Shemar James (6) sacks LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: To put Saturday’s final home game (12 noon, ABC) of the season against No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) in perspective, Billy Napier says the goal for the Gators (5-5, 3-4 SEC) is to “earn the right to win.” That was the message a week ago as the Gators prepared for then No. 21 LSU and the result was an exceptional week of practice.   Napier is hoping for similar focus, attention to detail and work ethic from the Gators this week as they prep for an Ole Miss team that ranks No. 4 nationally in scoring (40.7 per game), No. 2 in pass offense (365.7 yards per game) and No. 2 in total offense (539.5 yards per game). Quarterback Jaxson Dart is the nation’s 3rd-ranked passer, completing 70.8 percent of his passes for 340.9 yards per game (11.4 per attempt). Dart has thrown for 22 touchdowns with only four picks.   Ole Miss is no slouch defensively, either. The Rebels are the No. 16 defense (309.2 yards allowed per game), No. 5 in scoring defense (12.9 points per game), No. 2 against the run (79.9 yards per game, 2.23 per carry) and No. 1 in sacks (46 for -296 yards). Suntarine Perkins is 6th nationally in sacks (10 for -60 yards) while former Gator Princely Umanmielen is tied for 7th (9.5 for -65 yards).   Ole Miss also comes into the game with the motivation of staying in the College Football Playoff hunt. With two losses, a third would almost certainly knock the Rebels out of contention. “Obviously a good Ole Miss team coming into town and a lot at stake,” Napier said at his Monday morning press conference. “So the big thing for us is we have to earn the right to win, and I think that's got to be the approach each day of the week. I thought we wanted to be the most prepared we have been to play last week. That was the big message and challenge, and I think we were. “So this week it's all about earning the right to win, and we have to have a little bit of a playoff mindset ourselves to some degree. You know, can we handle the praise, the positive?” Against LSU, the Gators didn’t turn the ball over, didn’t allow a sack and despite the defense being on the field for 93 plays, sacked QB Garrett Nussmeier seven times and allowed only one touchdown. Nussmeier is a relatively stationary quarterback while Dart is extremely effective breaking out of the pocket to escape pressure or extend plays. Dart has run for 304 yards this season including 50 against Georgia. “Not only do you have to match up with the skill outside and the coverages, you would like to play to leverage all the routes the right way,” Napier said. “It puts you in a position where the quarterback can hurt you, right? You are kind of picking your poison. I think they are committed to the run. There's a ton in RPOs in his system as well. That will be one of the chess matches that will be taking place. “One thing I would say about Jackson Dart is he is 225 pounds. He is 6-1-1/2. He is dense and proven to be effective in this league as a runner. They mix him in there throughout the game when they need him, and he's effective.”     James, Smack and Lagway earn SEC honors For his efforts against LSU, linebacker Shemar James was named Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week. James had 11 tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups for Florida’s inspired defense. Placekicker Trey Smack, who kicked field goals of 49 and 55 yards in the 27-16 win, was named SEC Special Teams Co-Player of the Week. Freshman of the Week was quarterback DJ Lagway, who completed 13-26 passes against LSU for a touchdown. UF BASKETBALL: GATORS HOST FAMU The Gators dropped one place to No. 21 in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll despite going 2-0 last week including a 14-point road win against Florida State in Tallahassee. The Gators (4-0) return to action tonight (7 p.m., SEC Network+) at the O-Dome against winless Florida A&M.   The Gators are No. 19 in the kenpom.com analytics with a No. 10 offensive efficiency rating and a No. 50 defensive rating.   Walter Clayton Jr. leads the Gators in scoring at 18.8 per game followed by Richard (13.8), Alijah Martin (13.5) and Alex Condon (13.3). Condon leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game.   Anticipated starting lineups FLORIDA (4-0): 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)   FAMU (0-3): Saiyd Burnside (6-9, 210, JR); Tyler Shirley (6-8, 210, SR); Jordan Chatman (6-4, 210, SR); Milton Mathews (6-3, 200, SR); Sterling Young (6-1, 175, SR)   Associated Press top 25: 1. Kansas 4-0; 2. UConn 3-0; 3. Gonzaga 3-0; 4. Auburn 3-0; 5. Iowa State 2-0; 6. Purdue 4-0; 7. Houston 2-1; 8. Alabama 3-1; 9. Kentucky 3-0; 10. North Carolina 2-1; 11. Tennessee 4-0; 12. Duke 3-1; 13. Baylor 3-1; 14. Creighton 4-0; 15. Marquette 4-0; 16. Indiana 3-0; 17. Arizona 2-1; 18. Cincinnati 3-0; 19. Wisconsin 4-0; 20. Arkansas 2-1; 21. FLORIDA 4-0; 22. St. John’s 4-0; 23. Texas A&M 3-1; 24. Rutgers 2-0; 25. Illinois 3-0   Coaches top 25: 1. Kansas 4-0; 2. UConn 3-0; 3. Auburn 3-0; 4. Gonzaga 3-0; 5. Iowa State 2-0; 6. Purdue 4-0; 7. Alabama 3-1; 8. Houston 2-1; 9. Tennessee 4-0; 10. Duke 3-1; 11. Kentucky 3-0; 12. North Carolina 2-1; 13. Creighton 4-0; 14. Baylor 3-1; 15. Marquette 4-0; 16. Cincinnati 3-0; 17. Arizona 2-1; 18. Indiana 3-0; 19. FLORIDA 4-0; 20. (Tie) St. John’s 4-0 and Illinois 3-0; 22. Texas A&M 3-1; 23. Arkansas 2-1; 24. Texas Tech 3-0; 25. Wisconsin 4-0   SEC Basketball Monday’s scores No. 4 Auburn (4-0) 102, North Alabama (3-2) 69 No. 20 Arkansas (3-1) 91, Pacific (3-3) 72   Today’s games Florida A&M (0-3) at No. 20 FLORIDA (4-0) Lipscomb (2-3) at No. 19 Kentucky (3-0) Alabama A&M (3-1) at Georgia (4-0) Charleston Southern (1-4) at LSU (3-0)   Wednesday’s games Southern (1-3) at No. 23 Texas A&M (3-1) Illinois (3-0) at No. 2 Alabama (3-1)   Thursday’s games Mercer (2-2) at South Carolina (2-2) Syracuse (3-0) vs. Texas (3-1) in Brooklyn Vanderbilt (4-0) vs. Nevada (4-0) in Charleston, SC Oral Roberts (2-2) at No. 25 Ole Miss (4-0) East Texas A&M (1-3) at Oklahoma (3-0) Virginia (3-0) vs. No. 11 Tennessee (4-0) in Nassau, Bahamas   Friday’s games Southern Illinois (1-2) at No. 20 FLORIDA (4-0) Pittsburgh (5-0) at LSU (4-0) Jackson State (0-4) at No. 19 Kentucky (3-0) Pacific (3-2) at Missouri (3-1) Mississippi State (4-0) at SMU (4-1) Little Rock (2-2) at No. 18 Arkansas (2-1)   Saturday’s game No. 15 Marquette (4-0) vs. Georgia (4-0) in Nassau, Bahamas   COUNTDOWN TO FIRING DAY EXTINCT SPECIES LIST Joe Houston, East Carolina:  The Pirates are 3-0 and have scored 143 points since Houston was fired and interim Blake Harrell took over. They’re going bowling. All things point to Harrell getting the full time gig.   Mike Bloomgren, Rice:  Former Washington State head coach Mike Rolovich has been interviewed.   Will Hall, Southern Miss:  Auburn offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, a stud running back for the Golden Eagles during his playing days, seems to be the front runner to take over for Hall.   Mike Neu, Ball State: They probably should have pulled the plug last year. They are cash strapped and may dip into the D1AA or DII ranks to find someone who will work cheap enough to hire.   Stan Drayton, Temple: Great assistant coach who picked the worst possible place to be a head coach. Shirley Temple admin seems to think they can convince Ohio State DC Jim Knowles or Texas OC Kyle Flood to take this dead end job.   Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic:  Losing to Shirley Temple was the last straw. The coach they would like to land is Penn State running backs coach JaJuan Seider, a former UF assistant who is from The Muck.   Don Brown, UMass:  Perhaps they think they can get someone who (a) works super cheap (b) doesn’t mind rotten facilities, (c) is okay with living and recruiting in a state that might produce a half dozen 3-star recruits yearly and (d) doesn’t mind three or four paycheck games a year against the likes of Georgia, who they play Saturday.     Biff Poggi, Charlotte: It’s just his second season so this one wasn’t expected. If they want a real coach they need to at least double the capacity of their little 15,000-seat stadium. That would be a good place to start.   Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State: He was 68-24 in Division IAA, 4-14 once the Owls made the move to Division I. They should have stuck with Division IAA. No money. No facilities. Other than that everything’s peachy.   ON LIFE SUPPORT Joe Moorhead, Akron:  If the Zips lose to Kent State, Moorhead might not coach the Toledo game. He’s a goner any way you slice it.   Kenni Burns, Kent State:  The Golden Flashes haven’t won a game and they’re being outscored by an average of 30 a game. He’s 1-21 as the KSU coach.   Trent Dilfer, UAB:  They didn’t fire him after a 35-point loss to Memphis. The last two games are winnable. Win or lose, if he keeps the job it’s because they can’t afford to fire him and hire someone new.   Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech:  His 1-game win streak comes to an end this week at Arkansas. He could get a win against Kennesaw State in the final game, but that probably won’t save his job.   Jim McElwain, Central Michigan:  The Chips are being investigated by the NCAA, not good news for Old Yeller who’s 3-7 this year with two losable games ahead.   Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion:  If he doesn’t beat Marshall and Arkansas State, he’ll get pink slipped.   Ryan Walters, Purdue: He’s 1-9 this year, 5-17 since taking the job. Odds are that he gets pink slipped after the season ender wtih Indiana.   ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST   Hugh Freeze, Auburn:  Not many happy campers on The Plains. It’s doubtful Hugh gets canned this year, but anything less than eight wins and you can bet the farm he’s a goner next year. Sam Pittman, Arkansas:  Sam has two games to get one win for bowl eligibility. In that Saturday’s game is Louisiana Tech he should be good to go for one more year.   Kevin Wilson, Tulsa:  They really don’t have the money to fire him and they love the potential in freshmen like QB Kirk Francis and wide receiver Joseph Williams. Right now it’s looking like he will get another year.   Mike Norvell, Florida State: The wheels have come off on the field where the Seminoles are 1-9, but also on the recruiting class which lost its 2025 recruiting class is falling apart. QB commit Tramell Jones flipped to Florida and it’s expected that OT commit Solomon Thomas is about to follow suit. FSU gave Norvell a big raise and extension after last year. They can’t afford to fire him.