A strange year just hit the level of comical: Carlton Reese is checking out Rivals and 247 Sports regularly for recruiting information. I must turn in my official card of journalistic integrity – I no longer deserve it.

Denzell Aberdeen (11) sizes up Virginia's Andrew Rohde (UAA Photo) For the first few minutes of Wednesday night’s SEC-ACC Challenge game at the O-Dome, the Virginia Cavaliers seemed to have 13th-ranked Florida’s number. The Cavaliers hit four 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the game as they built an 18-9 lead.   This had the makings of a bare knuckles brawl. Virginia was spacing the floor and controlling the tempo of the game, making the Gators chase the ball around the perimeter where four of six 3-pointers found the bottom of the net. Down at the other end of the floor, Virginia was playing defense with a no autopsy, no foul mentality supported by a zebra crew more than willing to swallow its whistles even on hard contact.   Enter the Florida bench, shortened to three on this night by head coach Todd Golden. An off balance jumper by Denzell Aberdeen and a 3-point play the old fashioned way by Thomas Haugh trimmed five points off the Virginia lead, then after an exchange of baskets came a sequence of pure hustle by Sam Alexis that truly ignited the Gators.   It started with Alexis fighting two Virginia players for a rebound after a Will Richard miss. When Alexis found himself hemmed in, he found Richard open in the corner. Another miss by Richard, another rebound by Alexis only this time instead of looking for someone on the perimeter, he went up strong, again between two defenders, to put the ball back in. Florida trailed 20-18 at that point, but momentum had clearly shifted to the Gators.   Once the Gators wrestled the tempo from Virginia and adjusted to the Cavaliers’ style of physicality, the outcome was never again in doubt. After Virginia took the lead at 18-9 it was all Florida. The Gators outscored the Cavaliers 78-51 the rest of the way, cruising to an 87-69 win that kept 13th-ranked Florida (9-0) unbeaten.     It was a 15-0 run in the first half that was decisive. Led by the efforts of Aberdeen, Alexis and Haugh, the Gators went from 20-14 down to ahead 29-20. Virginia was able to rally before the half to close the gap to 39-35, but once the second half began the Gators once again went on one of their runs. A 21-7 run straight out of the second half gate propelled the Gators to a 60-45 lead.   "One of the really good qualities of our team is our spurtability, you know, our ability to go on big runs,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “And, you know, in the Wichita game, I think we went on a 27-0 run. Tonight, I think it was 15-0 in the first half. I think we've had a double-digit run in pretty much every one of our games so far to this point. I think it speaks to the depth of our team. I think it speaks to the efficiency of the way we play offense and the way we've been better on the defensive end.”   When the Gators are going well offensively, it seems it is the defense that kick-starts things. The Gators got off to a poor start on the defensive end when they fell behind by nine, but the 15-0 run had its origins defensively and on the backboards as did the opening salvo of the second half.   Among Virginia’s 15 turnovers were four shot clock violations. The Cavaliers rushed several shots that were wild responses to the shot clock. The Gators scored 20 points off Virginia turnovers.   “They’re a pretty stout half-court defense, you know, and so you got to find ways to create offensive opportunities,” Golden said. “Looking at their their two losses before they played us tonight, both those teams turned them over quite a bit, so that was an area that we felt like we would have to have some success to be able to open the floor for us a little bit and be able to get easier baskets, which we were able to do. And, pressure on the defensive end was something that we emphasized quite a bit over the last two days.   “We didn't guard the 3-point line well enough early and I thought that definitely bothered me. I thought it kept us at bay, but once we were able to take the 3-point line away and pressure them and make them play late in the clock, we were able to get some turnovers that way, which resulted in some run outs and allowed us to get some momentum.”   When the Gators made their 21-7 run to start the second half, Walter Clayton Jr. scored eight of his game-high 27 points in the first eight minutes. Alex Condon scored seven of his 19, hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key, his fourth straight 3-point make dating back to the win over Wichita State.   Clayton hit 5-12 from the 3-point line, grabbed three rebounds, dished out four assists and came up with two steals. A year ago when the Gators lost to Virginia, Clayton struggled, scoring only 11 points while turning the ball over five times. This year he had only one turnover and obviously, he shot the ball well.   “ There's been a lot of conversation about him playing the point guard position,” Golden said. “... it's one of the best defensive teams in America, you look down and he has 27 points, four assists and one turnover in 34 minutes. And to be honest, the turnover is pretty fluky, you know? It wasn't a bad decision. It was just kind of somebody to get his hands in on the ball in a transition play, but, but he's a fantastic player and when he plays at a high level like that offensively, it just, it makes us pretty dang good. But he, he definitely did exorcise some demons. I thought he did a great job handling the way they guard ball screens with their hard show. He just ran around it. Made some really good decisions on when to drive or when to pass to the big and, you know, transparently, just playing at a really high level right now."   In addition to Clayton’s 27, Condon had 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and two steals. Martin had 16 points, five rebounds and a steal.   The threesome of Aberdeen, Alexis and Haugh was extremely productive, combining for 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists, a blocked shot and two steals.   It was one of Florida’s most efficient games offensively all season. The Gators shot 51.7 percent from the field (31-60) including a sizzling 64 percent (16-25) in the second half. From the 3-point line the Gators were 10-25.   The Gators will take a break for exams and won’t return to action until December 14 when they face Arizona State in Atlanta.   Game notes: Clayton hit a 3-pointer in his 32nd consecutive game, the fifth longest streak in UF history. He’s seven games away from tying Michael Frazier II for the top spot in school history ... Florida’s 9-0 start is the third best in school history. The Gators began 17-0 in the national championship season of 2006 and 10-0 in the 1951-52 season ... All nine of Florida’s wins are by at least 13 points. The Gators average winning margin is 21.7 points.   SEC-ACC CHALLENGE SEC 14, ACC 2 Wednesday’s scores (SEC teams bold face) No. 13 FLORIDA (9-0) 87, Virginia (5-3) 69 No. 9 Duke (6-2) 84, No. 2 Auburn (7-1) 78 No. 10 Alabama (7-2) 94, No. 20 North Carolina (4-4) 79 Mississippi State (7-1) 90, No. 18 Pittsburgh (7-2) 57 Texas (7-1) 63, North Carolina State (5-3) 59 Vanderbilt (8-1) 80, Virginia Tech (3-5) 64

