Update: Graham Mertz is out for the season with a fracture collarbone

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz has had a standout season and was having a great performance against No. 9-ranked Missouri, making critical plays that ultimately led to a significant setback. Late in the third quarter, with the Gators trailing 23-21, Mertz ran for an 11-yard gain, breaking through tackles, channeling his inner Tebow. However, the play took a toll on him as he suffered a shoulder injury, forcing him to exit the game for X-rays. Despite his efforts, Florida lost 33-31, with Mizzou's Harrison Mevis sealing the win with a last-second field goal.

Yet the flames of hope flickered there in a dark corner of Faurot Field.

Is this the week Florida puts four quarters of good football on tape or does a fourth straight loss await the Gators in Columbia?

For a half Friday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, the Florida State Seminoles were like a doublewide in the crosshairs of an F5 tornado. The Seminoles thought they had a pretty good game plan for the Florida Gators but by the intermission, they were picking up the pieces and in need of a FEMA grant. The Gators led 52-22 and it could have been much, much worse, except they turned the ball over 11 times, missed too many free throws (10-17) and played the first 20 minutes with Todd Golden forced to shuffle his lineup on an almost minute-by-minute basis to compensate for three of his four bigs in foul trouble. “I don’t know if I ever remember being down 30 points at halftime,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. “I can’t remember.” When he looks at that first half tape, Hamilton is going to wish he couldn’t remember the 20 minutes leading up to the intermission. Even with 7-1 Micah Handlogten and 6-11 Alex Condon playing limited minutes because of three fouls each, and Tyreese Samuel forced to play with extreme caution because he picked up two, the Seminoles couldn’t take advantage because the Gators were way too intense at both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Gators shot 64.4 percent (18-28) from the field and 50 percent (6-12) from the 3-point line. At the other end, Florida swarmed the perimeter and protected the rim, holding FSU to 25.8 percent (8-31) overall and 11.1 percent (1-9) from the 3-point line. “I just thought we played at an insanely high level and that’s what we had kind of seen from our group at preseason, and just really proud of our effort,” Todd Golden said, calling Florida’s 89-68 flattening of the Seminoles a “statement game.” The final score was a rather definitive statement, but Golden took it a bit further in his post game remarks. Because Florida lost last Friday night to Virginia and all but sleepwalked its way past Florida A&M Tuesday night, the Gators needed to come out laser focused, frothing at the mouth and ready to play against the Seminoles who have now dropped the last four against the Gators in this very intense once-a-year rivalry. “Rivalry game, you get them coming into your own gym, you have a chance to make a statement,” Golden said. “What are you going to be about? Are you going to take care of your home court or, you know, are you going to allow another outcome to happen. I thought that from the jump that people understood that this game was really important to us.” The first clue that the Seminoles were in deepest and darkest came with 15:46 left in the first half when Walter Clayton Jr. nailed a 3-pointer to give the Gators an 11-4 lead. Over the next two minutes, Riley Kugel knocked down back-to-back 3-points for a 12-point lead (17-5) that was just beginning to expand. The Gators scored another 10 before Florida State could score again. Trailing 27-5, the Seminoles looked dazed and confused for a reason. Florida couldn’t miss and the UF defense kept pushing the Seminoles further out of their comfort zone. Twelve-foot shots became 15-footers, 22-foot 3-point shots became 25-footers that clanged off the rim. Florida’s entire defensive strategy centered around containing FSU from the 3-point line. “Obviously, we guarded the heck out of the 3-point line,” Golden said. “In the first half they were 1-9, didn’t give up too many good looks. To only give up two made threes in a game is really good. That’s been an area percentage-wise that’s hurt us this year. We’ve given up, I think, 38-39 percent from three during the three games [previously]. Just 2-13 tonight obviously drives that number down a little bit. You think of how can a team like that come in and beat you? If they hit 10 threes, that’s one way to do it. So, giving two was huge and really important tonight.” Offensively, Florida pushed the tempo and the Seminoles struggled to keep up. On the other end of the floor, their offense couldn’t handle Florida’s intensity. With Handlogten and Condon riding the pine with three fouls each, freshman Thomas Haugh picked up the slack with eight of his career-high 10 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Samuel managed to finesse his way to 11 first half minutes good for eight points, three rebounds and two assists. “Obviously, as you guys know, I'm not going to sit guys with two [fouls] in the first half, and we ended up with two guys with three,” Golden said. “I didn't feel like, especially in the second half, we could never really get ahead of that. We just kept, you know ‘we're in foul trouble, foul trouble, foul trouble.’ We’re trying to play Tyrese through four, Micah through four. It definitely hurt us in the second half. It made us less aggressive. I think it was the reason why we got beat up on the boards like we did. But again, speaks to what Thomas [Haugh] was able to do to stay out there as long as he did. You know, we survived it. That's the best way I can say how.” Maybe the best way to describe this is a first half blowout, and second half in survival mode. Florida State outscored the Gators 46-37 in the second half while holding UF to 1-6 shooting from the 3-point line. The Seminoles outrebounded UF 24-19 in the second half. Not every game will see as many quick whistles on what seemed like a lot of first half touch fouls. In the second half, the game got more physical and at times, rather chippy. At one point, FSU narrowed the Florida margin to 19 but that’s as close as it got. At no point was the game ever in doubt for the Gators. While the second half was a grind, the first half is probably more indicative of Florida’s ceiling. With Cal-Riverside transfer Zyon Pullin added to the mix on the perimeter, the Gators played with a 4-man rotation. Pullin and Clayton give the Gators two exceptional ballhandlers and passers who both can shoot. Clayton finished with a game-high 19 which included 3-8 from the 3-point line, five assists and two steals. Pullin, making his Florida debut after sitting the first three games due to an NCAA suspension, had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Riley Kugel finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists and Will Richard had nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Up front, Samuel was the only Gator to reach double figures with 15. He had seven rebounds and two assists. Condon contributed nine points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Handlogten had eight points and seven rebounds while Haugh had five points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Clayton on beating Florida State: “I have a big hatred for Florida State, just to be honest with you all. I have too many people in my family that are Florida State fans and I gotta hear their mouth. They’re going to be real quiet tonight but they’re going to be very quiet tonight. Everybody’s getting phone calls. Facetime. I want them to see my face when I let them know how the game went.” Pullin on the first half Gators: “That was pretty good! I thought that was a pretty good first half, but just keep finding ways to keep getting better.” Next up for the Gators: The Gators will be in Brooklyn for the NIT Tipoff Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday they will face Pittsburgh (4-0) of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Thursday game will be against either Baylor (4-0) or Oregon State (3-0). SEC basketball Friday’s games: FLORIDA (3-1) 89, Florida State (2-1) 68; No. 12 Miami (4-0) 79, Georgia (2-2) 67; No. 13 Texas A&M (4-0) 74, Oral Roberts (1-3) 66; UNC-Greensboro (2-1) 78, No 14 Arkansas (3-1) 72; No. 17 Kentucky (3-1) 101, Stonehill (1-4) 67; No. 22 Alabama (4-0) 98, Mercer (1-3) 67; LSU (2-2) 66, North Texas 2-2); Auburn (3-1) 77, St. Bonaventure (2-2) 60; Vanderbilt (3-1) 75, Central Arkansas (1-3) 71; Ole Miss (4-0) 70, Sam Houston (1-3) 67; South Carolina (4-0) 73, DePaul (1-3) 68 Saturday’s game: Mississippi State (3-0) vs. Washington State (2-0) in Uncasville, CT

This week on the best Fridays in football with Buddy Martin and Brenden Martin, coach talks about the bizarre events occurring at Michigan, what he would do to stop the bleeding for a UF recruiting and some coaching tips on how he game plan for offense. That much much more.

Number 9 Missouri won't have star linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper playing in Week 12 due to an ankle sprain suffered in the previous game against Tennessee. The injury occurred during Missouri's 36-7 victory over Tennessee in Week 11, causing Hopper to leave the game. Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz mentioned that Hopper's X-ray and MRI results came back clean.