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The only sure thing about the Southeastern Conference Championship Game is if Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) and Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) both win this weekend (Texas hosts Kentucky; Aggies at Auburn) then the winner of their season-ending game in College Station will be in Atlanta. Of course, there is still the problem of winning the SEC title. If Texas loses to the Aggies, it will still make the playoff. If the Longhorns beat the Aggies then lose in Atlanta, they will still make the playoff.   A loss to Texas or in the SEC Championship Game would be all she wrote for the Aggies, who have that loss to Notre Dame on their resume. Three losses and they can forget the playoff.   Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) and Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) have to win both their remaining SEC games to make the playoff. If one of them gets in the SEC Championship Game and loses, it’s curtains for the playoff. Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC) has only one SEC game remaining (Vandy next week) so a loss there or a loss if the Vols make the SEC Championship Game will be sayonara playoff.   Georgia (8-2, 6-2 SEC) has finished its SEC schedule and with UMass and Georgia Tech remaining in non-conference games, the Bulldogs are almost mortal locks for a 10-2 regular season finish. But the Bulldogs could do a repeat of last year by losing the SEC Championship game and missing the playoff altogether. Last year it was a 4-team playoff. This year it’s 12 and still Georgia will have to win to make it.   If you thrive on uncertainty and chaos, then you have to love this. Not only do six SEC teams still have a shot at making both the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, but five other teams could be spoilers -- Florida and Mississippi State (for Ole Miss), Oklahoma and Auburn (for Alabama), Auburn (also for Texas A&M) and Kentucky (for Texas).     This is pure chaos. It’s wonderful, isn’t it?

DJ Lagway returns along with the Gator pass rush to takeout rival LSU on a night of complementary football.   By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Florida edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. (Chris Spears photo) “This was complementary football at its best”-Coach Billy Napier "The Curse of the Shoeless Fog" has been broken. After three games since the infamous third down stop the Florida Gators emerged from the fog victorious against one of their most hated foes. The Florida-LSU rivalry has always had a different vibe to it and on Saturday night the vibe was electric as the return of DJ Lagway and a rejuvenated pass rush ignited the Gators to arguably their best win under Napier. Florida would get explosive plays from their offense, dynamic stops from the defense, and special teams plays that all came together to give the Gators a program defining 27-16 win and set the tone for a program that may be on the verge of merging off the field excellence with on the field success. Florida would hold the nation’s 7th ranked passing offense 60 yards off of their season average with ferocious pressure and use efficient offense to maximize possessions. The physicality that has been absent in most losses was in play on both sides of the ball and allowed the Gators to keep LSU off balance and dominate both lines of scrimmage.   What We Thought: Florida came into the game a wounded bunch on defense. The absence of three starters in the secondary would pose a challenge for a Florida defense facing Garrett Nussmeier and the SEC’s second best passing offense. While LSU had struggled to run the football the vertical passing game would pose a challenge as LSU would bring a group of talented receivers to The Swamp. Could the Gators pass rush find a way to get Nussmeier off his spots and force him into errant throws that lead to turnovers or third down stops? Would the collection of perimeter players be too much for a banged up Gator secondary to handle for four quarters? LSU had only given up six sacks the entire season, tops in the SEC.   The return of DJ Lagway to the lineup would give the Gators a renewed sense of purpose and allow the offense to take advantage of Lagway’s ability to push the ball downfield. If Lagway could stay upright, the Gators would be able to create a balanced attack with their collection of running backs and underrated group of receivers. Keeping Lagway clean would be the order of the day. If the Gators could limit turnovers, and Lagway, despite his injury could be mobile enough Florida would be in this game to the bitter end.    What We Got: The Gators partied like it was 2018. In a scene that had been absent for quite some time The Swamp had an electricity that resembled some of its most memorable games. This was your traditional throwdown between the Gators and the LSU Tigers and the Gators would come out on top playing the way it’s embattled coach has envisioned from his team for three seasons. DJ Lagway was tremendous, and while his return will be hyped as the reason for a Gator win it was the trench warfare that proved to be the difference in the 2024 edition of this rivalry. The Gators ran just 43 plays to 92 for LSU and converted just 3 of 9 third down conversions. Nonetheless the Gators were able to manage almost eight yards per play with no turnovers. The Gator offensive line was stellar, keeping the LSU defensive line and linebackers at bay and Lagway clean. For the first time this season the Gator offensive line failed to yield a sack, giving Lagway time to distribute the ball to seven different receivers for 226 passing yards. The Gators would find success against a vulnerable LSU rush defense running for 113 yards on 17 carries for a 6.6 yard per carry average. When speaking on the play of the running backs Lagway noted, “Those guys are great. I've seen what they had since spring. So I feel like those guys have been playing their butts off. They helped me tremendously to be able to push the ball down the field, knowing the run game is going hard”.   Defensively the Gators were spectacular, making a mends for their less than stellar performance the previous week. Challenged by their own failures the Gators played inspired football to grab seven sacks from a unit that had only given up six sacks in its first nine games. The Gators employed a number of varied pressures to confuse Nussmeier and the LSU offensive line and even when the rush did not get home the Gators harassed Nussmeier into throwing the ball away. When asked about the success of the pass rush, linebacker Shemar James stated, “Just staying in your rush lanes and crushing the pocket for the quarterback”. Making them step outside of the pocket. That's what we did. We came up with big-time plays and big-time sacks”. James would have two of the Gators seven sacks with six different Gators putting Nussmeier to the ground. The Skinny: After the lopsided loss in Austin, many questioned the timing of the “vote of confidence” that Napier received from Scott Stricklen earlier that week. While it seems that recruiting may have been a major reason for the status of Napier to be clarified it was also built on this premise. This is a team that has bought into the “organization” that the Gators are building and the future, led by a generational talent at quarterback is promising. In talking to several players there is no doubt that the player experience in Gainesville has improved over the last three seasons and the investment in the athletes as people has allowed them to branch off into many facets of life outside and after football. The main thing is however the main thing and if not for winning, this football team has shown for ten weeks that they ae capable of picking themselves off of the canvas, regrouping, and showing up at the gate for another fight. Going forward there will certainly be changes to the staff. Players will leave, and others will arrive. The one thing that is undeniable is the message in the locker room resonates and Napier’s willingness to adjust the practice habits of his team has led to a more physical brand of football. This was an effort worthy to be applauded simply based on the numbers but if you listen to both the players and the crowd last night. Complements like the football is warranted.      Final Score: Florida 27 LSU 16 (Prediction LSU 27 Florida 20)

DJ Lagway (2) looks over the LSU defense pre-snap (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) “Two hundred degrees, that’s why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit” -- From “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen   It would be difficult to figure out which was hotter Saturday night: The space beneath Brian Kelly’s collar or his tush. If you saw him tear into one of his players with an F-bomb laced tirade or witnessed players and coaches yelling back at him, you would probably vote for the collar. Brian Kelly had what can only be described as a bad day at the office.   If you paid attention to the scoreboard when DJ Lagway took a knee to preserve Florida’s 27-16 win over No. 21 LSU (6-4, 3-3 SEC), then there is no question you’d vote Kelly’s now blowtorch hot tush, which was easily pushing 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Kelly was poached from Notre Dame to win championships not to lose eight games in three years.   When a loss to the Gators became inevitiable, LSU fans were bombarding  message boards and Twitter demanding athletic director Scott Woodward terminate Kelly. There’s just one minor little detail about that. Kelly is in year three of a 10-year contract served up by Woodward that pays him a tad shy of $10 million this year. His contract escalates incrementally each year. So, unless LSU boosters can do a dandy impersonation of Aggies who raised the $75 million it took to buy out Jimbo Fisher in a matter of days, they’re stuck with Kelly.   Meanwhile, on the other sideline Saturday evening, Billy Napier bore a rather strong resemblance to a coach who has undergone a reversal of fortune. Too often in his not quite three years on the job, Napier and the Gators have found creative ways to lose football games they should have and could have won. When athletic director Scott Stricklin announced a couple of weeks ago that Napier would be returning for the 2025 season it was a mixed bag reception. Not everyone was thrilled with the decision.     