Women's hoops defeats Holy Cross in O'Dome

Senior Jennifer George notched her fifth double-double of the year, freshman Sydney Moss flirted with a double-double and the Florida women’s basketball team capped its non-conference slate with an 81-50 victory over Holy Cross on Friday evening in the O’Connell Center.

The win was the sixth straight for the Gators (11-3), who earned their 14th consecutive home victory, as well as their 15th straight at home against non-conference opponents.

It was a tight game for the first 13 minutes when the Crusaders (5-6) cut Florida’s lead to two points with seven minutes left in the first half.

That’s when the Gators outscored Holy Cross 38-13 over the next 18 minutes and took a commanding 64-37 lead with 9:06 remaining in the game.

All nine Gators who dressed out for the game scored during that game-changing stretch paced by George, who scored 13 of her game-high 21 points during the span, including Florida’s first six points of the second half when the Gators outscored Holy Cross, 44-23, hit 51.4 percent of their shots and out-rebounded their guests by 18.

Boynton helps Florida pull away vs. Air Force

SUNRISE — Kenny Boynton snapped a shooting slump Saturday with three 3-pointers in the second half, when No. 14 Florida pulled away to beat Air Force 78-61 in the second game of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.

Boynton had made only 4-of-32 from 3-point range over the previous five games, but he hit three in a span of 8 minutes to break the game open. The Gators used their superior size and smothering defense to grind down the Falcons, who shot 48 percent in the first half and 32 percent in the second half.

Florida (9-2) won for only the second time in the past four games. Air Force (8-3) fell to 2-77 against ranked teams.

Gators fall out of AP top 10

Florida fell from No. 8 to No. 14 in The Associated Press' college basketball poll following Saturday's loss to Kansas State.

Duke and Michigan remain the top two teams while Syracuse drops from third to ninth after its first loss.

The Blue Devils received all but two of the first-place votes Monday from the 65-member national media panel. Michigan got the others.

Arizona, Louisville and Indiana all moved up one place to third through fifth. Kansas, which won at Ohio State, moved from ninth to sixth. Missouri, which beat Illinois, jumped from 12th to seventh. Cincinnati advanced from 11th to eighth. Syracuse, which lost to Temple, and Ohio State complete the top 10.

Pittsburgh and Kansas State are the newcomers to the poll at 24th and 25th. They replace New Mexico and North Carolina, which dropped out from 16th and 23rd after losses to South Dakota State and Texas.

Gators Come up Short vs. Kansas State, Drop Second Game of the Year

Kansas State used timely runs and a physical defense that kept Florida's offense out of rhythm for large pockets, handing the Gators their second defeat of the season, 67-61.

Will Spralding scored 17 points to lead Kansas State (9-2), who matched every Florida (8-2) run with a run of their own. Rodney McGruder added 13 points for the Wildcats, who hit 41.7 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three-point range.

Florida came in ranked in the top 10 in the nation in rebounding margin, but Kansas State was the aggressor on the boards, out-rebounding the Gators, 36-27, including 11 offensive boards.

Patric Young had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Gators, hitting 8-of-11 shots from the floor, and collecting his eighth career double-double.

The Gators struggled offensively all night as Kansas State, which entered as one of the nation's premier teams at guarding the perimeter, limited UF to just 40.4 percent from the floor and 26.2 percent from three-point range (5-for-19).

Florida turned it over just nine times, but the Wildcats kept the Gators from getting into any offensive rhythm.

Kansas State held a 33-23 lead at the half, holding the Gators to just 30.8 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent (2-for-9) from three-point range. The Gators held a 19-17 lead before the Wildcats closed the half on a 16-4 run as Florida hit just one field goal in the final 8:50 of the first half.

Will Spralding caught fire, torching the Gators for 13 points in the first half, hitting 4-of-7 shots and three from beyond the arc. Patric Young had five points and eight rebounds at the break for the Gators.

Florida opened the second half on a 12-3 run to cut the Kansas State lead to 36-35. The Gators eventually tied it at 41-41 on a three-pointer from Kenny Boynton. The Gators could never regain the lead, however. Leading 46-45 with 10:00 to go, Kansas State went on an 11-2 run to put the game out of reach, increasing the lead to 57-47. Florida went nearly 5:00 without a field goal during the stretch.

Florida returns to action on Dec. 29 against Air Force in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla.

UF claims Holiday Classic title

Behind the strong second-half play of Tournament MVP Sydney Moss and a stellar 18-point, 10-rebound effort from Kayla Lewis, host Florida was able to turn back a determined Central Michigan squad, 81-75, to capture the 2012 Gator Holiday Classic title Friday night before an O’Connell Center crowd of 704.

It was the closest championship game since 1999, when Boston College edged Florida 66-61.

Moss, a true freshman who was the 2012 Kentucky Miss Basketball, and Lewis, a redshirt sophomore, combined to score 11 of UF’s 14 points during a crucial 14-6 UF run after the Gators lost junior point guard Jaterra Bonds to fouls with 7:59 left to play while holding a 59-51 lead.

That run gave Florida (10-3) a seemingly safe 73-57 lead, but the Chippewas (5-5) kept chipping away with several steals and big hoops down the stretch with Florida’s floor leader off the floor. That was before redshirt freshman guard Carlie Needles sealed the deal on UF’s fifth straight win by hitting 3-of-4 free throws in the final 25.4 seconds.

Florida won despite committing a season-high 29 turnovers, overcoming them by shooting 55.4 percent from the field (31-of-56) led by Bonds (15 points), who was 7-of-8 from the field before fouling out for the first time in her UF career. Lewis was 8-of-13, and Moss was 5-of-9.

“We beat a very good team,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “I’m proud of that. Sometimes wins aren’t as pretty as we hope they would be. This one had its spots and its moments and it had its ugly spots, but we survived them, and I think for this team sometimes learning hard lessons is going to be the most valuable way to grow.”

Moss, who led the Gators with 17 points in their opening-round win over Savannah State, started slowly, scoring only three points in the first half against the Chippewas before finishing with 16.

Lewis, meanwhile, was active under the basket, recording her second double-double of the season and her career while setting a new career-high in scoring, topping the 15 points she scored against Pacific two weeks ago.

“Today was just kind of suited for who I am,” Lewis said. “I’m a slippery player and I just got inside the seam of that zone they played a lot. When you have great players like a Jennifer George who causes so much down low and penetrators like Sydney and Jaterra, it’s easy for me to get open shots.”

George, the 2011 Tournament MVP, just missed her fifth straight double-double, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds, while Needles, redshirt junior Lily Svete and freshman January Miller all added seven points apiece for UF.