The Florida Gators released their depth chart ahead of Saturday's contest against No. 9 Missouri in Columbia. Here are some of the notable changes for the Gators' penultimate game of the regular season.

"The point wasn’t so much to test their loyalty as it was to prepare them for the lean days ahead and the sticker shock fallout from the pain of decommitments. Brace yourself for the siege." I did something the other day I promised I wasn’t going to do it again: Tell Gator fans how to act out on their emotions. There I was, speaking at the Gainesville Quarterback club, when I blurted out, “Raise your hand, if you love the Florida Gators!“ I guess it was my way, in these tumultuous times, of offering up a litmus test for a people who purport to root for the Florida Gators. Then, not unexpectedly, almost all hundred people raised their hand. Then I asked “how many of you still love them at 5-5?” Again, most of them still raised their hands, as loyalists are wont to do. The point wasn’t so much to test their loyalty as it was to prepare them for the lean days ahead, to get them started on a survival kit and the sticker shock fallout from the pain of decommitments. Brace themselves for the siege. Billy Napier’s crown jewel is the once high-flying recruiting class of 2024, once soaring as the No. 3 ranked class on the strength of quarterback DJ Lagway’s projected 5-star talent. We’re seeing the fallout, which will only get worse, and all Scott Stricklin can do is hope that the bleeding only requires band aids and not a tourniquet. It is shopping season almost all players are kicking tires. Almost all of us like Napier and hope he can cultivate the patience Eli Drinkwitz was proffered at Mizzou. Otherwise, Gator fans buckle up, light a candle and store up rations. I was about to advise fans to lower their expectations, but then I ran across this article: My first Gator quarterback star was a guy named Angus Williams from Tampa as described on radio by Otis Boggs on plays like the touchdown pass he threw to the great Charlie Hunsinger (I think) to beat Georgia – Charlie being such a big star that they purportedly wrote a song about him (“Hunsinger The Humdinger.”) As thrilling as it was, that was 1950 when Bob Woodruff’s first team went 5-5, as good a record as Florida had in 10 seasons. (Thanks, Google.) It just goes to show you that joy can be found in mediocrity, except when we know better. In the aftermath of a 6-7 Billy Napier debut, a potential superstar quarterback gone before his time, a spring practice overhaul and stiffening competition, Gator fans are going have to make some hard choices about their level of support and which corner of the ring they will occupy. I’m going to come clean on Anthony Richardson. For two years I’ve raved about him as the best-looking Gator quarterback prospect I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen them all – from Angus Williams to the Statues. On my podcast/streaming show I’ve gotten my ears boxed by my colleagues and friends like Shane Matthews, David Moulton, Frank Frangie, etc. for saying that, and my listeners/parishioners are tired of hearing me say it -- but I stand by my conviction. We never got to see him fully blossomed because he was such a phenomenal athlete the NFL swept him away to make millions. Happy for him. Sad for us. We’ve come a long way from Angus Williams to Anthony Richardson. Or have we? Not according to this guy on Twitter: New World Order: “I f--ng hate this era of florida athletics. Bullsh*t AD, bullsh*t coaches, bullsh*t players. whoever in the seat wearing the logo is certified to suck at whatever the f -- their job description is … “ New World Order’s attitude notwithstanding, I am here to inform you that in today’s crazy, bombastic, confusing, mucked up modern version of college sports, there is still much joy to be claimed and even exciting change ahead in the play-for-pay, gimme mine, musical chair conferences, stupid scheduling, rent-a-coach, rent-a-player, rent-a-team scheme of things. Catch a rising star! Don’t be like New World Order. Each season, pick a school, team, coach and player to root FOR – not to hate on. Oh you can be mad at them, yell at the TV or go to the game and express dissatisfaction in some form (be careful about booing), but know this: You must OWN your team. Otherwise, why would a knucklehead like N.W.O. even go to the Gator game in the first place? Go to Miami where you’d fit in better! Twinkle, twinkle little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high. Like a diamond in the sky. This is where we get back to the essence of fandom. Pick your star and believe in him or her with little boy/girl imagination. In this world awash with negativity, sports can cleanse your soul and distract you from your demons. Trust me, I’ve lived around it since the Guttenberg press was invented. And don’t let it become your new demon – like some knuckleheads on social media. How do you know a star? Sometimes just by their presence felt in the room. Others by their accomplishments. Did you ever see or meet someone that you knew right away was either or star or would become one? Mostly we keep them in the theater of our mind. It was especially so in the days of radio where all we had were the semi-imagined versions. Then later when live sports were televised, the images we’d garnered from radio didn’t exactly