Questions about why Stricklin gave Napier one more year were answered Saturday by freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Lagway isn’t just your typical freshman quarterback. Whatever it is, Lagway has it. He’s special, not just because he throws the most dynamic deep ball we’ve seen from a Florida quarterback in at least a couple of decades, but because he also has the ability to lift the level of play from everyone in the locker room and on the field.   Injured in the second quarter against then 2nd-ranked Georgia with the Gators leading 10-3 and looking like they were ready to spring an upset of monumental proportions, Lagway also missed the TExas game a week ago. He was in Austin. He suited up for warmups. He wanted to play, but he was held back a week for fear he might further damage his hamstring.     Back in Gainesville, Lagway made it abundantly clear that he didn’t intend to sit another game.   “ He wanted to play last week, and then, obviously, he came in the building Sunday, said, ‘I'm playing this week,’” Napier explained.   Florida was a touchdown underdog last Sunday. By the time the game kicked off Saturday, the Lagway effect had continually lowered the point spread. Three-point money was available.   Lagway plays with such confidence and swagger that it spills over to Napier. Normally a conservative play caller who goes for a 60-40 run/pass ratio, Napier drops all pretenses of conservative with Lagway, choosing to let his talented freshman do what he does best, which is put the fear of God into every opposing defensive coordinator by launching the laser-guided smart bombs downfield.   Lagway is more than just your basic mad bomber. He’s a game changer and the biggest change is the spillover to Napier. It showed against LSU in a game plan simplified to protect Lagway that at the same time played to Lagway’s talents.   By abandoning the read option and rollout elements to the offense, the new plan was to turn Lagway into a pure pocket passer. The elimination of the RPO and rollouts took pressure off the offensive line whose job was to basically line up and pass protect.   It was all too simple and yet all too genius.   Lagway’s mere presence forced LSU to back its safeties out of the box, an attempt to limit the deep ball. Rushing four was tried but that didn’t work, forcing the Tigers to start bringing the blitz from every conceivable angle. They got some pressure on Lagway a few times, but never enough to put him on the ground or force him to break out of the pocket.   Napier said, “Part of the mission was to keep him clean. They've got some good rushers, but overall I felt for the most part we did a good job in that area.”   The kid stood tall in the pocket the entire game, throwing darts. Instead of the expected run-heavy package Lagway came out slinging from the opening whistle and he didn’t stop until he took two knees to end the game.     Elijhah Badger hauls in a 23-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) On Florida’s first scoring drive, he connected with Chimere Dike on a 34-yard thing of beauty down the right sideline. He came back to the other side on the next play to Elijhah Badger for a 23-yard back shoulder touchdown pass that sent ripples of hope throughout The Swamp.   It’s always best to strike the first blow, especially when most of the 90,067 in the stands are your bestest buddies. That got them thinking if DJ Lagway can do this once, think what he might do over the course of four quarters.   Take that Brian Kelly!   In the second quarter, the Gators drove for a 49-yard Trey Smack field goal sparked by a 14-yard Lagway to Tony Livingston completion and a 10-yard run by Montrell Johnson Jr., back in action for the first time since the Tennessee game.   After LSU took a 13-10 lead in the third quarter, the Gators answered with a drive on which Lagway and Badger hooked up three times for completions of 17, 24 and 12 yards and Lagway hit Ja’Kobi Jackson with a 14-yarder that set up a 55-yard field goal by Smack to tie the game.     Early in the fourth quarter following an LSU punt out of the end zone, there was an 8-yard run by Jackson, a laser beam of a throw to Badger that covered 36 yards to the LSU one and a Jackson run for the TD that put the Gators up for good. There are NFL quarterbacks who only dream of making a pass like the one Lagway threw to Badger.   Down 20-13, LSU got a field goal, but Florida countered with a 55-yard touchdown run by Jadan Baugh. It began with a student body left pitchout. When Baugh squared his shoulders to the line he gave a wiggle, showed a foot then pulled it back to make a tackler miss and from there turned it into a sprint for the end zone and a 27-16 lead.   Florida snapped the ball only 43 times including three kneeldowns and yet the Gators scored 27 points, won the game by 11 and sent a top 25 team to its third straight loss. LSU snapped the ball 92 times, won the time of possession battle by more than 18 minutes and had 27 third downs (13 conversions).   LSU’s 92 snaps were good for 382 yards, an average of 4.2 yards per play. Florida’s 43 snaps produced 339 yards, an average of 7.9 per play. Florida was explosive. LSU was chuck and duck.   Not only did Napier simplify the offense, he offered up a simplified version of the defense, too. In Austin, the Gators were always two steps behind. Statistically, this was an effort akin to that of the Miami and Texas A&M losses. Many of the problems were injury-related because the Gators had to plug and play inexperienced kids while moving veterans to new positions. Add that to a complicated scheme designed for a healthy first unit and the Gators simply cracked.   To deal with LSU’s offense, the goal was to take the big play out of the passing game and make Garrett Nussmeier and his crew of fast receivers try to nickel and dime their way down the field. By taking the deep threat out of the passing game, the Gators sacrificed some of their ability to shut down the run but it was the perfect tradeoff. Although Caden Durham and Josh Durham combined to run for 160 yards running the football is not the LSU identity. What makes the Tigers go is a passing game in which their strong-armed quarterback throws to receivers who are faster and better athletes than the other team’s secondary.   It didn’t work against the Gators.   The combination of tight coverage and a relentless pass rush bogged down the LSU offense. Up front Florida kept rotating fresh bodies into the game. Big guys up front matched and exceeded LSU physically in the trenches. Quick guys off the edge got more and more effective as LSU’s guys on the edge lost their quick first steps.   Eventually, LSU’s vaunted offensive line, said by many to be the best in the country, wore down. The Gators got to Garrett Nussmeier once in the second quarter, three times in the third and three more in the fourth. Seven sacks, 56 yards in losses. On at least six occasions, the Gators chased Nussmeier out of the pocket and had him running for his life. Nussmeier threw out of bounds to avoid a sack on four occassions and had six of his passes broken up in the secondary.   When the dust cleared, Nussmeier had thrown 47 passes, completed 27 and moved the ball 262 yards. That’s 5.57 per pass attempt.       You lose a lot of games with passing numbers like that. “I thought the leverage in coverage was pretty good,” Napier said. “That was one of the keys to the game was we covered them with the group of DBs that we had, I felt we hung in there pretty good. A lot of those are coverage sacks, where we're landing, but we certainly affected the quarterback.”  LSU’s quarterback never got untracked. Florida’s quarterback, on the other hand, was on track from the moment that he announced nothing was going to stop him from playing against LSU a week ago to the final kneeldown that raised the decibels in The Swamp to 747 takeoff levels.   A week ago the Gators seemed to be dead in the water. Thanks to the Lagway effect that emboldens Billy Napier to do wild and crazy things like abandon his conservative roots, they have two games to get one win that will make them bowl eligible.   Who would have thought that possible back in September after the loss to Texas A&M? Of course, who back in September would have thought Brian Kelly, not Billy Napier would be sitting firmly on a nuclear-hot seat?   SEC FOOTBALL Saturday’s scores FLORIDA (5-5, 3-4 SEC) 27, LSU (7-3, 3-3 SEC) 20 No. 3 Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) 20, Arkansas (5-5, 3-4 SEC) 10 No. 11 Georgia (8-2, 6-2 SEC) , No. 7 Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC No. 10 Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) 52, Mercer (9-2) 7 No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) 38 New Mexico State (2-7) 3 No. 23 South Carolina (7-3, 5-3 SEC) 34, No. 24 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) 30 Auburn (4-6, 1-5 SEC) 48, Louisiana-Monroe (5-5) 14 Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 SEC) 48, Murray State (1-10) 6   Next week No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at FLORIDA (5-5, 3-4 SEC) Kentucky (4-6, 1-6 SEC) at No. 3 Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) UTEP (2-8) at No. 7 Tennessee (8-2, 5-2 SEC) No. 10 Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) at Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC) UMass (2-8) at No. 11 Georgia (8-2, 6-2 SEC) No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC) at Auburn (4-6, 1-5 SEC) Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC) at No. 21 LSU (7-3, 3-3 SEC) Wofford (5-6) at No. 23 South Carolina (7-3, 5-3 SEC) No. 24 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC) Louisiana Tech (4-6) at Arkansas (5-5, 3-4 SEC)

