasons ago. Donovan’s career record now stands at 400-168 -- with a school-record 365 victories in 16 seasons at Florida (1996-present), coupled with 35 in two seasons at Marshall (’94-96) -- for an all-time winning percentage of .704. 

After the game, UF players doused Donovan with a Gatorade bath in the locker room. 

“Knowing Billy, it’s just another game, ‘cause we got some big ones coming up,” said Gators assistant John Pelphrey, who has been at Donovan’s side for eight-plus seasons now. “It’ll be something he looks back on and reflects on at a later time -- but that’s a big number, a really big number.”

As for the night’s box score numbers, freshman guard Bradley Beal had the second double-double of his young career, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while senior point guard Erving Walker pitched in 21 points and six assists. Forward Will Yeguete, in his second straight start since replacing injured junior Erik Murphy, posted his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to go with four steals. 

The win was the third straight for Florida (5-1) since falling at No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 15. The Gators will get a second crack at a top-five team Friday when they travel to Syracuse to face the No. 4 Orangemen in a nationally television ESPN showdown at the Carrier Dome. 

“Honestly, I think he’s already focused on Syracuse,” Walker said of his coach. “I’m sure he’s happy, and we congratulated him, but he’s ready to move on.” 

Certainly, the pending landmark victory overshadowed the Gators first trip back to Orlando since last year’s upset loss to UCF in this Florida Citrus Shootout. There would be no such drama this time, as UF raced to a 20-point first half lead, and despite allowing the Hatters (3-3) to whittle the margin to nine, the Gators had too much athleticism, speed and firepower for their in-state foe. 

“Coming from a guy who’s won three ... 400 seems as far away as you can get,” said first-year Stetson coach Casey Alexander, whose team got 20 points from guard Chris Perez, but shot a dismal 1-for-17 from 3-point range. “But he should be congratulated for his longevity, the way he’s done it and having these kinds of teams year after year after year.” 

What Donovan needs to be commended for -- beyond building something special from next-to-nothing -- is the loyalty he has shown the Florida program and athletic directory Jeremy Foley. 

Donovan could have ridden those two national champions to a mega-payday. He could have gone to Kentucky and been in the center of the college hoops universe. He did go to the NBA, only to realize very quickly he’d made a mistake by agreeing to coach the Orlando Magic. 

So he came back to the Gators and -- Are you listening up there in Columbus? -- managed to strike a balance with his family and continue to oversee the very basketball powerhouse he created.

So it was fitting in Monday’s post-game that Donovan, standing in the very arena of the NBA team who he was coach of for all of five days, was asked to relive that stunning decision back in 2007 and equally shocking change of heart. 

“After winning two national championships at a non-traditional basketball school, I just thought there was an opportunity and challenge to try and get back to that point again,” Donovan said. ‘It was like, ‘What can we do from here?’ It was an opportunity I felt I may not ever get, especially at a place I had invested so much in over 11 years. I wanted to see what could be done going forward.” 

Answer: 400 wins ... and counting. 

As for that other guy? The one wearing scarlet and gray? Donovan was asked about him, too. 

“Sometimes, unique situations happen,” he said. 

Yes, they do. Billy Donovan and Florida basketball are proof of that. And all the Gators that are upset today with the guy who left ought to take time to be thankful for the one who cared enough to stay. 

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Four Gators Named to 2011 All-SEC Volleyball Teams

Florida seniors Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) and Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) each were named to the 2011 All-Southeastern Conference First Team to highlight a quartet of Gators named to the 2011 All-SEC Teams, announced on Monday by the league offices in Birmingham, Ala.

Jaeckel and Murphy earned first team honors, while junior right-side hitter Tangerine Wiggs (Seattle, Wash.) was named Second Team All-SEC and redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe (Muncie, Ind.) was given a nod on the SEC All-Freshmen Team.

Florida guard Beal named SEC freshman of the week

Florida freshman guard Bradley Beal had been named SEC freshman of the week.
Beal averaged 18.5 points per game and 7 rebounds per game in wins over Wright State and Jacksonville. Beal also averaged two assists and 1.5 steals in the two wins.

Beal, a 6-foot-3 St. Louis native, is Florida’s first SEC freshman of the week since Nick Calathes earned the honor in January of 2008.
 
Also, Florida stayed at No. 10 in this week’s AP men’s college basketball poll.

Tebow leads Broncos to 16-13 OT win over Chargers

SAN DIEGO — Tebow Time had just seconds to spare in overtime before the Denver Broncos beat the staggering San Diego Chargers.

Matt Prater kicked a 37-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in overtime to lift Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos to a 16-13 victory Sunday over the Chargers, who've lost six straight games for the first time in 10 years.

The Broncos narrowly avoided the first NFL tie since Cincinnati and Philadelphia ended deadlocked at 13 on Nov. 16, 2008.