match up with what we saw on the screen. I.e. Harry Caray’s verbal description of Stan Musial was different than what we saw – seems like Stan The Man never struck out on radio. It’s been a blessed life. Upon occasion we are allowed to meet them or experience these stars closeup. In my line of work as a paid observer of sports and somewhat of an admirer of show biz and the arts I’ve seen and known a few. These things I can tell you first hand. Steve Spurrier will always be my favorite Gator – coach, player and person. I’ve known him since before he even took his first varsity snap, ghosted his “Passing Thoughts” column when he was in the NFL, wrote his autobiography and been good friends with he and Jerri through thick and thin. The other night when I was honored to be one the cameo speakers for the naming of “Steve Spurrier Way,” I made note of all the things bearing his name and said, “As far as I’m concerned, they can’t name enough things after him.” Then I suggested they name I-75 from Tennessee to Gainesville "Steve And Jerri Spurrier Expressway" because it brought them to us. I forgot to say this, but will add: “And I’m not so sure we shouldn’t change it from Gainesville to ‘Spurrierville.'” Many of you know Terry Bradshaw is one of my closest friends and has been for 40 years, although we didn’t meet officially until he began at CBS, where we worked together and eventually wrote a book. We remain close today and I consider him one of the kindest, most considerate, generous and funniest people I’ve ever known. Also a great prankster. Sometimes at dinner in New York when he was interrupted by a rude autograph seeker who wouldn’t go away (he rarely did NOT sign them), I would lapse into a fake sign language routine as if I were translating the message. On occasion when Terry returned the fake communication, the guy would ask me: “What did Terry just say?” One of them once followed me into the rest room and exclaimed, “I didn’t know Terry couldn’t hear or talk” – forgetting that Terry worked for CBS where he did it pretty well. And this one is not going down easy. I like Urban Meyer very much -- know him well, and also wrote his authorized biography. (And no, writing their book is not a prerequisite!) It’s been sad to see him fall from grace, but he’s back on the horse as Fox CFB analyst, deserves this mulligan and is doing well. I’ve had far too many arguments in defending Urban, so I’m done being his defense attorney in public and we’ll save the debate for his future in the Ring of Honor for another day. Just want to share that some of my deepest, most intellectual and meaningful conversations about life and football with Urban have been one of the highlights of my career. I could go on here, adding people like Larry Dupree, who former quarterback Tom Shannon says is “still the greatest Gator player I’ve ever seen.” A future Florida star that I “discovered” on the high school fields of Macclenny’s Baker County team playing vs. Starke, the night he got knocked out cold, was carried off and came back two plays later to run for a 65-yard touchdown – how’s that for concussion protocol? -- as one of three he scored that night for Baker County... And maybe add a few New York stories like: Joe Namath, as big a star as there ever was, may have been an arrogant jerk to some, but in being around him at private dinners and on the Jets team plane, I can tell you he’s fairly kind and even semi-humble. On the plane ride home from a preseason game in Tampa where he tore up his knee making a tackle after an interception – in an EXHIBITION game – I disembarked last only to discover he’d left his metal, collapsible cane, picked it up and called the Jets PR man Frank Ramos, who said, “don’t worry about it – he’s got plenty more.” (I gave that cane to a friend Joe Williams in Denver for his 50th birthday.) Once when we were sharing a bathroom and occupying adjacent urinals during a dinner break of considerable alcoholic intake, he even let slip out the secret detail of his “huge” contract of $427,000 from Sonny Werblin, which I didn’t print until weeks later. When you wish upon a star Makes no difference who you are Anything your heart desires Will come to you… To some of you, this rambling recollection is meaningless and sounds like a brag book -- and for that I apologize. My point is that there is so much in life and sports to be celebrated if we approach it with childlike enthusiasm. It’s dangerous to get jaded by what you perceive as some kind of conspiracy designed to rob you of your rightful entitlements. When I look back as a fan, it’s been a rewarding experience, even in the mud of mediocrity. Because part of the exhilaration is climbing out of the pit of despair to enjoy the rarified air of triumph. Then it feels like a privilege and not an entitlement. Make a note of that Mr. New World Order and spread the word in Coral Gables. Of course, those were my words and as I pondered the future for Gator fans, it seemed repetitive to regurgitate what I have already said countless times. We have had a reality check. Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer don’t coach here anymore and there won’t be anybody like them at UF for a long time – if ever. Pick a happy place and go there for a spell. It’s going to be a long winter (or two). Watch The Buddy Martin Show "Must-Have Survival Kit for Gators Football"

