Hunter Named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

Senior Omar Hunter (Buford, Ga.) has been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his career performance against Kentucky, announced by the league on Monday.

Hunter recorded a career-high eight tackles in UF’s 38-0 win over the Wildcats Saturday at The Swamp.  He bested his previous career-record of six tackles he recorded against Arkansas in 2009.  The senior helped anchor a defensive unit that helped the Gators defeat the Wildcats for a 26^th straight time, marking the longest active win streak over a major conference opponent in the nation. He also helped lead the Gators’ shutout of an SEC opponent for the first time since 2001, when UF downed Mississippi State 52-0. 

The senior from Buford, Ga. also played a key role on the Gators’ defensive line as it stopped the UK passing game, allowing just 60 passing yards on the afternoon and also held it to 4-for-15 on third downs.

Hunter made the start at nose tackle for the Gators and the award marks his first SEC weekly award of his career. It is also the third-consecutive weekly SEC award for the Gators, as Caleb Sturgis and Jeff Driskel have also won awards in the previous two weeks.

Gator Soccer Defeats Georgia 4-1

Goals by four different Gators gave the University of Florida soccer team (6-3-1, 3-1 SEC) a 4-1 win over Georgia (5-5-1, 1-2-1 SEC) Sunday afternoon at the James G. Pressly Stadium. It was the biggest offensive output by the Gators this season.

Sunday’s SEC Scores

Florida 4, Georgia 1

Missouri 2, Vanderbilt 0

Mississippi 1, Alabama 0

Arkansas 1, South Carolina 1 2OT

Kentucky 2, LSU 1 2OT

Tennessee 6, Mississippi State 0

Texas A&M 2, Auburn 0

After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the Gators clicked off four unanswered goals in a 25-minute span, beginning when senior Holly King scored off a corner kick in the 55th minute. The ball sent by sophomore Annie Speese to the far post was headed in by King.

A last-second adjustment led to the Gators first score.

“Annie Speese was hitting a corner and my run was going to be center but the ball was going further out,” King said. “I saw that the goalkeeper was on near post so I headed it in far post.”

King has used her head to score off a set piece now for three consecutive Sundays. She headed in free kick goals versus New Mexico and at Auburn. It was her third goal of the season, matching her career high set in 2009 and matched in 2011.

Another Gator, Havana Solaun, scored her third goal of the season Sunday. Freshman Claire Falknor was fighting with a pair of Bulldogs for control of the ball at the six-yard box off the deflection of Adriana Leon’s shot. Falknor pushed the ball into space where Maggie Rodgers quickly played it to the top of the box. Solaun took the shot from 14 yards which scored at the far post corner at 64:29.

“The forwards were working really hard to keep it in front of the goal and Maggie [Rodgers] kind of had the ball. I said to her ‘set, set,’ and she turned around and I laid it off,” Solaun said. “I just tried to keep it low and put it into the back corner.”

The Gators were awarded their third penalty kick of the last four matches after the Bulldogs were called for a handball in the box as they tried to clear a Rodgers’ cross. Senior Jo Dragotta scored off the PK – the first goal of her collegiate career.

Goal scoring predictions is an amateur art among the Gators as they share among themselves when they get a feeling about who is going to score. Dragotta got those predictions, but it wasn’t until the second match of the weekend that they proved prophetic.

“It was really exciting. It is kind of funny because a couple people came up to me before the Tennessee game and said they had a feeling I was going to score. And then when I didn’t score I was like, ‘Dang it, I lost my chance,’” Dragotta said. “Then our manager KeLeigh [Hudson] came up to me before this game and said I was going to score. Then the PK happened and I was said I wanted to take it.”

The Gators got their final goal from sophomore Jillian Graff in the 79^th minute. From the end line, freshman Brooke Smith sent a low pass to Graff, located at the corner of the six-yard box. Her shot hit the cross bar and banged down into the goal. It was her second goal of the season.

Georgia’s Tori Cooper broke up the shutout attempt when she scored from 12 yards in the 86^th minute.

Execution was the key today that allowed the Gators to be successful against the Bulldogs’ high defensive line, Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh said.

“It’s not about motivation, it was really about execution.  We didn’t really want to get them fired up - we needed to get them to relax and execute,” Burleigh said. “That’s the difference between this year and last year. I mean we’re not going to work our way through this bunker. We’re going to be smart enough to play through this bunker.

“The goals were good goals; really good plays, smart decisions, good balls spread across,” Burleigh continued. “We had some other opportunities that we failed to finish but ultimately I think we created enough opportunities to get the goals that we did get.”

Florida’s starting goalkeeper, Taylor Burke, faced no shots on goal in her 79 minutes played. She was replaced by freshman Valerie Tysinger for the final 11 minutes. Georgia senior Ashley Baker recorded four saves Sunday.

