The expectation of a rout did not materialize even though the outcome never seemed in doubt. So go ahead and light one up, DJ. By Carlton Reese GatorBaitMedia.com   The Florida Gators won Saturday night, and in the final analysis that is all that really matters. If the uniforms had been switched, all Gator fans would be talking Sunday about what a fluke that was in Tallahassee – a gift that wasn’t earned. The expectation of a rout did not materialize even though the outcome never seemed in doubt. It felt, well, rather unclean, a bit grotesque even. The Florida State Seminoles are a terrible football team this season, yet the clearly superior Gators relied on whatever charity offered up to them on this night. Anyone who had not watched FSU this season was able to see first-hand what built their 2-9 record heading into this one: it is not a want for athletes, but a team that looks to be poorly coached and constantly waiting for something bad to happen, so it usually does. This is a Florida State program that actually sees the addition of Gus Malzahn to its coaching staff as a significant upgrade. What a pity. How the once mighty have fallen into the abyss of mediocrity. No matter the circumstances, a win over Florida State should be celebrated and this one is no exception. Yes, we were all in need of a shower soon afterward, but the stench of an ugly win is still far more tolerable than the bloody show of a loss. This one will not go down in the annals of this great rivalry, but it is forever etched in the record books, so drink it in. Normally, a 31-11 final score would signify a drubbing, a curb-stomping that leaves little doubt as to who deserves the spoils of victory. This one, though, did not seem that way. Florida’s young stud quarterback was rather pedestrian, and all those fans in garnet and gold who were expecting a show from No.2 left the stadium likely wondering what all the hype was about. Clearly uncomfortable in the first half, D.J. Lagway threw behind receivers on multiple occasions, missed the open ones, and saw several bounce off the hands of those same receivers. Outside of Jadan Baugh’s 21-yard run on the Gators’ second possession, the Florida offense seemed rather hapless against what is actually a decent FSU defense. Seven plays and two punts gave everyone the illusion these were two teams on equal footing. Thankfully for the Gators, the FSU offense was forced to participate in this one. For a change, Noles head coach Mike Norvell dialed up the right play at the right time to move the chains, something the Gators were not doing. Then Gator linebacker Jack Pyburn drilled FSU QB Luke Kromenhoek from the blind side and forced a fumble at the Nole 14-yard line. That set up an easy 2-play scoring drive for Florida and informed the home crowd nothing had changed during this entire season of misery for FSU. With three minutes left in the first half, Florida led just 7-0, an embarrassing reality for those who expected, nay, demanded, a 49-0 rout. When Lagway hit Chimere Dike on a 25-yard pass play to the FSU 2, the inevitable began to take shape. Two plays later Lagway connected with Marcus Burke in the end zone for a 14-0 lead. Only five other times had FSU scored more than 14 points in a game, so this one seemed over despite Florida’s sluggishness. “We didn’t have our fastball on offense, I think it was evident,” UF head coach Billy Napier said. “We had some missed opportunities, and it could have been worse is what I would say. We got to play better around the quarterback. But, in general, good ball – good to see us finish in the second half.” The difference was Florida’s relentless harassment of Kromenhoek, who earned the respect of everyone in the building by enduring eight sacks but kept fighting. Despite being sacked eight times, he still finished with 32 yards rushing. As good as FSU’s defensive line may be, its offensive line more than tips the scales in the other direction with its complete ineptitude. In the second half, the Gators started with punts on each of their first two drives as FSU cut Florida’s lead to 14-3. The second punt led to FSU’s next gift to the Gators: a muffed punt that Florida recovered and drove zero yards for a field goal. FSU followed up with a nice drive then gave it up again on a poor exchange that George Gumbs recovered at the UF 7-yard line. Six plays later, Montrell Johnson tore off a 65-yard TD run that put the Gators up, 24-3, and it was time to put the kids to bed. Defensively, the Gators looked good, but it was against the worst offense in college football. Still, because the guys on the other side were wearing helmets donned with feathered spears, there was beauty inherent. "I thought defensively we were really lights out,” Napier said to open his post-game press conference. That translated into eight sacks and 14 tackles for loss, incredible numbers for one game, but in line with the recent trend. Over the last three games, the Gators defense has recorded 19 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. For all the bouquets thrown at Lagway during this late run of Gator success, it’s clear the defense is mostly responsible for the turnaround. Florida held LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State to 16, 17 and 11 points, respectively. Without those numbers, the Gators are looking at another losing record and a new head coach. Good teams find ways to win when they are not at their best and Saturday night in Tallahassee the Gators not only weren’t at their best, they were a fairly sick and discombobulated lot. Despite this, they found a way to beat their biggest rival by 20 points at their stadium. This would not have happened at any point the previous three seasons or even the first two months of this season. That’s because those weren’t good teams – this one is. But why belabor the point of how this was a subpar performance? The bottom line is that it was a win, and the fact that it came on a night when Florida was not even close to its best should bring great comfort to Gator fans. After the game, the Florida players and coaches knew full well it was not a great performance, but they smoked victory cigars anyway. They knew they earned it. So what if it wasn’t 49-0? Sometimes ugly wins are beautiful. Have a cigar – you’ve earned it.

Rueben Chinyelu (9) gets ready to make a move to the basket against Wichita State (UAA Photo by Maddie Washburn) LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The defensive numbers at the Mouse House speak volumes about how far 18th-ranked Florida has come in eight November games. In two games against quality opponents Wake Forest and Wichita State at the Disney complex, the Florida Gators allowed 109 points, held the two teams to 34.7 percent overall (40-115) from the field and 26.5 percent (13-49 from the 3-point line. The Gators pounded the backboards for a 110-60 advantage.   “Just looking back at opening night, I feel like we've gotten a lot better since then,” Florida coach Todd Golden said Friday evening after the Gators had left Wichita State gasping for air, 88-51, to win the 2-day ESPN Invitational. “Just more complete ... more consistent, and again, going back to the defensive side of the ball, held Wake to 58 last night, held a really good Wichita team to 51 today. I'm saying the same thing again. If we can continue to do that on the defensive end, we're going to be tough.”   At 8-0 right out of the gate, Florida’s best start since the 2009-10 season, the Gators are winning games by an average of 22 points. They have the firepower to put up points with astonishing ease, but the emphasis in practice has been on the defensive end, which showed up in a big way at the ESPN tournament.   One day after relentless pressure resulted in a 17-point win over Wake Forest, the Gators amped things up considerably to melt down Wichita State (6-1), handing the Shockers their first loss of the season. The Gators scored 88 points despite getting to the foul line only five times (made four). The final outcome was only as close as it was (37 points) because Golden emptied the bench. Wichita closed out the game on an 11-0 run in the last 1:29 against three Florida freshmen and two walk-ons.   For the first 14 minutes, Wichita State hung with the Gators, but the combination of defensive intensity and everything heating up on the offensive end left the Shockers gasping for air at the intermission. Starting with a tip-in by Alex Condon with 5:55 to go before halftime, the Gators went on a 16-0 frenzy anchored by 6-10, 255-pound Rueben Chinyelu, whose first half stat line was eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots.   With Chinyelu providing an intimidating presence in the paint, the Gators applied more pressure on the perimeter than Wichita State could handle.   “I thought he had his best game as a Gator,” Golden said. “And when he provides that backbone of the defense at the rim, I think they were 2-for-20 from 2-point field goal range in the first half, and he was a big part of that.”   Chinyelu’s final numbers were 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. When Chinyelu plays at that level, the Gators are going to be one of the more difficult matchups in the country.   If he’s able to play that way consistently the Gators could easily exceed last year’s 24 wins.   “He just played awesome in all facets,” Golden said. “He rebounded, he protected the rim, finished with great efficiency. I think he had four assists. He was just fantastic. He was +26 in 20 minutes, 7-for-9 from the field. He just was great across the board.   “And, again, the way he played, along with these other guys playing well, made us really, really tough today. Yeah, he played with great energy. He was really physical. His hands were really good today. He was grabbing every rebound, catching every drop-off, punching every dunk. He just looked like an awesome, awesome player today, and a lot like he showed in the summer, a lot like he showed in camp. And we knew it was going to take time for this team to come together and gel, but I feel like the way he stepped up over the last two games provided another level for us.”   As well as the Gators played in the first half, the challenge was to come out with the same level of intensity and energy after halftime. In the first four minutes after the break, the Gators were like sharks on a feeding frenzy.     “We go on these runs, and we were saying in the locker room at halftime, ‘We smell blood,’ and then it was just full steam ahead,” Condon said. “We came out in the second half, as well. Coach emphasized to us not to take the foot off the gas.”   Smelling blood manifest itself on the court in the first four minutes with 3-pointers by Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Condon plus an emphatic dunk by Chinyelu to finish a fast break. It was 48-18 before Wichita State could put its first points on the scoreboard in the second half.   Between Wichita State’s final first half points and first points of the second half, 11:05 elapsed, during which Florida had one of the most -- if not the most -- impressive runs of the past three seasons under Golden.   “ A 27-0 run is impressive, obviously,” Golden said. “I think we were up three (21-18) with six minutes to go in the first half. You look up there, about four minutes into the second half, we're up 30 (48-18).”   Wichita State came into the game averaging 80.8 points and 39.2 rebounds. Defensively, the Shockers were allowing just 70.2 per game.   The Gators held Wichita State to 17-57 shooting overall (29.8 percent) and only 5-22 (22.7 percent) from the 3-point line. The Gators outrebounded the Shockers, 56-30, blocking eight shots and coming away with six steals. The Gators finished 35-78 (42 percent) overall from the field and 14-33 (42.4 percent) from the 3-point line while handing out 20 assists. Twenty of Florida’s 56 rebounds were on the offensive end, a season high.   On consecutive days, the Gators played their best basketball of the season and it all started at the defensive end while holding Wake Forest and Wichita State to their lowest scoring totals of the season.   “I felt like we made a jump as a team over the past couple days,” Golden said. “Obviously on the defensive side of the ball, we’ve shown the ability to guard. If we can continue to grow on that side of the ball and maintain our efficiency on the offensive end, we’re going to be tough to beat.”   Game notes: Clayton was named tournament MVP. He was joined by Condon on the all-tournament team. Clayton led the Gators against Wichita State with 19 points that included 5-9 from the 3-point line as well as three rebounds, two assists, three blocked shots and a steal. Clayton has hit at least one 3-pointer in 31 consecutive games, the fifth longest streak in UF history. Michael Frazier III holds the school record at 41 straight games wtih a 3-ball ... Condon, who went 3-3 from the 3-point line, had 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists ... Although they didn’t have big scoring games, Richard and Alijah Martin were big contributors. Richard had five points, seven rebounds, five assists, one blocked shot and one steal. Martin had five points, five rebounds and assist and a steal ... Next up for the Gators is Virginia (5-2) Wednesday night in the SEC-ACC Challenge at the O-Dome.     SEC Basketball Friday’s games No. 18 FLORIDA (8-0) 88, Wichita State (6-1) 51 No. 8 Kentucky (7-0) 105, Georgia State (4-4) 76 No. 13 Purdue (7-1) 80, No. 23 Ole Miss (6-1) 78 Butler (6-1) 87, No. 25 Mississippi State (6-1) 77 Oklahoma (7-0) 69, Louisville (5-2) 64 Vanderbilt (7-1) 87, Tennessee Tech (4-4) 56 Texas (6-1) 90, Delaware State (3-5) 68 LSU (6-1) 77, Northwestern State (3-5) 53   Today’s games No. 9 Alabama (6-1) vs. Oregon (7-0) at Las Vegas No. 20 Texas A&M (5-2) vs. Rutgers (5-2) at Las Vegas Jacksonville (4-3) at Georgia (6-1)

Records are out the window when these two rivals get together. By Loren Meadows GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Florida receiver Chimere Dike (Chris Spears photo) TALLAHASSEE, FL FSU Offense   Key Players-#14 QB Luke Kromenhoek (6-4, 208, Sr.), #11 QB Brock Glenn (6-2, 215, R-Fr.) #9 RB Lawrence Toafili (6-0, 196, R-Sr.) #3 RB Kam Davis (5-10, 224, Fr.), #24 RB Caziah Holmes (5-11, 215, R-Sr.), #0 WR Ja’khi Douglas (5-9, 195, R-Sr.), #10 WR Malik Benson (6-1, 195 Sr./Alabama), #8 WR Hykeem Williams (6-2, 215, So.) #1 WR Kentron Poitier (6-3, 202, R-Sr.) #84 TE Kyle Morlock (6-6, 240, R-Sr.), #18 TE Landen Thomas (6-4, 235, Fr.)   Matchups To Watch: Florida State Offensive v. Florida Pass Rush, Kromenhoek v. The Creeper   Florida State has not been well on offense the entire season. Offensive Coordinator Alex Atkins was fired on Nov. 11, after presiding over an offense that statistically is the worst in the ACC. FSU’s problems on offense start at the top and work their way down from there. The quarterback position has been an issue all season with the return of DJ Uiagalelei to the ACC not going as well as planned. FSU has seemed to look for the future going forward as true freshman Luke Kromenhoek has assumed the position of QB1 and will be making his second start when FSU hosts the Gators Saturday. Kromenhoek was 13 of 20 for 209 yards in his first career start against Charleston Southern and looked comfortable handling the RPO game and showed the arm strength that made him a Top 5 QB recruit in 2024. Should Kromenhoek struggle, FSU coach Mike Norvell could turn to redshirt freshman Brock Glenn, who has started five games this season as well as the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl last season. Unfortunately for FSU, the quarterback position has posted a rating of 105.3 with 11 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Kromenhoek looks to be the future but the position has been the biggest issue for this team all season.   While FSU has struggled to move the ball through the air, the Noles have struggled with their ground troops as well. FSU ranks 129th nationally in rushing with just 89.1 yards per game andj 2.9 yards per carry. Lawrence Toafili is the lead back after a reserve role last season and leads the team with 413 yards rushing. To his credit, Toafili is a solid receiver out of the backfield and could be used to create mismatches against a Gator defense that has struggled to cover receivers out of the backfield. True freshman Kam Davis is second on the team in carries and has potential. He was rated the 3rd best back in the Class of 2024 and at 224 pounds can be hard to bring down. Caziah Holmes rounds out the trio of backs leading the team in both yards per carry (5.6) and touchdowns (3). Holmes who began his career at Penn State, started last seasons’ Orange Bowl and has sprinters speed in the open field.   The FSU receivers are a talented bunch and have clearly felt the sting of subpar quarterback play this season. All have experience and have played in big games. Ja’khi Douglas leads the team in catches yards and touchdown and has been as reliable a target as FSU has had all season. He is followed on the list by Alabama transfer Malik Benson who appeared in all 14 of Alabama’s games last season. The former junior college recruit has 24 catches for 306 yards this season. Sophomore Hykeem Williams was the nation’s third ranked prospect in the Class of 2023 and at 6-2, 215 pounds has an NFL frame. A talented young player, but the issues at quarterback surely have affected his growth. Kentron Poitier is the most experienced player of the group with more than 50 appearances in five years at FSU. As a unit, the FSU wideouts collectively average close to 14 yards per catch so the ability to be effective is there. At tight end both Kyle Morlock and Landen Thomas are good tight ends but again have felt the woes of the passing game with just one touchdown between them. Thomas had two receptions a week ago and could be counted on to help Kromenhoek move the chains on short passing downs.   FSU is an offense in transition. With the dismissal of Alex Atkins and receiver coach Ron Duggins FSU will be in search of a new offensive coordinator this offseason. For now it will be interesting to see where this offense goes for the game against the Gators with a quarterback making his second start. The Gators look to have finally mastered the art of the “creeper” under Ron Roberts and Austin Armstrong tallying 11 sacks the past two weeks. With an offensive line without a position coach and giving up close to four sacks a game Kromenhoek could find himself under distress early and often. Look for the Gators to bring multiple looks pre-snap while banking on the fact that whatever four that come through the door can get home. On the ground something has to give. The Gators have struggled at times to stop the run but are improving. FSU struggles to pound the rock and averages only 80 yards per game against FBS opponents. If the run game is absent again the Gators will look to feast on the young quarterback for post Thanksgiving dinner.    