After a great week both on and off the court. The Florida Gators prepare for a showdown with their in state rival. “Anytime it's Florida versus Florida state that rivalry is special” -Florida guard Zippy Broughton On Monday night the Florida Gators defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers 92-54 to begin the season 3-0 heading into Friday’s game against Florida State their first ranked opponent of the season. While Florida was finding success early in the season the Gators received equally good news about 24 hours earlier. After weeks of anticipation a third-piece of what could be one of the best recruiting classes ever for the Gators chose to call Gainesville her future home. Me’Arah O’Neal of Episcopal High School in Houston, Texas committed to play for the Gators sending shockwaves through the recruiting landscape. Baylor, Tennessee and others were all in play for the 6-4 forward but the school that felt the shock the most way have been the defending NCAA champion LSU Tigers. O’Neal is the youngest daughter of NBA Hall of Famer and LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal and a commitment to the Tigers was expected due to their recent success. O’Neal instead has chosen to carve her own legacy and will do so alongside two other heralded recruits that signed with the Gators. Kylie Kitts will join O’Neal in Gainesville after signing her letter of intent with the Gators. The 25th ranked player in the 2025 class Kitts has chosen to reclassify into the 2024 class to join the Gators next season. The 6-4 wing player was a standout at Faith Christian Academy a season ago leading them to their first state title averaging a thirteen points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game. To finish the class Kelly Rae Finley and staff signed the point guard Alivia McGill from Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. McGill is the sixth-ranked player in the country and the highest rated player to ever sign with the Gators. The 5-11 point guard has participated in several national and international all-star competitions and should follow freshman guard Laila Reynolds as the second consecutive McDonald’s All-American to sign with the Gators. Success on the recruiting trail and early success on the court have gone hand in hand early this season for the Gators. Along with Florida A&M the Gators also defeated the University of North Florida 82-65 and Bethune Cookman 83-69. A visit from Florida State Friday evening is a different animal and the Gators know what this means to the program. “Anytime it’s Florida versus Florida State that rivalry is special”, stated Florida guard Zippy Broughton. Broughton had a solid game in her first game against Florida State in 2021 with 11 points after transferring from Rutgers. Last season Broughton missed the in-state showdown and she is anxious to get back in the mix. “Getting (back) into my rhythm is something I’ve really been working on this season.” “I really want to get that W”. To beat the nationally ranked Seminoles the Gators will need solid games from Broughton and others who have started off hot this season. Point guard Aliyah Matharu is currently leading the team in scoring and assists and is on pace to reach 1,000 points for her career when the Gators visit Garber-Webb on December 17th. Center Ra' Shaya Kyle continues her resurgence as the team second leading scorer and leading rebounder. The 6-6 senior from Marion, Indiana joined LSU’s Angel Reese as the only players to have multiple double-doubles (points and rebounds) in the first week of the season. Should the Gators get solid play from the three seniors along with Lelani Correa, Alberte Rimdal, and Laila Reynolds on the wings, the Gators could find themselves nationally ranked heading into the third week of the season. This would be a nice springboard for Florida Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley and company as they forge further into their non-conference season with a trip to the Bahamas next week and a date with Michigan in December at the Jumpman Invitational.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: