He left in 1995 with 31 touchdown catches, still the school record and second in SEC history. Think about the receivers who have come through Gainesville since then . By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com They used to hand Chris Doering a scout-team jersey and tell him to go get hit. He’d take the beating, show up the next day, and take it again. No scholarship or promise came with it, and nobody in Gainesville was printing his name in the program. He was a skinny kid from P.K.

Franz Beard on Tommy Haugh's preseason All-America recognition, college football's coaching hot seats and the College Football Playoff debate. Photos by Chris Spears, GatorBait Media.

Buddy Martin on Florida's open date, the lessons of past bye weeks and the Oct. 31 Georgia matchup in Atlanta. Photo by Chris Spears, GatorBait Media.

Franz Beard examines quarterback recruiting hype, Florida's Aaron Philo–Tramell Jones Jr. decision and the history of the Gators' five-star quarterbacks.

By Buddy Martin GatorBaitMedia.com As a former St. Petersburg resident and a sports columnist for the St. Petersburg Times who campaigned for major league baseball there back in the day — some 45 years ago — I have a confession and a hurrah. The confession: somewhere between covering the Gators and falling back in love with baseball, I became a Rays fan who watches 50, 60 games a year on TV whenever Florida isn't on. The hurrah: Friday night in Milwaukee, my Rays open the Wor

Franz Beard's Tuesday column: Florida basketball's preseason expectations, college football rankings, the outlook for all 16 SEC teams and his College Football Playoff predictions.