Tebow, now 5-1 as the Broncos' starter, led Denver from its 43 after San Diego's Nick Novak was wide right on a 53-yard field goal attempt with 2:31 left in overtime. Novak made a 53-yarder in the first quarter, a career-best, and was wide right on a 48-yard try early in the fourth quarter.

Tebow had a 12-yard gain and Willis McGahee ran 24 yards up the middle to set up Prater's winning kick, which was right down the middle.

Tebow, the talk of the NFL because he runs the read option and often struggles while passing, carried 22 times for 67 yards — the most carries by a quarterback in a game since at 1950, according to STATS LLC. He also threw for one touchdown and finished with a better rating than Philip Rivers, 95.4 to 77.1. Rivers was pressured all day by Elvis Dumervil, who had two sacks, and rookie Von Miller, who had one.

The Broncos (6-5) won their fourth straight game and remained in second place in the AFC West. The Chargers (4-7) are on their longest streak since ending 2001 with nine straight defeats and are last in the division, three games behind Oakland with five to play.

Tebow's first start was also an overtime win, 18-15 at Miami on Oct. 23.

Will Muschamp on Florida Gators’ problems: ‘It’s a lot of things’

GAINESVILLE -- A six-loss season of frustration, of trying to fit square pegs into round holes finally came to a head Saturday for Florida and first-year coach Will Muschamp.

After losing to rival Florida State at home for the first time since 2003, Muschamp used the postgame news conference to air his angst with the way the Gators have played in 2011.

He reminded his team that it is soft: “That’s not the first time they’ve heard it. It’s not the first time they’ve heard it all season, I can tell you that. I always say self evaluation’s hard. It starts with me, and it falls on my shoulders, and I’m the one who’s responsible, but at the end of the day, you are what you are.”

He talked about Florida’s inability to run the football: “When you become a one-dimensional team, you’re a lateral running team, and you can’t run the ball inside, and you can’t run the ball vertically at people, you’re going to struggle.”

Or control the line of scrimmage: “We’re not good enough up front right now, quite frankly. Just not.”

When a reporter asked about falling victim to the same errors again and again, Muschamp asked if he wanted to play on Florida’s offensive line.

“We’re doing all we can do. Doing all we can do with what we’ve got right now,” he said. “We’ve got to find some better answers. … We’re trying. You want to play guard for us?”

On a night when only 11 scholarship seniors were honored before the game, Muschamp also talked about youth, saying: “Over 70 percent of our roster is freshmen and sophomores, and those are the guys that are playing.”

Still, he admitted Florida’s problems go deeper than sheer lack of depth.

“You can’t just put your finger on one thing and say this is it. It’s a lot of things,” Muschamp said. “We’re working through that. We’ve made improvements in areas — obviously, not enough.”

There are plenty of areas in which the Gators have struggled this season. Despite having two senior running backs in Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, and a fifth-year senior at quarterback, they rank 75th nationally in rushing offense, 71st in scoring offense and 101st in total offense.

At minus-11, Florida is 118th in turnover margin — it’s no coincidence that LSU is first at plus-19. Under Muschamp, the Gators have been undisciplined, ranking 114th in the country in penalties with 93.

Although they committed just four against the Seminoles, three of them were unnecessary personal fouls, and one gave FSU a first down at the 1-yard line to set up a touchdown after the defense had come up with a stop on third down.

With the regular season over, Muschamp and the Gators now have a few weeks off before preparations for their bowl game, which is likely to be a matchup with Ohio State in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. It also means at least 15 practices that a young team desperately needs.

“We need to improve. That’s what recruiting is for, and that’s what bowl practice and the offseason and spring is for,” Muschamp said. “That’s what we’re going to do as a program. We’re going to move forward to build on what we need to do.”

Despite this year’s difficulties, of the finale against FSU, Muschamp said he has hope for the future.

“We’re going to be fine. It’s a very frustrating time right now to be a Florida Gator, and I understand that, and it falls on my shoulders, and there’s nobody else you need to look at,” he said. “You don’t need to blame the offensive coaches or the defensive coaches or the special teams coach or whoever’s recruited or who was here before. It falls on one guy’s shoulders, and that’s mine. And it’s going to get corrected. … I know everybody’s frustrated. I get that. I do. I’m frustrated, too. I guarantee more than you guys are, more than anybody sitting in that stadium. Very frustrated. But it’s going to get fixed, all right?”

Sources: Meyer takes Ohio State job

Former Florida coach Urban Meyer has formally accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State, according to several sources.

Meyer met with the Ohio State coaches Sunday night, including interim head coach Luke Fickell, according to a source.

Meyer won two national titles at Florida before stepping away from the job following the 2010 regular season. He said at the time that health concerns and a desire to spend more time with his family were the reasons.

“It's good for college football,” said current Florida coach Will Muschamp. “If it's what Urban wants, I'm happy for him.”
 
Ohio State and Florida are a possible postseason matchup for the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.

UF Volleyball chosen to 21st straight NCAA tourney

The No. 17 Florida volleyball team learned its postseason fate on Sunday evening, as the Gators will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa to face future SEC opponent Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted by No. 6 seed University of Northern Iowa. This is Florida's 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and the Gators' 22nd overall NCAA Tournament bid.