FSU Defense Key Players-#1 DB Shyheim Brown (6-2, 208, R-Jr.), #20 LB Blake Nichelson (6-3, 224, So.),   #8 DB Azareye'h Thomas (6-2, 198, Jr.) #18 LB Cam Riley (6-5, 237, Sr./Auburn), #DB 24 DB KJ Kirkland (6-1, 206, R-Fr.) #11 DL Patrick Payton (6-5, 250, R-Jr.) #6 DL Darrel Jackson Jr. (6-5, 330, Jr.), #7 DE Marvin Jones Jr. (6-5, 255, Jr./Georgia)   Matchups To Watch: DJ Lagway and Company v. Florida State, Florida Run Game v. Florida State Front Seven   The defense has talent but has underachieved. A defense that was the rock of an ACC Championship team last season has struggled to yield consistent results this year. Along with Alex Atkins on offense Mike Norvell chose to relieve defensive coordinator Adam Fuller of his duties as well leaving former Gator defensive coordinator Randy Shannon to handle the defense. The defense is led in tackles by defensive back and Lake City native Shyheim Brown who started all 14 games for FSU including last year’s game in Gainesville where he had a career high eight tackles. Joining Brown on the back end are Azareye’h Thomas and DJ Kirkland who are third and fifth on the team in tackles respectively. While all three are talented and have appeared in over 40 career games the trio has failed to record a single interception this season.     Blake Nichelson mans the middle for FSU and continues to improve as a sophomore. He is second on the team in tackles with 48. Auburn transfer Cam Riley is second among the FSU linebackers with 44 tackles and four tackles for loss. With 10 career starts at Auburn he is no stranger to big rivalry games. Up front FSU has a capable group that will look to make life difficult for DJ Lagway. The group is led by Patrick Payton who has collected four sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Darrel Jackson is 330 pounds and will battle with Gators center Jake Slaughter for supremacy in the A-gaps. Jackson began his career at Miami where he started 12 games as a sophomore and made 25 appearances in two years. Transfer Marvin Jones Jr. comes to his father’s alma mater after spending two seasons at Georgia. The son of College and FSU Hall of Famer Marvin Jones, Jones is one of the top young edge rushers in the ACC and will look to take advantage of the Florida tackles and get pressure on Lagway. Florida tackle Austin Barber (Chris Spears photo)   The Skinny: This rivalry is unique in the fact that the familiarity of the combatants is so close that it can invade the same Thanksgiving table. Case in point, Florida safety Jordan Castell is the grandson of an FSU graduate who defiantly chooses not to root for the Gators and reminds her grandson of the FSU victory in his freshman season on a daily basis. While FSU has struggled all would be forgiven if they could welcome their rival to Tallahassee and send them home with an embarrassing loss. Yes embarrassing. After two of the most important wins of the Napier era, the Gators are on upset alert as the make the trip north for a seventh regular season win for the first time in four years. Florida State has talent in spots but has been unable to find a rhythm offensively and that has been its undoing. Florida is led by a future star at quarterback and is playing with the confidence that many expected when the season began. FSU ranks 106 nationally against the run surrendering 180 yards per game. Florida rushed for 164 yards last week against the best front in the SEC so look for the Gators to lean on the FSU front early. The running game could be boosted by the fact that DJ Lagway continues to heal from a leg injury that has limited his mobility. Is this the week he brings more mojo to the running game? The bottom line is that FSU has struggled so much offensively that it is hard to fathom that the Gators would take a step back after playing so well the past two weeks. With that said, FSU will play with emotion, but that emotion will not be enough to take out the Gators. The improved health of Lagway and Montrell Johnson Jr. continue to make the Gators better and if they hit a couple big plays early to jump on their rivals, could quiet a crowd looking for a reason to get to those leftovers early.      Prediction:  Florida 28 Florida State 14

Florida continues to build towards the future with yet another big time recruit, 6-foot-3 edge rusher Jayden Woods flipping from Penn State to the Florida Gators. The Shawnee, KS star has decided to join the Gators after an unofficial visit to Gainesville this past weekend. The back-to-back top 25 victories, along with a vote of confidence for Billy Napier from AD Scott Strickland created momentum which has started to reap rewards as the Gators moved from the low 50’s to a possible top 10 class as signing day is just around the corner on December 4. Woods is a 4-Star prospect that would fit nicely into the JACK position at Florida and Coach Mike Peterson is the key coach responsible for Woods flipping. There have been several other flips unofficially announced, including some key ones from Florida State. As it stands, Florida has 20 verbal commitments:   4-Star wide receiver- Vernell Brown III 4-Star running back- Waltez Clark 3-Star punter- Hayden Craig 3-Star running back- Chad Gasper 3 Star tight end- Tae’Shaun Gelsey 4-Star cornerback- Ben Hanks 3-Star tight end- Micah Jones 4-Star linebacker- Ty Jackson 4-Star linebacker- Myles Johnson 3-Star quarterback- Tramell Jones 3-Star running back- Byron Louis 3-Star offensive lineman- Daniel Pierre Louis 3-Star offensive lineman- Jahari Medlock 3-Star defensive lineman- Jeramiah McCloud 3-Star wide receiver- Naeshaun Montgomery 3-Star kicker- Evan Noel 3-Star defensive lineman- Stephon Shivers 3-Star wide receiver- Muizz Tounkara 4-Star edge- Jalen Wiggins   Winning cures a lot of problem, along with help from the Transfer Portal. You can point to several wins Napier has had since he arrived. What was a doomsday scenario after the Texas A&M game is turning into a very positive endind to the football season, With a big victory over the hated Seminoles and a possible Gator Bowl matchup between Georgia Tech, Duke or some other regional team. The Gator Nation may finally be able to step off the ledge, breath and look forward to 2025.

With the game on the line, first and 10 on the 39-yard line with 1:32 left, Ole Miss was driving for the tie and Thornton made his first interception in the fourth quarter. Jaxson Dart overthrew his receiver, right into Thornton’s hands. At a school known for great safeties, Bryce Thornton had a coming-out party against the #9 ranked Mississippi. By all accounts, he should be playing for Georgia, with both father Bruce Thornton and mother Tiauanna Briggans having played for UGA. Bruce was a defensive back for the Bulldogs and Tiauanna won an SEC basketball tournament title for them in 2001. Bryce came to Florida last year as an early enrollee, playing in all 12 games and starting four. The sophomore defensive back finished with a game-high and career-high 14 tackles and two interceptions. Moreover, both of his interceptions were crucial in taking down the Rebels as they came on the final two drives of the game.   Ole Miss had chances late but Jaxson Dart threw interceptions to end the team's last two drives. Beaten for a touchdown in the first half, Thornton picked off both. The second one came with 17 seconds left remaining and set up a raucous celebration by defenders in the end zone. On Mississippi’s second drive, Thornton had a tackle for loss and on 3rd and 13 was there to assist in the tackle. You had a feeling it was going to be a good day for the defense and Bryce had a big part in it, Napier said in the postgame press conference:   “Bryce has been a huge bright spot, stepping up in a major way. Obviously, we've had some injuries there. Two picks and a career high in tackles and coming off an injury. Bryce has been in that training room every day for weeks and I think he's really stepped up for our team in a major way. Bryce got good experience last year and I think ultimately he's a very capable player. He showed out today.” Old school Gator defense showed up on that first drive as Ole Miss TE Dae’Quan Wright was crushed by DB Jordan Castell on second and four. Targeting was called on him, however, it was picked up after replay review. That brought back memories of Ahmad Black and Lawrence Wright destroying wide receivers, back when that was more of the norm. Earlier in the season, Coach Austin Armstrong spoke of Thornton and Castell:   “Bryce Thornton and Jordan Castell, those guys have been in the fire now. They have been out in third and five in the Swamp against Tennessee. Everybody thinks they know how to do it and it’s time to do it. So, the balance of those players who played in those games and adding guys that have done it somewhere else, you couldn't put a price tag on it. They have done a great job.” Defense wins championships and for years the defense was not only not up to the Gator Standard, it was just plain BAD. After the bye week before Tennessee, the 2024 defense has really turned it up. Bryce was asked about the open date: “I feel like especially the leaders and the seniors came and brought the team together and we were like, how do we want the season to be. I feel that played a big part, and we all said we don't want to go out like this, so I feel like everybody came together and we started working even harder and I feel like it's starting to show now.“   Asked about playing against the #1 Offense in the SEC, Bryce said:   “I felt like this defense, everybody played a part and the D-line had a great game. I feel like they helped, especially the back end containment, made him throw, especially for my pick, difficult throws and I feel like the linebackers played a big part in my picks just getting him to overthrow the ball and then the defensive backs we’re always going to be together. So I feel like just the whole, we're always coming together.”    With the game on the line, first and 10 on the 39-yard line with 1:32 left, Ole Miss was driving for the tie and Thornton made his first interception in the fourth quarter. Jaxson Dart overthrew his receiver, right into Thornton’s hands. Thornton’s second interception of the game came with 17 seconds left, crushing the dreams of Ole Miss making the playoffs and introducing, perhaps, another legendary safety, in a long line of greats that have played for the Florida Gators football program.

(Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) It’s rather amazing how perspectives can change in a matter of four short months.   Back in August, Florida State was on everybody’s preseason top ten, the favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference and reach the expanded College Football Playoff where the Seminoles were thought to have a chance to avenge last year’s snub. Head ball coach Mike Norvell was ranked the No. 6 head coach in all of Division I by College Football News.   In its preseason magazine, Lindy’s wrote that Florida State was “the league’s still-most talented team to make a repeat ACC title run” while saying “Norvell has embraced college football’s new era to its fullest extent, annually flipping the roster with excellent program fits and impact players.”   That was then. This is now and right now the Seminoles are going nowhere in a hurry. Their 2-9 record heading into tonight’s (7 p.m., ESPN2) season-ending game with arch-rival Florida (6-5) at Doak Campbell Stadium puts an end to a season to forget, one that has FSU fans wondering how could everything go south in such a hurry? It wasn’t supposed to be that way.   It started with finding replacements for last year’s 13-1 team in the portal. Quarterback and Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei was thought to be a coup, but he is a complete and total bust. Uigalelei was benched and hasn’t played since a game five loss to SMU. The offense, meanwhile, has been a complete disaster. Offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, perceived as future top tier head coaching material back in August, has been fired because the Seminoles have gained more than 300 yards in only one game this season and that was against D1AA Charleston Southern (1-10). All those other “impact” pickups from the transfer portal have been about as effective as Uiagalelei.   The perception is FSU is dead in the water.     Nothing personifies how perceptions have changed more than the  2025 recruiting class, once hailed as pure genius and proof that Norvell is one of college football’s true coaching stars. The class has dropped like a rock and is likely to drop so far out of sight it will take a Sherpa to find it if (and when) 5-star O-lineman Solomon Thomas (6-4, 315, Jacksonville, FL Raines) and 4-star D-lineman Kevin Wynn (6-3, 325, Greensboro, GA Greene County) flip. Thomas is expected to flip to Florida, which has already flipped 4-star QB Tramell Jones (6-0, 200, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin), 4-star running back Byron Louis (5-11, 205, Fort Lauderdale, FL American Heritage), and 3-star OT Daniel Pierre-Louis (6-4, 300, Loxahatchee, FL Seminole Ridge) from the Seminoles. Wynn is expected to flip to South Carolina.   Losing both Thomas and Wynn would seem a death knell to FSU where the current situation is considered bleak at best. Most FSU fans think calling it bleak is a step up from the reality of where it is. It might not be rock bottom, but rock bottom is within shouting distance.   Meanwhile, there is Florida, coached by Billy Napier, whom Futiak ranked the No. 68 coach in Division I before the season began. Napier was thought to have a foot out the door after the Gators were hammered by Miami and Texas A&M in the first three games of the season. Following a lousy defensive effort in a win over a bad Mississippi State team, Napier was thought to have one foot out the door.   Once again, it’s funny about perceptions. The Gators are now an improbable 6-5 with wins in their last two games against ranked opponents LSU and Ole Miss. The Gators ended any hope for LSU to make the SEC Championship Game and they essentially eliminated any Ole Miss hopes for making the College Football Playoff. Most experts believe Florida would have beaten Tennessee had Graham Mertz not gone down with a season-ending injury. Many of those same experts believe Florida would have beaten Georgia if DJ Lagway hadn’t gone down with a hamstring.   Yet, here the Gators are 6-5 needing a win over FSU to finish a rather astonishing 7-5. Astonishing, that is, if you consider the schedule and preseason perceptions. Against what is considered the toughest schedule in the country, Florida has far exceeded expectations and Napier is no longer on the hot seat. Win or lose tonight he will be back for another year where the Gators will be expected to compete for a championship.   With stud freshman quarterback DJ Lagway returning along with running backs like Jadan Baugh and Ja’kobi Jackson, four starters on the O-line, plus nearly every important player from a defense that is suddenly formidable and the Gators figure to be a hot ticket item both for the upcoming bowl season and 2025. When the Gators beat LSU to improve to 6-5, the Gators were in the conversation for the Gasparilla, Birmingham and Liberty bowls. Beating LSU and Ole Miss has Florida being considered a serious possibility to land in Jacksonville for the Taxslayer Gator Bowl. The Gators would almost certainly guarantee a sellout, plus it would represent a tremendous coup for recruiting since Jacksonville is annually loaded with talent.     So, here we have tonight’s game, perceived as a battle for two teams heading in opposite directions. For Florida State, a win over the Gators might calm the frazzled nerves of alumni, boosters and a few recruits. Any win over the Gators is considered a great win among the FSU faithful, but especially now when FSU’s season is in the tank and Florida’s is perceived to be on the rise.   For the Gators, avoiding a letdown is imperative. The Gators have plenty to play for. A win tonight and a bowl game victory would mean an 8-5 record that will resonate both on the recruiting and portal trails.   At 2-10, the perception is that FSU might have slipped many notches on the relevance scale. Some boosters will tell you candidly that this year has set the program back years. A lawsuit against the ACC designed to grease the skids for seceding is now perceived as futile. FSU thinks the SEC and/or Big Ten will welcome the Seminoles with open arms, but that’s hardly the case. The Seminoles bring very little to the table for either league and the only way the SEC and Big Ten consider expanding is to add schools that bring value.   A 7-5 Florida team will be perceived as teetering on the verge of rejoining the ranks of championship contenders. With Lagway as the lure and Napier’s job safe, perceptions will be that Florida is a very good landing place for both high school recruits and studs from the portal.   Not many would have thought that way back in August but they sure do think that way now.

Derek Lagway/UF Photo Welcome to the First Church of Billy Napier, where he is about to preach on gluttony during Thanksgiving Week. And why it’s dangerous to assume that the Seminoles’ goose has been cooked along with your turkey. In the nether world of Big Boy football, dominated by the thunder claps from Athens and Tuscaloosa and Austin,  or maybe even College Station, it’s easy to overlook the Slumdog billionaires. Or as we know them in gambling circles, the Home Dogs. If you’re not careful, they will bite you three ways to Saturday,  because you’re not likely to see them coming from Gainesville or Auburn or even from another left field location TBD. While you’re focusing on the Crimson Tide or the Longhorns or maybe even the Bulldogs,  these snipers can take  you out. We saw that Saturday in Gainesville and at Auburn and in Norman. These sneaky assassins from the SEC can, and will, eat their own young or old just to spoil the party and, in the name of parity, knock off one of the pretty boys who were hoping to dodge the SEC title game anyway if they could find a backdoor by getting a pink slip and living to fight another day in the 12-team playoff. Meanwhile, redemption — how sweet it is! — as we return to the glorious feeling of yesteryear in The Swamp and on the Plains. There is life again in Tom Pettyville and on Toomer’s Corner. Gawd , I Iove Southern football.   Nick Saban’s quote from the GOAT Diaries that fans “focus too much on outcomes” here in the land of football supremacy was never more true. Yes, maybe this time the patient died, but not only was the operation still a success — he came back to life again.  I believe there is some sort of religion based on resurrection.  