Billy Napier took a slug of afternoon coffee, a necessity after pulling an all-nighter to ensure his recruiting class remained intact despite every possible effort from Florida’s rivals to siphon off the incredible gains the Gators made in the last month. You wouldn’t go so far as to call Napier giddy and no one would have blamed him if he had broken out in an uncontrollable giggle.   He deserved this moment. He earned this moment.   A little more than a month ago, Billy was the coaching equivalent of dead man walking, which is how his recruiting class was shaping up. A few scant weeks later, Napier and the Gators have all the momentum in the world working for them. Three straight wins at the end of November, thought to be an impossibility way back in August, have the Gators poised for a Florida-Duke matchup in the Gator Bowl.   Those three straight wins have plenty to do with Napier and the Gators making up 40 places in the recruiting rankings. Florida went from 51 to 11 in a month, which is nothing short of remarkable. This is not a knock your socks off class that will be billed as generational like the one Texas A&M put together in 2021. We know how that worked out both for the Aggies and for Jimbo Fisher. What Napier put together, thanks in large part to his ability to flip 12 players who were committed elsewhere, is a class that puts more bricks in what is starting to look like a very strong foundation for the future.   Winning will do that for you.   Napier is a man of faith, who takes his spiritual foundation ever so seriously. He would most likely agree with the Biblical analogy of the wise man who built his house upon the rock. The house he’s building -- the Florida football program -- withstood two-and-a-half years of storms and it’s still standing. The Gators have gone from the team that finds creative ways to lose winnable games to the one that nobody in his right mind wants to play.   Napier spent three years preaching patience, that his formula for success would produce the wins the Gator Nation has been craving. At the same time, winning has created this magnetic force that is luring the kind of players necessary to sustain success long into the future.   “We have work to do,” Napier said, holding onto a podium while waiting for the caffeine from the coffee to kick in. “We came here with the intent of rebuilding the place top to bottom, being a championship contender, getting back to where our team has been in the past.  “I think we have a hungry fan base. We have an administration that's dedicated and committed. We have a number of investors who have stepped up. We've improved the player experience here.” And now the Florida Gators are winners with a bright future that is centered around DJ Lagway, this freak of nature who brings out the best in the players who surround him. Lagway inspires teammates to dig deep and play better than they’ve ever played. The Lagway Effect produces tangible results. As Florida’s starting quarterback the Gators are 5-1. The only loss might have been a win if not for a hamstring injury in the Georgia game. At the time Lagway left the game, Florida was leading 10-3 and looking like a team poised to walk away with a monumental upset. The Gators have played with a different kind of energy since Lagway took the reins of the team and became a driving force. It produced wins and helped convince players that Florida is the place to be. “I think the missing piece was the on-field brand of football, the winning formula, the execution,” Napier said. “Hey, that's a brand of football that is effective and I can develop, I can experience success. The right kind of kids, they're either up for the challenge and they show up here to do it, they want to be associated with a winner.” Winner. It has taken three years for Napier to be able to call the Gators winners. They’ve survived numerous shootings of their own feet, an alleged coup to buy out the remaining time on Napier’s contract and a disastrous start to a season that had the Gators playing the nation’s most difficult schedule. The Gators survived the rough start, found their sea legs and found the confidence to win even when the injury bug was taking out one key player after another. They won on the field and now they’ve won on the recruiting trail. It cannot be overstated just how important it was for Napier to hold all 24 members of his recruiting class. While SEC rivals were sweating bullets as their committed players flipped, Napier had a perfect day. The winning on the field carried over to recruiting. “This is a game of momentum,” Napier said. “I think we've had momentum at times I would say in the first three years, but we've struggled to keep it, right? I think for the first time we kept it. Today is kind of another step in the right direction.”   One or two more high school recruits might be added in the next couple of days, but for the heavy lifting has already been done for the 2025 class. Now, all eyes turn to the portal, where Napier can afford to be choosy in the way he recruits.   There won’t be any wholesale shift to load up the roster with one-and-dones in the portal. The foundation will always be the high school recruits with the portal as a supplemental force. The decision of how many players the Gators will go after in the portal will, in large part, be decided by how many on the current roster they retain. “It is fluid,” Napier said. “I mean, we certainly have certain positions that are specific, like a lot of it will be based off of player retention. You will find out as we are evaluating the pool of players that are available, we will get a pulse on who we've retained, who we've lost, paired with who we sign today.  “Each position we kind of have a quota. We carry this number of players. We'll be hitting that quota. The portal will be the next opportunity to add a player.” EARLY ENROLLEES WR Vernell Brown III (5-11, 175, Orlando, FL Jones) RB Waltez (Duke) Clark (6-1, 197, Tampa, FL Plant) P Hayden Craig (Mercier, Quebec, Canada/Brigton, ME/Brigton Academy) OL Tavaris (TJ) Dice (6-4, 302, College Park, GA Langston Hughes) RB Chad Gasper Jr. (5-11, 208, Katy TX Katy Jordan) CB Ben Hanks III (6-1, 170, Overtown, FL Booker T. Washington) S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 200, Lyons, GA Tooms County) LB Ty Jackson (6-2, 205, Fort Lauderdale, FL Seminole Ridge) TE Micah Jones (6-4, 252, Madison, MS Madison Central) QB Tramell (TJ) Jones Jr. (6-0, 182, Jacksonvile, FL Mandarin) DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 283, Loganvile, GA Grayson) DL Jeremiah (Zell) McCloud (6-3, 299, Sylvester, GA Lee County) OL Jahari Medlock (6-5, 281, Atlanta, GA Charles Drew) WR Naeshaun (Nae) Montgomery (6-2, 178, Central Falls, RI/Miami, FL Central) PK Evan Noel (6-0, 154, Bay St. Louis, MS St. Stanislaus) DL Stephon (Trell) Shivers (6-4, 384, Humbolt, TN Brentwood Academy) S Drake Stubbs (6-1, 187, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin) EDGE Jaen Wiggins (6-5, 257, Tallahassee, FL Rickards) EDGE Jayden Woods (6-3, 229 Shawee, KS Mill Valley)  SIGNED, ENROLL SUMMER LB Myles Johnson (6-1, 213, Brewton, AL T.R. Miller) RB Byron Louis (6-0, 206, Miramar, FL American Heritage) OL Daniel Pierre-Louis (6-4, 332, Royal Palm Beach, FL Seminole Ridge) WR Muizz Tounkara (6-3, 196, League City, TX Clear Springs)   SEC FOOTBALL: PORTAL DEPARTURES/ARRIVALS Alabama:  LB Keanu Koht (RJR); CB Jahlil Hurley (FR); WR Kobe Prentice (JR); DL Jehiem Oatis (JR) Arkansas:  WR Jaedon Wilson (RJR) to UCLA; QB Malachi Singleton (FR); TE Tyrus Washington (SO); TE Var’keyes Gumms (JR) Auburn:  DL Gage Keys (RJR); TE Grant Hidalgo (RJR); QB Holden Geriner (RSO); OG EJ Harris (SO); P Gabe Russo (FR); WR Camden Brown (JR); TE Micah Riley (SO) FLORIDA:  DE Justus Boone (RJR); OL Mike Williams (RFR); EDGE Quincy Ivory (RJR); EDGE Bryce Capers (SO); WR Andy Jean (RFR); CB Ja’Keem Jackson (SO); DL Kelby Collins (SO) Georgia:  CB Julian Humphrey (SO) Kentucky:  DL Keeshawn Silver (RJR); LS Walker Himebauch (SO); CB Avery Stuart (FR); WR Dane Key (JR); LB Jayvant Brown (SO); EDGE Tommy Ziesmer (FR); TE Khamari Anderson (SO); TE Tanner Lemaster (FR); OT Courtland Ford (SR) LSU:  WR London Ibieta (SO); QB Rickie Collins (RFR); WR CJ Daniels (RJR) Mississippi State:  QB Chris Parson (RFR); WR Creed Whittemore (SO); WR JJ Harrell (FR); CB Jayven Williams (SO) from Kennesaw State; EDGE Ty Cooper (JR); LB John Lewis (RJR); OT Makylan Pounders (JR); LB Tabias Hinton (FR) Oklahoma:  WR Jaquaize Pettaway (SO); QB Jackson Arnold (SO) Ole Miss:  S Key Lawrence (RSR) South Carolina:  LB Bangally Kamara (RSR) to Kansas; LB Mohamed Kaba (RSR); WR Tyshawn Russell (FR) Tennessee:  OG Vysen Lang (FR); RB Khalifa Keith (SO) Texas:  WR Johntay Cook II (SO) Texas A&M:  DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (SO); QB Conner Weigman (RSO); WR Cyrus Allen (JR); TE Jaden Platt (FR); QB Jaylen Henderson (JR); OT Aki Ogunbiyi (JR) Vanderbilt:  LB Jeffrey Ugochukwu (JR); QB Nate Johnson (JR); EDGE BJ Diakate (JR)

(Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) Does “The Flipper” have one more gigantic flip left in him? That’s the question for today when the faxes start rolling in on the early signing day. Billy Napier, who has flipped 11 players since November 18, elevating Florida’s recruiting class to within striking distance of the top ten, has the Gators sitting at No. 11 as of midnight Tuesday.   It is a remarkable turnaround for Napier and the Gators, whose class dipped all the way to the 50s early in the season when things weren’t going so well on the field. The Gators are a hot team now, winners of their last three to improve to 7-5. The Gators are bowl bound, likely to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which seems a great landing place since three expected signees today are Jacksonville kids, plus two that the Gators hope to flip.   It only takes one of the players on Florida’s hopeful flip list to get the Gators into the top 10. The two likely candidates are 5-star offensive guard Solomon Thomas, a Florida State commit, and 4-star safety Lagonza Hayward, who decommitted from Tennessee. The Gators are also trying to flip wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, a Texas commitment who is a high school teammate of Tramell Jones and Hylton Stubbs.   Here are Florida’s commits: WR Vernell Brown III (5-11, 180, Wildwood, FL/Orlando, FL Jones)   CB Ben Hanks Jr. (6-1, 180, Miami, FL Booker T. Washington)   EDGE Jayden Woods (6-3, 245, Shawnee, KS Mill Valley), flipped from Penn State   S Hylton Stubbs (6-1, 200, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin), flipped from Miami   OT Tavaris Dice (6-4, 300, Fairburn, GA Langston Hughes), flipped from Auburn   EDGE Jaylen Wiggins (6-5, 260, Tallahassee, FL Rickards)   LB Ty Jackson (6-1, 210, Loxahatchee, FL Seminole Ridge), flipped from Southern California   DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-4, 280, Loganville, GA Grayson), flipped from Texas   RB Waltez Clark (6-1, 194, Tampa, FL Plant)   LB Myles Johnson (6-1, 220, Brewton, AL T.R. Miller), flipped from Alabama   QB Tramell Jones (6-0, 196, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin), flipped from Florida State   WR Naeshaun Montgomery (6-1, 170, Miami, FL Central)   RB Byron Louis (5-11, 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL American Heritage), flipped from Florida State   DL Stephon Shivers (6-5, 365, Brentwood, TN Brentwood Academy), flipped from Georgia   WR Muizz Tounkara (6-4, 195, League City, TX Clear Springs), flipped from Arizona   TE Tae’shaun Gelsey (6-4, 220, Jacksonville, FL Riverside)   TE Micah Jones (6-5, 245, Madison, MS Madison Central)   DL Jeremiah McCloud (6-3, 285, Leesburg, GA Lee County)   RB Chad Gasper (5-10, 200, Fulshear, TX Katy Jordan)   OT Jahari Medlock (6-6, 280, Riverdale, GA), flipped from Cincinnati   OG Daniel Pierre Louis (6-5, 290, Loxahatchee, FL Seminole Ridge). Flipped from Florida State   PK Evan Noel (Saint Louis, MS St. Stanislaus Bay), flipped from Arkansas   P Hayden Craig (6-2, 190 Brigdon, ME Brigdon Academy)    Here are Florida’s targets to flip today: OG Solomon Thomas (6-4, 315, Jacksonville, FL Raines), Florida State commit, 5-star   WR Jaime Ffrench (6-1, 190, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin), Texas commit, 4-star   S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 200, Lyons, GA Toombs County), Tennessee de-commit, 4-star   DL Myron Charles (6-4, 300, Port Charlotte, FL), Texas commit, 4-star   CB Onis Konanbanny (6-1, 180, Columbia, SC Heathwood Hall Episcopal), Tennessee commit, 3-star   WR Joshua Moore (6-4, 205, Pembroke Pines, FL West Broward), Miami commit, 4-star    COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF: OREGON, TEXAS 1-2 The most meaningless of all the College Football Playoff polls was released Tuesday night. Meaningless because nothing really matters until the final conference championship game ends Saturday night. Until then, it’s all speculation.   For example, in the latest poll Notre Dame is ranked fourth. Because they don’t play a conference championship game, the Irish won’t be slotted No. 4 when the final pairings are released Sunday. The best Notre Dame can do will be No. 5.   The No. 4 slot will go to the Mountain West winner, either No. 10 Boise State or No. 20 UNLV, and the winner of the Big 12 Championship Game between No. 15 Arizona State and No. 16 Iowa State.   Georgia (10-2) is currently ranked fifth, but the Bulldogs will either have a first round bye as SEC champs or they’ll be a 3-loss team that will push either Alabama (9-3) or a team with a better record out. Tennessee (10-2) is No. 7 and a mortal lock to get in. Alabama is No. 11 and sitting on the bubble.   One game to watch is the ACC Championship Game between No. 8 SMU (11-1) and No. 17 Clemson (9-3). If it’s Clemson, the Tigers will get the first round bye. SMU at No. 8 shouldn’t fall out of the top 12 teams, but should the ACC get three teams in, especially since No. 12 Miami (10-2) has yet to beat a ranked team?     CFP top 25: 1. Oregon 12-0; 2. Texas 11-1; 3. Penn State 11-1; 4. Notre Dame 11-1; 5. Georgia 10-2; 6. Ohio State 10-2; 7. Tennessee 10-2; 8. SMU 11-1; 9. Indiana 11-1; 10. Boise State 11-1; 11. Alabama 9-3; 12. Miami 10-2; 13. Ole Miss 9-3; 14. South Carolina 9-3; 15. Arizona State 10-2; 16. Iowa State 10-2; 17.  Clemson 9-3; 18. BYU 10-2; 19. Missouri 9-3; 20. UNLV 10-2; 21. Illinois 9-3; 22. Syracuse 9-3; 23. Colorado 9-3; 24. Army 10-1; 25. Memphis 10-2   Predictions   Big Ten:  Oregon beats Penn State to claim the No. 1 seed. Penn State remains in the field. SEC: Texas will beat Georgia for the No. 2 seed. Mountain West: Boise State will beat UNLV for the No. 3 seed. Big 12: Arizona State will beat Iowa State for the No. 4 seed. ACC: Clemson will beat SMU  but the ACC champ won’t get a first round bye since Boise State and Arizona State will rank higher.      SEC FOOTBALL: PORTAL DEPARTURES/ARRIVALS Alabama: LB Keanu Koht (RJR); CB Jahlil Hurley (FR); WR Kobe Prentice (JR)   Arkansas: WR Jaedon Wilson (RJR) to UCLA; QB Malachi Singleton (FR)   Auburn: DL Gage Keys (RJR); TE Grant Hidalgo (RJR); QB Holden Geriner (RSO); OG EJ Harris (SO); P Gabe Russo (FR); WR Camden Brown (JR)   FLORIDA: DE Justus Boone (RJR); OL Mike Williams (RFR); EDGE Quincy Ivory (RJR); EDGE Bryce Capers (SO); WR Andy Jean (RFR); CB Ja’Keem Jackson (SO); DL Kelby Collins (SO)   Georgia: CB Julian Humphrey (SO)   Kentucky: DL Keeshawn Silver (RJR); LS Walker Himebauch (SO); CB Avery Stuart (FR)   LSU: WR London Ibieta (SO); QB Rickie Collins (RFR); WR CJ Daniels (RJR)   Mississippi State: QB Chris Parson (RFR); WR Creed Whittemore (SO); WR JJ Harrell (FR); CB Jayven Williams (SO) from Kennesaw State; EDGE Ty Cooper (JR); LB John Lewis (RJR)   Oklahoma: WR Jaquaize Pettaway (SO)   Ole Miss: S Key Lawrence (RSR)   South Carolina: LB Bangally Kamara (RSR) to Kansas; LB Mohamed Kaba (RSR); WR Tyshawn Russell (FR)   Tennessee: OG Vysen Lang (FR)   Texas: WR Johntay Cook II (SO)   Texas A&M: DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (SO); QB Conner Weigman (RSO); WR Cyrus Allen (JR)   Vanderbilt: LB Jeffrey Ugochukwu (JR)   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY UPDATE West Virginia: Jimbo Fisher is indeed interested in coming home to West Virginia. Since he banked $75 million when Texas A&M pink slipped him, he can insist on spending money that would go for salary on NIL or other program upgrades. Another possibility is former WVU and current Jacksonville State HBC Rich Rodriguez. UCF: Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell is the leading candidate to replace Gus Malzahn. Chadwell is 60-26 as a Division I HBC at Coastal Carolina and Liberty, 59-35 in Division II and D1AA. UAB: The Blazers will give Trent Dilfer a third year. The Blazers were 3-9 this season, 7-17 in Dilfer's two years on the job. Charlotte: Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has withdrawn his name from consideration.