Alijah Martin banks in a shot in the second half against FSU (UAA Photo) It could have been a pillage and plunder road trip for the 20th-ranked Florida Gators. They could have departed Tallahassee leaving a swath of destruction in their path but the no-doubter blowout it could have been went white knuckles when Florida State scored six straight points, trimming a one-time 18-point first half deficit into a very manageable 77-73 with 2:23 to go.   That late run had the bulk of the crowd of 9,727 borderline apoplectic but it turned out to be nothing more than a wake-up call for the Gators. The 13-inch stiletto to the hearts of Seminole fans began with the look of a wild desperation, shot-clock beating SCUD when it left Alijah Martin’s hands just to the left of the key. It couldn't go in, could it?   The shot was certainly off the mark and it slammed into the backboard, but instead of a miss that would have been like a 40-gallon can of gasoline thrown on a raging fire, it caromed through the net. Most of the air was sucked out of the Donald Tucker Center and there was still 1:35 to go.   By the time to clock flatlined at 0:00 the Gators had finished off the Seminoles with a 10-1 run that included five straight points by Walter Clayton Jr., a baby-faced assassin from Lake Wales. Florida’s 87-74 win bore the look of respectability but head coach Todd Golden knew it was a great escape due to 19 turnovers that kept the Seminoles and the pro-FSU crowd in the game.   “ We got up 18 points, and a big part of that was just taking care of the basketball,” Golden said after scoring his third straight win over Florida State. “We had eight turnovers at halftime. We got 11 in the second half, and if the end of the game would have gone differently, that would have been the issue. That would have been what we pointed at and said, 'This is what cost us the game.'   “We had some guys step up and make some big shots late. Kind of saved us, but we obviously .. . we have to do a much better job taking care of the ball, especially as we will see more teams that guard like this when we get into SEC play.” FSU’s near Lazarus comeback from the dead had something to do with the way the Seminoles played defense but more to do with the Gators getting sloppy with the basketball. It was 37-19 with 5:38 to go in the first half after back-to-back threes by Clayton, who finished the night with 25. At that point, Florida State was against the ropes, knees wobbly, ready to drop to the canvas for an 8-count. The Gators lacked the knockout punch, however. Florida turned the ball over four times in the final five minutes, compounding the ball security issues with three missed 3-pointers and two missed layups. FSU weathered enough of the storm to finish the half down, 44-31. It could have been and should have been worse. Turnovers, too many missed threes and not enough defensive pressure plagued the Gators in the second half. The Gators hit five of their first 10 from the 3-point line, finishing 7-15 from three at the half. The second half was a totally different story. Florida kept launching SCUDs and FSU kept turning empty UF possessions into points at the other end. FSU got back within eight (53-45) after converting a Florida turnover into points with 13:38 to go. It was 63-52 when the Gators went on a 6-2 mini-run over a 79-second span for a 69-54 lead that had the feel of a knockout. Only problem was, the Seminoles clung to the ropes and wouldn’t go down. They fought back and the Gators obliged with turnovers and ill-advised 3-point shots. A Clayton layup with 3:19 to go made it a 77-67 game, FSU scored the next six. At 77-73 with 2:23 to go, momentum was clearly with the Seminoles, but they fouled Thomas Haugh, who converted both free throws and Martin’s desperation heave not only beat the clock but found the bottom of the net. Clayton blocked a 3-pointer by Daequan Davis at 1:21 that Will Richard retrieved for the Gators. Clayton followed that up with another 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go and put the finishing touches on the win with a layup with 21 seconds to go. What saved the Gators from a total collapse was domination on the backboards.  The Gators held FSU to 38.6 percent shooting from the field and only 13-21 from the foul line. Florida grabbed 47 FSU misses for an 18-rebound advantage. The Gators finished with a 16-9 advantage on second chance points. Alex Condon only scored seven points but he yanked down 12 rebounds. The same was true for Thomas Haugh, five points but nine rebounds. “We lost the turnover battle by 11, but we won the boards by 18,” Golden noted, adding, “They got nine more attempts than we did, and four more free throws than we did. That's usually a losing proposition, but the glass is what saved us tonight."   While blowout wins over a traditionally strong team from the Atlantic Coast Conference tend to get the attention of future opponents, righting a listing ship when a game is on the verge of slipping away tells a coach and a team they’re capable of staring adversity in the face and overcoming. That’s what happened against Florida State. Perhaps the Gators let their foot off the gas in the first half and it took awhile to regain their mojo. Once Florida State whittled the lead down to four, the Gators responded.   “In the second half, we regressed,” Golden said. “We’re only 23 percent, only three makes [on 3-pointers] but, you know, I do think to Florida State's credit, they did a good job of slowing us down in the second half and really kind of getting the momentum of the game shifted. They were playing downhill. We were kind of playing on our heels a little bit, but again, you know, we just dug in and found a way, especially in those last four minutes. Tommy's free throws were huge, and then those two threes from Alijah and Walt back-to-back were the separators."   Game notes: Clayton finished with 25 points on 8-15 shooting overall, 4-10 from the 3-point line and 5-5 from the foul line. He also had five rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and a steal ... Martin scored 17 to go with five rebounds and two assists ... Sam Alexis came off the bench to score 12, hitting 5-6 from the field ... Overall the Gators hit 52.5 percent (32-61), 10-28 (35.7 percent) from the 3-point line and 13-17 (76.5 percent) from the foul line. Friday’s scores No. 20 FLORIDA (4-0) 87, Florida State (3-1) 74 No. 13 Purdue (4-0) 87, No. 2 Alabama (3-1) 78 Georgia (4-0) 77, Georgia Tech (2-2) 69 No. 23 Texas A&M (3-1) 78, No. 21 Ohio STate (2-1) 64 Today’s games Stetson (1-2) at Oklahoma (2-0) South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0) Jackson State (0-3) at Vanderbilt (2-0) Colorado State (3-0) at No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0) Mississippi Valley State (1-2) at Texas (2-1) Sunday’s games Austin Peay (3-0) at No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) Utah (3-0) at Mississippi State (3-0)

QB DJ Lagway (2) practicing, could play against LSU (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) Perhaps buoyed by the continued encouraging news that DJ Lagway might be healthy enough to play Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., ABC) when the Florida Gators (4-5, 2-4 SEC) face 21st-ranked LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC), the oddsmakers in Las Vegas closed the gap a little bit more on their point spread. Tuesday night, LSU was a 4.5-point favorite, but more money moved to Florida on Wednesday as Billy Napier twice (SEC Coaches Teleconference; Wednesday evening press conference) offered news that Lagway continues to look as if he will be declared fit to play. As of Wednesday evening, LSU was a 4-point favorite.   “Yeah, he's been able to practice,” Napier said Wednesday evening. “Obviously he's modified a little bit, but he's making progress every day. He is getting closer and closer to being prepared to play. So I do think we are creating a game-day environment in terms of the treatment and modifications we're using, you know, just to make sure he's comfortable with that. So he did work today, and obviously I think he made progress – he’s felt better today than he felt yesterday. We're hopeful that'll be the case tomorrow.”   With Lagway at quarterback, LSU’s safeties will have to back up a few steps instead of giving an 8-in-the-box defensive look. The threat of Lagway throwing the deep ball should open up Florida’s improving running game with Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson. In the last three games, Baugh has carried 58 times for 258 yards and six touchdowns. Jackson has carried 40 times for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games. Baugh had a 106-yard, 5-touchdown game against Kentucky while Jackson gained 116 and scored a TD last week against Texas.   The running threat could be even better if Montrell Johnson Jr. is able to play. He’s missed the last three games after suffering a knee injury against Tennessee. Napier was encouraged that Johnson could be available to play against LSU.   “He's been able to do more this week than he did last week,” Napier said of his senior running back, who is 131 yards shy of 3,000 career rushing yards. “So, you know, I think he’s day-to-day, you know, and I think ultimately, that's a position where you have a lower body injury, you got to be 100 percent, right, to be as effective as you want to be. And certainly for him, this one’s personal to him, because he's from Louisiana, so he's motivated. He's practiced, you know. Is he 100 percent? We'll see, but we're going to do what we've done in the past. We're not going to put him out there until he's ready.”   An effective running game could be what the Gators need to spring the upset and move them within a game of bowl eligibility. LSU is one of the worst teams in the SEC defending the run (Tigers allow 150.78 yards per game). If the threat of Lagway opens a few more creases in the defense for Florida’s running game to be effective, it will eat up clock and keep the UF defense off the field.   That’s important because LSU has difficulty sustaining a running game. The Tigers are dead last in the SEC and 114th nationally running the ball at 114 yards per game. The Tigers are increasingly reliant on their passing game, which has had issues of its own lately.   Through LSU’s first four games, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had thrown for 1,243 yards and 13 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Against D1AA Nicholls State he threw for 302 yards and six touchdowns. In the last five games, Nussmeier has thrown for an impressive 1,623 yards, but his touchdown pass-to-interception ratio has plummeted. He’s thrown eight TDPs while completing nine passes to opponents. In LSU’s last two games, losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, Nussmeier has three touchdown passes and five interceptions.   Making those totals more significant is a running game that has produced only 128 yards on 47 carries combined in the two losses. Without better help from the run game, the Tigers have become very one-dimensional, which could be a real help to the Gators, who were gouged for 210 yards on the ground along with 352 through the air by Texas last week.   Florida injury report Out: CB Ja’Keem Jackson, CB Jason Marshall Jr., WR Tre Wilson, RB Treyaun Webb, ILB Grayson Howard, QB Graham Mertz, S Asa Turner, WR Kahleil Jackson, CB Devin Moore, OT Devon Manuel, DL Jamari Lyons   Questionable: RB Montrell Johnson Jr., QB DJ Lagway, WR Elijhah Badger, OG Damieon George Jr.   