As that great philosopher Yogi Berra — the Plate-O of baseball — once said: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” And even then sometimes it ain’t. So on behalf of frustrated fans and stupid media (including myself) I’d like to apologize to Billy Napier and Brent Venables and maybe even Hugh Freeze — well, maybe not him — for focusing too much on outcomes. Silly me, I did not get the memo from DaVinci Code board members that you sometimes need a shot or two of pain from those debilitating defeats before you can return to the glories. The Gators beat ranked teams in back-to-back weeks for the first time since 2008 (FSU-Alabama). And now they start to get noticed. Even though they are not likely to show up in the rankings (No AP Top 25), they are showing up in the recruiting FlippOrRooskis. Word reached Monday that prized Top 100 linebacker Ty Jackson of Seminole Ridge has eschewed Southern Cal in favor of Florida. Then we heard about Class of 2025 WR Muizz Tounkara flipping his commitment from Arizona to Florida, he told @on3recruits The 6-4 ,195 -pound WR from League City, TX had been Committed to the Wildcats since July. “Ready to swim with them Gators in the Swamp,” he wrote. And then, after being committed to Cincinnati since June, 2025 prospect Jahari Medlock has now flipped his commitment to the Florida Gators. This comes after a strong return trip to Gainesville for the victory over No. 9-ranked Ole Miss. The Swamp and Derek Lagway just keep calling 'em back home. Welcome to the First Church of Billy  Napier, where he is about to preach on gluttony during Thanksgiving Week. And why it’s dangerous to assume that the Seminoles’ goose has been cooked along with your turkey. But do pass me the cranberries and sweet potato pie while I indulge myself on the last two Saturday menus — Bayou Tiger meat and Mississippi Mud Pie. On Monday he told the Media: “Yeah, I mean, look, I've stood up here and said this many times. You have to have a very objective way to sum up the game, evaluate the game. What contributed to winning? What did we overcome because we were strong in these areas? We overcame these things. “I think the LSU game is an indicator, time of possession and play count was out of whack because of the third down issues on defense. But because we did play well in the red zone and we were very explosive on offense, we overcame it. “This past game was all about red zone scoring, turnover margin, right? Those were the two significant stats in the game. Learning how to win is having a comprehensive understanding of what contributes to winning football. I think the math problem may be a little different each week. It's always a combination of these factors that we talk about every day. “Sometimes you may have some issues in one area, but you overcome it because you're really strong in another area. How all those contribute to playing winning football I think is key. Ultimately if a guy is in your program for a number of years, he starts to develop an understanding of why those things are so important.” The Gators opened up as 15-point favorites over Florida State this week. Asked about Mike Norvell’s woes, Napier responded: "I've got my own grass to mow, and my yard is big, and it's got a lot of weeds in it...We're trying to get the Florida Gators better, that's my focus." With a bowl game and possible winning season for gourmet delights still on the table, how’s this for post-season possibilities? (my list):  I like the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (ESPN) vs Clemson or Kansas.  Others suggest the  Birmingham Bowl: vs NCST (ESPN) Liberty Bowl: vs TCU (ESPN) Gasparilla Bowl: vs West Virginia (CBS). Go ahead and order that Pumpkin Tiramisu or that Martha Stewart  Pumpkin-Cheesecake Pie With Gingersnap Crust. It will taste better than anything you have eaten since 2020. I garrrontee you it will! — RIP Dom Reynolds  Services were held at Harden/Pauli Funeral Home in Eustis for Dom Reynolds, stepfather of Franz Beard  on Monday, November 25.  Interment will be at Antioch Cemetery, Gainesville on Tuesday at 11 AM.  Online Guestbook available at www.hardenpauli.com   Arrangements by Harden/Pauli Funeral Home, Eustis. In memory of Dom Reynolds Underwood, please consider making a donation to one of the following charities: Wounded Warrior Project Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation

Strange things seem to happen at Doak much as they do at Auburn, seemingly “haunted,” as Saban says. By CARLTON REESE GatorBaitMedia.com Nick Saban warned Texas A&M about going to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium to face the underdog Tigers on ESPN’s Gameday pregame show last weekend. “That place is haunted,” the six-time national champion coach said. He remembers quite vividly the times his favored Crimson Tide teams fell in that building, and not in the most conventional of ways. His words were targeted solely at the Auburn home turf, but they also seemed to perfectly describe that brick-façade erector set in Tallahassee called Doak Campbell Stadium. Strange things seem to happen at Doak much as they do at Auburn, seemingly “haunted” as Saban says. So as Florida takes a 6-5 record and a wrecking ball of momentum into Tallahassee Saturday night to face a 2-9 Seminoles team just waiting for that school bell to ring, one would think smooth sailing for the Gators. History shows, however, that taking this game for granted under even the most favorable circumstances can be dangerous. Florida must beat FSU Saturday – it cannot lose; it must not lose. Three weeks of goodwill accumulated by coach Billy Napier and this team go down the drain as though none of it ever happened if the Gators lose to the Seminoles. To come back to Gainesville with a loss would be the greatest humiliation faced by this program since 1979 when Tulsa whipped the Gators at Florida Field for homecoming. The old cliché is that when rivals take the field “you can throw out the records” and it certainly holds true in this one, where a bloodbath seems to ensue on the field, and sometimes off. This year’s version of what should be referred to as “The Bloodbath” instead of that innocuous “Sunshine Sizzler” some have tried to peg it as, features something rarely seen: An FSU team with a losing record hosting the Gators. The last time this happened was in 2018 when the Willie Taggart-led Noles took a 5-6 record into the game, and that one turned out rather well for Florida in a 41-14 rout. Before that, one must go all the way back to 1976 when FSU was 2-3 the day it hosted Florida. The Gators won that one as well, 33-26. Florida has lost 14 times in Tallahassee, not including a tie that is deemed a loss by most Florida fans. Many of those 14 losses were prime examples of what can go wrong in that stadium if you’re the Florida Gators. Here are some of the more memorable ones Gator fans would prefer expunged from memory: 1964 – The first meeting in Tallahassee would also be the first time FSU would beat Florida. The 5-2 Gators turned it over six times, including a lost fumble at the Seminoles’ 2-yard line on Florida’s first possession. Steve Tensi’s 55-yard TD pass to Fred Biletnikoff engineered FSU’s 16-7 win. 1980 – Florida, 7-3 and ranked 19th, was the underdog to the 3rd-ranked ‘Noles, but the Gators dominated the first half in going up 13-3. FSU shut Florida down in the second half and won 17-13. UF head coach Charley Pell is purported to have gone to the FSU locker room after the game to congratulate them, then returned to the Florida locker room to tell his players what he had just done. He followed that up by saying he would never lose to that team again. He didn’t. 1990 – At 9-1 and ranked 6th nationally and led by first-year coach Steve Spurrier, the Gators gave up a 73-yard TD bomb on the game’s second play then fumbled on the opening possession to put them in a two-score hole it could never recover. The 8-2 and 8th-ranked Seminoles would win 45-30. 1994 – The Choke at Doak needs no explanation, but here goes: A dominating 31-3 fourth quarter lead flushed in a defensive laydown wound up with the Gators practically lucky to finish tied 31-31. Danny Kannel passed for 232 yards in the final quarter alone. 1996 – Two undefeated teams, Florida ranked No.1 and FSU No. 2 pounded each other. UF quarterback Danny Wuerffel was sacked six times and battered on late hits throughout that FSU coach Bobby Bowden later admitted they were coached to play not to the whistle, but to “the echo of the whistle.” Florida missed two crucial field goals and saw a go-ahead TD in the first half wiped out by a penalty. FSU won 24-21, but the Gators exacted their revenge a month later by crushing FSU in the Sugar Bowl, 52-20, for the national championship. 1998 – Again, the Gators dominated the first half and saw a defensive TD ruled a safety in the second quarter as Florida led just 12-6. In the third quarter, UF defensive back Marquand Manuel had a certain pick-6 bounce off his hands to FSU receiver Peter Warrick, who scored on the play, a 14-point swing for the ‘Noles and catalyst for their 23-12 win. 2002 – Like the 2024 season, Florida entered on a roll after a slow start to the season, having won four straight including a win over 5th-ranked Georgia. Chris Rix scrambled for yardage under intense Gator pressure and Aaron Walker had a pass bounce off his hands that was picked off and returned for an FSU touchdown, securing a 31-14 win. 2014 – With lame duck coach Will Muschamp, the Gators had a chance to pull off the series’ biggest upset against the undefeated and defending national champion Seminoles. They intercepted Jameis Winston four times and controlled the game early, but managed only three field goals. After an interception deep in FSU territory set Florida in position to go up 16-0, a short pass bounced off the shoulder pads of a receiver and FSU returned it 93 yards for a TD to completely change the game’s momentum. FSU went on to win 24-19. 2022 – Florida’s last trip to Tallahassee, with the Gators taking a 6-5 record against the 16th-ranked Seminoles. The game turned into a shootout eventually won by FSU, 45-38. The Gators drove to the FSU 21 on their final possession with less than a minute to play, but turned it over on fourth down when an FSU defender clearly committed a facemask penalty that was not called. Overall, Florida is 14-14-1 in Tallahassee and has never lost there when it has been a prohibitive favorite, which has been rare. When the Florida Gators step onto the Doak Campbell Stadium turf Saturday night, it should do so with likely the largest contingent of Gator fans it will ever see in that stadium. Lest anyone think FSU will simply mail it in, consider that this team has absolutely nothing to lose, just as a cornered animal with rabies is dangerous. Despite mercenaries up and down their roster, the FSU players hate the Gators and it should be expected they will play their best game of the year with their best game plan. Even then, it shouldn’t be enough to beat Florida, but it would not be the strangest thing ever seen, only the most disappointing.