The Gators, who will enter the NCAA Tournament unseeded for the second time in program history, will face the Tigers at 6 p.m. on Friday. This will be the first-ever meeting between the future SEC opponents and only the second time in program history that the Gators will travel for the first and second rounds.

Donovan goes after 400th win

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he doesn't remember his first career coaching win.

“I can't even tell you who we played,” Donovan said. “I have no idea. It was somewhere at Marshall. It was a long time ago.”

Donovan will try for his 400th career coaching win tonight at the Amway Center against Stetson in the Florida Citrus Sports Shootout. It's a number that Donovan admits “makes me feel older than what I'd like to.”
 
Donovan, who turned 46 last May, has amassed a 399-168 record in two seasons at Marshall and 16 seasons at Florida. He's also Florida's all-time winningest coach, with a career 364-148 record at UF that includes two national titles and three Final Four appearances.

Gators Fall To Seminoles on Senior Night, 21-7

On senior night at the Swamp, the University of Florida had little to celebrate. Florida State took advantage of short fields and costly turnovers to defeat Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first time since 2003, taking a 21-7 decision.

The Seminoles (8-5, 5-3 ACC) capitalized four Florida (6-6, 3-5 SEC) interceptions and won despite amassing just 95 yards of total offense. Florida State got all 21 points off of turnovers, returning one for a touchdown and driving just 20 and 4-yards for their two other scores.

Florida State grabbed a 14-0 halftime lead, intercepting John Brantley three times in the opening half. Florida had 140 yards of offense, but after Brantley was injured late in the first half, the Gators were able to muster very little in the second half, totaling just 44 yards of offense over the final 30 minutes.

On the Gators second drive, disaster struck for the Gators when Brantley was picked off deep in Gator territory by Greg Reid who returned it to the 20 on his first of two picks in the first half. On third-and-goal at the Florida 2-yard line, Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel fumbled near the goal line and the ball was recovered by the Gators. A personal foul was called on Ronald Powell, however, and Florida State maintained possession and awarded a first-and-goal inside the 1-yard line. A play later Devonta Freeman gave the Seminoles a 7-0 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run with 6:34 left in the first quarter.  

The Gators finally put together a strong drive near the end of the first quarter after Brantley hit A.C. Leonard on a 24-yard pass to the Florida State 33-yard line. Moments later, however, Brantley floated a pass into coverage and Mike Harris returned it 89 yards to the Florida 4-yard line. Freeman added his second 1-yard touchdown run two plays later and Florida State grabbed a 14-0 lead with 14:24 left in the first half.

Florida rebounded with its best drive of the game, marching deep into Florida State territory, but ultimately coming up short again. Florida rolled the dice, setting up for a long Caleb Sturgis field goal with a fourth-and-2 at the Florida State 27, but using a Trey Burton fake to scoop up the first down and extend the drive. Facing a fourth-and-1 at the Florida State 15-yard line, the Gators once again gambled but disaster struck this time, as Burton was dropped for a 14-yard loss.

Florida State nearly added to its lead in the third quarter, but Dustin Hopkins pushed a 50-yard field goal attempt wide left. The Seminoles had started the drive at the Gators’ 39 yard line after a 39-yard punt return by Reid.

Early in the fourth quarter Brissett tried to avoid a sack and forced a throw that Terrance Parks picked off and returned 29 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 12:20 remaining.

Florida avoided its first shutout since 1988 when Brissett found Quinton Dunbar in the back of the end zone with 4:16 remaining to cut the lead to 21-7. The Gator touchdown was set up when Jaye Howard recovered a fumble at the Florida State 21-yard line.

Brantley finished 9-of-15 passing for 104 yards, but three costly interceptions. Brissett finished 4-of-13 passing for 27 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Gators finished with 184 yards of total offense, 130 passing and just 54 rushing. In his final game in the Swamp, Chris Rainey had a team-high 15 carries for just 42 yards. A.C. Leonard led Florida in receiving with three receptions for 65 yards while Dunbar also had three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.

Murphy out indefinitely with torn meniscus

Florida starting junior forward Erik Murphy is out indefinitely with a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Doctors diagnosed Murphy's injury on Saturday morning. The 6-foot-10 Murphy injured his knee Thursday in practice.

“It does appear he has some form of a meniscus tear,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “How severe or how long he will be out, we'd probably find out a lot more on Monday. He's out for the game (against Stetson) Monday and I'd assume he would be out for the next week as well.”

Donovan said doctors will have a better idea on Monday if the injury will require rest or surgery.

“The concern is it some form of a meniscus tear,” Donovan said.

Also, Donovan said sophomore forward Casey Prather (strained groin) will be limited in practice Saturday and is questionable for Monday's game in Orlando against Stetson.