GATORS ON NOVEMBER SIGNING DAY Gymnastics: Ly Bui (5-star, Swisher, Iowa); Amelia Disidore (4-star, Overland Park, KS); Maddy Dorbin (5-star, Lilburn, GA); Jocelyn Sasson (5-star, Clermont, FL)   Lacrosse: MF Autumn Blair (Downington, PA); D Anna DiMartile (Fort Washington, PA Upper Darby); MF Molly Doran (Camilus, NY West Genesee); Attack/Draw Allison Fling (Sykesville, MD Century); MF Caroline Hoskins (Towson, MD St. Paul’s School for Girls); Attack Blythe Noyes (Marietta, GA Pope); MF Kennedy Richardson (Richmond, VA Collegiate); G Maya Hoskin (Cold Spring Harbor, NY); MF Alexa Stone (Alexandria, VA Bishop Ireton); MF Emma Sweeney (Haymarket, VA Pope Paul VI); MF Jameson Swords (Dallas, TX Prosper)   Softball: SS Kalie Matsuno (4-star, Cerritos, CA Los Alamitos); OF Kylie Shaw (4-star, Estero, FL Evangelical Christian); C Makenna Bellaire (4-star, Lutz, FL Land O’Lakes)   Soccer: GK Lily Holden (St. Augustine, FL Bartram Trail); F Katie Johnson (Edmond, OK Bishop McGuinness); D Victoria Madison (Tampa, FL, Hillsborough); D Ava Paolini (San Marcos, CA); F Sophia Sindelar (Rocky River, OH); MF Kai Tsakiris (Corona del Mar, CA)   Volleyball: Middle blocker De’Andrea McMillian (4-star, Mansfield, TX)   SEC FOOTBALL No. 9 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC): RG Jaeden Roberts, who left the game injured against LSU, is expected to be in the lineup Saturday when Bama plays D1AA Mercer (9-1).   Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC): The Razorbacks, who play host to No. 3 Texas Saturday, have improved offensively by nearly 160 yards per game under coordinator Bobby Petrino. A year ago Arkansas averaged 326.5 yards per game. This year they’re averaging 483.6 per game, 191.2 rushing and 292.3 passing.   Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC): Quarterback Payton Thorne (shoulder) is questionable for Saturday’s game with Louisiana-Monroe). Thorne has thrown for 1,825 yards (8.6 per attempt) and 13 touchdowns (7 interceptions) while running for 176 yards and two TDs.   No. 11 Georgia (7-2, 4-2 SEC): The Bulldogs are ranked 12th in the College Football Playoff poll, which Paul Finebaum says is embarrassing for the people who vote. “Are they watching football games or are they just looking at these thousand data points and just coming up with some conclusion?” Finebaum asked on ESPN’s First Take show.   Kentucky (3-6, 1-6 SEC): The Wildcats are one of three SEC schools that have been to eight consecutive postseason games. Georgia and Alabama are the other two. The Wildcats have to go 3-0 the rest of the way to become bowl eligible.   No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC): The Tigers have given up 553 rushing yards in their last two games, 242 to Texas A&M and 311 to Alabama. Texas A&M scored five rushing touchdowns against LSU while Alabama scored six.   Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC): The Bulldogs are spending $5.335 million on assistant coaches with defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler paid $1 million.   No. 24 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC): QB Brady Cook (wrist, lower leg) is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game with South Carolina. Cook has thrown for 1,575 yards (7.2 per attempt) and seven TDs with only one pick this season. He has run for four more touchdowns.   Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC): Athletic director Joe Castiglione told the Tulsa World, “... we truly believe in Coach (Brent) Venables and our team” in a statement to try to quell rumors that Venables job is on the line.   No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): Quarterback Jaxson Dart and defensive tackle Walter Nolen have been named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Award. Dart is fourth nationally in passing with 3,409 yards (11.4 per attempt) and 22 touchdowns (4 picks) with another 304 with three touchdowns on the ground. Nolen has 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.   South Carolina (6-3, 3-3 SEC): Offensive lineman Josiah Thompson is listed as probable for Saturday’s game with Missouri. Thompson has been starting at left tackle as a true freshman.   No. 6 Tennessee (7-1, 5-1 SEC): QB Nico Iamaleava (concussion protocol) is questionable for Saturday’s game at No. 11 Georgia. Iamaleava has thrown for 1,879 yards (8.5 per attempt) with 11 touchdown passes and four interceptions. He has run for 215 yards and a TD.   No. 3 Texas (8-1, 5-1 SEC): Edge rusher Colton Vasek and linebacker Morice Blackwell are listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game against Arkansas in Little Rock. Blackwell has been in on 21 tackles this seaosn while Vasek has 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.   No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC): With running back Le’Veon Bell done for the year, the Aggies are expected to lean more heavily on QB Marcel Reed as a runner. Reed has run for 334 yards and five touchdowns in addition to throwing for 861 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.   Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC): The Commodores are using the bye week to rest QB Diego Pavia, who is among 20 Vandy players missing practice this week while nursing injuries.   SEC BASKETBALL Wednesday’s scores No. 5 Auburn (3-0) 79, Kent State (2-1) 56: Johni Broome filled up the box score with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.   No. 11 Tennessee (3-0) 92, Montana (2-2) 57: Igor Milicic Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals while Zakai Ziegler had 11 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one blocked shot to pace the Vols.   No. 18 Arkansas (2-1) 65, Troy (2-1) 49:  Adou Thiero had 19 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one blocked shot while Zvonimir Ivisic had 19 points, two rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals for Arkansas.   Vanderbilt (3-0) 85, California (2-1) 69:  Grant Huffman scored 18 points to lead Vandy to a 3-0 start with a blowout win over California. Today’s games Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Missouri (2-1) LSU (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0) Friday’s games No. 20 FLORIDA (3-0) at Florida State (3-0) No. 2 Alabama (3-0) at No. 13 Purdue (3-0) Georgia (3-0) at Georgia Tech (2-1) Ohio State (2-0) at No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1) Saturday’s games Stetson (1-2) at Oklahoma (2-0) South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0) Jackson State (0-3) at Vanderbilt (2-0) Colorado State (3-0) at No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0) Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Texas (2-1) Sunday’s games Austin Peay (3-0) at No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) Utah (3-0) at Mississippi State (3-0)

Lagway and Badger are set to return but will the defense have enough to stop Nussmeier and the Tigers? By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Elijah Badger returns this week (Chris Spears photo) LSU Offense   Key Players-#13 Garrett Nussmeier (6-2, 200, R-Jr.), #29 RB Caden Durham (5-9, 205, Fr.) #18 RB Josh Williams (5-9, 210, Gr.) #2 WR Kyren Lacy (6-2, 213, Sr.), #1 WR Aaron Anderson (5-8, 187, R-So.), #4 CJ Daniels (6-2, 205, Gr./Liberty), #0 Zavion Thomas (5-10, 195, Jr./Miss St.) #86 TE Mason Taylor (6-5, 255, Jr.)   Matchups To Watch: LSU Lack of Running Game v. Florida Front Seven, LSU Receivers v. Florida Reserve Corners   LSU is a talented offense that has unfortunately been one sided in its production. While LSU is 7th in the country in passing and 48th in scoring offense they are an abysmal 113th in rushing. The offense has been carried by the arm of a patient, talented passer and a solid group of receivers. Garret Nussmeier the son of former Florida OC Doug Nussmeier patiently waited his turn behind Jayden Daniels and in his first year as a starter has played well. Nussmeier who spent on year at Bucholtz High School in Gainesville, has thrown for over 2800 yards for 21 touchdowns. The downside is that Nussmeier has been hit with the turnover bug of late throwing five of his eleven interceptions in his last two games. Nussmeier is a pro-style quarterback who can distribute the ball equally to his six top receivers including tight end Mason Taylor.   Those receivers are once again a corps of some of the SEC’s best. Collectively, the group plays with a confidence and swagger that allows them to play larger than some of them may be. Kyren Lacy leads the group with 46 catches for 697 yards and seven touchdowns. Lacy has begun to grab the attention of NFL draft analyst and will be looking to enhance his resume’ on Saturday. Aaron Anderson has also been solid working mainly in the slot. Anderson is second on the team with 39 catches for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns. Anderson, who possesses elite speed has been a reliable target all season. Liberty transfer CJ Daniels has been solid again after a breakout season that saw Liberty make it to the Fiesta Bowl after capturing the Conference USA title. Daniels has handled the step up in competition grabbing 32 catches for 368 yards. While he has yet to score, he will be a key target for Nussmeier on third downs. Tight End Mason Taylor, son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor is a matchup issue for any defense. Taylor has a great football IQ and is physical after the catch. In just his third season Taylor is on pace to be the first career 1,000 yard tight end in school history. The two most dangerous receivers for LSU could be Chris Hilton Jr. and Zavion Thomas, albeit for different reasons. Hilton was set to be LSU’s go to receiver but suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for the first seven weeks of the season. When healthy he has elite speed and jumping ability. Thomas handles both kick and punt returns and is capable of changing the game whenever he touches the ball. Thomas has 18 catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns but it is his 26 yard per return kickoff average that should keep the duo of Chris Couch and Joe Houston busy preparing on special teams.   Despite the talent on the perimeter it is the running game that has failed to meet expectations for Head Coach Brian Kelly. Kelly wants a physical ground game to complement the passing game and so far, that has not been the case. LSU is last in the SEC in rushing and have averaged just over 100 yards per game against sec foes. The duo of Caden Durham and Josh Williams have carried most of the load for LSU and while talented have struggled to get the ground game going. Durham a true freshman, leads all rushers with 460 yards, six touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Durham has top level speed (10.28 100-meter dash) and like Florida’s Jaden Baugh is making a name for himself early. Josh Williams continues to be solid in his sixth and final season in Baton Rouge. A former walk-on, Williams is the last player at LSU from the 2019 championship team. Williams has not been quite as productive as Durham but has played in big games throughout his career and is no stranger to The Swamp.   