The Chippewas, who had six players score in double figures in their first-round win over St. Joseph’s, again showed great balance, placing five players in double digits led by senior guard Jessica Schroll’s 15 points. Sophomores Jas’Mine Bracey and Jessica Green each added 12 points, with Bracey also recording a team-high eight rebounds.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the Gators holding a slim 16-15 lead after a 3-pointer by CMU’s Taylor Johnson with 11:11 left before halftime.

But Bonds, who hit all five of her first-half shots, keyed a 20-10 UF run the rest of the way, capping it with a buzzer-beating baseline jumper to send the Gators to the locker room up by 11, 36-25.

St. Joseph’s (Pa.) had no trouble in taking care of Savannah State in the consolation game earlier, winning 88-41 to improve to 6-4 on the season.

Senior forward Chatilla van Grinsven, who had a game-high 18 points in the Hawks’ opening round loss to Central Michigan, again led the way with 20 points and added six rebounds, while the Tigers (5-8) were led by forward Erin Hogue’s 16 points.

Van Grinsven and Hogue joined Florida’s Moss and George and Central Michigan’s Schroll in earning All-Tournament honors.

UF closes out its pre-SEC schedule next Friday night at home against Holy Cross.

Rosario helps UF rebound vs. Southeastern Louisiana

When asked, Florida coach Billy Donovan has been candid about senior guard Mike Rosario's struggles last season.

Referencing Rosario sitting out 10 practices with a hip pointer a year ago, Donovan said, “A hip pointer? My daughter could play through that.”

Fast-forward a year later, and the 6-foot-3 Rutgers transfer is becoming one of UF's most consistent players. Rosario scored a team-high 20 points, his fourth straight game in double figures, lifting the Gators (8-1) to an 82-43 win over Southeastern Louisiana (1-8) at the O'Connell Center.

“Coach Billy is keeping the heat on me every day,” Rosario said. “I'm a fifth-year player. I'm experienced. I've been through the Big East and I've been through a lot of challenges in my life. I just feel like Coach Billy challenges me every day. I look forward to it because this is my last go-around and I feel like my teammates need me to bring that consistency every day.”

Over UF's last four games, Rosario is averaging 15.3 points and 2.7 assists.

“It's been more as coach, just not bending, setting a certain standard that we're going to have here, and not bending on that,” Donovan said. “I think he has really conformed and worked, and I think it's showed in his play. He's much, much more disciplined. He's much more responsible. He's much more accountable. I feel like I know what I'm getting from him from day-to-day.”

Rosario eclipsed his previous UF high of 19 points he set in his Gator debut last season against Jackson State. But the rest of his junior season didn't go as well. A former McDonald's All-American who averaged more than 16 points at Rutgers, Rosario struggled accepting a bench role behind Florida guards Bradley Beal, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton.

With Beal and Walker gone, Rosario worked hard during the offseason to earn a starting job.

“The most difficult thing to deal with as a coach is when you have a talented player that you don't know who is showing up, who you are going to get from day-to-day, and that's who he was a year ago,” Donovan said. “And to his credit, I think he's put it together.”

Rosario scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, helping Florida build a 43-26 halftime lead. He scored 10 straight UF points during a 10-2 run that extended UF's lead to 35-19. The 10 points came on a pair of 3-pointers, a driving layup and a jumper just inside the 3-point line.

“Shoot till you're cold, shoot till you're hot,” Rosario said. “That's one thing I've been told growing up. There's no other thing you can do. If you have open shots, take them.”

Florida pulled away with defense, holding Southeastern Louisiana to just two points through the first 10-plus minutes in the second half. It was the sixth time in nine games Florida held an opponent under 50 points this season.

Donovan said the Gators came out more disciplined defensively in the second half after players left their feet early on plays in the first half.

“We talked about that at halftime, just being disciplined,” Donovan said. “The shot clock is going to go down all the way to 10 seconds, we've got to be disciplined and we've got to hold them to one shot. I thought our discipline in the second half was really, really good.”

Patric Young added 10 points and five rebounds for the Gators, and freshman Michael Frazier added 12 points. Florida got 31 points from its bench, including nine points from Scottie Wilbekin and eight from Casey Prather.

Kenny Boynton remained mired in his shooting slump, going 1-for-7 from the floor, all on 3-point attempts. Boynton did have five assists and finished with seven points, becoming just the fifth player in UF history to eclipse 1,700 career points.

Boynton is just 3 for his last 27 (11.1 percent) from 3-point range.

“This is going to sound terrible to say, because I don't know how to put it in the right context, (but) this is great for him,” Donovan said. “Not that I want him going through a difficult time, but he's got to fight through this. And I think anytime anything comes easy to you and you don't have to work for it and struggle and battle and grind, I think you lose a sense of how hard it is to make shots and be a good player.”

Gators working on late-game lapses

At another point this season, Florida will need to figure out how to execute in clutch situations.

It most likely won't happen tonight, when the No. 8 Gators return home to face Southeastern Louisiana at the O'Connell Center. Of the 347 teams in Division I basketball, Southeastern Louisiana ranks 339th in RPI, which measures a team's record (1-7) with its schedule strength.
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But with a chance to pick up a statement road win at Arizona done in by poor play down the stretch, Florida spent its last two practices trying to learn from its mistakes.
“When you play against good teams, you've got to play all the way through for 40 minutes,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said.

The loss against Arizona dropped Florida to 2-6 in its last eight games decided by five points or less. Overall, Donovan is 58-74 in games decided by five points or less in 17 seasons at UF. Turnovers, defensive breakdowns and missed free throws have all played roles in Florida's recent close losses.

Comparing it to a closer in baseball, Florida has had its share of rough outings in recent seasons.

“I think obviously when you talk about a trend or a theme, it's a pretty broad-based thing,” Donovan said. “If it was one specific thing where I think ‘Geez, this is really causing us a problem,' but it's been a lot of different things.”

One thing won't change — Donovan said he's still comfortable with Kenny Boynton having the ball in his hands in late-game and late-half situations. Boynton dribbled the ball off his foot in the closing seconds of the first half, a turnover that resulted in a Solomon Hill dunk that cut Florida's lead to 32-29 at halftime. In the second half, Boynton took an ill-advised 3-pointer with 1:55 left and 30 seconds on the shot clock and committed one of UF's three turnovers in the final 56 seconds of the game.

In reviewing film of the three straight turnovers on in-bounds plays, Donovan said the first occurred when Boynton made a break to get open but stopped running for the ball. The second came because Scottie Wilbekin broke too close to the baseline on an Erik Murphy in-bounds, and the third he felt Boynton anticipated getting fouled rather than being strong with the basketball.