Donovan said that sophomore forward Will Yeguete will continue to start at power forward in place of Murphy. Yeguete had 8 points and 9 rebounds replacing Murphy in the starting lineup Friday night against Jacksonville.

“He did a pretty good job there,” Donovan said. “He got into a little bit of foul trouble in the first half and picked up his third and fourth one there pretty early in the second half. But he rebounded the ball well and did some good things for us.”

Gators blow past Jacksonville

Kenny Boynton poured in 22 points to lead a ranked Florida blew past Jacksonville, 107-62, Friday night.

Erving Walker tallied 21 points and six assists. Brad Beal scored 15 and Patric Young 14 with each grabbing nine rebounds. Mike Rosario came off the bench for 12 points for the Gators (4-1), who won their third in a row.

Florida played without starting forward Erik Murphy, who hurt his right knee in practice Thursday.
The Dolphins snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Gators last season, picking up a 71-68 overtime win, but there was no magic on Friday for Jacksonville. The Dolphins (2-3) were led by Russell Powell's 15 points.

Hot-shooting night helps Florida rout Jacksonville

Kenny Boynton scored 22 points, Erving Walker added 21 and No. 10 Florida used one of its best shooting performances to handle Jacksonville 107-62 on Friday night.

The Gators (4-1) dominated from the opening tip, allowing little chance for a repeat of what happened last year in Gainesville. Jacksonville (2-3) upset Florida 71-69 in overtime, knocking the Gators out of the rankings.

This one was over by halftime.

Florida made seven of its first 14 shots to open up a double-digit lead. Boynton hit consecutive 3-pointers that pushed the lead to 18.

The Gators were up 58-38 at the break and showed the kind of knockout mentality coach Billy Donovan has wanted with a 13-2 run to start the second half.

Russell Powell led the Dolphins with 15 points.

Jordan Jones' 28 points Leads Gators to Win over La Salle, 85-74

Senior Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) launched a Gator career-high 28 points, junior Jennifer George (Orlando, Fla.) powered in her second consecutive double-double and Florida pulled away from La Salle for an 85-74 victory on the opening day of play at the Courtyard LaGuardia Turkey Classic held at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center on the campus of LIU in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The win was the fourth straight for the Gators (4-1), who also received 16 points and nine rebounds from senior guard Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) and 12 points and four assists from sophomore guard Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.).

The Gators next play Charlotte (5-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in their second game of the two-day event. The 49ers lost to host LIU, 81-72, in the opening game of the tournament.

Florida leads the six-game series versus Charlotte, 5-1, however it was the 49ers who earned the most recent victory, rallying for an 81-77 overtime final in the third round of last year’s Postseason WNIT. The Gators had topped the 49ers in last year’s second round of the PRESEASON WNIT, 76-70.

Fans can tune into the game on the radio at WBXY-FM 99.5 “The Star” in Gainesville and through the internet at www.GatorZone.com, the official website of the Florida Gators.

“I think today we had some really good individual performances,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “Obviously, Jordan (Jones’) 28 points is very impressive and she shot the ball great. In the first half, (Jennifer) George really sustained us with her play in the paint. But there were some areas we need to quickly turn around and get better at tomorrow.”

Jones nailed her fourth three-pointer of the game to begin the second half and give Florida a 44-38 lead, but La Salle charged back with a 6-1 run and got within one, 45-44, with 16:49 remaining.

Jones answered with a runner in the paint and Bonds dropped in a floater, before the Explorers rallied with a 7-2 run and tied the game at 51 with 13:37 remaining.

Florida quickly regrouped, as Jones nailed another trey and Bartley connected on both ends of a 1-and-1 trip to the free throw line and stretched the lead back to five to begin a game-changing 16-4 spurt that gave the Gators a 71-57 advantage with 8:56 on the clock and Florida remained in charge for the duration of the game.

Four different Gators scored during the decisive run, with Jones and Bartley scoring six points each, George netting four points and Deana Allen (Houma, La.), who finished with seven points and three steals, adding five points, including a three-pointer in front of the Gator bench that capped the run.

Florida held the 43-35 rebounding advantage, snaring 22 offensive boards, while shooting 44.3 percent (31-70) during the game. La Salle (2-4) hit 47.7 percent of its shots (31-65) and forced 16 Gator turnovers.

While Florida scored a season-high 85 points, the 74 points it surrendered is the most by an opponent this year.

“I thought we turned the ball over way too many times,” Butler said. “We made some poor decisions at some crucial moments. This was not our team on defense.  We gave up too many points, allowed scorers to score consecutive points in the same way and that’s one of the things we talk about a lot as a team. It was a great rebounding effort by our team, we always know that’s important for us. We didn’t crumble down the stretch. You have to credit La Salle for making some big shots, in particular Jordan Mosley, who is a Florida kid. I thought she played great. They really came ready. When we jumped out on them, they always answered so you have to give La Salle a lot of credit for their effort.”

Mosley scored 16 points and was one of four Explorers in double-figures, as Jada Payne led La Salle with 17 points.