Rueben Chinyelu (9) makes a move in the paint against Wichita State (UAA Photo) Just because Tony Bennett is no longer calling the shots on the Virginia sideline, don’t think for a second the 13th-ranked Gators (8-0) expect anything other than the same old, same old from the Virginia Cavaliers tonight (7:15 p.m., ESPN2) at the O-Dome in the SEC-ACC Challenge.   Ron Sanchez became the Virginia head coach when Bennett surprisingly stepped down on October 18. Bennett’s teams were known for their physical style of defense, something Florida coach Todd Golden expects tonight. Virginia’s physical style contributed heavily to the Cavaliers’ 75-70 win over the Gators last November in Charlotte.   This year, the Gators shouldn’t be caught by surprise. In winning the ESPN Invitational last week at the Disney Complex at Lake Buena Vista, the Gators got a double dose of physical play from both Wake Forest and Wichita State. The Gators beat Wake Forest by 17, then came back the next day to hammer previously unbeaten Wichita State by 36.   In both games, the zebra crews swallowed their whistles, sometimes allowing the games to resemble something more akin to sumo wrestling. Golden believes the two games helped prep Florida not just for Virginia but the physicality of the Southeastern Conference schedule. In the win over Wichita State, the Gators got to the foul line only five times the entire game.   “I thought it was great for us to be able to play the way we did under those circumstances,” Golden said Tuesday. “Wake is a very physical team, obviously, really well coached and, again, a team that is trying to dictate tempo for 40 minutes.   “To their credit, we were able to get away from them a little bit at the beginning of the second half and for parts of the second half, but not until last four minutes were we really able to just kind of break away from them. We're gonna have to play through the physicality early. I thought it took us off our path early in that Wake game and then we kind of got recalibrated and got going. Obviously, being at home, we don't want to allow that to happen. If we are ready for it and if we meet their physicality and toughness, I think we'll be in good shape.”   While Wake Forest and Wichita did their best to get physical, the Gators didn’t shy away from the contact. Florida was every bit as tough while turning in the best two defensive efforts of the season, giving up 109 points.   Wake and Wichita struggled to get clean looks from the field but whether clean or contested, they threw up a bunch of SCUDs. The Gators dominated the misses, grabbing 110 rebounds for an advantage of 50 in the two games. Against Wichita, the Gators held a 56-30 rebounding advantage.   The Gators’ effort on the boards was a welcome sight for Golden, who lost his top rebounders from a year ago in Tyreese Samuel (graduated, playing in the G League) and Micah Handlogten (injured, taking a medical redshirt). Florida’s 4-man rotation of bigs has more than made up for the losses, led by 6-11 Alex Condon (6.9 rebounds per game), 6-10 Rueben Chinyelu (6.8), 6-9 Thomas Haugh (6-0) and 6-9 Sam Alexis (4.6). Florida’s guards get into the act, too, as Alijah Martin pulls down 5.9 rebounds and Will Richard grabs 5.6.   The Wichita State win was a breakout game for Chinyelu, who posted season highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists and four blocked shots. He was a beast on the boards and an intimidating presence in the paint. Getting a consistent effort like that from Chinyelu will allow the Gators to continue to climb up the rankings as well as make them legitimate contenders for both the SEC championship and a deep run in the NCAA.   “He’s still young,” Golden said. “He looks like a grown man, but he’s a sophomore, and basketball is relatively new to him, but what our staff was so excited about in the Wichita game he looked like he got comfortable and started getting the ball to the rim quick, was dunking everything, protecting everything at the rim, grabbing every rebound, clean rebounds, like it just it gave us confidence. Like, alright, if he can continue to build off this you know we have a chance to take another jump.”   The Gators need the consistency on the backboards. They haven’t shot the ball well this year, but they’ve hit timely shots and when they’ve been off, the rebounding has provided the difference.   “I think for us to be the best we can be, rebounding at a high level has to be a part of our DNA, you know,” Golden said. “In the past last year it helped us win games we maybe shouldn’t. We weren’t super effective from the field to win, you know, our formula in terms of how we want to play ... getting misses back is important and not allowing second chances for opponents is really important ... our goal is to be plus-10 on the boards every game.”   Currently, the Gators are outrebounding opponents by nearly 11 per game (44.6-33.8), which ranks 10th nationally. The Gators rank 9th nationally in offensive rebounding at 15.38 per game.   Virginia brings plenty of size to the game as well as the muscle, so Golden knows the Gators will have to win the battle of the boards.   “Going to be a big challenge to do that against Virginia,” Golden said. “I think they’re a solid defensive rebounding team. They’re not a team that puts a lot of pressure on the offensive glass ... I think they really focus on loading up and getting back in transition and making you operate against halfcourt defense, but, you know, being able to create second chances and more opportunities is just really important to be the best team we can be.”     Anticipated starting lineups FLORIDA (8-0): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)   Virginia (5-2): Elijah Saunders (6-8, 240, JR); Blake Buchanan (6-11, 227, SO); Andrew Rohde (6-8, 200 JR); Isaac McNeely (6-4, 195, JR); Dai Dai Ames (6-8, 240, JR)   SEC Basketball Tuesday SEC-ACC Challenge scores (SEC teams bold face) SEC 9, ACC 1 No. 3 Tennessee (8-0) 96, Syracuse (4-3) 70 Clemson (8-1) 70, No. 4 Kentucky  (7-1) 66 No. 21 Oklahoma (8-0) 76, Georgia Tech (4-4) 61 No. 22 Texas A&M (7-2)  57, Wake Forest (7-3) 44 No. 23 Ole Miss (7-1)  86, Louisville (5-3) 63 Georgia (8-1)  69, Notre Dame (4-5) 48 Missouri (7-1) 98, California (6-2) 93 LSU (7-1) 85, Florida State (7-2) 75

Billy Napier paces the sideline during Florida's 31-11 win over FSU (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) “Patience, Grasshopper,” Master Po would tell his precocious student Kaine on the television series “Kung Fu.” Billy Napier has been telling us the same thing for the past three years, but until now, it seems, not everybody was listening.   Napier stressed the need for the right cultural foundation to sustain success from day one, but while Florida Gators were avoiding the police blotter Georgia was setting records for arrests while winning championships. Boy Scouts are wonderful. Hoisting championship trophies are what the alums and boosters prefer, however.   But what if it’s possible to do both? What if you can field a team of Boy Scouts off the field who channel their aggressions well enough on the field that it’s possible to win championships?   It seems Napier’s insistence of following his cultural transformation game plan is about to pay off. Three years into the Napier era at the University of Florida, the Gators are suddenly that team nobody in his right mind wants to play. At the same time, suddenly the Gators seem to be the team that top recruits want to play for and thanks to the presence of one stud QB DJ Lagway, Florida will be a hot ticket item for transfers in the portal.   The Gators finished the regular season 7-5, 5-1 in games Lagway started. The combination of Lagway and a rose from the dead defense that registered 18 sacks in the final three games has transformed the Gators into a prime candidate to fill one of the slots in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl.   After the win over Ole Miss made the Gators bowl eligible, Birmingham or the Liberty Bowl seemed to be the likely postseason destinations, but the dominant win over Florida State has the Gators likely in Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl.   The residual effect of Florida’s emergence is being seen on the recruiting trail. The Gators had a good week last week when the 2025 recruiting class shot up the charts to top 20 status. With the weekend flips of edge rusher Jaden Woods (from Penn State), offensive tackle Tavaris Dice (from Auburn) and defensive tackle Joseph Mbatchou (from Texas) -- all four stars -- the Florida recruiting class sits at No. 12 nationally.   With the expected flips of 5-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas (from Florida State) and 4-star safeties Hylton Stubbs (from Miami) and Lagonza Hayward (from Tennessee) the Gators will climb inside the top ten when the faxes start coming in on National Signing Day Wednesday. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Gators also flip 4-star defensive lineman Myron Charles (from Texas) and 3-star corner Otis Konanbanny (from Tennessee).   