A sprained left ankle suffered in Friday’s 2-1 win against Tennessee put senior All-American Erika Tymrak on the sideline for today’s match. She joined fellow senior All-American Kathryn Williamson who suffered a torn meniscus Sept. 2 versus FIU. Both players were on the minds of those on the field.

“Our team stepped up a lot. Everyone stepped up their own role. Obviously, those were big-time players that were missing but we have other players that are perfectly capable of filling their positions,” Dragotta said. “It was a great win for us today.”

Florida finishes out September competition next weekend with a pair of home matches versus SEC Western Division opponents. Mississippi (9-2, 2-2 SEC) faces Florida Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. and then Arkansas (4-5-1, 1-2-1 SEC) comes to town for a Sunday, Sept. 30 match set for 1 p.m. The Rebels posted a 1-0 win Sunday at Alabama and Arkansas tied South Carolina 1-1 2OT.

Live streaming video of both matches is available via GatorVision. The matches can also be heard on ESPN 850/900, by simulcast on Cox Channel 946 (Gainesville/Ocala) or on www.GatorZone.com with Adam Schick and Matthew Stubbington calling the action.

Scoring Summary:	1st	2nd	Final
Georgia	0	1	1
Florida	0	4	4
Scoring:
UF: Holly King (Annie Speese) 54:30
UF: Havana Solaun (Maggie Rodgers) 64:29
UF: Jo Dragotta (PK) 68:37
UF: Jillian Graff (Brooke Smith) 78:56
UGA: Tori Cooper (Mackin D’amico) 85:59
Goalkeepers:					Minutes	Saves	GA
Georgia	Ashley Baker				90:00	4	4
Florida	Taylor Burke				78:56	0	0
	Valerie Tysinger				10:36	0	1
Statistical Summary:			UGA		UF
Shots			4		17
Shots on goal			1		8
Saves			4		0
Fouls			16		17
Corner Kicks			2		5
Offside			1		1

Cautions: Rebekah Perry, UGA/yellow (70:51)

LSU at Florida Game Set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS

The start time for the Gator football team's game against No. 3-ranked LSU at The Swamp on Oct. 6 will be at 3:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.

SEC Football Games on Saturday, Oct. 6

ESPN or ESPN2*	12:00 ET	Arkansas at Auburn
SEC Network	12:21 ET	Miss. State at Kentucky
CBS	3:30 ET	LSU at Florida
ESPN	7:00 ET	Georgia at South Carolina
ESPNU	7:00 ET	Texas A&M at Ole Miss
FSN	7:00 ET	Vanderbilt at Missouri

*Network will be selected after games of Sept. 29.

Gators Climb to No. 11 in the Associated Press and No. 12 in USA Today Weekly Polls

With their fourth-straight win, the Gators defeated Kentucky 38-0 to move to 4-0 on the 2012 season and are 3-0 in conference play. The win moved the Gators to No. 11 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 12 in the USA Today CoachesÕ Poll. Last week the Gators were ranked No. 14 in both the AP and USA Today polls. Florida will have this week off and will return to action when No. 3 LSU comes to Gainesville Saturday, October 6th. It will be the GatorsÕ second game against a ranked conference opponent, and the first at home.

There are six teams from the SEC currently ranked in the polls. Among the 12 teams on FloridaÕs schedule, the Gators will face four teams present in rankings: No. 3 LSU (Oct. 6 at The Swamp), No. 4 Florida State (Nov. 24 in Tallahassee), No. 5 Georgia (Oct. 27 in Jacksonville) and No. 6 South Carolina (Oct. 20 at The Swamp).

Florida Gators defense snags some turnovers

GAINESVILLE —The Florida defense didn't play on Saturday against the quarterback it had prepared for all week.

It didn't put the unit at a disadvantage.

The Gators intercepted Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton three times en route to a 38-0 victory in their SEC home opener.

Newton, a senior who started last year against the Gators, started in place of Maxwell Smith, the SEC's leader in passing yards before Saturday. It was announced after the start of the game that Smith was out due to a shoulder injury.

"Yeah we actually prepared for 11 (Smith)," Gators junior cornerback Jaylen Watkins said. "But then we saw 12 (Newton), and we just made adjustments because we know he can run, so you've got to stay in coverage."

Watkins picked off Newton with 8:24 remaining in the second quarter. He recognized the formation and jumped a slant route at the 26-yard line, returning it for a touchdown to give Florida a 17-0 lead. It was the first interception of Watkins' career.

"When they stack on top like that, they're pretty much gonna pick the top corner, which was Louchiez (Purifoy), and run a sneak route underneath," Watkins said. "So I just beat the receiver to the spot."

Florida coach Will Muschamp gave the defensive line part of the credit for the turnovers, noting that the front four generated enough pressure that he was able to drop the linebackers into coverage. This was evident on the third interception, which occurred on the Wildcats' last possession of the first half when linebacker Mike Taylor picked off a Newton pass over the middle with no receivers within 5 yards of him.

