(Photo by Chris Spears) It is not uncommon for an otherwise very good defensive team to get lit up by a team that has one of those shooter’s coma nights when it seems that everything they throw up from behind the 3-point line finds the bottom of the net. A season ago that happened when the Gators lost their SEC season opener to Kentucky. With Kobe Brea hitting 7-9 from the 3-point line and the other Wildcats chipping in with another seven threes, Kentucky lit up the Gators fo

(Photo by Chris Spears) There are no championships on the line when the Florida Gators (3-5, 2-3 SEC) travel to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats (3-5, 1-5 SEC) Saturday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to play for.   For Florida, interim head coach Billy Gonzales could still get the Gators to a bowl game if they can win at least three of the final four games. That’s a tall order considering the Gators have had their struggles in Lexing

Finally, on the fourth-and-one play in Georgia territory in the fourth quarter, your starting QB should have noticed something on the play.

Tommy Haugh scores two of his 27 points (UAA Photo) LAS VEGAS, Nevada – A lot of people have said it, but John Wooden is generally credited with that time honored adage, “Defense travels.”   Quite obviously, Florida’s defense took a detour on the way to T-Mobile Arena Monday night. Despite shooting 20-30 from the foul line, 7-27 from the 3-point line and committing 15 turnovers the 3 rd -ranked Gators scored more than enough points to beat 13 th -ranked Arizona.   There was j

Close calls didn't go the Gators' way (Photo by Chris Spears) Gonzalez more worried about ‘The Middle Eight’ By ALLEN BARNEY GatorBaitMedia.com If only they awarded points for effort. In Gator Nation, there is no tolerance for moral victory, even though an interim coach with  banged up squad fought hard against the No. 5 team in the country. Billy Gonzalez prefers not to talk about moral victories but about the  “Middle eight” minutes — four before halftime and four after — w

(Photo by Chris Spears) LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Todd Golden has the kind of problem every Division I basketball coach wishes he had. Florida’s 4 th -year coach has a full roster of 13 players, all of them capable of contributing, so how is he going to divide the minutes?   “Man, so much depth,” Golden said last week as the 3 rd -ranked Gators were fine tuning for tonight’s season opener with 13 th -ranked Arizona at T-Mobile Arena (7 p.m., TNT). “I still want more guys!”   Among

The last four years have been filled with what ifs and a lot of “shoulda”, “coulda”, “woulda”. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst, Host of the Lowdown with Loren Meadows What if it was a catch? (Chris Spears photo) The Florida Gators rolled into the fourth quarter of yesterday’s game looking to pull of what would have been its biggest win against its hated rival from the north in five years. The Gators seemed to have Georgia on the ropes and were looking

(Photo by Chris Spears) Sometimes it’s all about perceptions. Saturday against Georgia, the Gators gained 281 yards of offense, which is about what you might expect if Billy Napier were still the head coach. Napier offenses tended to be dull and predictable. Some might even say boring almost to the point of being the cure for insomnia. Saturday, however, the only real predictability was obvious passing or short yardage-run situations.   Napier wasn’t calling the plays so perh

This time it went down to the final minutes and they actually led Georgia in the fourth quarter for the first time since Amos Alonzo Stagg was a ball boy.

(Photo by Chris Spears) JACKSONVILLE – Forget the final score for a moment. If you simply go by points, the Florida Gators lost 24-20 to 5 th -ranked Georgia Saturday at EverBank Stadium. In reality, it wasn’t four points that separated the Gators and the Bulldogs. It was maybe 12 inches.   Twelve inches. Maybe ten inches more on a fourth-and-1 at the Georgia 18 with 8:06 left in the game. A straight handoff from DJ Lagway to Jaden Baugh off the right side. As strong as he is

Interim head coach Billy Gonzales brought Florida to the brink of victory against Georgia, but once again the Gators couldn't close the deal. By Carlton Reese GatorBait Media At 4 th -and-1 from the Georgia 18 and leading 20-17 with around 8 minutes to play, the game was on the line for the Florida Gators. Convert and you’re set up to kill more clock and are just 17 yards from the end zone and putting the game away. Fail to convert and you set Georgia up with a scenario they’

As If Written By STEVE SPURRIER You give this game a few decades, and it grows its own legends, its own villains, and a few ghosts that never quite leave the grass. I ought to know — I’ve played both the hero and the haunted in this one.