Donovan said he felt players in the final two minutes became careless, expecting to be fouled right away rather than focusing on getting the ball upcourt.

“What was most important was for us to get the ball in bounds first,” Donovan said. “You know I told our guys if in some way, we really, really learn from this, it will be very beneficial going forward. If we didn't learn, it will be two things — we didn't learn, and it was a tough loss.”

As the mistakes snowballed, Donovan said he felt the Gators lost focus on the defensive end on the floor. He thought Florida could have gotten stops following two of the three in-bounds turnovers.

“Maybe we got a little nervous,” Florida junior forward Will Yeguete said. “I don't know. I feel like we had never been in that situation before, in the season, so maybe that's why we were a little nervous about it. But we just have to move on and move past that loss.”

Even with 7.6 seconds to play, Florida had a chance for a final shot, but poor execution doomed the Gators again. Donovan said both Murphy and Wilbekin ended up behind the end line, and there was confusion over who would in-bound the basketball. As a result, Arizona had time to set its defense in transition, and Wilbekin flailed a last-second shot attempt that was nowhere close to the rim.

“We didn't do a very good job there,” Donovan said.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Donovan said he was encouraged with how hard and how well Florida executed on the road for 38-plus minutes. During a one-and-a-half minute stretch at the end of the half and end of the game, Arizona outscored the Gators 15-0.

“I think (the loss is) going to help us in the long run,” Yeguete said.

3 JUCO players sign with UF football

Florida coach Will Muschamp added three players to his football program Wednesday, the first day junior college prospects could sign their national letters of intent.

The Gators received signatures from defensive tackle Darious Cummings (Scooba, Miss./East Mississippi C.C.) and offensive tackles Trenton Brown (Milledgeville, Ga./Georgia Military) and Tyler Moore (Clearwater, Fl./St. Pete College).

The trio of JUCO linemen enroll at UF next month and will be eligible to play next season.

Cummings could make the most immediate impact, as Florida is expected to lose junior defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd to the NFL Draft and return just three players at the position.

“I’m just excited to be a part of the Gators and have the opportunity to play real early,” Cumming said. “I’m looking to get myself better in the spring so I can have a chance to start and contribute enough to help the team out.”

The 6-foot-2, 305-pounder signed with Florida State in 2010 as an ESPN150 member and spent two years with the Seminoles, redshirting one. Cummings feels fate brought him to Florida.

His uncle is former UF wideout and receivers coach Dwayne Dixon, and his father is close friends with legendary Gator linebacker Wilber Marshall, who is from the same high school (Titusville Astronaut) as Cummings. He will also be teammates with UF defensive tackle Damien Jacobs, who signed with FSU the year that Cummings did and attended the same community college.

“All of this was meant for me, I really believe that,” said Cummings, who is ranked No. 31 in the ESPN Junior College 100. “I think about it in the back of my head. I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be at and everything was supposed to happen the way it did. So I’m ready to take this next step in my life and I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Moore was a heralded recruit in 2011 out of Countryside Clearwater. Rivals.com ranked him as the top lineman prospect in the state and No. 67 in the Rivals100. He signed with Nebraska and was only the 10th lineman in school history to start as a true freshman.

But Moore left the Cornhuskers in early August to be closer to home, and his family is happy to have him back.

“He felt sort of isolated when he was at Nebraska,” said Brian Moore, Tyler’s father. “Now he’s just a two-hour drive from his family and friends, and everyone is excited about him going to Florida. 

We’ve turned a few people into Gator fans already.”

The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder was reclassified as JUCO prospect because he attended St. Petersburg College to earn his Associate of Arts Degree. Moore took 20 credit hours this fall so he could enroll at UF next month. He has three years of eligibility remaining, starting in 2013.

“He really worked hard in the classroom because he wanted to get on campus as soon as possible,” the elder Moore said. “With the help of (strength coach) Jeff Dillman in the offseason, he feels he’ll be able to compete for a starting job. Tyler isn’t cocky by any means, but he’s confident in his abilities and his Division-1 experience should help him a lot.”

Brown checks in at No. 65 overall in ESPN’s JUCO rankings, but he wasn’t a highly-rated recruit out of high school like Cummings and Moore.

He received interest from schools such as Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, but he had one issue. And it wasn’t size.

“Athletic ability has never been a problem with me,” said Brown, who is 6-foot-8, 350 pounds. “I could already be a Division-1 player. But the academics held me back. I was never a dumb kid, I just didn’t put forth the effort in high school because I thought teachers would just give me the grades because I was a football player.”

Brown said everything changed for him when it was time to graduate. He only had one scholarship offer and couldn’t qualify academically for any Division-1 program.

“I came to a rude awakening my senior year when I was going over my transcript,” Brown said. “That was really when I started turning the page on my life, and now I’m here with my AA degree. I was a JUCO All-American this year, and I want to be the same thing at Florida."

UF picks up commit from top QB

Florida landed a verbal commitment from 2014 quarterback Will Grier on Wednesday.

“I am committed to the University of Florida,” Grier wrote on his Twitter account.

Grier (Davidson, N.C./Davidson Day) chose the Gators over North Carolina and Tennessee. He was in Gainesville earlier this month for Florida’s banquet weekend and also attended the LSU game.

Grier was the Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina and threw for 68 touchdowns and 5,609 yards, a state record. Nationally, only three quarterbacks have thrown for more yards in one year.

But Grier does have one national record. His 837 passing yards against Harrells Christian on Nov. 9 were the most by a high school quarterback in a single game. His team won 104-80 and he accounted for 12 touchdowns (10 through the air).

 
Grier is the third member of Florida’s 2014 class, joining Fort Myers Dunbar receiver Ryeshene Bronson and Palm Bayside defensive tackle Travonte Valentine. Rivals.com rates all three as four-star prospects and has them in the Rivals250 Watch List.

Gators doomed by turnovers in loss to Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 5 Florida’s numbing last-second loss to No. 8 Arizona was easy to explain.

Florida’s inability to close out the end of the first of the half and the end of the game proved costly in its 65-64 last-second loss to the Wildcats at the McKale Center.

The Gators were outscored a combined 15-0 in the final 1:19 of the first half and 57 seconds of the second half. During both ill-fated stretches, the Gators combined to commit five turnovers and only got one shot attempt to the basket.

“Turnovers allowed them to come back in transition.,” Florida junior center Patric Young said. “That’s what really gave them the advantage. We turned the ball over a lot. It’s just pretty easy for a team to get some easy baskets and allowing them to get easy baskets allowed them to stay in the game. And they kept fighting to the end.”