The first interception came on Kentucky's first drive of the second quarter. Newton overthrew his running back, Jonathan George, on the right side. Sophomore safety De'Ante "Pop" Saunders reached down and caught the pass at the UF 48-yard line right as it was about to fall incomplete and returned it 29 yards to the Wildcats' 23.

"We zoned off," Muschamp said of the defense on the play. "They were in a three-by-one set. We were in a strong rotation and Pop did really a nice job. They're trying to run everybody off and hit the back out of the backfield. We got pressure on the quarterback. The ball was floated. He made a nice play on that."

Saturday was the first time the Gators had forced more than two turnovers in a game under Muschamp. The last time Florida had more than two takeaways was against Penn Sate in the Outback Bowl two seasons ago when the defense recorded five interceptions.

In 2011, Florida finished tied for 93rd in the country with just eight interceptions.

"It felt pretty bad, not giving our offense the ball because they hold the ball," Watkins said of the defense's turnover struggles. "Now, they're holding the ball, and now we're giving them the ball. So it's all a team effort. So it feels good to actually get that monkey off our back."

No. 13 Gators Sweep Missouri to Open Conference Action at Home

The No. 13 University of Florida team swept the Missouri Tigers, 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-17), on Friday evening in front of 3,592 fans in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The Gators move to 9-2 on the season and 3-0 in conference play, while the Tigers fall to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in SEC action. The match marked the 22nd straight SEC home opener victory for Florida head coach Mary Wise.

“It was an interesting match,” Wise said. “It was like two basketball teams that are going fast break, fast break and just not hitting some shots. I credit Missouri’s defense and how well they played. I felt that if we could just control the first contact and make some good hitting decisions, there were kills to be had, and that was the difference in the third set. If Simone Antwi hadn’t come in and blocked that ball (to end the second set), who knows if we would have been looking at 4, maybe 5 sets.”

Florida hit .237 in the match behind the third career double-double (15 kills, 11 digs) for Živa Recek (Kočevje, Slovenia), while junior middle blocker Chloe Mann (Gainesville, Fla.) hit .348 with 12 kills on the night. Senior Tangerine Wiggs (Seattle, Wash.) tallied nine kills while junior Taylor Brauneis (Crystal Lake, Ill.) dished out 35 assists, adding eight digs, three blocks and three kills.

“Our defensive players played really well and Taylor was able to give us really nice looks, so we were able to swing (at) various shots,” Recek said. “If we have one block, then it’s easier to score points.”

Sophomore Taylor Unroe (Muncie, Ind.) tallied 15 digs on the night, marking the 17th straight match in which she has scooped double-digit digs (dating back to Nov. 23, 2011. Unroe also continued her passing streak, registering her 10th match of the season with a perfect serve-receive percentage.

The Gator block was led by Betsy Smith (Atlanta, Ga.), who stuffed four balls on the evening. Freshman outside hitter Gabby Mallette (Orange Park, Fla.) was not far behind Smith, roofing three attempted attacks to tie with Brauneis.

The Tigers were led by setter Molly Kreklow, who dished out 30 assists, and Whitney Little, who notched 10 kills and 10 blocks against the Gators. Overall, Missouri put up 13.5 blocks on the night, while Little had nine through the first two sets alone.

“Their setter is amazing,” Brauneis said. “I knew they were going to be awesome. They run a fast-paced offense and that was hard for us at first, but we pulled it out in the end and it was a great team win.”

Florida jumped out to a 6-1 start to the first set, forcing a Mizzou timeout after a Smith overpass kill. The Tigers tied the set off a Gator hitting error but Florida gained the edge, 10-9, off a joust at the net won by Mann. Recek and Smith teamed up for a big block to go ahead at 14-10. Mizzou put together three straight but a Wiggs slam stopped the run to put Florida up, 15-13.

The Gators continued to kill balls in transition and reached the double-decade mark first at 20-16, forcing the Tigers to burn their second timeout of the set. Mann nailed a quick set out of the middle to put the Orange and Blue ahead, 22-16. Mizzou went on a 3-0 run to close the gap at 22-19 and force a Gator timeout. Missouri put up a block at the end of a long rally to pull within two, 23-21, and force the final timeout of the set for Florida. Recek killed one down the line to set up set point, 24-21. A Mizzou attacking error tilted the first set Florida’s way, 25-22.

The second set was tight from the start, as Florida battled back from down two to tie the set at 6-6 courtesy of a kill by Mann. A solo block by Mallette continued to push the momentum the Gators’ way as Florida surged, 10-8. Mizzou burned their first timeout on the next point after a Tiger hitting error, and a block by Mann and Wiggs put the Gators ahead, 14-10. Wiggs slammed a heavy ball out-of-system thanks to a great bump-set by Unroe to continue the run, 16-11. A Smith slide kill forced Mizzou to call timeout with UF leading, 19-13.