Then there is the portal where the Gators lost defensive end Justus Boone, wide receiver Andy Jean and edge rusher Quincy Ivory. This is where the Lagway effect will be felt for wide receivers.   After the win over Florida State Saturday night, Lagway said, “ I’d say the big plays, you know? Especially at receiver. You’re going to get the ball. We’re going to push the ball down the field, make some big plays and you’re going to have fun doing it.”   Expect the Gators to look to the portal also to land a backup quarterback, a couple of experienced defensive linemen, an experienced offensive lineman and perhaps two in the secondary.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Oregon 12-0; 2. Texas 11-1; 3. Penn State 11-1; 4. Notre Dame 11-1; 5. Georgia 10-2; 6. Tennessee 10-2; 7. Ohio State 10-2; 8. SMU 11-1; 9. Indiana 11-1; 10. Boise State 11-1; 11. Alabama 9-3; 12. Arizona State 10-2; 13. South Carolina 9-3; 14. Miami 10-2; 15. Ole Miss 9-3; 16. Iowa State 10-2; 17. BYU 10-2; 18. Clemson 9-3; 19. UNLV 10-2; 20. Colorado 9-3; 21. Illinois 9-3; 22. Missouri 9-3; 23. Syracuse 9-3; 24. Army 10-1; 25. Memphis 10-2   AFCA Coaches top 25: 1. Oregon 12-0; 2. Texas 11-1; 3. Penn State 11-1; 4. Notre Dame 11-1; 5. Georgia 10-2; 6. Tennessee 10-2; 7. SMU 11-1; 8. Ohio State 10-2; 9. Indiana 11-1; 10. Boise State 11-1; 11. Alabama 9-3; 12. South Carolina 9-3; 13. Arizona State 10-2; 14. Miami 10-2; 15. Ole Miss 9-3; 16. Iowa State 10-2; 17. Clemson 9-3; 18. BYU 10-2; 19. UNLV 10-2; 20. Missouri 9-3; 21. Illinois 9-3; 22. Colorado 9-3; 23. Army 10-1; 24. Memphis 10-2; 25. Syracuse   SEC FOOTBALL No. 11 Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC): The playoff is a pipe dream. Hello Citrus Bowl!   Arkansas (6-6, 3-5 SEC): Looks like the Hogs will wind up in the Birmingham Bowl ... Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has feelers out for an HBC job ... Wide receiver Jaedon Wilson is transferring to UCLA.   Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC): Hello portal. QB job available. Call, text or email Hugh Freeze ... Quarterbacks Hank Brown and Holden Geriner are in the portal as is tight end Micah Riley.   No. 5 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC): Win or lose in the SEC Championship Game and the Bulldogs will be in the playoff. Count on it ... Corner Julian Humphrey is in the portal.   Kentucky (4-8, 1-7 SEC): Job No. 1, find a new QB in the portal.   LSU (8-4, 5-3 SEC): Seven more years at $10 million a year for Brian Kelly. This year it’s hello Liberty Bowl. Former 4-star QB Rickie Collins is in the portal.   Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8 SEC): Figure Jeff Lebby will be bringing in no less than 35 from the transfer portal ... Wide receivers JJ Harrell and Creed Whittemore are in the portal.   No. 22 Missouri (9-3, 5-3 SEC): The Tigers could be headed to the Texas Bowl.   Oklahoma (6-6, 2-6 SEC): The Gasparilla Bowl seems likely ... Wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway is in the portal.   No. 15 Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 SEC): The bowl game formerly known as the Outback in Tampa or the Music City in Nashville.   No. 13 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC): It’s a bowl game in Florida or the Music City Bowl. Fans would probably prefer Nashville ... Offensive guard Ni Mansell is in the portal.     No. 6 Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC): The Vols lucked out of playing in the SEC Championship Game. To play and lose would kick them out of the playoff.   No. 2 Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC):  Twelve years after Texas A&M bolted the Big 12 for the SEC to get out from the Texas shadow, the Horns put the Aggies back under it. Again. Texas plays for the SEC title and is a lock for the playoff.   Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3 SEC): Viva Las Vegas!   Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC): There is some thought the Dores could wind up at a bowl game in Detroit.   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY: POST REGULAR SEASON EDITION EXTINCT SPECIES LIST Neal Brown, West Virginia: Everyone in West-By God-Virginia wants Jimbo Fisher to decide it’s almost heaven in Morgantown.   Joe Houston, East Carolina:  Offensive coordinator Blake Harrell had the interim tag removed.     Mike Bloomgren, Rice: The new coach is former Davidson head coach Scott Abell. To celebrate Rice beat South Florida 35-28.      Will Hall, Southern Miss:  They’re trying to negotiate a deal with former UAB head coach Bill Clark.   Mike Neu, Ball State: Smart money remains on Texas A&M assistant Joey Lynch, a former Ball State quarterback.   Stan Drayton, Temple: Surprise hire is KC Keeler, formerly of Sam Houston State.   Mack Brown, North Carolina: Dan Mullen is being described as a “perfect fit” for UNC provided he hires some ace recruiters.     Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic:  Scratch Ray Lewis. The smart hire is Penn State running backs coach JaJuan Seider, a Belle Glade native.   Don Brown, UMass: Someone who works cheap and doesn’t mind getting his brains beaten out 2-3 times a year for paychecks. That’s all they need.    Biff Poggi, Charlotte: Former Gator QB and Western Carolina HBC Kerwin Bell could be the newbie as early as today.   Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: Jacksonville Jags assistant Jerry Mack, formerly head coach at North Carolina Central, is the new HBC.   Kevin Wilson, Tulsa:  Expect Brennan Marion to be named the new HBC.     Mike MacIntyre, Florida International: Three straight 4-8 seasons did him in.   Ryan Walters, Purdue: They have the money to hire a good coach. Do they have the patience to give someone time to build a foundation?     ON LIFE SUPPORT Joe Moorhead, Akron:  He shocked Toledo to finish 4-8. It’s actually hard to do better than that at Akron.   Kenni Burns, Kent State:  The Flashes ran the table in reverse (0-12) and Burns owes $23,000 for an unpaid credit card. As of Sunday he still has a job.   Trent Dilfer, UAB:  The plug hasn’t been pulled even though the Blazers could have beaten Charlotte if their kicker doesn’t miss a 35-yard field goal, then misses from 22 because of a Charlotte penalty. The ending is as bizarre as Dilfer still having a job.   Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion: He beat Arkansas State to finish 5-7 Saturday. He still has a job, so maybe close counts for something.   ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST  Hugh Freeze, Auburn:  He will be back for 2025 but he better produce or else he will be shown the door.   Sam Pittman, Arkansas:  They love Sam in Arkansas. They just wish he would win more football games. Next season is make or break.   Mike Norvell, Florida State: He gets a mulligan after going from 13-1 to 2-10. Realistically, they can’t afford to fire him.       Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech:  He gets another year, which is another way of saying they have no money to fire him and hire someone else.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Let the fun begin! It’s conference championship week, which could further add to the chaos that is the expanded College Football Playoff.   Consider a few of the possibilities:   Georgia (10-2) beats Texas (11-1) in the SEC Championship Game. Texas gets in win or lose and Georgia gets in if it wins. If the Longhorns win, is Georgia eliminated with three losses?   Clemson (9-3) beats SMU (11-1) in the ACC Championship Game. Clemson would be in as ACC champ, but would 11-2 SMU still get in? If SMU loses would Miami (10-2) jump into the top 12?   What if Oregon (12-0) destroys Penn State (11-1) in the Big Ten Championship Game? Penn State will certainly drop, but will it somehow squeeze out 11-1 Indiana, therefore opening the door for a 3-loss team from the SEC (Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss)?   Alabama has wins over Georgia, South Carolina and Missouri. South Carolina has wins over Missouri and Clemson. Ole Miss has wins over Georgia and South Carolina. If Georgia makes the playoff as SEC champ but there is room for a 3-loss SEC team, which one? And if Georgia has three losses, both Alabama and Ole Miss have wins over the Bulldogs.   If UNLV (10-2) avenges a regular season loss to Boise State (11-1) in the Mountain West Championship Game, the Rebels will get in and Boise will be out. If Boise wins, the Broncos could be the fourth highest seeded conference champ, which could have squeeze out implications further down the line.   Notre Dame (11-1) doesn’t play in a conference so it’s idle this week and is almost certainly a first round host. Should the Irish be rewarded with a home game in cold South Bend if they aren’t members of a conference?   So buckle your seat belts, folks, because the chaos is only beginning and if you thought there were some butt hurt Seminoles last year when they were left out of a 4-team playoff, you haven’t seen anything yet. Expansion to 12 teams includes more teams in the playoff, but it also increases the number of complaints on Selection Sunday.   It’s wonderful, isn’t it?