With Florida up 32-21 and 1:43 left, Arizona guard Nick Johnson stole the ball from Young and hit a deep 3-pointer to cut UF’s lead to 32-24. After a Kenny Boynton miss, Johnson knocked down another 3-pointer in transition to cut UF’s lead to 32-27.

Florida could have gone into halftime at least up by 5 and up by as many as 7 points. But Boynton dribbled the ball off his leg with 5 seconds remaining. Arizona forward Solomon Hill stole the ball and hit a breakaway dunk, cutting UF’s lead to 32-29 at halftime.

“Going into the end of the first half and the end of the second half, we did a bad job giving away seven points,” said Florida senior guard Mike Rosario, who led the Gators with 16 points. “I guess that hurt us a lot.”

Of the three turnovers at the end of the second half, two came on in-bounds plays and one came on Boynton’s inability to get the ball upcourt and break Arizona’s press. Overall, Arizona scored 16 points off Florida’s 14 turnovers. Florida’s three seniors (Boynton 3, Rosario 3 and Erik Murphy 5) combined for 11 of UF’s 14 turnovers.

“We couldn’t handle their press that well and it cost us the game,” Young said.

Gators fall to No. 8 in basketball poll

Florida dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the latest Associated Press men's college basketball poll released Monday.

The Gators lost to then-No. 8 Arizona 65-64 on Saturday night in Tucson.

Florida returns to the O'Connell Center for a 7 p.m. game Wednesday against Southeastern Louisiana.

Duke jumped to No. 1, as Indiana fell from the top spot after losing to Butler on Saturday.

1. Duke (62): 9-0

2. Michigan (3): 11-0

3. Syracuse: 9-0

4. Arizona: 8-0

5. Louisville: 9-1

6. Indiana: 9-1

7. Ohio St.: 8-1

8. Florida: 7-1

9. Kansas: 8-1

10. Illinois: 12-0

Bitter ticket sales for Sugar Bowl for UF

A berth in the Sugar Bowl is Florida's reward for a successful football season. But with it comes a likely significant financial hit for the UF athletic department.

As part of the current bowl system, participating schools are required to purchase a designated number of tickets from the bowl and then sell them. Schools are accountable for any unsold tickets.

Playing in a BCS bowl, Florida was required to purchase 17,500 tickets from the Sugar Bowl. With the Jan. 2 game against Big East co-champion Louisville less than three weeks away, UF has sold only 6,500 tickets.

That leaves UF holding 11,000 unsold tickets at an average price of $165 a ticket. That adds up to a little more than $1.8 million in unsold tickets, which would be a significant financial hit for the University Athletic Association.

UF is expected to sell more tickets between now and the game. The school also will get assistance from the SEC, which has a rule where it will purchase up to 3,000 unsold tickets from member institutions that are unable to sell all of their bowl tickets.

UF's ticket sales also lagged in a poor economy before the Sugar Bowl game against Cincinnati, another Big East school, three years ago. Less than three weeks before that game, the Gators were holding about 5,000 unsold tickets.

Even with some help from the SEC, the UAA sustained a significant financial loss three years ago.

That hit, coupled with probably an even bigger one this year, could add up to more than $2 million in combined losses for UF from unsold tickets in its last two Sugar Bowl appearances.

Florida isn't the only state school facing a significant financial setback this bowl season playing in a non-championship game during a struggling economy. Florida State, which plays Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl (also a BCS bowl), has sold less than 5,000 of its 17,500 tickets even though it has slashed the cost of bowl tickets. Northern Illinois has sold about 5,500 of its tickets.

Along with the economy, another factor working against schools like UF and FSU is the reality that fans can find and purchase less expensive tickets on the Internet without having to go through the university.

Among the nine SEC schools in bowl games, six (UF, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas A&M) remain far short of selling out their bowl tickets. Only Alabama, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have sold out.

Alabama is in the BCS Championship Game, Vanderbilt is playing in its home city (Nashville) and Ole Miss has a short trip to Birmingham for the Compass Bowl, where tickets are only $50.

Mike Hill, UF's executive associate athletic director for external affairs, expressed appreciation for the Florida fans who have purchased tickets for the Sugar Bowl and are headed to New Orleans.

“We certainly understand the financial commitment it takes to travel to and attend a game like the Sugar Bowl, and we are very appreciative of the support of our fans who are making their way to New Orleans,” Hill said. “We are looking forward to celebrating a special football season with them in the Big Easy as we bring in the New Year and close the curtain on a very memorable 2012 season.

Gators head west for top-10 matchup

Florida is returning to the state where its 2011-12 season ended.

But in this top-10 showdown in the desert, the No. 5 Gators enter their matchup at No. 8 Arizona with confidence.

Last March's heartbreaking Elite Eight loss to Louisville in Phoenix feels like an eternity ago. Florida is off to a 7-0 start, with its highest ranking since the end of the 2007 season. The Gators have won their games by an average of 25.3 points per contest, dismantling opponents with changing defenses and an unselfish, balanced offense.

Florida players and coaches for the most part downplayed tonight's matchup against unbeaten Arizona as a statement game. But junior guard Scottie Wilbekin, who had five steals in UF's win 10 days ago against Florida State, couldn't help but let the company line slip a little bit.

“We're excited to get a chance to prove ourselves again,” Wilbekin said. “I mean, we just want to prove that we're a legit team and we deserve to be in the top five. We want to win every game.”

Senior Florida forward Erik Murphy has been through enough games to know how to deal with the hype of a nationally televised matchup. Florida's last top-10 game was an 85-73 loss to Syracuse in 2009, when Murphy was a freshman. He didn't even remember it.

“The team is trying to take it as another game,” Murphy said. “The media and everything is trying to blow it up. It's an important game, obviously, two good teams and a test on the road, but I think we've got to approach it as another game and try to come out and focus on what coach gives us in a game plan and try to do what he says.”

Florida has stifled teams with a mix of zone, press and man defenses. The Gators are second in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 48.3 points per game.

“It's all started with defense, limiting teams, limiting the amount of points they can score,” Wilbekin said. “I think that energizes our offense.”

In its last game against Florida State, Florida led by as many as 37 points in the second half. The Gators also have held a 30-point lead in the second half against Marquette and 20-point lead in the second half against Wisconsin.

“I wouldn't say things have come easy,” Murphy said. “We've made them look easy, but I think that's a product of what we've been doing since the start of the season in practice, all the work we put in, that's what has come out of it. We just have to keep sustaining it.”