George finished the game with 18 points and topped her career-high rebounding mark for the second consecutive game, collecting 15 against La Salle after her 14-rebound effort versus Hampton on Tuesday.

Jones connected on 9-of-18 shots overall, including 6-of-12 three-pointers and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Her 28 points was three shy of the career mark she set during her freshman year at South Carolina.

Bartley helped set Florida’s tone on both ends of the floor, but offensively she converted a game-high 7-of-8 from the free throw line, where the Gators shot 14-of-20.

The Gators came out sizzling behind the hot hand of Jones, who tallied of all her 11 points in the first 5:37 of the opening half. Bartley also found her shot early, contributing all of her eight points in the first 5:14.

Florida slowly added to its lead, as George, Bonds, Allen and Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England) joined Jones and Bartley on the scoreboard and built a 29-15 lead with 7:40 remaining in the first half.

La Salle then ripped off an 11-2 run over the next 3:23 and cut Florida’s lead to five, 31-36.

George put in a pair of tough, physical buckets under the basket between an Explorer hoop, as the teams traded scores for the next couple of minutes, before La Salle connects on consecutive offensive trips and Florida whittled to three with 1:34 remaining in the first half.

Jordan Mosley canned a trey for the Explorers and had La Salle within two points, but George converted a layup with 26 seconds on the clock that gave UF a 41-37 lead.

La Salle hit one free throw to close the scoring in the half, with the Gator heading into the locker room with a 41-38 lead.

George had 10 points in those final eight minutes of the period, ending the stanza with 12 points and eight rebounds, helping UF to a 26-19 rebounding edge and a 24-14 lead in points in the paint.

Florida sweeps for the 20th time this season

The 17th-ranked Florida volleyball team put the finishing touches on its NCAA Tournament resume with a 3-0 sweep of SEC foe South Carolina before an O'Connell Center crowd of 2,126 Wednesday night.

UF (24-5, 17-3), which won by scores of 25-14, 25-16 and 25-20, will now wait for the selection committee to make its seeding determinations Sunday, while South Carolina (14-16, 5-15) saw its season come to an end.

“I think we played great tonight,” said UF senior Stephanie Ferrell. “We wanted to finish out the season strong and go into the NCAAs with some momentum.”

UF, which has now won seven straight matches, came into Wednesday's action leading the nation in hitting with a .308 team percentage and proceeded to put on an offensive display, posting an impressive .457 mark. UF took 81 swings on the night and had just seven errors with 44 kills – and did it with balance.

Seniors Kristy Jaeckel (11 kills) and Kelly Murphy (nine kills) led the way, with Ferrell and sophomore Chloe Mann each adding seven kills. Juniors Tangerine Wiggs and Betsy Smith chipped in with five kills apiece, and all six players hit .300 or better.

“It comes easy when we have such amazing hitters who are so dominant all across the board,” said sophomore setter Chanel Brown, who had a match-high 21 assists and added five digs.

“We really found our middles tonight, and again Chloe had a great game. With our pin hitters like Kelly and Steph and Kristy and Tange, we can get swings from anywhere.”

UF also dominated defensively, owning a 7-3 edge in team blocks and a 44-28 advantage in digs while limiting the Gamecocks to a .105 hitting mark.

Redshirt freshman libero Taylor Unroe had a match-high 14 digs, while freshman Holly Pole and Jaeckel each added eight digs.

The NCAA Tournament selection show airs Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Gainesville is already inked in as a host site for one of the four NCAA Regionals this year. UF is hoping to hear that the Gators will host the first and second rounds of action as well.

“I think our resume is solid, and hopefully the committee will do what they have proven is the right recipe with men's basketball, that is, you look at the team's body of work,” head coach Mary Wise said. “Who did you play would be criterion number one, and who did you beat and where did you play them? Our non-conference schedule stands on its own, and the SEC has the fourth-highest RPI in the country.

“We played a terrific schedule, and I think this team should be rewarded for it.”

Gator Football Update - Florida vs. Florida State

FLORIDA (6-5, 3-5 SEC) vs. FLORIDA STATE (7-4, 5-3 ACC)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26 – 7:00PM ET
BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM

BROADCAST INFORMATION | GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Roster | Schedule | Statistics | Pre-Game Notes (.pdf)

The University of Florida (6-5, 3-5 SEC) will host the Florida State Seminoles (7-4, 5-3 ACC) this weekend in a matchup of in-state rivals. The Gators will honor 19 seniors prior to the game as the play in their last home contest for the Orange and Blue.

Florida is coming off a 54-32 victory over Furman, which clinched a trip to a bowl for the 21st-straight year, the longest streak in the SEC and the second-longest streak in the nation. Florida State lost to Virginia, 14-13, in its last outing.

This week's meeting will mark the 56th meeting all-time in the series between the two schools. UF holds a 33-20-2 edge in the overall series, including a 20-8-1 record in Gainesville. The Gators have not lost to FSU at home since the 2003 season. UF and FSU have faced each other in the regular season finale each year since 1980.