The Tigers put together a 4-1 run to force a Florida timeout at 20-17 but a Mallette kill ended the surge and a Mann slam off the Brauneis quick set put UF within three of the set, 22-19. The Gators called timeout after a quick three points by Mizzou put the Tigers within one, 23-22. A Wiggs kill put the Gators at set point, 24-23, but the Tigers didn’t let down and tied the set at 24. A Mizzou service error set up another set point for Florida. Brauneis teamed up with Simone Antwi (Fairfax Station, Va.) to stuff Mizzou and take the set, 26-24, carrying a 2-0 set lead into the locker room.

The third stanza started much like the one preceding, as both teams battled to take the lead. There were six ties to open the set and Mizzou began to get out in front, leading 10-8 courtesy of a block by the Tigers. Florida went on a 4-0 run behind the serve of Holly Pole (Ocala, Fla.) to force a Tiger timeout at 12-10. Mann blocked the Kreklow dump attempt to pull ahead, 13-10, and a Wiggs slam from the right continued the surge, 14-11.

An Unroe ace put UF ahead, 15-11, and a tipped kill by Smith separated the Gators, 17-12. A Mallette kill deep to the back corner put Florida in the double-decade mark at 20-14. An ace by senior Sundai Weston (Naples, Fla.) forced a timeout by Mizzou at 21-14 and a backrow kill by Recek put Florida within three of the match, 22-14. Mallette smartly tipped a kill to the back corner to set up match point, 24-16. Mann put the match away for Florida, slamming the quick set out of the middle to give the Gators the set and the match, 25-17.

Florida hit .412 in the final set, as the Gators made adjustments coming out of the locker room at intermission. Brauneis spread the offense out among all of Florida’s hitters, leaving the Missouri block to commit one-on-one for much of the stanza instead of anticipating the set.

“We really wanted to stress setting from pin to pin, meaning don’t force the middle,” Wise noted. “You have to set over the top and get the balls to the right and left side, and then we could go back to the middle, and that’s what happened with Chloe’s last kill. It’s difficult to defend the entire net. We felt like we could take advantage of some matchups, and we finally did in the third set.”

The match was also a homecoming for the 1992 Florida volleyball team, the first Gator squad to reach the Final Four. The Gators were introduced during intermission while a highlight reel played of their magical night against Texas to reach the national semifinals.

The 1992 Florida volleyball team went 34-2, won the SEC regular season crown, defeated No. 12 LSU in the SEC Tournament finals, and became UF’s first volleyball team to reach the Final Four. In between their only two losses of the season (both to No. 1 UCLA), the Gators swept 26 opponents.

“Some of those players I haven’t seen since they graduated 20 years ago,” Wise said. “It’s the first time for some of them coming back… Making the effort to be here means the world to me.”

Florida takes the rest of the weekend off from competition before hitting the road once again. The Gators travel to South Carolina and Mississippi State next weekend to continue their SEC slate.

Gator Soccer Defeats No. 23 Tennessee 2-1

A goal in each half gave the University of Florida soccer team (5-3-1, 2-1 SEC) a 2-1 win over No. 23 Tennessee (6-2-2, 1-1-1 SEC) Friday in front of a soggy James G. Pressly Stadium crowd.

Friday’s SEC Scores

Florida 2, Tennessee 1

Missouri 2, Mississippi 1

Alabama 2, Georgia 1

Arkansas 3, Kentucky 2

Auburn 3, LSU 1

Vanderbilt 4, Mississippi State 2

Texas A&M 2, South Carolina 0

The earliest Gator score of the season came off a 20-yard crack from junior transfer Adriana Leon. The ball from outside back Lauren Silver found Leon just above the box. Her shot hit the cross bar and then down into the goal at 5:31.

“I remember seeing so much open space in front of me because the defenders backed down, so I shot it,” Leon said.

It was Leon’s second consecutive score for the Gators, as she hit the golden goal Sunday in UF’s 2-1 overtime win at Auburn.

The Gators’ second goal started when Leon, located at the top of the box, received the ball from Havana Solaun and then played the ball left as Solaun continued her run through the box. Solaun took the ball to end line and then sent a cross to the middle of the goal. Senior McKenzie Barney was able to get a touch on it to score in the 52^nd minute just before UT goalkeeper Julie Eckel got her hands on it.

“My goal was literally the most team-oriented goal you could get. It’s exactly what we are trying to go for,” Barney said. “The ball went between Annie Speese and Havana multiple times. We found Adriana, so we had her in the mix. We found Havana wide, which is what we want to do because then it provides a ton of space for me to get in the box. I just went near and tried to hit the ball in. It’s the epitome of what we are trying to do on the attack.”

It was Barney’s third goal of the season and her second consecutive Friday with a score.