Alijah Martin is one reason the Gators are off to such a great start (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday afternoon: Two wins over two quality opponents will do wonders for you. Just ask Todd Golden and the Florida Gators. A pair of dominant, decisive wins over Wake Forest and Wichita State to win the ESPN Invitational at Lake Buena Vista last week not only extended Florida’s unbeaten start to the season (8-0) but propelled the Gators to the No. 13 position in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.   The Gators will be going for their ninth straight Wednesday evening when they face Virginia (5-2) in the SEC-ACC Challenge. Florida’s 8-0 start to the season is the best since the 2005-06 Gators started the season 17-0.   In beating Wake Forest and Wichita State, the Gators played their two best defensive games of the season. The Gators held the two teams to 26.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and were overpowering on the backboards where they held a 110-60 advantage including 56-30 over Wichita State.   The offense has always been there for Todd Golden teams and this one is averaging 86.5 per game, led by Walter Clayton Jr. (17.4 per game). Also scoring in double figures are Alijah Martin (15.1), Will Richard (12.4) and Alex Condon (12.3). Condon (6.9) and Rueben Chinyelu (6.8) lead the Gators in rebounding. The Gators are fourth nationally in rebounding at 44.6 per game and 10th in rebound margin (44.6-33.8 per game). Defensively, the Gators are holding opponents to 64.5 points per game and 29.2 percent from the 3-point line.   Florida’s surge extends beyond the AP and Coaches polls. The Gators are up to No. 7 in the NCAA Net Rankings and No. 8 in the kenpom.com analytical rankings.     Associated Press top 25: 1. Kansas 7-0; 2. Auburn 7-0; 3. Tennessee 7-0; 4. Kentucky 7-0; 5. Marquette 8-0; 6. Iowa State 5-1; 7. Gonzaga 7-1; 8. Purdue 7-1; 9. Duke 5-2; 10. Alabama 6-2; 11. Wisconsin 8-0; 12. Oregon 8-0; 13. FLORIDA 8-0; 14. Cincinnati 6-0; 15. Baylor 5-2; 16. Memphis 6-1; 17. Houston 4-3; 18. Pittsburgh 7-1; 19. Illinois 6-1; 20. North Carolina 4-3; 21. Oklahoma 7-0; 22. Texas A&M 6-2; 23. Ole Miss 6-1; 24. San Diego State 4-2; 25. UConn 5-3   Coaches top 25: 1. Kansas 7-0; 2. Auburn 7-0; 3. Tennessee 7-0; 4. Marquette 8-0; 5. Iowa State 5-1; 6. Kentucky 7-0; 7. Purdue 7-1; 8. Gonzaga 7-1; 9. Duke 5-2; 10. Oregon 8-0; 11. Wisconsin 8-0; 12. Alabama 6-2; 13. FLORIDA 8-0; 14. Cincinnati 6-0; 15. Memphis 6-1; 16. Baylor 5-2; 17. Illinois 6-1; 18. Houston 4-3; 19. Pittsburgh 7-1; 20. Ole Miss 6-1; 21. Oklahoma 7-0; 22. North Carolina 4-3; 23. Michigan 6-1; 24. Texas A&M 6-2; 25. Michigan State 6-2   SEC BASKETBALL Alabama (6-2): The Crimson Tide is No. 10 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 13 in the kenpom.com analytics. Tuesday’s game: at No. 20 North Carolina (4-3   Arkansas (5-2): The Razorbacks are No. 43 in kenpom.com , No. 51 in the NCAA Net Rankings. Tuesday’s game: at Miami (3-4)   No. 2 Auburn (7-0): The Tigers hold the top spot in the kenpom.com analytics and No. 2 in the NCAA Net rankings.  Wednesday’s game: at No. 9 Duke (5-2)   Georgia (7-1): The Bulldogs are No. 27 in the NCAA Net rankings, No. 46 in kenpom.com .  Tuesday’s game: Notre Dame (4-4)   No. 4 Kentucky (7-0): The Wildcats are No. 8 in the NCAA Net Rankings but No. 13 in kenpom.com .  Tuesday’s game: at Clemson (7-1)   LSU (6-1): The Tigers are No. 50 in both kenpom.com and the NCAA Net Rankings.  Tuesday’s game: Florida State (7-1)   Mississippi State (6-1): The Bulldogs are No. 28 in both kenpom.com and the NCAA Net Rankings. Tuesday’s game: Pittsburgh (7-1)   Missouri (6-1): The Tigers are No. 46 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 54 in kenpom.com .  Tuesday’s game: California (6-1)   No. 21 Oklahoma (7-0): The Sooners are No. 37 in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 41 in kenpom.com . Tuesday’s game: Georgia Tech (4-3)   No. 23 Ole Miss (6-1): The Rebels are No. 42 in the NCAA Net Rankings, 55 in kenpom.com . Tuesday’s game: at Louisville (5-2)   South Carolina (4-3): The Gamecocks are No. 77 in kenpom.com and No. 135 in the NCAA Net Rankings.  Tuesday’s game: at Boston College (6-2)   No. 3 Tennessee (7-0): The Vols hold the top spot in the NCAA Net Rankings, No. 2 in kenpom.com analytics.  Tuesday’s game: Syracuse (4-2)   Texas (6-1): The Longhorns are No. 35 in kenpom.com while No. 56 in the NCAA Net rankings. Tuesday’s game: at North Carolina State (5-2)   No. 22 Texas A&M (6-2): The Aggies are No. 27 in kenpom.com but No. 43 in the NCAA Net Rankings. Tuesday’s game: Wake Forest (7-2)   Vanderbilt (7-1): Vanderbilt is No. 62 in the NCAA Net Rankings, but No. 71 in kenpom.com .  Wednesday’s game: at Virginia Tech (3-4)   THE FLIPPER IS AT IT AGAIN Florida’s surge isn’t restricted to basketball. The Gators have moved up to No. 11 in the most recent recruiting rankings with the flip of safety Hylton Stubbs (6-1, 190, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin) from Miami. A 4-star recruit, Stubbs is the seventh player Billy Napier has flipped in the last two weeks. He joins high school teammate, 4-star QB Tramell Jones (6-0, 190, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin) in the Florida class.   The Gators are still in the running to flip 5-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench (6-1, 190, Jacksonville, FL) from Texas and 5-star guard Solomon Thomas (6-5, 320, Jacksonville, FL Raines) from Florida State. Should Napier flip these two, the Gators could finish with a top five or top six ranking. When November began Florida was in the 40s. A 3-game winning streak and the continued impressive freshman debut of quarterback DJ Lagway have played a significant role in the surge.   The Gators will be very active in the transfer portal as well where they are expected to sign 10-12 players. Expect the Gators to be looking seriously at several wide receivers in the portal such as Eric Rivers from Florida International and Micah Hudson from Texas Tech. Rivers, a junior from Chattanooga, caught 62 passes for 1,172 yards and 12 touchdowns for a 4-8 FIU team. Hudson is a former 5-star recruit who caught eight passes for 123 yards as a true freshman.   The Gators will likely be looking to add one or two offensive linemen, perhaps two defensive linemen, a linebacker, an experienced backup quarterback and one or two in the secondary.     SEC FOOTBALL: PORTAL DEPARTURES/ARRIVALS Alabama: LB Keanu Koht (RJR); CB Jahlil Hurley (FR)   Arkansas: WR Jaedon Wilson (RJR) to UCLA; QB Malachi Singleton (FR)   Auburn: DL Gage Keys (RJR); TE Grant Hidalgo (RJR); QB Holden Geriner (RSO); OG EJ Harris (SO); P Gabe Russo (FR) FLORIDA: DE Justus Boone (RJR); OL Mike Williams (RFR); EDGE Quincy Ivory (RJR); EDGE Bryce Capers (SO); WR Andy Jean (RFR); CB Ja’Keem Jackson (SO)   Georgia: CB Julian Humphrey (SO)   LSU: WR London Ibieta (SO); QB Rickie Collins (RFR); WR CJ Daniels (RJR)   Mississippi State: QB Chris Parson (RFR); WR Creed Whittemore (SO); WR JJ Harrell (FR); CB Jayven Williams (SO) from Kennesaw State; EDGE Ty Cooper (JR)   Oklahoma: WR Jaquaize Pettaway (SO)   Ole Miss: S Key Lawrence (RSR)   South Carolina: LB Bangally Kamara (RSR) to Kansas; LB Mohamed Kaba (RSR); WR Tyshawn Russell (FR)   Tennessee: OG Vysen Lang (FR)   Texas: WR Johntay Cook II (SO)   Texas A&M: DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (SO)   FOOTBALL NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE Florida State: In addition to Gus Malzahn as its new offensive coordinator, FSU will have a new defensive coordinator, too. Monday, Mike Norvell hired Tony White from Nebraska. Nebraska finished eighth in the Big Ten in total defense, 19th nationally at 315.4 yards allowed per game. The Cornhuskers are also 19th nationally in scoring defense, giving up 19.8 points per game.   Florida Atlantic: The Owls hired Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley as their new head coach. The 33-year-old will be the youngest head coach in Division I. Texas Tech is No. 10 nationally in total offense at 459.8 yards per game and eighth in scoring at 38.6. The Raiders average 298.1 passing yards per game. Prior to Texas Tech, Kittley produced record-setting pass offenses at Houston Christian and Western Kentucky. At Western Kentucky, his quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns, both NCAA single-season records.   Miami: Mario Cristobal says the College Football Playoff committee should “reward wins” when selecting the teams that will participate in the first 12-team playoff. Miami is 10-2 but without a single win over a ranked team. Of the other two ACC teams in contention for the playoff (Clemson and SMU), only SMU has wins over ranked teams but neither of them (Louisville and Pittsburgh) were ranked in the top ten at the time.   