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Walter Clayton Jr. already knew what kind of game this was going to be when he drove to the rim with 10:10 remaining in the first half and 18th-ranked Florida (7-0) trailing Wake Forest 20-11. Wake’s Efton Reid, every bit the 7-0, 250 pounds he’s listed, sent Clayton sprawling. Reid got a piece of the ball, but he got more of Clayton.   The zebra crew of Don Daily, Byron Jarrett and Bill Covington swallowed their whistles. Florida coach Todd Golden could have made a plea for temporary insanity in front of the Florida bench.   Clayton didn’t like the call, but understood this was the way the game was going to be officiated.   “That’s the first game we had this year the refs kind of let us play,” Clayton said. “So we kind of got over that in the beginning, understood that the refs was going to let us play on both sides, got used to that and kind of adjusted.”   Adjustment began shortly after that and once the Gators figured things out, Wake Forest was the one that had the problems. Florida outscored the Demon Deacons, 67-38, the rest of the way, finishing with an impressive 75-58 win in the ESPN Invitational at the Disney complex. With the win, the Gators will face unbeaten Wichita State (6-0), a 68-66 winner over Minnesota, at 3:30 p.m. Friday.   This win was all about defense and rebounding as the Gators turned in what Golden said was their best defensive effort of the year. The way the Gators played in the first 10 minutes, however, gave the impression that Wake Forest was going to run away with an easy win.   Things began to change in Florida’s favor during a media time out.   “I thought we were driving and hoping or expecting foul calls at the rim, as opposed to going through their bodies with great physicality,” Golden said. “We thought, we were just feeling sorry for ourselves a little bit in terms of our ability to play with physicality in the paint and at the rim, and again, we just reset ourselves. We recalibrated out of media and talked about it ... listen, things might not be going our way, but we can't let that impact the way we're competing.”   The Gators adjusted attitudes and not only matched Wake Forest’s physicality, but they became the clear aggressor. Florida outscored Wake Forest 21-7 in the final 9:36 of the half. What got the Gators going was a personal 8-0 run by Will Richard, who hit a free throw, a 3-pointer from the corner and a pair of 1-man fast breaks after he stole the ball, one of them ending in a thunderous dunk with 6:44 to go in the half that cut the Wake Forest lead to 20-18.   “We talked about him in the locker room as being the most valuable player today,” Golden said. “In big moments in the first half when things weren't going our way, I thought he exuded great leadership. And then across all 40 minutes, I thought he just played really, really well -- 14 points, six rebounds, no turnovers, a really clean floor game, a great defensive effort. I don't remember him getting scored on in one-on-one situations, and I was smiling with him in the locker room after the game. I'm like, ‘Man, you're turning into a really good player.’ It's really fun to watch.”    With Richard leading the way, during the last 10 minutes of the first half, the Gators outrebounded Wake Forest 15-4 and came away with four steals, all of which were converted into points. In the final 10 minutes, Wake Forest hit only 2-10 of its shots from the field.   The Gators carried the first half momentum over, outscoring Wake Forest, 10-0 in the first three minutes starting with back-to-back threes by Clayton, who finished the game with 21 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals. A steal and a 1-man fast break by Alijah Martin gave the Gators a 14-point lead at 42-28.   “We did what we needed to do to get a 4-point lead going into halftime and then for the first time all year, I thought we did a fantastic job coming out of the half,” Golden said. “Going on that 10-0 run that spread it a little bit, and gave us a little bit of a cushion to play with.”   To Wake Forest’s credit, the Demon Deacons wouldn’t go away. Some of that had to do with the Gators own inconsistencies shooting the ball. Florida shot only 39.7 percent overall (23-58) and 29.6 percent from the 3-point line (8-27), but the combination of rebounding and great defense made certain Wake Forest never got closer than six points.   Over the final five minutes of the game, the Gators stretched their lead from seven (60-53) to as many as 19 before finishing with a comfortable 17-point margin. Heading into the game, finishing strong was an emphasis.   “One of the issues we've had the past couple games, we've gotten out to these big leads, but we haven't played a complete game,” Golden said. “We've let ourselves off the hook defensively and on the glass in the second half. I thought we played a complete game today.”   The complete game showed up in the rebounding and defensive stats. The Gators outrebounded Wake Forest, 44-30, and stole the ball 10 times, outscoring the Deacons, 21-12 off turnovers. Wake Forest, which relies heavily on efficient scoring from the perimeter, was held to 21-56 shooting overall (37.5 percent) and only 3-20 (15 percent) from the 3-point line.     That was the kind of effort Golden was looking for.   “Yeah, I thought our best defensive effort of the year,” Golden said. “I think we held them to 0.85 points per possession, something along those lines, which is an elite performance, especially against a team that's so well-coached with so many good players.”   Wake Forest managed only 58 points, the lowest any team has scored against Florida all season. Through seven games, the Gators are allowing opponents only 66.4 points per game. Since the first couple of games when opponents lived on the 3-point line, the Gators have gotten better at closing out on shooters. Opponents are now hitting just 30.2 percent on 3-pointers this season.   The emphasis on better defense hasn’t slowed down the offense. The Gators are averaging 86.3 per game, which is actually more than last year, but they’ve cut opponent scoring by 13.   “That [defense] was our Achilles heel last year,” Golden said. “We were a very good offensive team, but too often, we got in track meets and we didn't value the defensive side of the ball. I think this year's group has done a better job, as well as our staff, committing to being better defensively. I think we're coaching it harder. Our guys have been coachable in understanding what we expect on that end, and our depth plays a big role in that. Being able to play Tommy (Haugh), Zell (Denzell Aberdeen), Sam (Alexis), and Urby (Urban Klavzar) off the bench allows us to go get guys when they're tired and not blocking out or not making multiple efforts defensively. So for us to get where we wanna go, we gotta continue to improve on that end.”   The starting rotation on the perimeter came up big at both ends of the court. In addition to Clayton, Martin finished with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Richard finished with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist and two steals.   The big man rotation of Chinyelu (9), Alex Condon (8) and Haugh (8) accounted for 25 of Florida’s 44-rebound effort. SEC Basketball Thursday's games No. 18 FLORIDA (7-0) 75, Wake Forest (6-2) 58 Illinois (6-1) 90, No. 19 Arkansas (5-2) 77 No. 23 Ole Miss (6-0) 96, BYU (5-1) 85 No. 25 Mississippi State (6-0) 80, UNLV (4-2) 58 Oklahoma (6-0) 82, No. 24 Arizona (3-3) 77 Today's games No. 18 FLORIDA (7-0) vs. Wichita State (6-0) at Lake Buena Vista Georgia State (4-3) at No. 8 Kentucky (6-0) No. 23 Ole Miss (6-0) vs. No. 13 Purdue (6-1) at San Diego No. 25 Mississippi State (6-0) vs. Butler (5-1) at Tempe, AZ Oklahoma (6-0) vs. Louisville (6-1) at Nassau, Bahamas Tennessee Tech (4-3) at Vanderbilt (6-1) Northwestern State (3-4) at LSU (5-1) Delaware State (3-4) at Texas (5-1)

Tyreak Sapp (94) and Caleb Banks (88) sack Jaxson Dart (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: Two straight wins over ranked teams at home, but now it’s time for the Gators (6-5) to hit the road. Florida State (2-9) isn’t anything close to the competitive level of LSU and Ole Miss, but the Seminoles are dangerous just the same. It will be a test for Billy Napier and his staff to make certain the Gators go into Saturday night’s game in Tallahassee (7 p.m., ESPN2) as prepared mentally as they have been the last two games.   “Do we have enough maturity to get ready to play again?” Napier asked rhetorically at his Monday press conference.   After playing two of the best offenses in the country, can the Gators ignore the fact that FSU is one of the worst teams in the country at moving the football and putting points on the scoreboard. FSU ranks 131st out of 134 Division I teams in both total offense (273.1 yards per game) and scoring (15.8 points per game). The Seminoles have allowed 41 sacks, 130th nationally.   The Gators can’t go into Tallahassee overconfident. This has been a strange year for college football, one that has seen the improbable happen on a weekly basis. Florida State has had a miserable season, but knocking off the Gators would soothe a lot of wounds and give hope for next year.   The Gators can’t ignore that. They are already bowl eligible, but a seventh win will get them to a better bowl game, so there is plenty at stake.   Banks, Crawshaw and Thornton earn SEC honors Three Gators were honored by the Southeastern Conference for their efforts against Ole Miss. Caleb Banks was named Defensive Lineman of the Week for 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw was named Special Teams Player of the Week for six punts including a 62-yard bomb that required Ole Miss to begin drives deep in its own territory. Bryce Thornton had a career-high 14 tackles including two interceptions to earn Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.   UF HOOPS: GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 17 With their two dominant wins last week, the Gators (6-0) moved up to No. 17 in the latest Associated Press poll. The Gators will be playing Wake Forest Thursday at the Disney complex in Orlando, followed by a Friday game against either Minnesota or Wichita State.   