Tennessee cut the Gator lead with a goal by sophomore Hannah Wilkinson in the 73rd minute. A ball was played for Alexis Owens making a run down the right side of the field. The ball Owens crossed from the end line found Wilkinson and she scored from three yards.

Both goalkeepers came up with big stops Friday. Just two minutes into the match, Wilkinson had a 1v1 opportunity off a counter attack, but Florida sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Burke made the stop on her 10 yard shot. Later in the half, Leon was awarded a penalty kick after she was fouled just inside the box. Eckel made the save to keep UF from taking a 2-0 first half lead.

For the match, Burke turned in two saves and Eckel had four.

Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh liked what she saw from the Gators Friday, especially in the first 45 minutes.

“I think we played really well with a lot of confidence in the first half.  We did a great job keeping the ball and creating opportunities. I thought we did a really great job in the first half,” Burleigh said. “My only disappointment in the team was that we got away from what we did well in the first half, in the second half.  They were obviously throwing more numbers forward, which is to be expected when they’re down. We just fell a little more into their game which isn’t really our game plan.”

With just 24 second left in the half, Gator All-American Erika Tymrak suffered a left sprained ankle and was helped from the field. She did not return the match and will be examined by UF medical personnel later this weekend.

A heavy rain shower began almost simultaneously with the start of the match. The rains became a light shower by the end of the half and almost the entire match was played under some rain.

Florida continues home play Sunday when Georgia (5-4-1, 1-1-1 SEC) comes to Pressly Stadium. Match time is set for 2 p.m. and the match airs live on CSS (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable channel 259). Georgia suffered its first league loss, a 2-1 decision, at Alabama Friday evening.

Florida Defeats Kentucky, 38-0, First SEC Shutout in 11 Years

Back at home for the first time in three weeks, the Florida Gators (4-0, 3-0 SEC) shook off some early rust to run away from Kentucky (1-3, 0-1 SEC), 38-0, giving the Gators their 26^th straight win in the series.

For the Gators it was the first shutout since defeating UAB 39-0 in week two last year, and the first shutout of an SEC opponent since defeating Mississippi State 52-0 on Sept. 29, 2001.

The Gators now head into the bye week with a perfect 4-0 mark and time to heal up before a showdown with LSU on Oct. 6 at the Swamp.  

Florida got its scoring from a 27-yard field goal from Caleb Sturgis,1-yard touchdown runs from Mike Gillislee, Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, a 26-yard interception return by Jaylen Watkins, a 19-yard reception by Quinton Dunbar.

Both teams started out slow but the Gators eventually started to click and it quickly turned into a one-sided affair.

After a pair of three-and-outs, the Gators were finally able to sustain something on their third drive, Driskel kept the ball on the first play and went around the right side for a 38-yard gain. A face mask penalty was tacked on giving the Gators a first-and-goal at the Kentucky 10. The drive stalled at the Kentucky 8-yard line, however, and the Gators settled for a 27-yard field goal from Sturgis to grab the game’s first points with 5:18 left in the first quarter. The Gators drive covered 49 yards on five plays.

Kentucky put together another drive into Gator territory, marching down to the UF 37 behind a pair of third and long conversions, one on a 12-yard run from George and one on a completion from Newton to La’Rod King. The drive ended at the Gators’ 37 when Craig McIntosh’s 54-yard attempt went wide left.

The Gators took advantage of the miss, marching 63 yards on 10 plays and taking 5:02 off the clock. Driskel connected with Frankie Hammond on a 24-yard pass over the middle to move the Gators into Kentucky territory. After a 5-yard completion to Hunter Joyer on third down gave the Gators a first-and-goal at the Kentucky 1-yard line, Gillislee carried it in for a score on the next play for his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, giving the Gators a 10-0 lead with 12:04 left in the half.

The Wildcats got the ball back but facing a 3^rd-and-7 Newton’s pass was intercepted by De’Ante Saunders and returned 29 yards to the Kentucky 23. The Gators were unable to take advantage, however. After penalties moved the Gators back to the 37, Driskel took a shot at the end zone and the result was his first interception of the year.

Capping a stretch of three straight possessions with a pick, Watkins stepped in front of the Wildcat receiver and read Newton’s pass perfectly, grabbing the interception and returning it 26 yards to give the Gators a 17-0 lead with 8:24 left in the half.

It was Watkins’ first career interception, his first touchdown and the Gators’ first interception return for a touchdown this season.

Kentucky once again marched down the field reaching the Gators’ 29-yard line before stalling. McIntosh missed his second field goal attempt of the day, pushing a kick wide right from 46 yards out. Kentucky would never get any closer the remainder of the day.

The Gators tried to add to their lead late in the second quarter. Facing third-and-15 Driskel hit Omarius Hines with a 52-yard pass play to the Kentucky 23. After the drive stalled Sturgis attempted his third field goal of the game but was unable to connect from 39 yards out.