Brantley back under center

Florida quarterback John Brantley's injured ankle has improved so much that he'll be able to go back under center for Saturday night's game against arch-rival Florida State.

“John Brantley is playing well and his ankle has continued to improve,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said on his radio show Tuesday night. “He will be under center this week for the first time since the Alabama game. That will help us get more of our downhill running game going.”

Brantley has not taken a snap under center since his return from a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss the LSU and Auburn games. He's been exclusively in the shotgun in the past four games.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said one reason Brantley's health has improved is the fact he did not take any substantial hits in the victory over Furman last Saturday.

“Because John got hit so much less, he's the healthiest he's been by far since the Alabama game,” Weis said. “It's not even close, because he barely got touched.”

Brantley said his ankle is close to 100 percent.

“I'm feeling a lot better, just feeling better each week,” Brantley said. "It's been different. I felt pretty healthy for a long time now, a couple of weeks. I just keep seeing progress, getting better.''

Weis said protecting Brantley allowed the Gators to execute their down-field passing game in the 54-32 victory. Brantley threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns.
 
“The less you get hit, the more time you have, the more you can throw the ball down the field,” Weis said. “I think for a change that was something that we were very productive in in the last game.”

Will Muschamp: Florida Gators’ 6-5 season ‘unacceptable’

GAINESVILLE -- Coach Will Muschamp knows the expectations surrounding the Gators, which is why he said Monday that their 6-5 season is “totally unacceptable.”

“We’re certainly not pleased with the season in any respect,” he said. “Our goal was to go to Atlanta [for the SEC Championship Game]. In all areas we need to improve.”

Muschamp also used the “totally unacceptable” tag for his defense’s performance in a 54-32 win against FCS opponent Furman on Saturday. The Paladins rushed out to an early 22-7 lead, gashing the Gators with a triple-option look that confused the defense.

“Regardless of your opponent, you have to prepare all the time,” Muschamp said. “So we let them know that after the game, during the game, and then this morning, that’s not going to be tolerated.”

Gator Bowl in prime position to pit Florida vs. Ohio State

It does not seem like a great arrangement for the Gator Bowl to be picking sixth in the SEC and fifth in the Big Ten, but that combination might turn out lucrative this year.

As of now, the Gator Bowl is in a perfect spot to set up Florida vs. Ohio State for its game at EverBank Field in Jacksonville. Those teams have a combined record of 12-10, but the name brands should lead to big television ratings.

And, of course, there’s a strong possibility that former Gators coach Urban Meyer will have agreed to coach Ohio State by then. There is almost no chance Meyer would actually coach in the game (I’d say there is a better chance Coach Ditka coaches that game), but the storyline of him waiting to take over the Buckeyes as soon as the game ends would draw a lot of attention.

There remains a chance that Florida could slide. The Gators have lost five of their past seven games, and Saturday’s comeback win over Furman did not boost their prestige. They also are an underdog at home this week against archrival Florida State. A bad loss to FSU coupled could drop them down to the Music City or Liberty Bowl.

There also is a sequence that could lead the Gators to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Click here to read last week’s story on Florida’s bowl possibilities. Near the end of that article is an explanation for why that might happen.

Beal leads No. 10 Florida past Wright State 78-65

TAMPA, FLA. — It's early, and 10th-ranked Florida played like a team that has a lot to work on.

"I can't sit here and tell you that there was one thing that I was really, really pleased with from start to finish," coach Billy Donovan said after freshman Bradley Beal scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Gators to a 78-65 victory over Wright State on Monday night.

"I thought we were OK. I thought we showed signs. ... But in terms of how we're playing defensively, how we're playing offensively, we're kind of streaky," Donovan added. "But then again, you know, it's Nov. 21. We've played four games. I do think there's a lot of room for improvement and I think we can get better."

Kenny Boynton had 22 points and Mike Rosario came off the bench to add 11 for the Gators (3-1), who led by double digits for much of the night but never fully closed the door on the persistent Raiders (2-2) until the end.

Julius Mays led Wright State with a career-best 21 points, including a 3-pointer that trimmed Florida's lead to nine with 5 minutes to go. John Balwigaire had 15 points and freshman Reggie Arceneaux finished with 13.

"There's a lot of positives for us to take from the game, but there's also a lot of learning opportunities," Wright State coach Billy Donlon said.

"When Florida was up with under four minutes to go, they didn't settle for 3s. They drove the ball to the rim. ... We settle for 3s and didn't drive it at the rim. ... We just made young mistakes late. ... By no means am I saying we were going to rally and win it, but we had a chance to put a little more pressure on them later in the game."

The Gators slipped to No. 10 in the rankings following a week in which they lost 81-74 at No. 3 Ohio State, which trounced Wright State 73-42 in the Raiders' season opener.

Florida trailed just once in its first regular-season meeting against a member of the Horizon League, falling behind 4-3 on Johann Mpondo's jumper before Boynton made a 3-pointer and Beal followed with a dunk and long 3-pointer. Although the Gators were never seriously threatened the rest of the way, Wright State managed to stay close enough to make it interesting.