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY The latest casualty is Appalachian State head coach Shawn Clarke, who went 40-24 in five seasons, but suffered through a 5-6 season in 2024, the Mountaineers first losing record since 2013.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The regular season has ended with chaos reigning supreme throughout all of college football. Chaos, yes, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With all the conference realignment, one conference (Pac-12) going the way of the 5-cent cigar and the 12-team playoff replacing the 4-team playoff, it could have been the worst college football season on record, but it wasn’t.   All things considered, even with the chaos, even with a portal that needs some rules and even with NIL completely out of control, college football has never been stronger than it is right now.   The demise of the Pac-12 was a bad thing since a conference that has produced so many national champions is gone. It is resurrecting but the new league, which is poaching from the Mountain West, isn’t going to be nearly as strong as the old Pac-12. Travel for the four teams of the previous Pac-12 to places like Rutgers and Maryland -- and vice versa -- is going to be beastly. Maybe it all works out. The same can be said for the Big 12, which now stretches from Morgantown, West Virginia to Tucson, Arizona. The one saving grace of all the change is that Oregon will play for the Big Ten championship and Arizona State will play for the Big 12.   In the SEC it’s business as usual even with newbie Texas having the best regular season record, even with the entire league cannibalizing each other. The league is the best, gets the best TV ratings and top to bottom in all sports can’t be challenged. All you have to do is look at the AP basketball rankings where half the league is in the top 25.   There are problems that have to be resolved, for sure, but somehow we made it through the regular season. The SEC and every other league was more competitive than ever. TV ratings were higher. Tickets were tough to come by at reasonable prices.   So, to paraphrase the late, great Mark Twain, reports of college football’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

We came for the black eyes, bloody noses and a little shin-kicking. What’s that grand ole mixed sports metaphor, “I came to see a fight and a hockey game broke out!”? Yeah, that one! Hello, and welcome back to the hissing contest between the Gators and Noles . Pardon me if I don’t bring any cheese to Mike Norvelle’s whinefest. And please stop apologizing, Billy. This ain’t no Emily Post/Martha Stewart Niceoff. Leave your social mores and behavior guides from Michelle Garcia Winner and Dr. Pamela Crooke at the door before this Hatfields vs McCoys shootout winds up being miscast as a Requiem for a Pattycake Party.   We came for the black eyes, bloody noses and a little shin-kicking.    Florida-FSU competitions are not governed by the Roberts Rules of Order.  The days of apologizing for chopping down cherry trees are over in politics. It’s been a long drink of water between Seminole ass-whippings and a little misconduct is in order.   Maybe I should start by apologizing to the garnet-and-golders on their side of my House Divided in advance for my support of the rules-benders, but who started this logo spear-planting and take-home sod-bagging anyway? So WarDamnGator and fi on Norvell and his precious little Seminole logo anyway. That’s for all of us with a little Steve Spurrier mean streak in us.   Blame part of my naughtiness on in my colleague/friend Scott Carter of FloridaGators.com , ordinarily one of the nicest people and calmest humans on earth, but who started off my Sunday with this ElonMuskGram:   “#Gators win, plant a flag at FSU. --FSU players get mad, start scuffle --#Noles coach Norvell whines, refuses to shake hands with Napier --Norvell unplants flag, tosses it --#Gators smoke cigars --Me, yeah, that's how I like my UF-FSU rivalry.”   Spot on Scott. So get over the righteousness indignation police stuff Coach Napier and take a bow for one helluva coaching job. You are not the one checking the nurse’s aide station for response to a #911 Gus Malzahn call — like the guy in Tallahassee is. What do they need to beat you, a merger?   Out of respect for Billy, and because he’s taken so much abuse from his own before performing an exorcism which produced one of the biggest turnarounds in history since Lazarus, let’s hear the Gator coach’s mea culpa about Saturday night’s dustup:   “…obviously what happened there at the end of the game is not who we want to be as a program. And it’s embarrassing to me and it’s a distraction from a really well-played football game. So, I want to apologize on behalf of the entire organization, just in terms of how  the University there. We shouldn’t have done that and we won’t do that going forward, and there will be consequences for all involved.”   Noooo! Personally, many of us just feel they were just finishing up a regular season playing UNcomplimentary ball. And if they want to take it outside and do a rematch in the bowl game … oh wait!   This was the story of two seasons in one – BDJL (Before DJ Lagway) and ADJL (After). The day between that was Wednesday Oct. 15 and what transpired at practice will be circled in red by Napier forever as BJDDay. Something clicked and a whole new level of football intelligence, camaraderie and commitment surfaced.   "I think midseason is when it all kind of came together. Think the players did a good job of kind of putting their blinders on in the first month, and didn’t allow excuses, didn’t allow blame," said Napier. "Really just went back to work. Go back to that first open date, and I think that Tennessee game was pivotal. The way they responded to that. Just in general, good to have some momentum, and I thought we took advantage. That was the mission, was to capture the momentum we had tonight, and I think we did that.”   Not to be lost on overreacting with a little rude behavior – honestly, compared to the felonious drivers in Athens it was like getting a parking ticket at the Daytona 500 – has been the marvelous comportment and patience of these coaches, players and staffers who refused to stop believing in The Right Stuff. And it will live in the hearts of Gators forever.   Even the mistakes, misfires and shortcomings take root. This is a day when Lagway, uplifted by the spectacular, once-maligned defense which was excoriated for its stupidity, was carried by his teammates because he didn’t have his best stuff, but honestly, he made a couple of brilliant plays akin to striking out the side with the bases loaded.   On Lagway shrugging off a potential sack for an explosive completion, Billy bragged: “Superman. There were a handful of plays that were off-schedule and I think that’s what he does. He’s going to be frustrated because he knows there were six or eight plays out there where he could have been better. But look, we got to play better around the quarterback. I didn’t think we were as sharp.”   Those dropped passes and busted routes were more than offset by the eight sacks, four fumble recoveries and the lights out-defense.   Said Napier: “I thought, defensively, we were really lights out. We had a season high in TFLs and sacks, limited the explosive plays, and then, obviously created some takeaways and were able to take advantage of those on offense and get some points from those. Montrell [Johnson Jr.] goes over 3,000 yards. And look, I think we didn’t have our fastball on offense. I think it was evident there. We had some missed opportunities, and I do think that it could’ve been worse, is what I would say. But I think we struggled at times there. We got to play better around the quarterback.”   There was some special joy – and I don’t mean the logo-spearing – because of a sigh of relief by veterans like Tyreak Sapp:   “It was like a relief, off my back. I’ve gone two years, two years losing to these guys. That’s a great group of guys that they put together, always find a way to put a team together. It’s always a challenge, it’s a rivalry game, we don’t like them and they don’t like us. So, for two years, this has been sitting on us, sitting on me and Shemar (James) especially, because we were here to see it. It was just great to see the work that we’ve been putting in since the offseason. This is one of the best ways to end it.”   Sorry ‘bout your logo, Mikie. There’s a way to stop that. It’s called winning. You and Gus can bring your Spears to Steve Spurrier Field next Nov. 29. Fat chance.