Getting the ball back late in the half Driskel engineered an impressive drive, marching the Gators 76 yards in seven plays and using just 1:18 off the clock. Driskel hit Jordan Reed with a 34-yard pass over the middle and then a personal foul tacked on 15 more yards to the Kentucky 19-yard line. Moments later Driskel hit Dunbar with a 19-yard strike to close out the first half scoring.

As the second half began it was more of the same, as Driskel led the Gators on another long drive, this one, however a time-consuming one that ate up a large chunk of the third quarter. The Gators marched 72 yards on 15 plays and took 9:03 off the clock on the drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Driskel.

As the fourth quarter arrived and the game in hand, head coach Will Muschamp called on Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, as the sophomore saw his first action since the week one win over Bowling Green.

Brissett capped a 9-play, 47-yard drive with a 1-yard keeper with 6:47 left to make it 38-0.

Driskel finished the day 18-of-27 passing for 203 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while carrying the ball eight times for 35 yards and a touchdown.

Florida had near perfect balance offensively, getting 403 yards of total offense with 203 yards passing and 200 yards rushing. The Gators dominated time of possession holding a 37:41-22:19 advantage.

Gillislee led the Gators in rushing with 56 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown while Matt Jones, in his most extended action of the season had 10 carries for 45 yards.

Defensively Florida held Kentucky to just 219 yards of offense, 159 yards on the ground and just 60 yards passing. Kentucky had just 60 yards of total offense in the second half.

Florida Soccer meets Tennessee Friday to begin a four-match home stand

The Florida soccer team (4-3-1, 1-1 SEC) opens a four-match home stand this Friday when No. 23 Tennessee (6-1-2, 1-0-1 SEC) visits the James G. Pressly Stadium. Match time is set for 7 p.m. and admission is free.

Friday’s Match Information

RV Florida (4-3-1, 0-1 SEC) versus No. 23 Tennessee (6-1-2, 1-0-1 SEC) Date & Time: Sept. 21, 2012 @ 7 p.m. ET Site: James G. Pressly Stadium (4,500) The Coaches: Becky Burleigh, 18th season @ UF (386-106-33/23rd season overall – 304-83-27/UF), Brian Pensky (73-53-22/fourth season overall and 6-1-2/first season at UT) Radio: ESPN 850 Streaming video: live streaming video available on GatorVision - visit the site for more information Internet: live stats and audio for UF-UT match available on www.GatorZone.com Admission:  free admission

It is Gator Soccer Alumni Weekend and several from past Florida teams will be in attendance at this weekend’s matches at Pressly Stadium. Alumni will be announced at halftime of Friday’s match.

Both teams come into Friday’s match after playing overtime contests last Sunday. The Gators split in their opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play, dropping their league opener 2-1 last Friday at Kentucky. Both teams scored penalty kick goals in the opening half. McKenzie Barney hit her first collegiate PK attempt for her second goal of the season in the 12^th minute to give UF an early lead. In the second half, a goal off a Wildcat corner kick gave UK the final margin.

Sunday at Auburn, Florida used Adriana Leon’s first goal as a Gator to claim a 2-1 OT win. Florida trailed after an early Tiger goal. Holly King combined with fellow senior Jo Dragotta to score off a free kick to tie the match in the 72^nd minute. It was King’s second straight Sunday with a goal off a Dragotta free kick. With just 32 seconds remaining in the first overtime, Leon received the ball off Erika Tymrak’s free kick and placed it in at the far post corner from 18 yards. She is the third in the program’s 18-year history to make their first Gator goal golden, with all three coming since 2008.

Tennessee opened 2012 SEC action last Friday with a 2-1 overtime home win over Alabama and then tied Vanderbilt 1-1 2OT Sunday. The Lady Vols came into league action off their only non-winning weekend of the season, as they tied 0-0 2OT at Cal State Northridge on Sept. 7 and then lost 1-0 at then No. 2 UCLA. Senior Amy Harrison leads UT this season with four goals. Brian Pensky is in his first season as the Lady Vols head coach, replacing Angela Kelly who is now the Texas head coach.

These two teams last met in the opening weekend of 2011 league play. The Gators fell behind early and saw the Lady Vols build a 3-0 halftime lead. Tymrak scored on a penalty kick early in the second half. In the 65th minute, Havana Solaun scored on an unassisted goal to cut the UT lead to a single goal. UT’s Alexis Owens finished off her first collegiate hat-trick in the 86th minute to give the Lady Vols the final 4-2 score.

Nebraska player transfers to UF

Florida coach Will Muschamp got a huge boost to his offensive line Thursday when former Nebraska tackle Tyler Moore decided to transfer to UF.

Moore was a Rivals100 member in the class of 2011 and the top lineman prospect in the state out of Countryside Clearwater.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder played nine games last season for the Cornhuskers and started four at right tackle, becoming only the 10th lineman in school history to start as a true freshman.