The Raiders cut their deficit to nine on two occasions after trailing 44-29 at halftime.

Donovan attributed Florida's inability to put the game away to the Gators' inexperience and a lack of awareness in certain situations on the court.

"There was too much of that, not really understanding, OK, how do we put this team away?" Donovan said. "I think there are times in the game, we're up 15 or 16 points and we self-sabotaged."

Boynton drained one of his six 3-pointers to restore a double-digit lead after Wright State pulled within 50-41 with 14 minutes to go. Erving Walker made two free throws and Patric Young went to the line and made one of two after the Raiders cut the lead below 10 again on Mays' long jumper that made it 66-57.

Young was poked in the eye late in the first half and spent an extended stretch on the bench with blurred vision. He returned to the game when his vision improved and finished with five points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes.

Beal, one of four underclassmen who start for Florida, eclipsed his previous personal best of 17 points against Ohio State. The 6-foot-3 guard from St. Louis was 6 of 11 from the field and 9 for 11 at the foul line.

"We tried to come out more aggressive. We were just trying to keep pressure on them, keep the up-tempo," Beal said. "The team is looking fine, but we still have a lot of work to do on the defensive end."

Florida Falls 3-2 to UCF in NCAA Soccer Second Round

No. 2 region seed Florida (17-8, 7-4 SEC) saw its season come to an end on a chilly Friday evening, as UCF (13-4-5, 6-2-3 C-USA) took a 3-2 win in NCAA Soccer Second Round action in front of a James G. Pressly Stadium crowd of 1,052.

The Knights now advance to play No. 3 region seed North Carolina, which was a 5-0 winner over Baylor in the first match Friday at the Gainesville site. That match is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Pressly Stadium.

This was the sixth meeting between these two in-state rivals in NCAA play and tonight’s win closes the gap to a 3-2-1 all-time advantage for the Gators. After five consecutive seasons concluding in the NCAA Second Round, UCF advances to its first Round of 16 match since 1987. The loss ends Florida’s season for the third straight year in the NCAA Second Round.

The Knights struck first early in the match, scoring off a free kick. Tishia Jewell sent the ball from 25 yards into the center of the box. It took a bounce and freshman Madison Barney, the younger sister of Florida redshirt junior McKenzie Barney, got a foot on it to score her first collegiate goal in the sixth minute.

Gator senior All-American Tahnai Annis tied the match with a header in the 24^th minute. The play started when Erika Tymrak received the ball at the top of the Knight defensive third from Jo Dragotta. She successfully evaded several attempts to take the ball as she moved down through the Knight box, sending a cross across the mouth of the goal just before she got to the end line. Annis headed in the ball for her 10^th goal of the season.

“I saw Erika (Tymrak) get the ball, and I think she got it over on the right side and dribbled over to the left. I was just patient with it and didn’t try to get myself in a position where I was running over her face or anything,” Annis said. “I knew she would find her opening and she did and I was just waiting at the far post to head it in.”

It was the third goal in 2011 NCAA play for Annis as she hit the first two goals in the Gators’ 3-0 win versus Florida Gulf Coast last Saturday.

UCF scored its second goal of the half in the 34^th minute. The Knights brought the ball down the left side of the field from their half and switch fields soon after crossing the center line. Bianca Joswiak sent a ball straight down the field to Kristina Trujic located 20 yards above the end line. Trujic spun to her left, took a couple of touches before sending a ball from just above the box. The ball hit the upper part of the far post and kicked in for her third goal of 2011.

A controversial goal in the 72^nd minute gave the Knights a 3-1 margin. Stacie Hubbard played a ball from the top of the Knight half into space. Nicolette Radovcic ran onto the rolling ball and scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season from five yards. The Florida players and coaching staff thought the goal was off-sides and their protests resulted in a pair of yellow cards.

Florida had chances to score in the second half, including a pair of nearly identical situations where the ball was played into the box, finding a Gator with space but their shot to the far post was just a hair too far. But UF Head Coach Becky Burleigh felt a chance was coming for a set play so she reinserted freshman Annie Speese into the match in the 83rd minute.

Speese’s chance came just over two minutes later when Florida was awarded a 23-yard free kick. She sent a left-footed ball diving ball which scored just inside the near post. It was her eighth goal of the season.

“That was a sweet goal. We actually put her in just for that reason (to try to score off a set piece), because we knew that it was going to get a little crazy at the end and there was a chance that we would get a great set piece opportunity,” Burleigh said. “That’s been her thing and we did get that chance, and she stuck it, which was awesome.”

Unfortunately, Speese was suffered a right knee sprain just over a minute later. She will be examined by team doctors early next week.

Although obviously disappointed in the loss, Burleigh liked the effort this team has shown this season.