Defensively Florida will look to get back to the type of defense that allowed them to dominate UCF, and Kentucky, while going toe to toe with Georgia. LSU has not been pleased with their last two outings and will look to put it all together Saturday. Can the Gators get LSU into third and long and “marry” the rush with the coverage, or will LSU find enough of a running game to keep the offense on schedule and go over the top of a secondary playing its fourth and fifth corners? LSU gives up less than a sack a game, the Gators get nearly 1.5 a game. If Nussmeier has time, it could be a long day for the Gators who have been up and down in the secondary. Florida has also struggled to cover receivers out of the backfield so look for him to go with safer checkdowns to get comfortable early. If Florida can manage a must have turnover or two, or three they could be in position to grab an upset at home. Under Napier teams have found a way to do what they do worst really well against the Gators, will the trend continue Saturday?   LSU Defense Key Players-#40 LB Whit Weeks (6-2, 228, So.), #18 LB Greg Penn III (6-2, 234, Sr.), #4 DE Brayden Swinson (6-4, 250, Sr.), #35 DE Sai’vion Jones (6-6, 280, Sr.), #8 DB Major Burns (6-2, 200, Sr.), #1 DB Ashton Stamps (6-0, 190, So.), #3 DB Sage Ryan (5-11, 201, R-Jr.)   Matchups To Watch:  DJ Lagway v. LSU Linebackers, Florida Offensive Line v. LSU Front   LSU has struggled in SEC play ranking 12th in total defense against conference opponents. Against Texas A&M and Alabama they surrendered more than 550 yards rushing and gave up 70 points in total. The defense is not without talent but the run defense will need to improve. Whit Weeks has been a bright spot for the defense with 92 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks and one interception. Weeks is a sideline to sideline linebacker that made three starts as a true freshman last season. Greg Penn III is another linebacker at the service of defensive coordinator Blake Baker. An intelligent, athletic linebacker, Penn brings experience to the defense and wears the coveted “18” for LSU. Up front LSU is 11th nationally in sacks with Sai’vion Jones and Brayden Swinson leading the team in with 12.5 total. Jones is long with great size and physicality, while Swinson, who spent three seasons at Oregon is athletic and can dominate you with his speed.    In the secondary Blake has a versatile, confident bunch coached by former Gator secondary coach Corey Raymond. Safety Major Burns has been a consistent contributor in the LSU secondary since transferring from Georgia after his freshman year. Burns has 23 career starts and is known as a ferocious tackler. Cornerback Ashton Stamps was one of two freshman to start at corner for LSU in 2023 and is having another solid season. Stamps is fourth on the team in tackles with 36 and leads the team with eight pass breakups. Sage Ryan has played cornerback, safety, and nickel during his time at LSU. The versatile redshirt junior had four tackles and a pass break up against Florida last year and continues to play well this season. Ryan has recorded 36 tackles, two for loss, one sack and three pass breakups this season. A former Louisiana Mr. Football, Ryan is the cousin of former LSU running back Kevin Faulk.    LSU has struggled to stop teams with mobile quarterbacks the last two weeks. Marcel Reed of Texas A&M and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe both found success on the ground rushing for 62 and 182 yards against them. LSU ranks 14th in the SEC in run defense and running the ball is what the Gators have done best this season. While Florida is not a juggernaut, they do rank 10th in the SEC in rushing and 8th against conference opponents. All said even with Lagway most likely returning, the Gators need to run the football and run it well. LSU struggled to get Milroe to the ground and even if Lagway is 75%, the quarterback run game or the threat thereof can be exploited. The presence of Lagway will put stress on Weeks and Penn to keep an eye on him at all times and his arm strength will keep Burns and Ryan on notice as they try to keep Chimere Dike, Aiden Mizell, and Elijah “Big Play” Badger in front of them. Florida will need to control the clock in order to help its banged up defense stay off the field and the running game led by the threat of Lagway could be the difference.  Florida must play better on defense (Chris Spears photo)   The Skinny: After a vote of confidence from Scott Stricklen last week the Gators went out an threw a dud grenade against Texas. Visibly upset by his team’s performance, Napier acknowledged that their effort was not good enough. Now back at home where they are on a two game win streak, the Gators have an opportunity to take one from an LSU team looking to lick their own wounds. Florida and LSU have played some classics over the years, unfortunately for the Gators the last five have gone with the cats from Baton Rouge. The weird or so-called curses of games past have definitely been talking points this week but in reality, the team who lands the heaviest blows will win the day. Should Florida allow Nussmeier to get the Ginsu knives out and get to carving, then the Gators are in trouble. Should the return of Lagway breath life back into what was an improving offense then things could get interesting. LSU has failed to run the ball and failed to stop it. Florida somehow finds a way to throw the numbers out of the window and allow teams to do what they want even when they may be attempting not to. Can Florida run on a vulnerable LSU front? Can LSU find enough of offensive balance to get it going against and ailing Gator defense? The answer on both count is yes, which leads to a close LSU win.   Prediction: LSU 27 Florida 20

Elijhah Badger (6) has been cleared to play Saturday against LSU (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) Florida’s chances of springing an upset over 21st-ranked LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC) have been given a boost. On the Thursday Night Gator Talk radio show with Sean Kelly, head coach Billy Napier said that quarterback DJ Lagway and wide receiver Elijhah Badger are cleared to play when the Gators (4-5, 2-4 SEC) face LSU at The Swamp Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC).   Lagway suffered a hamstrong injury in the Georgia game, going down in the second quarter with the Gators leading the then-No. 2 Bulldogs 10-3. He missed last week’s game against Texas. For the season, Lagway has completed 56-92 passes (60.9 percent) for 1,071 yards (11.6 per attempt) with six touchdown passes and five interceptions. Lagway has also run for 114 yards.   Badger, who ranks second nationally in average yards per catch (23.33) has caught 24 passes for 560 yards and two touchdowns. Badger missed last week’s game with Texas. Badger and Chimere Dike (28-523, 18.68 per catch, 2 TDs) give the Gators one of the best deep threat duos in the country which should help keep LSU’s safeties from loading up the box to stop the run.   The betting line continued to shrink Thursday, down another half point to LSU favored by 3.5 points.   KLAVZAR ELIGIBLE AS GATORS VISIT FSU Urban Klavzar, who was one of the most highly sought shooters in all of Europe, finally was cleared by the NCAA Thursday. The 6-2 Slovenian, who lit it up at the FIBA Europe Under-20 championships during the summer, will get his first taste of American college basketball tonight when the Gators (3-0) face arch-rival Florida State (3-0) tonight (6 p.m.) at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee.   The Gators have dominated three straight opponents despite getting off to a rocky start shooting from the 3-point line. The Gators are hitting just 26.4 percent from three although they have shot better every game. In Monday night’s win over Grambling, the Gators hit 7-23 of their 3-pointers but that’s still a poor percentage.   Klavzar, who has been lighting it up in practices, can do more than shoot, but shooting is indeed his calling card. Head coach Todd Golden described Klavzar Thursday as “ just another really talented, skilled guard, a guy that should help us against pressure, a guy that can really shoot the ball, a guy with moxie, toughness, you know, little undersized, but really competes on both ends. And a guy that's played high level basketball, you know, so the great thing about Urby is he's not going to be your normal freshman ... He's not a guy that's coming out of the high school ranks, you know, bright eyed bushy tailed going into Florida State. He's played in big-time environments. He's played at international basketball, at the highest level, so I think he will be ready to help us right away.”   What Golden expects from Florida State: “They're an incredibly aggressive defense so far. They’ve played three games against teams that kind of range from 150 to 250 so far this year, one neutrally, but their defensive numbers, their defensive-effective field-goal percentage and their defensive turnover rate jump out at you. They're insanely good so far. So to me, I think the key is just take care of the basketball. We cannot turn it over, because that'll lead to run-outs and easier percentage shots for them, and we’ve got to make them work defensively all night long. If we take care of the ball, I think we'll have a really good chance to win the game tomorrow night, but if we don't, and we end up leaving there with a 20 percent assist rate or so, we could be in some trouble. So again, I think the key for us is taking care of the basketball, especially on the road against a team that has turned teams over, I think about 25 percent of time so far this season.”   Gator notes: Walter Clayton Jr. leads the Gators in scoring (16.7 per game) and assists (4.3). Will Richard is scoring at a 16.0 clip while grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game. Alex Condon averages 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin is scoring 12.3 points per game with 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.0 steals ... The Gators have won their last three against FSU. Golden is 2-0 with an 89-68 win last season in Gainesville and a 79-67 win two years ago in Tallahassee.   