Moore was slated to start at left tackle for Nebraska in 2012, but he left the school in early August and decided not to return.

“He was never happy there,” said Tyler's father, Brian Moore, who played tight end at Nebraska and graduated in 1985. “We went there because that was his dream school growing up as a kid. But there were things that maybe we didn't scrutinize enough in the recruiting process and he struggled for three semesters and then finally realized it would be better off going some place closer to home.”

Moore chose Florida over Florida State after unofficially visiting both schools this month.

“We went to the Bowling Green game and were blown away,” the elder Moore said. “The coaching staff there was phenomenal. They were above and beyond everything that we expected. Just the energy level, the attention level, the helpfulness that they offered, answered questions before we even asked them. They are just a great group and I can't say enough good stuff about them.”

Moore said his son was also impressed by the direction of the offense under new coordinator Brent Pease.

“They're definitely in a transition with coach Pease,” he said, “but it looks like they're improving every week, which is nice to see. They're still very young and they've recruited extremely well. So I think Florida is going to continue to get better and it will be very exciting to be a part of that for Tyler.”

Like Florida's previous offensive lineman transfer, Max Garcia from Maryland, Moore can play either tackle or guard. Wherever he ends up, Moore's father said the Gators are getting proven talent.

“They definitely want him to play tackle,” he said. “Which side will depend on how things go once he gets there. And if it doesn't work out, then he'll play where they need him.

“One thing that the coaches do like about him is a lot of the question marks you get normally in recruiting are answered because he's already got Division-1 experience. They don't have to worry that this is some high school kid who won't pan out.”

Moore is redshirting this year and will be eligible to play next season as a sophomore. His father said he will likely enroll in January after earning his AA degree from St. Petersburg College this fall.

UF now has 20 members in its 2013 class. Verbal commitments are not binding until prospects sign their national letters of intent.

Lendl wins title at invitational

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Senior Isabelle Lendl earned her first outright win of her career on Tuesday at the Dale McNamara Invitational. Lendl had a two-shot lead going into today’s final round ahead of Oklahoma State’s Jayde Panos and teammate Camilla Hedberg and shot even par for the round to stay at 6-under for the tournament and finish with a 210 total. Her score was three shots better than second-place finisher, Dani Ordonez of Arizona State.

Pease ‘trying to get 50 points’ on ’Cats

Don’t expect first-year Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease to hold back when the Gators host Kentucky on Saturday at Florida Field.

Pease told an Ocala Gator Club gathering in late July he will look “to score 50 points” on the Wildcats.

The reason? A war or words between Pease and former Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen. Pease was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Kentucky from 2001-02. Lorenzen was his star pupil and wasn’t a fan of Pease’s methods. And Lorenzen took to Twitter to let everyone know about it when Pease was hired at UF.

“Seriously, Brent Pease at Florida? He’s freaking crazy and was brutal at UK when I was there,” Lorenzen tweeted.

Later that day, Lorenzen tweeted: “The good thing about Pease at UF is now we can shut them down. #nohalftimeadjs.”

Apparently, the tweets got back to Pease.

“I coached Jared,” Pease said in Ocala. “Jared is one of those guys that was talking trash when I took this job. So that’s good for about two extra launch plays, trying to get to 50 points on those guys when they come to campus.”
 
No. 14 Florida (3-0, 2-0 SEC) is coming off season highs in points scored (37) and total offense (555 yards) in its 37-20 win over Tennessee last Saturday. The Gators rank third in the SEC in rushing offense and ninth in total offense (409 ypg).

No. 22 Gator Soccer Takes 2-1 OT Win at Auburn

The first goal for junior transfer Adriana Leon is golden as the No. 22 University of Florida soccer team (4-3-1, 1-1 SEC) claimed a 2-1 overtime win at Auburn (4-5-1, 0-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon in front of a AU Soccer Complex crowd of 831.

Did You Know…

Junior Adriana Leon’s overtime winner today makes her the third player in the 18-year history of the program to score a golden goal as their first as a Gator. First Gator Goals Scored in OT Name Opponent Date Golden Goal Final Score Adriana Leon at Auburn 9-16-12 99:28 2-1 OT Taylor Travis vs Miami 8-20-10 106:12 2-1 2OT Tahnai Annis at FAU 8-24-08 94:16 2-1 OT

Leon, who joined the Gator team this fall after playing for Notre Dame the last two seasons, ended the match with just 32 second remaining in the first overtime. The play started after an exchange of glances between Leon and Erika Tymrak led to a quick free kick after Auburn committed a foul above their box.

“Erika and I made some eye contact. We knew the pass was on,” Leon said. “No one was around me so she played the ball quickly off the free kick. I just turned and saw the shot was open and I took it.”