“It was obviously a very disappointing way for us to finish, but in saying that, I told our team at the end that I’ve really enjoyed working with this team since the day we started in August until now. That has nothing to do with this result or any other result this season,” Burleigh said. “They have been a great group of people to work with and they’ve done everything we asked of them and worked hard, and I think they left it all on the field tonight.”

Gators Finish off Furman to Become Bowl Eligible

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – They had a chance to do it at Auburn and didn’t. They had a chance against Georgia and ran into a brick wall at the end. A week ago at South Carolina a win was within their grasp in the fourth quarter. The Gators shoved it away.

As their season turned into 5-5, they talked a lot about needing to learn how to finish. Finish a play. Finish a drive. Finish a block. Finish a tackle.

Most importantly, finish a game.

Finishing strong has turned into a rallying cry of late for the Gators and in Saturday’s 54-32 win over Furman they closed like a Mariano Rivera fastball. The path they took to get there wasn’t the one they envisioned, but in the end, no one was complaining.

“As ugly as the victory may be for us, in my opinion, the most pleasing part of the win was the fact nobody panicked on the sideline,” Gators coach Will Muschamp said. “We just kept playing, kept hanging in there, made adjustments defensively, kept playing on offense, did a nice job on special teams.

“Nothing is easy. We certainly don’t make it that way.”

The Gators fell behind 15-0 and trailed 22-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Swamp was as quiet as a Turlington Hall classroom. An 80-yard pass from John Brantley to Andre Debose in the second quarter seemed to wake up the place.

By halftime the Gators led 27-22 when Brantley connected with Quinton Dunbar for a 29-yard touchdown pass. Still, the Paladins trailed only 37-32 after Jerodis Williams outran everyone on the way to a 77-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter.

The stage was set either for a nightmare finish or the kind of finish the Gators have talked about.

Florida chose the latter, first thanks to the right leg of Caleb Sturgis’ 55-yard field goal that made it an eight-point game.

Then the Gators showed how to finish off an opponent that had clearly overstayed its visit. A pair of interception returns for touchdowns – the first by safety Pop Saunders and then one by linebacker Jelani Jenkins – clinched the victory and restored normalcy to The Swamp.

In a span of a few minutes a tense situation gave way to the Gators singing on the field and talking about becoming bowl eligible for the 21st consecutive season.

“We didn’t panic,’’ linebacker Jon Bostic said. “We knew basically if we wanted to win this game we had to stick together.’’

The glue that kept the Gators together on Saturday was quarterback John Brantley and the defensive adjustments the Gators made. Brantley did his part by throwing for a career-high four touchdowns and 329 yards.

He remained a calm presence in the huddle when the scoreboard had fans in a tizzy.

“We had to keep each one level,’’ Brantley said. “We just stuck together and kept fighting. This team has grown up a lot through these ups and downs.’’

This season has been one of ups and downs and the Gators avoided what would have been the biggest downer of all by storming back to beat the FCS division Paladins.

In doing so, the Gators can now prepare for next week’s annual grudge match against rival Florida State knowing that a bowl game is in their future regardless of the outcome.

The “finish strong” mantra will continue to carry weight for the Gators.

A victory over the Seminoles would be a nice cherry on top of a not-so-sweet regular season. It would also perhaps improve Florida’s bowl scenario.

The Gators appear headed to Jacksonville to play in the Gator Bowl if the season ended today. A Gator Bowl official told the Sporting News on Saturday that a Florida-Ohio State matchup could be on the horizon.

That would certainly be an interesting end to Muschamp’s first season, especially if the latest round of rumors regarding the man he replaced – Urban Meyer – taking over Ohio State next season turn out to be true.

Muschamp said Saturday he would be surprised if Meyer took the job. Still, talk about ample storylines. For now, that’s wishful thinking or meaningless chatter depending on your point of view.

What the Gators are focused on is FSU and trying to finish the season with back-to-back wins, something they haven’t done since September.

They finished strong Saturday despite bad thoughts popping into their heads early. Debose had the best game of his career by catching three passes for 151 yards, adding a 64-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter to go with the 80-yarder.

What was he thinking when the Gators trailed 22-7?

“What was going through my mind was, ‘We can’t get embarrassed. This is not the way that we wanted to put off the seniors,’ ” Debose said. “We went into this week and this game trying to play for those seniors.”

The Gators left The Swamp late Saturday afternoon with a little extra bounce in their step. Bostic decided to take the stairs through the stands. He was met by a man and young boy at the top.

The boy held out a game program that Bostic signed.

“Good game,’’ the man said.

“A win is always good,’’ Bostic replied.

It was the sixth of Muschamp’s young career as a head coach. It was one that, like his first season, featured more ups and downs than a Busch Gardens roller coaster.

But instead of panicking when they fell behind and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium fell quiet, the Gators grew up some. They hung tough and when they finally got a chance, they finished the job.

That win alone meant nearly as much as the one on the scoreboard.

“That is the mentality that you’re trying to create,’’ Muschamp said. “You can’t get too far up or too far down.’’