Former Florida tennis sensation and national champion, Ben Shelton, is making noise on the national stage at the 2023 US Open. At just 20 years old, Shelton has etched his name in the record books, becoming the youngest American man in over two decades to advance to the quarter-finals of the US Open. Shelton faced off against his fellow American, Tommy Paul. The Australian Open quarter-finals earlier in the year had seen Shelton fall to Paul in a four-set match. However, this time around, Shelton was determined to rewrite the narrative and ensure that history did not repeat itself. In a match characterized by long rallies and emotional moments, the young left-hander stood tall. Shelton recovered after losing a commanding 4-1 lead in the third set. The final scoreline reflected his effort: 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in favor of Shelton. Reflecting on his previous encounter with Paul, Shelton shared his insights, saying, "I learned to be mentally tough. When I was playing in Australia after a long week, I was looking at my box, saying, 'My legs are dead, I am tired, I can't go anymore.' I realized how important it is to believe in myself. That I can go the full way emotionally and physically, and now I have that belief here." With this two-hour, 50-minute victory, Shelton has etched his name in the history books of tennis history once again. He now holds the distinction of being the youngest American man to reach the quarter-finals since the legendary Andy Roddick did so in 2002. Roddick, a former champion himself, had achieved this feat at the age of 20 but couldn't progress further that year. For Shelton, the quest continues, and he harbors dreams of reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final. The US Open crowd has been a significant source of inspiration for Shelton. Being at home in front of an American audience has provided him with immense support and encouragement throughout the tournament. His connection with the crowd is evident, and he fondly shared, "It is hard to believe I am playing on Arthur Ashe right now with the stands completely full." The electric atmosphere fueled Shelton's performance, particularly in the serving department. He unleashed a pair of blistering 149 mph serves during the match. It's a feat that places him in the elite company of tennis' most formidable servers. Following the win, Shelton autographed six tennis balls and sent them sailing into the stands as he moves on to the next round. Shelton’s next match is on September 5.

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash

Sophomore forward Aleks Szymczyk will miss the next three months after breaking his left foot in practice on Tuesday. He is set to undergo surgery next week and will be sidelined 10-12 weeks as he recovers.

This was a marvelous TD catch by Caleb Douglas in last night’s 24-11 thumping of Florida by Utah — one of the few highlights in a reel of lowlights.

Few Sights and Sounds by our photographer Chris Spears

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill Churchill also wrote that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. With the Florida Gators that’s a two-way street as they open their 2023 season tonight on the road at 14th-ranked Utah (8 p.m., ESPN). Billy Napier’s history says he’s lights out in year two. Florida’s history also says the Gators have posted losing records the last two seasons. From a pessimist’s standpoint, the Gators are quite likely to repeat the 6-7 records of 2021 and 2022. The optimist, however, sees opportunity and looks back on what Napier did at Louisiana when he took the 7-7 team of 2018 and turned it into an 11-3 team in 2019. There is no shortage of pessimism when it comes to the 2023 Gators. From the moment the Las Vegas oddsmakers set Florida’s over/under at 5.5, it has been like an invitation to pour it on with the low expectations. The 5.5 seems rather optimistic when compared to the dire predictions of Stewart Mandel of The Athletic. He predicts a 3-9 finish, 1-7 in the SEC, worst records overall and in the conference. Pessimists also point to a season ago when the Gators were only a few plays away from a 3-9 finish in Napier’s first year in Gainesville. Of course, the optimist points to the handful of plays that were the difference in 6-7 when 10-2 in the regular season was entirely do-able. The Florida offense giftwrapped a 26-16 loss to Kentucky. On one of those rare occasions when the defense showed up, the Gators held Kentucky to a single offensive touchdown, but Anthony Richardson interceptions gave the Wildcats a pair of TDs. Florida had the ball on the last possessions in a 38-33 loss to