“It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same” -- Jimmy Buffett, 1977, “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” TALLAHASSEE -- Tyreak Sapp can’t pinpoint the exact moment all the attitudes changed for Florida’s defenders, but nothing has remained the same since it happened.   “ I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact point in time, but I just tell you like we all had to look each other in the eye and tell each other that we're going to make things change and that and that was it because our word is probably one of the most important things and it means a lot to each other,” Sapp said Saturday night after the Gators completed a rather remarkable turnaround with a 31-11 regular season ending win over Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium.   What happened Saturday night in Tallahassee was in stark contrast to the events three Division I opponents the Gators played in a September to forget. The Gators couldn’t get off the field in losses to Miami and Texas A&M. The Gators scored 45 points against Mississippi State, but the defense struggled mightily. Those three teams scored 102 points and gained 1,497 yards.  The Gators forced one fumble, picked off one pass and had four sacks, although three were against Mississippi State, not exactly the poster child for pass protection. When September rolled into October, consensus was head ball coach Billy Napier had one foot out the door. Contrast that to the last three games of the season, punctuated by an exclamation point effort against the Seminoles, whose quarterback Luke Kromenhoek was permanently engaged in feet don’t fail me now mode. The Gators gave up just 239 total yards, got to Kromenhoek eight times for 39 yards in losses and had another six tackles for loss that totaled -14 yards. Florida State fumbled the ball eight times, five of which the Gators recovered.   Add Saturday’s stout defensive effort with wins over LSU and Ole Miss and it is a Jekyll and Hyde transformation. The Gators gave up 44 points in the last three games, got to the quarterbacks 18 times for 104 yards in losses and had another 16 tackles for loss. The 3-game turnover totals are seven fumbles recovered and two interceptions.   Defense needed to set the tone against Florida State because the Florida offense struggled all night to find a measure of consistency. The Gators ran the ball well -- 235 yards including 99 from Montrell Johnson Jr. and 81 from Jadan Baugh -- but DJ Lagway never got in any sort of groove throwing the ball. Lagway did have one remarkable play in which he somehow escaped the grasp of 6-5, 330-pound Darrell Jackson Jr. and threw an absolute dart downfield to Chimere Dike.   Lagway’s up and down game didn’t deter the UF defense, which has found motivation in the freshman quarterback’s explosive tendencies.   “We gotta go out there and set the tone no matter what,” Sapp said. “However many ways we can get DJ the ball, that’s what we do.”   Lagway became the full-time starter when Graham Mertz tore an ACL in the Tennessee game, a game that Napier and the entire team know they could have and should have won. The Vols are 10-2, shoo-ins for the College Football Playoff, but that’s a game the Gators would love to get back.   The Gators are 4-2 since that 23-17 overtime loss to Tennessee in Knoxville. The Gators blew out Kentucky and were leading Georgia, 10-3, when Lagway left the game in the second quarter. The Gators were playing with such confidence that you don’t have to be a visionary to believe Florida wins with Lagway going the distance.   Forget the Texas game in Austin. With Lagway out and walk-on QB Aidan Warner at the helm, that loss proves nothing.   The next three games, however, are milestones in a journey that is unfolding. With Lagway starting, the Gators are 3-0, and the defense has swarmed and overwhelmed three consecutive opponents. The once thought dead in the water Gators are now 7-5, assured of their first winning season since 2020, and projected by some experts to face an ACC opponents (Duke or Syracuse seem likely) in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl January 2.   That’s a long way since the Mississippi State win that closed out the September schedule. To his credit, even when the Gators were getting rolled by Miami and Texas A&M Napier never wavered in his belief that the Gators were on the right path, that they simply had to start channeling their inner winner.   Napier credits the bye week for the transformation. He shuffled defensive coaching responsibilities, sending Ron Roberts to the booth to make the defensive play calls and bringing Austin Armstrong down to the sideline. That proved a solid decision, but ultimately, the difference was found between the ears of his players.   “I think that Wednesday of that first open date, that's where I kind of saw our guys change tunes a little bit, change gears as competitors, right, get back to playing the game, enjoying playing the game,” Napier said Saturday night. “And then I think the way we competed on the road at Tennessee in that first half, we really showed up and fought our tails off. And, you know, I thought we were in position to win that game.”   Since leaving Knoxville believing they could have and should have won, it is indeed a different Florida team. Despite a rash of injuries that would have crippled most teams, the Gators are winning close games with kids plugging the gaps where veteran players have gone down.   Saturday night in Tallahassee, for example, the Gators plugged in Bruce Lovett at right guard for injured Damieon George Jr. Four sophomores started in the secondary and when the rotation called for subs, freshmen Gregory Smith and Jameer Grimsley stepped in. While Montrell Johnson Jr. gave the Gators 99 yards including a 65-yard sprint to the end zone that put him over the 3,000-yard mark for his career, it should be noted that he missed three full games and parts of two others due to injuries. In his place Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson stepped up. Baugh gained 81 yards against FSU while Jackson had 51 and a TD.   "Man, we got two rookie DBs out there playing tonight, Greg Smith and Jameer Grimsley are out there,” Napier said. “So yeah, I think next man up, big time in special teams. I think we have a lot of players that have played different roles, but the running back group I think has stepped up when we had a few guys banged up and the secondary, and obviously the quarterback dynamic. ”   A winning season has been achieved even though the betting odds -- the over/under for the Gators was 4.5 wins when the season began -- were completely tilted against Florida. How winning has unfurled is a rather interesting tale, but Napier gives a lot of credit to belief.   Belief in the coaches. Belief in themselves. Ultimately, belief in their teammates as part of the whole team concept.   “ There's no guarantee of a return,” Napier said. “You got to do all the work during the week, and then when the ball gets spotted, you have to go execute. You have to win one-on-ones, you have to communicate at a high level. You got to play with an extra effort, you got to play with physicality, but it's something we figured out. We could do it and I think that it’s football and they think we’ve got some guys that can play ... and they finally started playing with some confidence, you know. I think some belief, I think, is powerful.”   Belief is a powerful thing. So is the attitude that there is no sense of entitlement, that everything done on the field has to be earned. It starts in the locker room, extends to practice and then manifests itself with effort on the field on game day.   Tyreak Sapp, whose Saturday night effort produced five tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, probably said it best.   “We don't deserve anything,” he said. “We earn everything that we have and everything that we get. Nobody gives us anything because when people play the Florida Gators they're going to put their best foot forward and they're going to try to destroy us just because of who we are. And, we accept that challenge, week in and week out, day in and day out. And, we take that personally and we go ahead and we go to work and no matter what happens out there on that field we always come back together as brothers.”   Saturday night, the band of brothers that is Florida’s defense closed out the regular season by making a statement against an arch-rival that had walked away a winner the last two years. The Gators earned the right to win this game, but it’s merely the last step taken in an ongoing journey that still has one more game remaining in this season.   One more game. A bowl game that could get the Gators to eight wins, which seemed unlikely back in August, impossible back in September. Looking back, that’s a remarkable accomplishment, but the Gators can’t dwell too long on what got them here.   As the late philospher Jimmy Buffett penned, “Oh yesterdays are over my shoulder, so I can’t look back for too long. There’s too much to see waiting in front of me and I know that I just can’t go wrong.”

Florida uses five turnovers to end two game skid against the hated Seminoles. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst It was senior night at FSU and despite their 2-9 record the Seminoles looked ready to fight the good fight despite a historically troubling season. The Gators took a couple early blows from their rivals, settled in and dominated them for a dominant 31-11 win. The win gives Billy Napier his first seven win season at Florida sets the program up for their first high profile bowl game since 2020.    What We Thought: Florida would want and need to be the aggressor early and often on defense. True freshman Luke Kromenhoek would be making just his second collegiate start against a Florida defense that was playing its best football the past two weeks. The Gators had recorded 11 sacks the past two contests and were beginning to understand and execute the complex pressures of Ron Roberts and Austin Armstrong's “creeper” defense. This would allow the Florida defense to harass Kromenhoek consistently all night and put him under distress on passing downs. FSU had struggled to run the ball with any consistency all season so there would be increased pressure on the freshman to throw the ball more than he may have liked to.   Offensively, the Gators would attempt to lean on a defensive front that had struggled to stop the run this season giving up almost 180 yards per contest. The three-pronged rushing attack of Montrell Johnson Jr., Jaden Baugh, and Ja’Kobi Jackson would be a major part of the attack as Florida would look to dominate the line of scrimmage early and allow the play action/RPO passing game to be effective.  Add to that the improved mobility if DJ Lagway and the threat of the quarterback run would open more run lanes and keep the FSU defense off balance.    What We Got: Florida will be the first to admit they did not play their best football in this game. The offense was disconnected at times, leading to a an interception and the defense didn’t always play with great technique and fundamentals. What both units we able to do was capitalize off of the FSU mistakes that kept this game from being closer than it could have been. Florida also was able to take advantage of an FSU offense that fumbled the ball eight times leading to 5 fumble recoveries for the defense. Florida State would also muff a punt that led to a Florida field goal continuing the woes that can come with a 2-10 season. The Florida pass rush was stellar again recording eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Florida used a number of diverse and creative pressures to confuse and harass the FSU offensive line and Kromenhoek into errant throws and the aforementioned sacks. The makeshift Florida secondary continues to prosper through connectivity playing well as a unit and limiting FSU to just 140 yards through the air.   Florida had more of a blue collar day on offense than expected. While Lagway was efficient going 14 of 22 for 133 yards and two touchdowns, the big plays in the passing game that have become his calling card were taken away by the FSU secondary. What Florida was able to do was run the ball to the tune of 235 yards and two touchdowns. Montrell Johnson Jr. continues to return to form rushing for 99 yards on 10 carries including a 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Along with Johnson all three backs averaged over five yards per carry and were effective for the third straight week. While Florida had some communication issues in the passing game Lagway’s mobility and continued improvement in working through his progressions allowed for the future star to throw two touchdowns on the day.   The Skinny: This is a game you always want to win. No matter how great or how ugly the football, a win against your most hated in-state rival is one for the ages. In the big picture, Florida is beginning to win games whether or not the football gods deem it so. Through a solid run game, a great pass rush, efficient, and at times exciting quarterback play. Those ingredients lend itself to a recipe that allows a team to play well no matter where, what, or who it encounters. A 7-5 record at Florida is not necessarily something to admire at first glance but when you pull the layers back the future that seven wins could usher in is bright. Florida will return most of a roster that at times has underachieved but is now finding its footing on both sides of the ball. A win against an overwhelmed FSU squad is part of the process but in doing so the improvements of the second half of the season have been validated. A bowl invite and win could put a different spin on what has for some been a frustrating year. All the motivation that the “organization” needs to have all hands on deck and put a final marker on the 2024 season. Should this team notch an eighth win, complete with consecutive wins against LSU, Ole Miss, and FSU the offseason will bring promise and tons of positive vibes Florida’s way. 365 days of bragging rights against the Noles doesn’t hurt either.        Final Score: Florida 31 Florida State 11 (Prediction-Florida 28 Florida State 14)