Anticipated starting lineups FLORIDA (3-0): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR) Florida State (3-0): Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 205, SO); Malique Ewin (6-11, 230, JR); Jamir Watkins (6-7, 210, GR); Chandler Jackson (6-5, 205, JR); Bostyn Holt (6-7, 200, SR)   OLIVIER RIOUX WILL REDSHIRT Despite chants from the crowd “We want Ollie” Monday night, Golden wouldn’t play his 7-9, 305-pound freshman. In the final seconds, Golden went down to the end of the bench to have a short conversation with Rioux, making certain that there are no problems with the plan for a redshirt year.   “ This is something that we've talked to with – I should say people out of our program have talked with – him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach, and just kind of trying to figure out what the best route for him is,” Golden said. “So that, I just went up to him and I was like, ‘Hey, I'm not trying to be disrespectful with you. I'm just not trying to burn your year putting you in for 30 seconds.’”     ALEX LLOYD SIGNS Alex Lloyd (6-4, 175, Fort Lauderdale, FL Westminster Academy) signed his national letter of intent to play for the Gators. A 4-star recruit who helped Westminster to the Florida Class 3A state championship a year ago, Lloyd is the No. 34-ranked player in the nation per ESPN.   Last season, Lloyd averaged 19.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He shot 45 percent from the 3-point line and 81.2 percent from the foul line.   “We are thrilled to welcome Alex Lloyd and his family into our Gator basketball program,” Golden said. “Alex is one of the best high school guards in the country, and we are really excited to add him to our group. He comes from a great family, and he has always been passionate about joining our program.  There is no doubt he will have great success within our program.”   The Gators are expected to get the signed NLOI this week from CJ Ingram (6-5, 205, Hawthorne, FL/Montverde, FL Montverde Academy). The son of former Gator quarterback/tight end Cornelius Ingram, CJ averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season at Hawthorne. As a quarterback, he also led the Hornets to the 2023 state 1A championship. SEC BASKETBALL Thursday’s scores Missouri (3-1) 111, Mississippi Valley State (1-2) 39: Seven Tigers scored in double figures led by Marques Warrick, who hit 4-5 of his 3-pointers in a 16-point night. LSU (3-0) 76, Kansas State (2-1) 65: UT-Martin transfer Jordan Sears filled up the box score with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals as the Tigers scored a win over K-State of the Big 12.   Today’s games No. 20 FLORIDA (3-0) at Florida State (3-0) No. 2 Alabama (3-0) at No. 13 Purdue (3-0) Georgia (3-0) at Georgia Tech (2-1) Ohio State (2-0) at No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1) Saturday’s games Stetson (1-2) at Oklahoma (2-0) South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0) Jackson State (0-3) at Vanderbilt (2-0) Colorado State (3-0) at No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0) Mississippi Valley State (1-2) at Texas (2-1) Sunday’s games Austin Peay (3-0) at No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) Utah (3-0) at Mississippi State (3-0) UF MEN’S GOLF: NO. 2 CLASS NATIONALLY The Gators signed three to the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the country.   Josh Bai (Auckland, New Zealand): Trevorn Gutschewski (Omaha, NE): Parker Severs (Lakewood Ranch, FL):   UF WOMEN’S SWIMMING SIGNS FIVE The 3rd-ranked Gators, expected to repeat last year’s SEC championship and challenge Virginia for the NCAA title, added five swimmers for the 2025-26 season.   Lilla Bogner (Traveler’s Rest, SC Eastside): No. 6 national recruit, member of the 2024-25 US National team. Lynsey Bowen (Carmel, IN): No. 12 recruit nationally. Zuri Ferguson (Attleboro, MA): No. 29 national recruit. Grace Rabb (Austin, TX Dripping Springs): No. 10 national recruit, No. 1 recruit in Texas. Sylvia Statkevicius (Missassaugua, Ontario, Canada): No. 1 recruit in Canada.   UF MEN’S TENNIS SIGNS TWO Head coach Adam Steinberg signed two internationals who will enroll and compete in the 2025 spring semester.   Rafael Segada (Cartagena, Spain): Segada is the #73 ITF junior and the #44 junior in all of Spain. Niels Villard (Meaux, France): Villard is the No. 15 ranked junior in France.   SEC FOOTBALL Saturday’s games No. 3 Texas (8-1, 4-1 SEC) at Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC): Arkansas’ offense, No. 2 in the SEC at 483.6 yards per game, will be going against a Texas defense that ranks No. 2 nationally (251 yards per game). Texas is a 12-point favorite.   No. 7 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 SEC) at No. 12 Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC): Chris Low of ESPN reports that Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava has made progress through his concussion protocol this week and is expected to start Saturday night against Georgia ... Trevor Etienne, who leads Georgia in rushing with 477 yards and seven touchdowns, has been ruled out of the UT game with a rib injury originally sustained in the Florida game. Georgia is favored by 9.5 points.   Mercer (9-1) at No. 10 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC): Alabama will win this one big, but playing a D1AA team this late in the season can’t help Alabama in the College Football Playoff poll. The Crimson Tide is currently the No. 12 team for a 12-team playoff.     New Mexico State (2-7) at No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC): The Aggies are 39-point favorites over Conference USA New Mexico State.   No. 23 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC) at No. 21 South Carolina (6-3, 4-3 SEC): Missouri needs a win to stay in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, but the Tigers are 14-point underdogs against South Carolina in Columbia.   Murray State (1-9) at Kentucky (3-6, 1-6 SEC): The Wildcats are heavily favored to break their 4-game losing streak.     Louisiana-Monroe (5-4) at Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC): Auburn is favored by 25.5 points over Louisiana-Monroe from the Sun Belt Conference.

DJ Lagway (2) showing signs of improvement in practice (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday afternoon: Although he stopped short of saying DJ Lagway will play Saturday when the Gators (4-5, 2-4 SEC) play host to 21st-ranked LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC), head coach Billy Napier offered encouraging news about his freshman quarterback on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday morning.   “DJ continues to improve,” Napier said. “I think we’ve seen progress every day and I think that allowed him to participate more in practice. Obviously, we’re kind of controlling that environment, but in general, I think we continue to trend in the right direction.”   Due to the nature of the injury (soft tissue, hamstring) that caused Lagway to leave the Georgia game in the second quarter with the Gators leading, 10-3, and miss last week’s Texas game completely, even if he plays it seems unlikely Napier would call any designed running plays. In both their SEC losses, LSU has been burned by mobile quarterbacks.   In the loss to Texas A&M, Marcel Reed ran nine times for 62 yards and three touchdowns. In the loss to Alabama last week, Jalen Milroe ran 12 times for 185 yards and five touchdowns.   Lagway is a good runner, but he’s an exceptional passer when it comes to throwing the deep ball. Napier sees Lagway gaining confidence every day in practice.   “Look, I think DJ gets better every day,” Napier said. “He’s obviously gained some confidence because of the more weeks that he prepares, the more reps that he gets, the more experience he gets, and then certainly, just learning what it’s like out there. I think when you’re a young player and you haven’t played a lot, there’s some uncertainty about what the games will be like, right? So now that he knows he’s learned the value of preparation. He’s learned the value of practice habits.”   Can the Gators defend the pass against LSU?: A week ago against Texas, Quinn Ewers chewed up the Florida secondary, hitting 19-27 passes for 333 yards and five touchdowns without throwing an interception. Saturday, the Gators will go against LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who has thrown for 2,866 yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. It should be noted that Nussmeier threw six touchdown passes without an interception against D1AA Nicholls State. Against Division I teams he has thrown only 15 TDPs with 11 interceptions.   BIG TEN DOMINATES TOP SPOTS IN CFP POLL The Big Ten commands four of the top five spots in the second College Football Playoff poll, including the top two, Oregon and Ohio State. The only SEC team in the top five is Texas at No. 3.   The SEC did get five of the top 12 spots in the poll, which means if the playoff began today Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia would be in. Because the highest ranked Group of Five champ is guaranteed, No. 13 Boise State would make it, bumping No. 12 Georgia. The Big Ten would get Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana in, while the Big 12 would get BYU and the ACC would get Miami.   The four highest seeded conference champs get a first round bye, so the four who get a day off would be Oregon, Texas, BYU and Miami.   College Football Playoff poll, week 2: 1. Oregon 10-0; 2. Ohio State  8-1; 3. Texas 8-1; 4. Penn State 8-1; 5. Indiana 10-0; 6. BYU 9-0; 7. Tennessee 8-1; 8. Notre Dame 8-1; 9. Miami 9-1; 10. Alabama 7-2; 11. Ole Miss 8-2; 12. Georgia 7-2; 13. Boise State 8-1; 14. SMU 8-1; 15. Texas A&M 7-2; 16. Kansas State 7-2; 17. Colorado 7-2; 18. Washington State 8-1; 19. Louisville 6-3; 20. Clemson 7-2; 21. South Carolina 6-3; 22. LSU 6-3; 23. Missouri 7-2; 24. Army 9-0; 25. Tulane 8-2   SEC FOOTBALL (Associated Press rankings) No. 9 Alabama ( 7-2, 4-2 SEC): In leading Alabama to convincing wins over Missouri and LSU in the last two games, Jalen Milroe has reinserting himself into the Heisman Trophy consideration. For the year, Milroe has thrown for 2,046 yards and 13 touchdowns while running for 565 and 16 TDs.   Arkansas (5-4, 3-3 SEC): How will the secondary hold up Saturday against Quinn Ewers and Texas. Arkansas is giving up 266.2 passing yards per game and is coming off a debacle with Ole Miss in which the secondary was shredded for 562 yards and seven TDPs.   Auburn (3-6, 1-5 SEC): No. 11 Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC): Saturday’s game with Tennessee is potentially an elimination game for Georgia. Lose and with three losses it is highly improbable that the Bulldogs make the College Football Playoff.   