Associated Press top 25: 1. Kansas 5-0; 2. UConn 4-0; 3. Gonzaga 5-0; 4. Auburn 4-0; 5. Iowa State 3-0; 6. Houston 3-1; 7. Tennessee 6-0; 8. Kentucky 5-0; 9. Alabama 4-1; 10. Marquette 6-0; 11. Duke 4-1; 12. North Carolina 3-1; 13. Purdue 5-1; 14. Indiana 4-0; 15. Wisconsin 7-0; 16. Cincinnati 5-0; 17. Baylor 4-2;   18. FLORIDA 6-0; 19. Arkansas 4-1; 20. Texas A&M 4-1; 21. Creighton 4-1; 22. Xavier 5-0; 23. Ole Miss 5-0; 24. Arizona 2-2; 25. Mississippi State 5-0   Coaches top 25: 1. Kansas 5-0; 2. UConn 4-0; 3. Auburn 4-0; 4. Gonzaga 5-0; 5. Iowa State 3-0; 6. Tennessee 6-0; 7. Houston 3-1; 8. Kentucky 5-0; 9. Alabama 4-1; 10. Duke 4-1; 11. Marquette 6-0; 12. Purdue 5-1; 13. North Carolina 3-1; 14. Cincinnati 5-0; 15. Indiana 4-0;  16. FLORIDA 6-0; 17. Wisconsin 7-0; 18. Baylor 4-2; 19. Creighton 4-1; 20. Texas A&M 4-1; 21. Arkansas 4-1; 22. Xavier 5-0; 23. Arizona 2-2; 24. Ole Miss 5-0; 25. Pittsburgh 6-1   Monday’s games No. 4 Auburn (5-0) 83, No. 5 Iowa State (3-1) 81 No. 19 Arkansas (5-1) 109, Maryland-Eastern Shore (2-7) 35 No. 22 Xavier (6-0) 75, South Carolina (3-3) 66   Today’s games No. 6 Houston (3-1) vs. No. 9 Alabama (4-1) in Las Vegas Oregon (5-0) vs. No. 20 Texas A&M (4-1) in Las Vegas Western Kentucky (3-2) at No. 8 Kentucky (5-0)   SEC FOOTBALL No. 13 Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC): The last time Alabama lost three regular season games was 2007, Nick Saban’s first year as the HBC.  Next: Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC)   Arkansas (6-5, 3-4 SEC): The Hogs beat Louisiana Tech to become bowl eligible but will that be enough to save Sam Pittman’s job?  Next: at No. 24 Missouri (8-3, 4-3 SEC)   Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC): Auburn’s 4-overtime win over Texas A&M gives the Tigers a shot at bowl eligibility if they can find a way to upset Alabama Saturday in Tuscaloosa.  Next: at No. 13 Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC)   No. Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC): The Bulldogs will play the winner of Texas and Texas A&M in the SEC Championship Game.  Next: at Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3 SEC), Friday   Kentucky (4-7, 1-7 SEC): The Wildcats’ string of eight consecutive seasons going to a bowl game has ended with the 31-14 loss to Texas.  Next: Louisville (7-4)   LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC): The Tigers broke their 3-game losing streak with a completely uninspired 24-17 win over Vanderbilt.  Next: Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC)   Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 SEC): There wasn’t much to cheer about Saturday at Davis-Wade Stadium. The biggest cheer of the day was when Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart threw an interception that sealed the Rebels loss to Florida. Next: at No. 15 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC), Friday   No. 24 Missouri (8-3, 4-3 SEC): It has been an injury-filled year for QB Brady Cook, who has thrown only nine TDPs this year, dipping from 21 a year ago when threw for 3,317 yards.  Next:  Arkansas (6-5, 3-4 SEC)   Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC): The Sooners played dominant defense to beat Alabama and become bowl eligible. Next: at LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC)     No. 6 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC): Saturday was a College Football Playoff play-in game for the Rebels, but they lost to Florida, ending their hopes of making the CFP.  Next: Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 SEC), Friday   No. 16 South Carolina (8-3, 5-3 SEC): With a win Saturday at Clemson, the Gamecocks can deny their in-state arch-rival a chance to play in the ACC Championship Game where the Tigers could play their way into the playoff as the conference champs. Next: at No. 12 Clemson (9-2, 7-1 SEC)   No. 7 Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC): The Vols have been eliminated from the SEC Championship Game by virtue of the tie breaker. Beat Vanderbilt Saturday in Nashville and the Vols are shoe-ins for the College Football Playoff.  Next: at Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4 SEC)   No. 3 Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC): Next: at No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC)   No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC): If the Aggies beat Texas they go to Atlanta to play for the SEC Championship. Lose either to Texas or to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and the Aggies can forget the playoff. Next: No. 3 Texas (8-3, 5-2 SEC)   Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4 SEC): Vandy scored on its first offensive play of the game then struggled mightily to put points on the scoreboard the rest of the way, dropping a 24-17 decision to LSU. Next: No. 7 Tennessee (9-2, 6-1 SEC)   AROUND THE STATE Florida Atlantic (2-9, 0-7 American): Kevin Wilson was fired as the HBC.  Next: at Tulsa (2-9, 1-6 American)   Florida International (3-8, 2-5 Conference USA): The Panthers aren’t nearly as bad as the record would indicate. Seven of their eight losses are by nine or fewer points.  Next: Middle Tennessee (3-8, 2-5 American)   Florida State (2-9, 1-7 ACC): The Seminoles broke their 6-game losing streak by stomping D1AA Charleston Southern 41-7.  Next: Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC)   No. 8 Miami (10-1, 6-1 ACC): Miami needs to beat Syracuse to claim the spot opposite SMU in the ACC Championship Game.  Next: at Syracuse (8-3, 4-3 ACC)   South Florida (6-5, 4-3 American): The Bulls are going bowling thanks to their 63-30 win over Tulsa. South Florida racked up 715 yards of offense over Tulsa.  Next: at Rice (3-8, 2-5 American)   UCF (4-7, 2-6 Big 12): The wheels have come completely off for the Knights, who have lost seven of eight games after starting out the season 3-0. Next: Utah (4-7, 2-7 Big 12)   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY EXTINCT SPECIES LIST Joe Houston, East Carolina:  The decision has been made. Interim Blake Harrell, who is also the offensive coordinator. The Pirates are 4-0 and bowl bound since Harrell took the reins.   Mike Bloomgren, Rice: It’s looking like the newbie will be Yale head coach Tony Reno, who won the Ivy League title. He understands the difficulties of recruiting to a school where the freshmen have stratospheric SAT scores.        Will Hall, Southern Miss:  Two names have emerged in the coaching search. One is Joe Judge, formerly the head coach of the New York Giants and now an analyst for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. The other is Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs, 83-19 as a head coach at the D2 and D1AA levels.      Mike Neu, Ball State: Smart money is on Texas A&M assistant Joey Lynch, a former Ball State quarterback.   Stan Drayton, Temple: Duke assistant head coach Gabe Infante has emerged as the favorite.   Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic:  The hot name is NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis in a Deion Sanders type of scenario. If they’re really smart, they hire Penn State running backs coach JaJuan Seider, a Belle Glade native.   Don Brown, UMass: LSU assistant and former UConn HBC is a name to look out here. If he works cheap that will be a real plus.    Biff Poggi, Charlotte: One of the names on the short list is Steve Wilks, former defensive coordinator and interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers.   Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: They fired Bohannon but he won’t be out of a job long. Meanwhile, they don’t have money or facilities to hire a coach that’s on everybody’s short list.     Kevin Wilson, Tulsa:  They really didn’t want to fire him, but giving up 63 points to South Florida left little choice.   ON LIFE SUPPORT Joe Moorhead, Akron:  He got a win over Kent State. The Zips are 3-8 with Toledo left to play. If he’s still the coach next Monday it’s because they don’t have the money to fire him.   Kenni Burns, Kent State:  The Flashes are teetering on the verge of perfection. In reverse of course. When Buffalo crushes them this week, it’s 0-12 baby! Burns is 1-23 in two seasons.   Trent Dilfer, UAB:  The natives are restless. They want a new coach but there is every good chance the Blazers beat Charlotte to finish on a 2-game wing streak. Does the admin pull the plug?   Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech:  Any hope he has of saving his job hangs on beating Kennesaw State. As bad as Lousy Tech is, Kennesaw is worse.   Jim McElwain, Central Michigan:  The best way to avoid the pink slip is resign ahead of the bad news, which is exactly what Old Yeller has done. A loss to Northern Ill Saturday is expected to close out the career. Maybe now he’ll get his teeth whitened.   Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion:  Close supposedly counts only in horse shoes and hand grenades. If Ricky Rahne is still coaching ODU next Tuesday it’s because six losses by a combined 36 points is a sign of progress.   Ryan Walters, Purdue: Purdon’t has lost 10 in a row. It’s a coin flip whether they 86 him or bring him back.    ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST   Hugh Freeze, Auburn:  Beating the Aggies has folks thinking maybe Hugh knows what he’s doing. If he beats Bama this week, the pressure will be off ... for awhile. When he was at Ole Miss, Hugh beat Nick Saban twice. Can he do it at Auburn?   Sam Pittman, Arkansas:  The Razorbacks are 6-5. A win over Mizzou Saturday will seal the deal that Sam comes back. Lose, it’s 6-6 and things are dicey.   Mike Norvell, Florida State: The Seminoles are bleeding recruits left and right. They’re about to get hosed by the Gators. Things are rotten in Tallahassee but they don’t have any money to fire him and hire someone else.   Gus Malzahn, UCF: The Knights are 4-7 and a lot of folks think it’s time to move on. Gus says he’s not going anywhere.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: There is an old adage that fits all sports -- “Winning cures everything.” If you were taking Xanax for your anxiety over Florida’s football recruiting class, then put the pills away. The Gators are going to be fine.   Four-star running back Byron Louis (6-0, 205, Fort Lauderdale, FL American Heritage) flipped to the Gators from Florida State Monday, capping a day in which the Gators flipped 4-star linebacker Ty Jackson (6-1, 200, Loxahatchee, FL Seminole Ridge) from Southern Cal, 3-star wide receiver Muizz Tounkara (6-4, 200, League City, TX Clear Springs) from Arizona and 3-star offensive lineman Jahari Medlock (6-6, 290, Riverdale, GA Charles Drew) from Cincinnati.   The Gators were ranked somewhere in the 30s but the four flips moved them up to No. 17. It’s entirely possible UF will convince 5-star O-lineman Solomon Thomas (6-4, 315, Jacksonville, FL Raines) to flip from FSU between now and Sunday, a move that should propel the UF class to top ten status. There will be others.   Winning, you see, is indeed a cure for whatever ails your football program.