Arizona presents a different challenge. Florida will be playing its second straight road game and first regular-season game west of Louisiana since appearing in a tournament in Las Vegas in 2006. The Wildcats also have the biggest frontline the Gators have faced this season, led by 7-foot freshman center Kaleb Tarczewski, 6-8 forward Brandon Ashley and 6-7 forward Solomon Hill.

Ashley and Tarczewski are part of an Arizona freshman class that was ranked third in the nation by most recruiting sites.

“You always learn something from your team every game you play in,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “This one is no different. Obviously, it's our second true road game against a very gifted and talented team, a team that's got tremendous experience on the perimeter and a lot of very talented new young guys. So I think you learn a lot more about your team, traveling across the country against a very, very big team.”

Arizona, meanwhile, will be playing its first ranked team of the season. The Wildcats are coming off a 66-54 road win last Saturday against Clemson and have managed to blend their veterans with a talented incoming freshman class.

“There's going to be a lot of people who will match the game to see how good we are and how good Florida is,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “No question when you play against a quality opponent, the game matters even more.”

How Florida has handled the hype and adulation during practice this week will likely determine the outcome of the game.

“People start to give you attention based on the margin of victory, and I'm not that sure that has anything to do with going into this game against Arizona,” Donovan said. “For me right now the attention is based on everything we've done in the past, but we're still kind of moving forward here. I still think we can get a lot better on both ends of the floor.”

FLORIDA PROBABLE STARTERS
G Kenny Boynton 6-2 Sr. 14.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg
G Mike Rosario 6-3 Sr. 11.4 ppg, 2.4 apg
F Will Yeguete 6-7 Jr. 7.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
F Erik Murphy 6-10 Sr. 11.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg
C Patric Young 6-9 Jr. 10.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg

ARIZONA PROBABLE STARTERS
G Nick Johnson 6-3 So. 13.6 ppg, 3.7 apg
G Mark Lyons 6-2 Sr. 13.4 ppg, 2.6 apg
F Brandon Ashley 6-8 Fr. 9.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg
F Solomon Hill 6-7 Sr. 12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg
C Kaleb Tarczewski 7-0 Fr. 6.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg

Notes: Florida has won seven straight to start the season for just the fifth time in school history. The Gators last went 7-0 to start the 2009-10 season. … The Gators have held five of their first seven opponents under 50 points and rank second in the NCAA in scoring defense (48.3 ppg). … Florida has won eight straight games against Pac-12 (or Pac-10) teams, including a 78-72 overtime win against Arizona at the O'Connell Center last season. … Arizona is shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range this season. … The Wildcats have won their first seven games by an average margin of 20.4 points per game, while Florida has won by an average margin of 25.3 points. … Florida has won 19 games against top-10 ranked teams under Billy Donovan. … Murphy and Tarczewski attended the same high school, St. Mark's Prep in Massachusetts. “He's a legit 7-foot,” Murphy said. “He runs the court well. I know that just from talking to my high school coach.” At St. Mark's, Tarczewski played with Murphy's younger brother, Duke forward Alex Murphy.

UF men’s basketball up to No. 5

Florida moved up one spot to No. 5 in this week’s AP men’s college basketball poll.

The Gators (7-0) are coming off a 72-47 win at Florida State last Wednesday. Florida led by as many as 37 points in the second half before bringing in its reserves.

Florida jumped ahead of Louisville, which dropped to No. 6 this week. The Gators have a big showdown Saturday at No. 8 Arizona (10 p.m. ESPN). The Wildcats (7-0) are unbeaten and coming off a 66-54 win last Saturday at Clemson.

Volleyball’s season ends at Austin Regional

AUSTIN, Texas — The 14th-seeded Florida volleyball team saw its season come to an end, as the Gators fell in three sets to host Texas, 25-22, 26-24, 25-17.

The Gators (27-5, 19-1 SEC) finished the season as the SEC champions and advanced to their 21st regional semifinal in 22 seasons.

SEC Player of the Year Chloe Mann hit .500 with 14 kills on 22 swings, adding a team-high three blocks for a match-high 16.0 points. AVCA South Region and SEC Freshman of the Year Ziva Recek contributed 11 kills against the Longhorns, while senior Tangerine Wiggs and freshman Gabby Mallette each recorded six.

“Hats off to Texas for as well as they played once again,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “We did not serve particularly well and they served very well. Offensively, we were right there. Chloe Mann showed at least the Texas fans that this is a First Team All-American.”

There was no stopping UT’s Bailey Webster, who tallied 15 kills on the night.

The Gators keyed in on Big 12 Player of the Year Haley Eckerman, who was held to a .185 offensive efficiency with nine kills.

Elam and Christy Named to Walter Camp All-America Second Team

Florida junior safety Matt Elam (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and sophomore punter Kyle Christy (Brownsburg, Ind.) were named to the Walter Camp All America Second Team Defense Thursday. The last Gator punter to earn the honor was Chas Henry in 2010, and the last time a UF safety was in 2006 when Reggie Nelson made first-team defense.

Elam has now garnered three All-American honors this season, after being named to the Sporting News’ All-America Team earlier today. He tied for 21st in the nation and third in the SEC in interceptions with four in 2012. His 65 total tackles ranks 41st in the country, as well. The junior has compiled 10.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, four pass breakups, and forced one fumble on the season. Elam was named first-team All-SEC by the Associated Press and coaches earlier in the week.

This is Christy’s second All-American honor, as he was a third-team defense selection by CBSSports.com. Christy has proven himself as one of the top punters in the country this season as he leads the SEC and is sixth in the nation in punting with an average of 46.10 yards per punt on 62 attempts. Christy turned in his best performance of the season against South Carolina when he punted seven times for 380 yards to set the UF record with an average of 54.3 yards, the second-best singe game performance this season. He also recorded a season-long 62-yard punt against the Gamecocks. He is also a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, whose winner will be announced tonight on the Home Depot Awards Show.

Four Gators named to All-SEC Freshman team

Florida's 2012 recruiting class made significant contributions to the Gators' 11-1 season. On Thursday, four freshmen from the class were honored by the SEC.

Offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, linebacker Antonio Morrison, defensive end Jonathan Bullard and Buck end/linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. were named to the All-SEC Freshman team that was selected by the league coaches.

UF, Texas A&M and Alabama tied for the most players on the team with four each.

The four UF freshmen combined to start eight games for the Gators this season.

Morrison, an early enrollee, produced one of the biggest defensive plays of the season for UF. His big hit and forced fumble on FSU quarterback EJ Manuel in the fourth quarter turned the game around, sparking the Gators' 37-26 win in Tallahassee less than two weeks ago. The victory secured UF a spot in the BCS (Sugar Bowl).