Leon’s 18-yard shot scored at the far post to finish Florida’s come-from-behind effort. She is the first since Taylor Travis in the 2010 opener versus Miami to have their first Gator goal be golden.

The Gators found themselves behind early Sunday. AU’s Tatiana Coleman, from deep in the Florida half, crossed the ball into the middle of the box. Mary Coffed one-touched the ball into the far post to score her third goal of the season.

A free kick goal in the 72nd minute tied the match at 1-all. The Gators were awarded the free kick about 30 yards above the Tiger goal. Jo Dragotta sent the ball into the six-yard box where it knocked around until fellow senior Holly King put it in.

“Jo gave a great ball into the box. I think I brought it down with my thigh past the defender,” King said. “It was right in front of the keeper so I just toe-poked it right under her at the near post.”

It was the second consecutive Sunday the two seniors synced up for a goal as the duo also combined on a free kick to provide Florida’s final score in a 3-2 win over New Mexico. Sunday’s goal was King’s second of the season.

SEC honors UF's Driskel

Florida sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel picked up his first SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors Monday, the league announced.

Driskel completed 14-of-20 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards in Florida's 37-20 win at Tennessee. He accounted for 300 of Florida's 555 total offensive yards, the most for the Gators in an SEC game since 2001.
 
He led the Gators to 27 second-half points, throwing both of his touchdowns in the second half, to overcome a 14-10 halftime deficit. His TD passes were for 23 and 75 yards and also had a season-long 28 yard rush against the Vols.

Florida Gators off to 3-0 start like last year, but this time it’s more impressive

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Florida Gators are off to a 3-0 start again, but this year’s run is more convincing and promising than their three-game winning streak to open 2011.

They pounded nonconference softballs Florida Atlantic and Alabama-Birmingham by a total score of 80-3, then outlasted a pitiful version of Tennessee to get to 3-0 last year. The season unraveled shortly after that as the Gators lost six of their final eight regular-season games on their way to a 7-6 record.

This year’s opening three wins look better. Florida took a methodical approach to beat Bowling Green, using the game as a way to test out what it wanted to do the rest of the season. Then there were consecutive road wins at Texas A&M and Tennessee, charging back from deficits in both.

The Volunteers were ranked No. 23 this time, and Florida embarrassed them with a 37-20 victory at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.

“This is a different 3-0,” coach Will Muschamp said. “Better teams. Tennessee is a much, much, much improved football team.

“Going on the road to two tough environments … we are a much better football team than we were at this time last year. Does that mean anything? No. It just means we’re 3-0. The great thing about being 3-0 is you’ve got a chance to be 4-0.”

His math is precise. The Gators shot from No. 18 to No. 14 in the Associated Press poll by beating Tennessee and can get to 4-0 for the fourth straight year if they beat Kentucky (1-2, 0-0 SEC) this week. The Wildcats, limping from an overtime loss to Western Kentucky, come to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday (12:21 p.m., SEC Network).

If beating Tennessee seems routine, the Kentucky game has become a formality. The Gators have 25 straight wins in the series.

Even though this 3-0 mark is identical to where Florida stood last September before faltering to its worst record in 32 years, the improvements in this year’s team are clear.

Above all, the Gators are dramatically improved at the most important position on the field: quarterback. True sophomore Jeff Driskel delivered a more impressive win last week than former starter John Brantley ever had.

“Unbelievable game,” multi-purpose junior Trey Burton said after Driskel completed 14 of 20 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee. “The whole team’s proud of him. We knew that’s what he could do.”

Florida’s defense, which returned most of its starters from a group that was No. 8 in the country in fewest yards allowed, frustrated Volunteers quarterback Tyler Bray with a four-man rush. Bray completed just five of his final 17 attempts and misfired on a pair of interceptions.

The defense is coming through with takeaways, too, forming a strong combination with the careful offense to give Florida a plus-three turnover margin.

The healthy rushing statistics — 232.7 yards per game — look sustainable. The speedy perimeter moves of Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey stopped working when Florida ran into sturdier opponents a year ago, but a straightforward power game built around Mike Gillislee seems likely to last.

Gillislee ran for 115 yards on 18 carries. One of those went for 45 yards and set up a touchdown. He leads the SEC with 346 rushing yards and is averaging 6.2 per attempt.

New offensive coordinator Brent Pease supplemented Gillislee’s forceful style with a viable Wildcat package featuring Burton as quarterback and some crafty plays to cash in on Driskel’s mobility.

Burton scored touchdowns on runs of 14 and 80 yards out of the Wildcat against Tennessee, and Driskel ran eight times for 81 yards. Driskel looked like he had a 36-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but the officials reviewed the play and ruled him out of bounds after 8 yards.

“I definitely thought we could be a team that put up a lot of points,” Driskel said. “We know that we have a great defense that’s going to give us a lot of chances. We have playmakers all over the field, and our line has done a tremendous job to this point.

“I’m not surprised at all.”