Bryce Thornton celebrates his game-winning interception against Ole Miss (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) Stay the course. If Billy Napier has said that or words to the same effect over the last three years, he’s said it 100 times. Maybe more.     Win or lose, and there have been more losses (19) than wins (17), Napier has insisted that the Gators are not only progressing toward a resurrection of Florida’s championship past, but doing it the right way. It took until Saturday to convert the Gator Nation from skeptics to believers.   Saturday past sins were, in large part, forgiven by the Florida masses when the Gators (6-5, 4-4 SEC) beat a ranked opponent for the second week in a row, this one 9th-ranked Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC) which came to Gainesville 13.5-point favorites and left 24-17 losers. Winning tends to cure all ills in football where the most successful coaches tend to surround a few carefully picked Boy Scouts with a roster of borderline psychopaths. The nice guys -- and Billy Napier will never be confused for anything but a nice guy -- have this habit of taking the Leo Durocher route. Durocher, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, once said, “Nice guys finish last.”   While we loved and adored Steve Spurrier during his 12 years as Florida’s head ball coach, to the rest of the Southeastern Conference he was Darth Visor. Urban Meyer had the rest of the SEC convinced that he had made a pact with the devil the way he kept bringing in players who were on a first name basis with the folks that process wrongdoers into the Alachua County Jail.   But, Spurrier and Meyer won championships. Eight SEC and three national championships, to be exact, with a combined record of 187-42-1. Since Meyer retired iafter the 2010 season, there has been a succession of nice guys -- Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen prior to Napier. All three were fired prior to the completion of a fourth year and in McElwain’s case, the third.   Napier will get a fourth year, whch pissed off quite a few Gators when Scott Stricklin made the announcement that he’s sticking by his coach. Stricklin explained that Napier had the Gators on the right track for success.   There we go again. Stay the course.   Now, if pressed for more substance, Stricklin might be forced to admit that if he doesn’t stick with his guy, then he’ll lose DJ Lagway, Jadan Baugh and a whole bunch of others to the transfer portal for lucrative NIL deals. That used to be cheating but now it’s legal.   Let’s be honest with ourselves here. We saw the Florida-LSU and Florida-Ole Miss games. Are any of us willing to risk losing this kid to the portal? Ole Miss, probably LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Indiana and Auburn will all be shopping in the portal to fill the quarterback void and all of them are more than willing to pay  through the nose to get their new guy. Twice that or three times that if it’s Lagway.   So let’s not be fooled here. As much as Scott Stricklin was willing to stand by his man, he also knew what would happen with Lagway if Napier were fired. Bringing back Billy meant keeping DJ Lagway a Gator. That was a gamble Stricklin was willing to take.   Another reason why that seemed like a safe gamble was what Stricklin saw on the field starting with the Gators’ response on the field after the Mississippi State win. At that point, consensus was that Napier had one foot out the door and it was simply a matter of which loss in the games ahead would be all she wrote.   Starting with the Wednesday practice after the Mississippi State win, things began to change in a positive direction for Napier and the Gators. At that point in time, the Gators were 2-2 and only the UCF and season ended with Florida State seemed winnable.   Napier admitted that there was at least a tad of self-doubt that day, but what he saw in his team convinced him that he had to find a way to navigate through an upcoming schedule that would include Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss among others. “I walked off of that field on that Wednesday, and man, it's like abuse out there,” Napier said after the Gators stunned No. 9 Ole Miss. “I can ignore it. I can kind of control my environment and live life, but for these young people, in the digital world they live in, they can't do that. They live a life where they cannot do that.  “So just to see them -- sometimes you get to an open date, and I've been on teams where an open date is a disaster, and you're trying to work, you're trying to come up with plans for improvement. But just to see this group, man, they were like, ‘Coach, what do we do; what do we need to do?’” Players weren’t pointing fingers at each other. They weren’t blaming the head coach or his assistants, either. They blamed themselves for losing and they trusted Napier enough to lead them out of the dark place they were in.   How often does something happen like that in collegiate athletics these days. Nearly every coach in every sport at the big time level will tell you the portal and NIL have changed things into “what’s in it for me.” It’s why Nick Saban retired at Alabama. It’s why Tony Bennett resigned as Virginia’s basketball coach.   This group of Florida players is different. “Yeah, I mean, just passion and energy and the way they worked that week and that Wednesday practice, I'll never forget that,” Napier said. “I walked off that field and said, ‘That's the best practice I've been associated with in 20 years of college football. So at that point, I'm like, we've got to figure this out.’” What an admission, a coach saying he has to make some changes because he thinks his players deserve better. Couple that with players who tell their coach we’re with you all the way and the ingredients are there for good things to happen. Now you know why the Gators had Tennessee on the ropes, knees wobbly and ready to fall face first on the mat until Graham Mertz tore his ACL. The Vols won that game but it took overtime to do it. “I think Tennessee was a turning point,” Napier said. “I think in that locker room after the game, that was when it was like okay, we can do this, and I think obviously Kentucky, another open date, what we experienced in Jacksonville.” Since the Tennessee game, the Gators are 3-2 and obviously not the same team that got its doors blown off by Miami and the Aggies. You can’t turn the clock back, but you can rest assured that neither Canes nor Aggies would be willing to play the Gators right now. Leaving the field after beating Ole Miss, Napier told the ABC reporter that the Gators could play with anyone in the country right now. How right he is. The corner has been turned. By staying the course, with some corrections in the staff (Ron Roberts to the booth, Austin Armstrong to the field for defense) and the way he calls the offense to take advantage of Lagway’s skill set, Napier has finally connected the dots. It’s three years since he was hired, but finally, the head ball coach has a team he knows he can go to war with and win. The Gators are 6-5 with FSU looming next Saturday night at the world’s largest erector set, Doak Campbell Stadium. Win that one, win the bowl game and the Gators finish 8-5 against what every expert said was the toughest schedule in the country. It should be noted that if the Gators get their eight wins it will be with a roster that has had to deal with a rash of injuries the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2013. In 2013, there were so many injuries that Will Muschamp was down to this fourth quarterback at the end of the season. Against Ole Miss Saturday, 16 of 22 starters will be back next year. Another 16 underclassmen played significant roles in the win. The nucleus of a team that should be looked at as a contender next year is in place already and thanks to the portal and solid recruiting by Napier, the Gators should be in a place of real strength for 2025. This journey Napier has been on since taking the Florida job in December of 2021 has been anything but smooth, but credit the coach with believing that championship level teams can be built with high character guys who believe in each other enough to block out the noise. Napier has a roster of guys who go to class and who steer clear of trouble. They aren’t like that rogue bunch in Athens which seems intent on setting arrest records that won’t ever be broken.You don’t seen players opting out to get a head start on the transfer portal and NIL deals. What you see is a team that knows Billy Napier has their backs. Billy knows they have his. Standing at the podium Saturday, Napier said, “I just think hope is powerful, man. Just proud of these guys, man.” Hope is indeed powerful, but so is a coach who loads his roster up with high character guys. We live in weird times in which college athletics are changing on an almost daily basis and for the most part the changes are anything but good. In the face of all this change and so many negatives, we have Billy Napier who seems to have proven that not every nice guy finishes last. Some nice guys simply need a little bit of time to assemble the tools they need to make their plans work.