Tennessee, a 31-24 loss to Vanderbilt and a 45-38 loss to Florida State. Pessimists see the re-worked 2023 Florida roster as depending on far too many kids and transfers, but whenever the subject of transfers comes up, the centerpiece of the discussion is quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz started 32 games at Wisconsin, won 19 of them but had a 1-7 record against ranked teams. After throwing seven touchdown passes without an interception in his first two games as a redshirt freshman, Mertz threw only 31 more TDPs in the next 30 games and compounded matters by completing 26 passes to the other team. Pessimists see Graham Mertz as (1) an average quarterback who will never improve and (2) a bad decision on the part of Napier who should have aimed higher up the transfer portal to land a quarterback like Michael Pratt of Tulane or Grayson McCall of Coastal Carolina or maybe even Cameron “Bad Moon” Rising of Utah. Optimists see a roster that might be younger but certainly is faster and more talented top to bottom than the one that took the field a year ago when the Gators shocked then 10th-ranked Utah, 29-26, in the first game of the season. Optimists see how key positions are better thanks to transfers like nose tackle where Cam Jackson (6-6, 371) and inside linebacker Teradja Mitchell are upgrades. Optimists see freshmen wide receivers like Aidan Mizell, Eugene Wilson III and Andy Jean as fast enough to back safeties off an extra five yards, providing Ricky Pearsall room to roam. Optimists see rookies in the secondary like Jordan Castell, Ja’Keem Jackson and Dijon Johnson as equalizers with closing speed, capable of breaking up passes on third down. Optimists also see Graham Mertz as a quarterback who will be surrounded by faster receivers while operating in the shotgun in a more quarterback friendly offense. Pessimists also look to an offensive line that has only one full-time starter returning in center Kingsley Eguakun (6-3, 302), who is injured and out for game one, and think it can’t be as good as the one that allowed only 17 sacks in 13 games plus opened holes for Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne to pace a running game that averaged 5.53 yards per carry. The optimist looks at the history of Napier’s two O-line coaches approach and how the Louisiana Rajun Cajuns had an 1,100-yard rusher, two with more than 800 yards and allowed only 15 sacks in 14 games in 2019. Rob Sale was one of those coaches in 2019. He and Darnell Stapleton did such a good job working with guys they’d never coached before a year ago that optimists have to believe that a line of LT Austin Barber, LG Richie Leonard IV or Knjeah Harris, C Eguakun or Jake Slaughter, RG Micah Mazzccua and RT Damieon George Jr. will be as good if not better. The schedule is daunting. A year ago the Gators played eight teams that went on to play in bowl games. Of the 12 teams on the 2023 schedule, nine went to bowl games and four – Utah, 12th-ranked Tennessee, No. 1 Georgia and 5th-ranked LSU – are ranked among the top 15 teams in the country to start the season. The 2023 schedule is ranked by many as the toughest in the nation, but this is the Southeastern Conference so the schedule is always going to be tough and once Oklahoma and Texas join the league in 2024 it will be that much tougher. The Gators go into this game 4.5-point underdogs. The line dropped two points Wednesday upon reports that stud quarterback Cameron “Bad Moon” Rising will miss the game, but you have to wonder if Rising will have a Willis Reed moment or one like Kirk Gibson had when he launched a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth and then limped around the bases as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Oakland A’s in game one of the World Series. Would Utah coach Kyle Whittingham insert Rising into the game tonight for a few plays or maybe a series or two to send the Rice-Eccles Stadium crowd into a frenzy? Until Rising is seen in street clothes prior to and during the game, you can’t discount the possibility. Whether Rising plays or sits this one out, Florida does have a really good shot to leave Salt Lake City 1-0, spiking a wave of optimism that will ripple throughout the Gator Nation while maybe causing some of the pessimistic national pundits to pause for re-evaluation of their dire straights predictions. Here are five keys to win the game: 1. The Total Eclipse of the Sun, also known as nose tackles Cam Jackson (6-6, 371) and Des Watson (6-5, 435) take away the gaps on either side of the center, forcing the Utes to run outside where Florida’s speedy linebackers can make plays. 2. Florida’s offensive line will grind away, particularly on the right side where Micah Mazzccua (6-5, 337) and Damieon George Jr. (6-6, 350) will dominate. Those five and six-yard runs of the first 40 minutes of the game will start becoming eight and 10-yard runs in the final 20. 3. When Utah is forced to play its safeties closer to the line of scrimmage to shut off Florida’s running game, Graham Mertz will find Ricky Pearsall and Caleb Douglas in the seams with some mid-range darts that will go for big yards. Playing the safeties closer will also open things up for freshman Eugene Wilson III to wreak havoc in the slot. 4. New coordinator Austin Armstrong’s defense will register at least four sacks while applying constant pressure on whoever Utah trots out at quarterback. With everyone on Utah cognizant of Princely Umanmielen coming off the edge, expect Armstrong to bring blitz packages from odd angles that can’t be anticipated. 5. The altitude in Salt Lake City is 4,265 feet. Just as the altitude adds distance to hitters in baseball, it adds distance for punters. Jeremy Crawshaw’s ability to flip the field will come into play and he will hit at least one rocket that will take everyone’s breath away. The sayer says sooth: A year ago, the Gators ran for 283 yards on the Utes. Tonight they’ll go for at least 250 and in the fourth quarter with a running clock after first downs (new NCAA rule), the Utes won’t be able to stop the clock. Graham Mertz won’t have to throw more than 20 passes but that will be more than enough. FLORIDA 27, Utah 17 The SEC soothsayer Tonight’s game Missouri 35, South Dakota 10: Mizzou’s defense is very good. The offense will have the faithful wondering if Sam Horn or Jake Garcia couldn’t do a better job. Saturday’s games No. 1 Georgia 63, UT-Martin 3: It won’t matter who’s the quarterback until SEC play begins in two weeks. There isn’t a single player on UT-Martin’s entire team that could make Georgia’s 85-man roster. No. 4 Alabama 49, Middle Tennessee State 7: The Nick Saban Revenge Tour begins by unleashing a running game like the Tide used to have in the pre-Lane Kiffin days. No. 12 Tennessee 51, Virginia 21: They want us to believe Joe Milton is the real deal. Maybe we’ll know when the Vols play someone good but they’re still 4-5 touchdowns better than UVa. No. 23 Texas A&M 44, New Mexico 7: Is a Jimbo-Bobby Petrino divorce inevitable? Can they co-exist? Doesn’t matter in this one. Kentucky 41, Ball State 10: By halftime UK fans will be asking around for tickets to Midnight Madness in October. Arkansas 38, Western Carolina 14: This is a paycheck game for the Fighting Kerwin Bells, who will take their beating like men and hustle on back to Cullowhee, North Carolina. Ole Miss 58, Mercer 14: The big question is can Quinshon Judkins run for 200 yards in the first half? Mississippi State 31, Southeastern Louisiana 21: Conventional offense for a team that was recruited for Air Raid. MSU will win but it’s going to be a very interesting season. Auburn 52, UMass 14: Rolling the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner is allowed once again. Auburn fans could start Friday. Vanderbilt 38, Alabama A&M 25: The over/under for attendance is 15,000. Sunday’s game LSU 37, Florida State 34: The College Football Playoff balloon for one of these two teams will take a hatpin Sunday. FSU’s air will leak all the way until September 30 when Clemson deflates the Noles completely. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Charlie Baker, the former governor of Massachusetts whose job now it is to beg Congress to bail out the NCAA, has spoken and if you close your eyes, you’ll think you’re hearing the voice of Mark Emmert all over again. In an interview with The Athletic, Baker defended the NCAA decision to deny transfer waiver requests for immediate eligibility to wide receiver Tez Walker (North Carolina), defensive lineman Darrell Walker (Florida State) and Tyler Brown (Colorado). All three have what seem to be compelling reasons to transfer. In defense of the NCAA denials, Baker said, “Look, you’re talking about less than one percent of all transfers.” Oh, but it’s okay for coaches who make millions of dollars to leave their team high and dry before a bowl game. But a player, who might want to move closer to home to be with his dying mother (Walker) has to sit a year. Yeah, that makes sense. No matter who is in charge of the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, I’m reminded of that line from Al Pacino in the movie “Scent of a Woman” – “If I were the man I was five years ago I’d take a flamethrower to this place!” Someone who is the man he was five years ago, do us a favor. Take a flamethrower to the NCAA.

Pregame Special

Starting center Kingsley Eguakun is not expected to play Thursday night, shifting the spotlight onto Jake Slaughter. Gators' starting center, Eguakun, remains sidelined due to a recent practice injury. Coach Billy Napier's announcement on Friday left his status for the season's kickoff against Utah on August 31st uncertain. All eyes are now on Slaughter, who steps up in a role that his teammates and coaches feel confident in. A seasoned fifth-year redshirt junior, Eguakun has been the anchor at the center position for 26 consecutive games, a streak that traces back to the 2021 season. This position was set to continue into 2023. Prior to his ascend to the starting lineup, Eguakun proved his worth in 14 games as a reserve lineman and special teams contributor. The spotlight found him on August 4th when he was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list, an accolade given to the nation's most outstanding center. His career boasts an impressive 1,747 offensive snaps, a true experienced leader. This unit underwent a metamorphosis during the offseason, rebuilding its ranks following the departure of four starters and four backups from the previous year. In Eguakun's absence, the spotlight turns to redshirt sophomore Jake Slaughter, who has assumed the mantle of responsibility as part of Florida's first-string offensive line. Hailing from the local Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic scene, Slaughter's trust has not escaped the eyes of coaches and teammates, most notably Coach Napier himself. "Jake Slaughter is a player that I have the utmost confidence in. He's been outstanding in his role," Napier said. Slaughter's dedication has been evident, fueled by his commitment to both his teammates and the University of Florida. He has done what he has been told to since arriving on campus and now will get a chance to prove it on one of the biggest stages on the opening weekend of college football. Napier also unveiled possible alternatives in the case of Eguakun's absence, highlighting the potential of projected starting left guard Richie Leonard IV stepping into the center position. Moreover, the emergence of freshmen talents Knijeah Harris and Roderick Kearney has not escaped Napier's attention, adding a layer of depth to the narrative. As the clock winds down to the clash, the Gators are set to clash helmets with the Utes at the hour of 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT on August 31st, in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah. The stage is set for a showdown, with Kingsley Eguakun sidelined and Jake Slaughter stepping into the light.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: The pre-game jitters disappeared for Graham Mertz back in grade school. Now 32 starts at quarterback into his college football career, the combination of experience and hard work have made nerves and anxiety a thing of the past. He’s comfortable in his own skin, confident and relaxed. Some of the young kids on the Florida roster might be feeling the butterflies about now as the Gators bear down on the 2023 season opener Thursday night against 14th-ranked Utah, but it will be just another day at the office for Mertz. “I mean, this sport, when you genuinely love it, like obviously right before the game you are going to have that, ‘Oop! The game is about to start’ …that anticipation,” Mertz said Monday evening. “But I really haven’t had those butterflies or jitters before a game since probably second or third grade. I love this game. I love the emotion that goes into it. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t lead you to be anxious. It’s more of an excitement for the game to start. That’s what gets into me right before a game.” Mertz comes across neither too cool nor too cocky. It’s evident from his basic demeanor that he’s simply confident and comfortable. His 32 previous starts were at Wisconsin where he owned the locker room. He owns the Florida locker room, but he did that by rolling up his sleeves and setting an example of hard work from the first day he arrived on campus out of the transfer portal. His unparalleled work ethic worked all the kinks out of transitioning to a new offense in which he’s working primarily out of the shotgun after three years of mostly working under center at Wisconsin. After a spring in which there were accuracy issues and he seemed quite hesitant, countless hours of throwing to teammates in the last four months have ironed out the problems while building real chemistry between QB and receivers. “That’s why you work all winter, spring, summer,” Mertz said. “That’s where you really build that. It’s not a thing you want to force right during fall camp. I’m really excited about the steps we’ve taken as a unit on that front. I think we all know, whether it’s just talking after a certain play based off a look, sitting down watching film and seeing a certain coverage, knowing where that weakness in that coverage is and attacking it and just really just getting on the same page. It comes back to just spending time in the offseason on actually running routes, throwing the ball, and then also communicating on the looks you see. The minor tweaks, the minor adjustments based on coverages and really understanding the whole picture. I mean, it’s been a great process.” At Wisconsin, Mertz never seemed to live up to the potential he showed in high school when he was one of the nation’s most highly sought after quarterbacks. From the moment he transferred to Florida, Mertz has been the poster child for media skepticism. He’s ranked No. 13 among the 14 starting QBs in the SEC by the media, which doubts that he can turn his career around. But what if the national media is wrong? What if it turns out that Mertz was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time at Wisconsin? What if all he needed was a fresh start in a brand new offense where there is no lack of speed at the skill positions? We get our first glimpse Thursday night. There are no guarantees that Mertz is any better than he was at Wisconsin, but if he has command of the offense and the accuracy problems are indeed a thing of the past, then Florida is going to surprise a lot of people this fall. Sometimes it just takes a change of scenery … When it comes to quarterbacks, perhaps there is something to that old saying about how the grass is greener somewhere else. Graham Mertz will be testing that theory this year at Florida. Here are how a few other quarterbacks fared after leaving for a new place. In three previous seasons at Auburn, Bo Nix was an enigma. Good Bo Nix did things like lead an improbable comeback win over Oregon in 2019. That same season Bad Bo Nix stunk it up at Florida as Auburn went down in flames in a nationally televised 3:30 game on CBS. The numbers for three seasons at Auburn were 7,251 passing yards for 39 touchdowns with 16 picks. The 6.9 yards per pass attempt was well below average. He also ran for 869 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a fine scrambler but too often held the ball too long and was sacked. When he transferred to Oregon, Auburn people thought the Ducks were suckers, but look what happened when there was a change of scenery. Good Bo Nix showed up and took the Pac-12 by storm, throwing for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns while running for 510 more and 14 TDs. He averaged a very healthy 8.8 yards per pass attempt. It's not that Jayden Daniels was a poor quarterback at Arizona State. Far from it. He threw for 6,025 yards and 32 touchdowns with 13 picks in three seasons while running for 1,288 yards and 13 touchdowns. But, Arizona State was going nowhere so Daniels transferred to LSU where he led the Tigers to the SEC West championship in 2022. Last season Daniels threw for 2,913 yards with 17 TDPs and only three picks. He ran for 885 yards and 11 touchdowns. Daniels was so good last year that he’s on the short list for Heisman candidates in 2023. Part of the problem for Michael Penix at Indiana was he couldn’t stay healthy but after four years in Bloomington, he needed a change of scenery in the worst way. In the five games Penix played in 2021, he averaged only 5.8 yards per attempt while throwing four TDPs and seven picks. At Indiana, Penix played in 21 games, threw for 4,197 yards (7.3 per attempt, below average) with 29 TDPs and 15 interceptions. A conservative non-runner, Penix ran for 165 yards and six touchdowns in four seasons at Indiana. Then came the transfer to Washington last year. The former Tampa prep star blossomed, throwing for 4,641 yards (healthy 8.4 per attempt) and 31 touchdowns. He ran for four more touchdowns. Who can forget Joe Burrow? Buried on the depth chart at Ohio State, he transferred to LSU in 2018, then led the Tigers to an unbeaten national championship season while winning the Heisman Trophy. Three years at Ohio State produced 287 yards and two touchdown passes. Two seasons at LSU produced 8,565 yards (hefty 9.5 per attempt) and 76 touchdowns with only 11 picks. Burrow threw 60 touchdown passes in 2019 when the Tigers went 15-0. Before there was Joe Burrow winning a Heisman, Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) won Heismans at Oklahoma after transferring. Mayfield began his collegiate career at Texas Tech as a walk-on. Murray began his career at Texas A&M. UF volleyball: Gators score straight set win over No. 2 Stanford The 8th-ranked Gators scored the biggest upset of the still young volleyball season Tuesday night with a straight set (25-19, 29-27, 25-23) win over No. 2 Stanford in Palo Alto. Freshman Kennedy Martin led the Gators with 16 kills, four blocks and four digs, while setter Alexis Stucky had four kills, 34 assists and 12 digs. The Gators (3-0) will play their first home match of the season Sunday when they play host to 5th-ranked Minnesota. SEC football Alabama: On the Matt Barrie Show, Paul Finebaum ripped Nick Saban for not releasing a depth chart. “Don’t bully people ‘cause you can,” Finebaum said. “Saban has made a career at Alabama and maybe elsewhere of bullying those who are weaker than him and don’t have the ability, and that’s just not a good look.” Arkansas: KJ Jefferson has thrown for 5,804 yards and 48 touchdowns in his career. He needs 1,962 yards and 16 touchdown passes to become the all-time leader in Arkansas history. Auburn: Quarterback Payton Thorne, defensive lineman Elijah McAllister, offensive lineman Kam Stutts and tight end Luke Deak have been voted team captains. Georgia: Former Georgia tight end Arik Gilbert, who transferred to Nebraska, was arrested and charged with burglary in Lincoln after attempting to abscond with $1,600 of vape materials from a Lincoln smoke shop. Kentucky: Walk-on wide receiver Cole Lanter has been awarded a scholarship. LSU: Linebacker Harold Perkins has been moved to inside linebacker from outside pass rush specialist, where he had 8.5 sacks as a true freshman last year. “He’s going to be moving all around,” LSU HBC Brian Kelly said. “He’s not just going to be at inside linebacker.” Mississippi State: Southeastern Louisiana will make $550,000 for its Saturday paycheck game with the Bulldogs, while October 7 non-conference opponent Western Michigan will take home a $1 million paycheck for visiting Starkville. Missouri: Out Thursday in the season opener against South Dakota are linebacker Chad Bailey, running back Michael Cox, wide receiver Peanut Houston and offensive lineman Bence Polgar. Ole Miss: Still no announcement whether the starting quarterback will be incumbent Jaxson Dart or Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders. South Carolina: Standing up for quarterback Spencer Rattler, who isn’t highly regarded by the national media, HBC Shane Beamer said, “Frankly, it’s pretty disappointing just to see maybe the lack of respect on the outside, but again, we worry about what we can control and I’m excited for Spencer. Rattler threw 18 touchdown passes last year after transferring to South Carolina from Oklahoma. Tennessee: The Vols remain a solid 28 point favorite for their season opener with Virginia in Nashville. Texas A&M: Former walk-on Sam Matthews, a graduate student linebacker, has been selected 12th man for 2023. Matthews’ number will be changed from 29 to 12. Vanderbilt: Defensive lineman Darren Agu and linebacker/safety Jeffrey Ugo are both questionable for Saturday’s game with Alabama A&M. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: A few predictions for the 2023 college football season that don’t include the Florida Gators. 1. Georgia will not win the national championship: The Bulldogs have so much talent and compared to most of the teams in the SEC, a cakewalk of a schedule but they will stumble along the way and won’t three-peat. 2. Michigan will win the national championship: Jim Harbaugh already has as good a roster as there is in college football and now he has the NCAA for motivation. What we’re already seeing is a defiant Harbaugh whose attitude toward the NCAA is making it an us against the world year for Michigan. 3. Southern Cal will crash and burn more than once: The Trojans have the Heisman Trophy quarterback and enough moving parts on offense to overwhelm most of the teams on their schedule, but the defense is still second rate. Southern Cal will lose at least two of the five games with Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. 4. Sam Hartman will emerge as the Heisman frontrunner: He’s in for a monster of a season and by midseason, he will have Heisman-like numbers and the Notre Dame hype machine cranking up the volume. Notre Dame hasn’t had a national champ or a Heisman winner since 1988 when Timmy Brown took home the hardware. The Irish won’t win the national title, but Hartman might take home the trophy. 5. Florida State will either be a contender or pretender by September 30: The Seminoles play LSU in Orlando Sunday night. On September 30, they play Clemson in Death Valley. Win those two and FSU is an instant contender to make the College Football Playoff. Lose one of the two and there's still hope. Lose both and the Seminoles can forget about it.