Morrison started two games in place of the injured Jelani Jenkins at outside linebacker. With Jenkins recovering from foot surgery, Morrison is expected to start the Sugar Bowl.

Humphries started three games this season and was part of UF's jumbo package that helped the Gators have success on the ground in key victories, including the win over LSU.

Bullard started two games and Fowler one.

Bullard led the Gators in quarterback hurries with seven. He also recorded 2.5 sacks and 26 tackles.

Fowler had 6.5 tackles for loss and recorded 2.5 sacks.

Also on Thursday, three Gators — junior safety Matt Elam, junior defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and senior place-kicker Caleb Sturgis — were named to the Sporting News' All-America team. It is the first time since 2009 that UF has had three players earn All-America recognition.

Earlier this week, Elam was named a first-team All-American by CSBSports.com.

Elam and sophomore punter Kyle Christy were also named to the Walter Camp All America Second Team Defense on Thursday. The last Gator punter to earn the honor was Chas Henry in 2010, and the last time for a UF safety was in 2006 when Reggie Nelson made first-team defense.

14th-Seeded Gators Descend on Austin for Rematch with Third-Seeded Longhorns

The 14th-seeded Florida volleyball team (27-4, 19-1 SEC) travels to Texas to compete in the NCAA Austin Regional, Friday-Saturday, December 7-8 in Gregory Gymnasium. The Gators take on the host and third-seeded Texas Longhorns in the regional semifinal at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

All three matches of the Austin Regional will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks with play-by-play analyst Adam Amin and color commentator Maria Taylor on the call. Both regional semifinal matches will air live on ESPN3 and the regional final will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

Joining the 2012 Southeastern Conference Champion Gators in the Austin Regional are No. 3 seed and Big 12 Champion Texas (25-4), who faced one another earlier this season in the first match of the Nike Big Four Classic at Penn State. The Gators fell in three tight sets, 27-29, 22-25, 24-26, to the Longhorns in late August but have won two of the last three matchups with Texas.

Florida leads the all-time series (12-6, 12-5 under Wise) with Texas and is 4-3 against the Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament (4-2 under Wise).

Sixth-seeded and Pac-12 runner-up Southern California (29-5) and unseeded Wichita State meet up in the other regional semifinal. The Shockers, who knocked off No. 11 seed Kansas to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history, and the Trojans, the three-time NCAA Champions (1981, 2002, 2003), will meet at 6 p.m. ET on Friday evening for a berth to the Elite Eight.

Gators Improve to 7-0 with Blowout Win at Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- So, about this non-conference schedule that was supposed to be so challenging. You know, the one the Florida Gators have now dismantled by crushing their first seven opponents by an average of 25-plus points per game.

Yeah, that one.

"We don't know how good these teams we've played are yet," junior guard Scottie Wilbekin said Wednesday after the No. 6/5 Gators unleashed the latest round of carnage on rival Florida State. "We don't really even know how good we are yet."

Then Wilbekin cocked a little smile.

"But what I do know is that we play great defense."

The Seminoles know too after being bludgeoned 72-47 at home before 10,593 at the Tucker Center who witnessed the most lopsided series defeat in games played in the state capital -- and UF's biggest blowout of FSU since a 35-point rout in Gainesville in 1999.

Senior guards Mike Rosario and Kenny Boynton scored 14 points each, while junior center Patric Young added 10 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Michael Frazier threw in 12 points (on 4-for-5 shooting), all in the second half, as the Gators (7-0) hit 48 percent from the floor for the game.

What the Seminoles (4-4) shot -- a woeful 34.8 percent, including 25 percent in the first half -- was the number that really stood out, except for the fact that no one has shot well against a UF defense that came into the game ranked second nationally in scoring (44.5 points per game) and ninth in field-goal percentage allowed (35 percent).

"The preparation we do and the concentration we have at practice on the defensive end, I'm telling you, it's special," Rosario said. "We know we can be a really, really, really good defensive team, so we try to focus on that aspect and stay locked in on what's at stake."

It's across-the-board defense, too.

UF out-rebounded FSU 34-26, forced 22 turnovers that led to 32 points, rang up 14 steals and limited the Seminoles to just 7-for-23 shooting from the 3-point line.

"We did our job," Rosario said. "We were locked in and set the tone for the beginning."

FSU scored 15 points in the first quarter, making just five of 20 shots. In fact, they had eight more turnovers (13) than field goals through 20 minutes, as the Gators raced to a 35-15 lead at the break.

It was only three days earlier the Seminoles (4-4) lost at home to tiny Mercer. UF coach Billy Donovan spent the ensuing three days trying to convince his players they could lose the game.

Evidently, he did a great sales job.

"We kind of put ourselves in their position and asked ourselves, 'If you lost to Mercer, what would you do?' " Boynton said. "So our goal was to just overmatch their intensity from the start."

In doing so, the Gators matched the defensive intensity they showed in an 18-point wipeout of Wisconsin, a 21-point blitz of Middle Tennessee State and last week's 33-point vaporizing of Marquette in a rematch of their Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament game of last March.

At one point, Florida led Florida State by 37.

"We just have to keep working and listening to Coach Donovan," Young said. "When we listen to Coach, we come out with great energy and passion."

The opponents are starting to notice. Last week, Marquette coach Buzz Williams took the worst loss of his career and said afterward the Gators were good enough to win the whole thing.

This from Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton: "We ran into one of the better teams I've played since I've been at Florida State."

To date, the closest game Florida has played this season was a 79-66 defeat of UCF.

"As much as I'm happy and proud of what happened, I still think we can improve," Donovan said.

That's good because next up for the Gators -- after a 10-day layoff for exams -- is a showdown at Arizona, currently unbeaten and ranked eighth in the country.

"It's about passion and intensity, bringing it every night," Rosario said.

UF started with it, jumping to a 12-2 lead barely four minutes in, weathering a seven-point FSU run, then tearing the Seminoles apart 23-6 the rest of the half, with Rosario hitting four of his five shots from the field.

Think about this: the Gators led by 20 and Boynton, their leading scorer, was 0-for-6 from the floor.

"They executed their offense until they found one of our players making a mistake and they made us pay," Hamilton said. "It was like they capitalized on every mistake we made early in the game."

Late in the game, with the Gators up by 30-plus and with leading scorer Michael Snaer (10 points, 2-for-8 from floor) struggling just to get a shot off, Hamilton turned to his assistants with a question.

"Can we really be this bad?" he asked.

Here's a different perspective: Can the Gators really be this good?

No one knows, yet.

But, yes, they do play some great defense.

SEC coaches honor Muschamp, Sturgis

Will Muschamp's coaching peers in the SEC obviously are impressed with what he's done in his second season at Florida. They voted him co-coach of the year in the conference, the SEC revealed Wednesday. He shares the honor with first-year Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.

The SEC also announced that Florida place-kicker Caleb Sturgis is the co-special teams player of the year, along with South Carolina kick returner Ace Sanders.

After going 7-6 in his first season at Florida, Muschamp and the Gators rebounded in a big way in 2012, winning 11 of 12 games and earning a berth in a BCS Bowl (Sugar). He is the first UF coach to be honored as coach of the year in the SEC since Steve Spurrier in 1996. Sumlin led the Aggies to a 10-2 season in his first year in the SEC.

En route to becoming UF's all-time field goals leader, Sturgis, a senior from St. Augustine, made 23 of 27 attempts this season and led the Gators in scoring with 101 points.

Balanced women's hoops best Troy

Florida used big scoring nights from a pair of freshmen along with the combination of crisp outside shooting and a strong post presence to defeat Troy, 87-62, at the O’Connell Center on Tuesday night.

Rookies Carlie Needles and Sydney Moss each scored 18 points in a myriad of ways to combine for 36 points with the pair reaching double-figures in the first half alone as they scored a combined 21 points in the game’s first 20 minutes and helped UF to a 44-36 lead at the break.

Preseason Naismith Player of the Year Candidate Jennifer George posted her first double-double of the season and the 20th of her career, as she contributed 14 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, while junior transfer Vicky McIntyre also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, her first double-double as a Gator and the third one of her career.

Redshirt junior Lily Svete scored a career-high 14 points and led the Gators with four of the team’s seven 3-point baskets, as Florida drilled 7-of-11 from long range, as well as 52.5 percent (31-of-59) overall from the floor en route to its highest scoring output of the season.

 
“I thought it was great balance,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “We’ve got a lot of people that can be threatening. I thought offensively we did a really good job of working well together, but everyone individually took their shots at the right time. I thought we had great teamwork and great shot selection.”

Sixth-ranked Gators not taking FSU lightly

Florida coach Billy Donovan provided a brief history lesson before his team's first road game of the season tonight at Florida State.

Today's game

Who: No. 6 Florida Gators (6-0) vs. Florida State Seminoles (4-3)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Donald L Tucker Center, Tallahassee
Gainesville TV: ESPNU
Gainesville radio: AM-850, 103.7 FM

Donovan was specifically asked about Florida State's struggles to start the season. The Seminoles are 4-3 and coming off back-to-back home losses against Minnesota and Mercer.

“I remember one year, it may have been with Noah and Horford and those guys, they lost back-to-back games and we went in there and they beat us,” Donovan said. “I don't think that means anything to me at all.”

No. 6 Florida (6-0) isn't about to take Florida State lightly. The memories of UF's 70-66 loss to FSU at the Donald L. Tucker Center in 2006 are still too fresh in Donovan's mind to suggest otherwise.

“We're expecting that Florida State is going to play their best basketball,” Donovan said. “That's what we're expecting and I don't think our guys are expecting anything less.”

It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Seminoles. Florida State lost its season opener at home to South Alabama, but looked terrific in winning back-to-back games against BYU and St. Joseph's in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Florida State's trademark smothering defense under 11th-year coach Leonard Hamilton has been spotty. The Seminoles are giving up 69.3 points per game while allowing opponents to shoot 41.1 percent from the floor.

“It's a rivalry game and they are going to be ready to play no matter what, no matter how many games they've lost before,” Florida junior forward Will Yeguete said. “They're going to think it's a good win for their resume. So I think they are going to play harder than any game that they've played before. We just have to make sure we're ready to face their physicality.”

The Gators have managed to play physical enough in winning their first six games by an average margin of 26 points. Florida is plus-11.2 in rebounding margin this season with 25 blocked shots. The Gators have held opponents to 48.5 points per game on 35 percent shooting.

In attacking FSU's defense, Yeguete said it will be important to play unselfish.

“We're just going to need to be strong with the ball and make sure we screen, make the extra pass,” Yeguete said. “I think it's going to be huge to be unselfish in this game because they pressure the ball a lot and they gamble a lot. So we're just going to make sure we play as a team.”

Florida could be without starting forward Erik Murphy, who has sat out practices since Friday with a hip injury he suffered against Marquette. If Murphy can't go, center Patric Young will likely return to the starting lineup with Yeguete, Scottie Wilbekin, Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario.

“We've played with guys out, such as Scottie, Casey (Prather),” Rosario said. “This is a major key right now, us not having Murph. But I feel like Will can give us good minutes at that spot, and you know, I feel like everyone is prepared.”

Donovan's message since Florida's 82-49 lopsided win over Marquette is to avoid complacency. In breaking down tape of the game, Donovan said he noticed some breakdowns in transition defense and said the margin of victory would not have been as great had Marquette hit some open shots.

 
“They need to guard against it,” Donovan said. “When you are walking around and people are telling you how great you are, how good you are, what we did to Wisconsin and Marquette and all of this other stuff, I just tell them there is nothing there that helps them become better players.”

Joker Phillips Hired as Receivers Coach and Recruiting Coordinator

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators have a new receivers coach and he is someone familiar with the Southeastern Conference and the Florida program.

Very familiar.

Florida coach Will Muschamp announced Monday that former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips is joining his staff as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. Phillips will begin work at UF on Friday.

“We are excited to have Joker join our staff,” said Muschamp. “His background as a head coach and the number of years he has coached wide receivers will be a tremendous asset to our coaching staff and players. Joker is obviously very familiar with the Southeastern Conference and has always done a great job in recruiting.

“Obviously I had a number of experiences with Joker both on and off the field, as our paths have crossed often, but I’ve been really impressed with Joker Phillips as a man during this hiring process.”

Phillips was a longtime receivers coach before taking over as head coach at Kentucky in 2010. In three seasons in charge of the Wildcats’ program, Phillips had a 13-24 record.

He coached his final game on Nov. 26, against Tennessee. Kentucky’s biggest win in Phillips’ final season came in early September when the Wildcats dealt Kent State its only loss of the regular season.

Phillips is energized to join Florida’s staff and work with a team that finished the regular season 11-1 in Muschamp’s second season.

“I’m thrilled to become part of the Gator family,” said Phillips. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to compete and win at the highest level. I believe in Coach Muschamp’s philosophy and what he has done in his short time here at Florida is phenomenal.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the long-term vision that he has for this program. In addition, it will be very rewarding to be involved in the hands-on development of the players I will coach.”

The 49-year-old Phillips made history in January 2010 when he became only the second African-American to be named head coach at an SEC school. He became the first coach in school history to take the Wildcats to a bowl game in his first season and in his second season Phillips led the Wildcats to a 10-7 win over Tennessee despite using receiver Matt Roark at quarterback because of injuries.

The victory snapped Kentucky’s 26-game losing streak to the Vols. The victory over Tennessee came soon after Kentucky defeated South Carolina for the first time in 18 attempts.

Phillips played at Kentucky from 1981-84 and started his coaching career as a graduate assistant there in 1989. He became the school’s recruiting coordinator in 1990 and later served as the Wildcats’ receivers coach from 1991-96.

After stops at Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina from 1997-2002, Phillips returned to his alma mater as recruiting coordinator/receivers coach in 2003.

He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005 and head coach of the offense in 2009 before replacing Rich Brooks as head coach in 2010. In his time as offensive coordinator, Phillips oversaw the highest-scoring team in school history in 2007.

The Wildcats started the season 6-1, including a 43-37 overtime win against LSU. Kentucky capped an 8-5 season with a 35-28 win over Florida State in the Music City Bowl that season.

The receiving corps is an area Muschamp said the Gators need to improve in. Tight end Jordan Reed was the Gators’ leading receiver this season with 44 catches for 552 yards.

Among the wide receivers, Quinton Dunbar led the way with 31 catches for 306 yards and four touchdowns. Frankie Hammond Jr. had 20 catches for 273 yards while Andre Debose, expected to be a factor at the start of the season, finished with just two receptions for 11 yards in eight games. Overall, wide receivers accounted for 34.7 percent (58 of 167) of the team’s receptions.

Gators No. 3 In Final Bowl Championship Series Standings; Accept Bid To Sugar Bowl

The University of Florida football team is No. 3 in the final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings released on Sunday night and has accepted an invitation to play Big East Champion Louisville (10-2) in the 79th Annual Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La. The game will be televised by ESPN at 8:30 p.m. and it will mark the 27th time that the contest has featured two 10-win teams.

The Gators (11-1) will be making their 22nd-straight bowl appearance, which ranks first in the SEC and second nationally. This will also be Florida’s 19th January Bowl game since 1993, the highest total in the country.

This will be the ninth Sugar Bowl appearance by the Gators, tied for the third-most in history. Florida is 3-5 in its eight previous Sugar Bowl appearances, which most recently included a 51-24 win over Cincinnati in the 2010 game and also included a 52-20 victory over Florida State for the 1997 National Championship (1996 season). The Gators’ first Sugar Bowl appearance was in the 1966 Sugar Bowl, a 20-18 loss to Missouri, despite an MVP-performance by quarterback Steve Spurrier.

UF has claimed a school-record four-consecutive bowls and will be making its eighth-consecutive January Bowl appearance, the longest active streak in the nation. In addition, the Gators will be appearing in a BCS Bowl for the seventh time, tops in the SEC and tied for the third-best total nationally. Florida’s total of five BCS Bowl wins is tied for the top total in the nation and with a victory it will have the top total in the nation in all-time BCS wins. UF will be making its 40th Bowl appearance.

Will Muschamp is the only first time head coach at a BCS-conference school to win 11 regular-season games in his second season after finishing .500 or worse the previous regular season in records back to 1996. Florida improved from a 6-6 regular season in 2011 to an 11-1 regular season in 2012. The five-game turnaround in the regular season marked the biggest one-year leap for the program in 32 years (0-10-1 in 1979, 7-4 regular season in 1980).

This will be the third meeting on the gridiron between Florida and Louisville. The first meeting came on Oct. 25, 1980, as the Gators topped the Cardinals, 13-0, in Gainesville. On Oct. 24, 1992, Florida upended Louisville, 31-17, also at The Swamp.

Bowl Championship Series Rankings

1. Notre Dame

2. Alabama

3. FLORIDA

4. Oregon

5. Kansas State

6. Stanford

7. Georgia

8. LSU

9. Texas A&M

10. South Carolina

Gators Ranked No. 4 in Associated Presss and USA Today Weekly Polls

In the final regular season poll, the Gators moved up a spot to No. 4 in the Associated Press and the USA Today Coaches' polls. Last week, Florida was ranked No.5 in the Associated Press Poll and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. UF finished head coach Will Muschamp's second season 11-1 overall and 7-1 in the SEC. It is just the fifth time in school history that a Gator team has won 11 games in the regular season.

There are six teams from the SEC currently ranked in the polls. Florida faced five ranked opponents during the regular season and three in the top-10. The bowl matchups will be announced later today.

Associated Press Top 25 Poll					USA Today Top 25 Coaches’ Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS		RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1.	Notre Dame (60)	12-0	1500		1.	Notre Dame (56)	12-0	1470
2.	Alabama	12-1	1424		2.	Alabama (3)	12-1	1417
3.	Ohio State	12-0	1302		3.	Oregon	11-1	1313
4.	FLORIDA	11-1	1279		4.	FLORIDA	11-1	1287
5.	Oregon	11-1	1250		5.	Georgia	11-2	1216
6.	Georgia	11-2	1213		6.	Kansas State	11-1	1190
7.	Kansas State	11-1	1129		7.	LSU	10-2	1111
8.	Stanford	11-2	1094		8.	Stanford	11-2	1047
9.	LSU	10-2	1051		9.	Texas A&M	10-2	1039
10.	Texas A&M	10-2	1025		10.	South Carolina	10-2	947
11.	South Carolina	10-2	907		11.	Oklahoma	10-2	890
12.	Oklahoma	10-2	851		12.	Florida State	11-2	853
13.	Florida State	11-2	789		13.	Clemson	10-2	769
14.	Clemson	10-2	691		14.	Oregon State	9-3	663
15.	Oregon State	9-3	638		15.	Boise State	10-2	569
16.	Northern Illinois	12-1	534		16.	Northern Illinois	12-1	495
17.	UCLA	9-4	440		17.	Northwestern	9-3	444
18.	Utah State	10-2	379		18.	Louisville	10-2	409
19.	Michigan	8-4	306		19.	UCLA	9-4	408
20.	Boise State	10-2	276		20.	Utah State	10-2	334
21.	Northwestern	9-3	266		21.	Nebraska	10-3	328
22.	Louisville	10-2	248		22.	Michigan	8-4	278
23.	Nebraska	10-3	227		23.	Wisconsin	8-5	115
24.	San Jose State	10-2	157		24.	San Jose State	10-2	110
25.	Kent State	11-2	117		25.	Texas	8-4	97