Kentucky (3-6, 1-6 SEC): Asked if he’s contemplating stepping down at the end of the season, HBC Mark Stoops answered, “Zero percent chance I do that.” With 66 wins, Stoops is the winningest coach in Kentucky football history.   No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC): Asked if he’s considering a change at quarterback where Garrett Nussmeier has started every game this season, HBC Brian Kelly responded, “Absolutely not. He gives us the best option for success.”   Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC): The transfer portal doesn’t open for three weeks, but HBC Jeff Lebby said on the SEC Teleconference that teams are already tampering with Mississippi State players.   No. 24 Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC): Center Connor Tollison will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury. Tollison has started 34 games at center for Mizzou.   Oklahoma (5-5, 1-5 SEC): Athletic director Joe Castiglione and school president Joe Harroz Jr. say they have an “unwavering commitment” to HBC Brent Venables.   No. 10 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC): Lane Kiffin teams have always been able to put points on the scoreboard, but now he has a defense that gets the job done, too. Ole Miss is giving up just 12.9 points per game (No. 6 nationally). The Rebels make teams one-dimensional by taking away the run (79.9  yards per game, No. 2 nationally). Ole Miss leads the country in sacks with 46.   No. 23 South Carolina (6-3, 4-3 SEC): The Gamecocks are five points away from being 8-1 on the season. South Carolina is a 12-point favorite over Missouri Saturday.   No. 6 Tennessee (7-1, 5-1 SEC): The Vols are 10.5-point underdogs on the road at Georgia Saturday. A win against Georgia and in the season finale against Vanderbilt should put the Vols in the SEC Championship Game.   No. 3 Texas (8-1, 5-1 SEC): The Longhorns are No. 2 nationally in total defense (251 yards per game), No. 4 in scoring defense (12.1 points per game) and No. 1 in pass defense (135.3 yards per game). Texas has allowed only three TDPs while picking off 14 opponent passes.   No. 15 Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1 SEC): Defensive back Tyreek Chappell and O-lineman Chase Bisontis are injured and will miss Saturday’s game with New Mexico State.   Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC): Quarterback Diego Pavia’s request for a temporary restraining order that would give him an extra year of eligibility has been denied in federal court.   SEC BASKETBALL The game that raised eyebrows nationwide Tuesday was No. 19 Kentucky taking out No. 6 Duke, 77-72. That was unexpected because Duke has been talked up as practically a mortal lock to make the Final Four while Kentucky is adjusting to new coach Mark Pope. Obviously, Kentucky has adjusted well.   Here is where all 16 SEC teams are ranked by Ken Pomeroy, whose kenpom.com rankings are critical factors in the NCAA Tournament selections: 1. Auburn; 9. Tennessee; 10. Alabama; 18. Texas A&M; 20. Kentucky; 22. FLORIDA; 23. Texas; 24. Mississippi State; 32. Arkansas; 45. Oklahoma; 50. LSU; 63. South Carolina; 64. Ole Miss; 66. Missouri; 73. Georgia; 95. Vanderbilt   Tuesday’s games No. 19 Kentucky (3-0) 77, No. 6 Duke (2-1)  72:  Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr led Ketucky with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.   No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0) 64, South Alabama (1-2) 54:  Vermont transfer Sean Pedulla had seven 3-pointers among his game-high 37 points to lead the Rebels.   South Carolina (2-1) 80, Towson (1-2) 54: Collin Murray-Boyles’ big night -- 27 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal -- led South  Carolina past Towson.   Georgia (3-0) 90, North Florida (3-1) 77: Freshman Asa Newell led the way with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocked shots.   Mississippi State (3-0) 80, Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) 59:  Josh Hubbard had 23 points and 5 assists for Mississippi State.   Texas (2-1) 105, Chicago State (0-3) 58:   Tre Johnson led Texas with 19 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Today’s games Montana (2-1) at No. 11 Tennessee (2-0) Kent State (2-0) at No. 5 Auburn (2-0) Troy (2-0) at No. 18 Arkansas (1-1) California (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-0) Thursday’s games Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Missouri (2-1) LSU (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0) Friday’s games No. 20 FLORIDA (3-0) at Florida State (3-0) No. 2 Alabama (3-0) at No. 13 Purdue (3-0) Georgia (3-0) at Georgia Tech (2-1) Ohio State (2-0) at No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1) Saturday’s games Stetson (1-2) at Oklahoma (2-0) South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0) Jackson State (0-3) at Vanderbilt (2-0) Colorado State (3-0) at No. 25 Ole Miss (3-0) Mississippi Valley State (1-1) at Texas (2-1) Sunday’s games Austin Peay (3-0) at No. 12 Tennessee (2-0) Utah (3-0) at Mississippi State (3-0) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: On the Southeastern Conference Coaches Teleconference Wednesday, the king of the transfer portal issued a dire warning. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who has built a championship level roster through the portal said the portal is so flawed that it leads to tampering and other serious issues.   “Again, it’s a really poorly thought-out system of the windows, when they are and people tamper all the time,” Kiffin said. “It’s just — so we just try to maximize the really poor system that’s been set up and try to avoid the distractions.   “And part of it — to finish that — part of the problem of the really poor system is creating these free agency windows and they happen before a season’s not even over. So, you’re just basically inviting kids to wander mentally and to get tampered with because when the windows are, people are still playing. Can you imagine the NBA or NFL, if free agency were to start in the playoffs? It would never happen. I don’t know that it’s very talked about but just think about that for a little bit.”   Let’s put the portal in perspective. It starts with the NCAA, which is clueless when it comes to common sense leadership. Put the NCAA in charge of it and they will screw it up. Guaranteed.   Common sense can solve the issues overnight. Here’s how to do it.   1. Freshmen must spend a fall and spring semester on campus before they transfer or else they sit a year. 2. Transfer without a 2.5 GPA and you sit a year. 3. Transfer and you’re still taking remedial courses, you sit a year. 4. Opt out during the season with the intention of transferring and you sit a year. 5. Opt out of the bowl game with the intention of transferring and you sit a year. 6. Negotiate an NIL deal prior to declaring for the portal and before the portal window is opening and the player is ineligible for an entire year. The school that signs the player is fined $100,000 for the first violation and loses FIVE scholarships. Second violation, $250,000 fine and lose TEN scholarships. 7. Any school caught tampering with players from another school during the season is fined $500,000 and loses TEN scholarships. Second offense, $1 million fine and lose FIFTEEN scholarships. 8. Five years eligibility. Period. No redshirts or medical redshirts. From the day you sign the clock ticks down. Injured three years? Still only five years eligibility. Break transfer rules and you sit a year, the year you sit counts against eligibility.

Florida has won their first two games by a combined 63 points. Senior Guard Jeriah Warren (Chris Spears photo) By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com The Florida Gators have opened the season with two resounding wins to open the season. Under the leadership of Kelly Rae Finley the Gators continue to show improvement behind the play of three veterans and a top newcomer. The trio of Ra’Shaya Kyle, Jeriah Warren and Kensa Salgues have provided veteran leadership and performance while freshman Liv McGill looks to be settling into her role as one of the conference’s best newcomers.   Kyle who missed most of the 2023 season with a knee injury has been stellar in her first two outings this season. The 6-6 senior had 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the Gators win against Florida Atlantic and followed that up with her first double-double of the season scoring 19 points with 12 rebounds in the Gator victory against Florida A&M last Thursday. For Kyle the road to return has been tough, but her ability return a month ahead of schedule has been key. “I concentrated on being consistent on my conditioning”, stated Kyle. “My body actually healed better than expected”. On her play early this season Kyle remarked, “I feel I can play better”.   For Warren, the first two games have meant a resurgence of an offensive game that had been in her back pocket for her first three years of her Florida career. A great high school two-way player Coach Finley challenged her senior guard to take a more assertive role offensively for the benefit of a young Gator team. Warren has heard the call from her coach and then some as the senior guard from Lake Charles, Louisiana has started the season on an offensive tear averaging 17 points per game in the Gators first two games. Most importantly Warren is hunting her shot averaging over 10 attempts per game after attempting just four in 2023. Warren hit her career high of 21 points in the Gators opening win against Florida Atlantic. “Jeriah understood what we needed from her this season”, stated Finley.    Combo guard Kenza Salgues also hit the transformation button this summer and has become a major contributor in her final season. Salgues, who battled injuries during during most of her collegiate career is healthy, in shape, and looking to make an impact. Salgues leads the Gators in minutes played, three pointers made, and fourth in scoring. Salgues has been tasked with starting at the off guard position as well as running the offense in a reserve role. So far this season she has played well for Finley and the Gators.   Most impressive may be the play of 2024 McDonalds All-American Liv McGill who has come in and made the Gators a more efficient basketball team. McGill has an impressive 2+ to 1 assist to turnover ratio while scoring 17.5 points per game. McGill has shown maturity beyond her years handling an offense that starts three seniors. McGill is a workaholic that Finley and others have credited with being exactly what the Gators need this season. “Liv is very fun”, Kyle stated. “Liv’s going to be great she’s very special”.