The Gators have been on hot streak while playing games on Thursdays and then on the following Saturday, going 5-0 since January. The last game in Thursday-Saturday
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Florida and Ole’ Miss Fight it Out for a Spot in the Tourney
Posted by Staff Writers on February 20th, 2010 No CommentGators Win Baseball Opener Versus USF
Posted by Staff Writers on February 20th, 2010 No CommentThe Florida Gators begin their 2010 baseball season with a running start, as they beat South Florida by four runs on Friday evening. The Gators had four fresh players in the lineup including shortstop, Nolan Fontana, and catcher, Mike Zunino.
The junior out of Jacksonville, Florida, Josh Adams, seemed to be the star player in the season opener for both teams in the Mckethan Stadium in front of over 3,300 fans. Adams was 3-3 with 4 RBI, along with a double and two home runs. The comeback pitcher, Tommy Toledo, who did not play in the 2009 season, had four strikeouts and long with three scattered hits. He only allowed one unearned run in 3.1 innings Friday night. Freshman, Austin Maddox, went 2 for 4 in the opener. But what was more impressive was his first at bat, which was a two-run homer.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan commented on the comeback of Toledo saying, “It was good to get Tommy back after 16 months. I thought he did really well considering this was the first game of the year, and he had to deal with the jitters. He will be better his next time out. The damage that was done was his own doing with the walks and the hit batters, but it was great to see him out there.” Josh Adams was quoted saying by Gatorzone.com, “We’re getting used to playing with each other. The first homer felt good and I had goose bumps running around the bases.”
The Gators took an early lead as two home runs by Adams and Maddox enabled them to take an early 4-0 lead. The senior, Matt den Dekker, faced the USF junior pitcher, Fontanez, by singling into right center field before Adams knocked one out of the park into the left field bleachers. Although, the Bulls were not done yet as USF had the bases loaded and down by two with Toledo on the mound for the Gators. Despite the possible comeback, the Gators stuck it out and lead by 4 to close the game out.
The Gators are looking forward to a very successful season as they start the long road ahead with a ‘W’ in the season opener. Junior, Josh Adams, seemed as if he was the impact player of the game when he went 3-3 at the plate along with 4 RBI. GSN hit the nail on the head as our staff predicted the score of 6-2 in the victory over the Bulls in the pre-game analysis. GSN would like to wish the Gators good luck in the 2010 season which will all lead to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska played this Summer.
(Information collected from Gatorzone.com)
By: Justin Rectenwald
Gators Put Down the Tigers, 78-70
Posted by Staff Writers on February 19th, 2010 No CommentIn the O’dome on Thursday evening, the Gators faced the Auburn Tigers to try to boost the hopes for a chance to have a spot in the Tourney come March. As usual, Erving Walker and Chandler Parsons were the star players for the Gators as Parsons scored 17 and Walker scored 14. The victory on Thursday snapped a two game losing streak that was hurting the chances to appear in the tournament.
The luck was not on the side of the Tigers as star player, DeWayne Reed, led the Tigers with 22 points before he fouled out within the remaining 20 seconds of the ball game. Without Reed, the Tigers had to rely on other players to score eight points in the remaining seconds to comeback from a deficit to defeat the Gators in their own home arena. Although 22 out of 29 field goals were missed by the Tigers’ Tay Walker, he still managed to score 13 for Auburn.
The Gators did not look any better from behind the arch as they missed 8 out of 10 FGs in the game. Without the occasional fortunate free throws, 32 points would not have been up on the board. The Gators only missed eight shots from the line. The Gators closed out the game with four free throws to further the Auburn deficit.
Walker’s 14 points from the charity stripe were much needed as those were his only points put on the board versus the Tigers. Missing shots from the line caused two Gator losses versus the Gamecocks by 14 and Xavier by 11. The Gators lead lessened as the Tigers’ Waller hit 3 of 4 from behind the arch. Although the Gators lead by 5 with under six minuets left, Reed stole the show as he marched down the court to the line, but his teammates could not provide assistance for a shot. The Gators, 15 for 19 in final 6:28, closed the game out with multiple free throws to advance to 7-4 in the SEC.
With just under a month until March Madness rolls around, the Gators are looking to advance to The Tourney as they face Tennessee and Ole’ Miss in the upcoming days. The Gators will face the Bulldogs in a rematch in Athens to stop the team that seems to be on fire lately. If these key games end in victories, it could result in the magical road leading to the Final Four.
(Information collected from ESPN.com and Gatorsports.com)
By: Justin Rectenwald
Juco Star Ricardo Ratliffe Takes Florida into Consideration
Posted by Staff Writers on February 18th, 2010 No CommentOnce Ricardo Ratliffe steps on the court, all eyes are watching the power forward for his next move as he is the top JUCO (Junior College) player in the nation, as reported by numerous scouting websites. Ratliffe is attending the Central Florida Community College as he is the major focus of the college basketball recruiting news.
The 6’9 240 pound power forward out of Kecoughtan High School in Virginia has narrowed his long list of choices for the upcoming 2010-2011 season as March Madness rolls around. He has narrowed his college choices down to Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, South Carolina, LSU and Missouri. The Gators have just recently showed a large interest to the top JUCO player, who just 40 miles down the road from the House of Horror in Gainesville.
Richard Burton of Gatorsports.com reports Ratliffe saying, “When I first got (to CFCC), (Florida) was recruiting me, but then they kind of backed off for awhile because they thought they had what they needed inside.They thought they had the toughness and overall good play inside, but as the season went on, they realized they needed tougher players and players who would go after rebounds.” This means that the Gators are not stopping the pursuit for Ratliffe until he has faxed in his Letter of Intent. The Gators are trying to make up loss time, reported by Ratliffe, as they are trying to reel him in for the upcoming season before any other school has the opportunity to.
Ratliffe is showing a huge liking to Florida as he was seen at the Florida versus Kentucky game and also the LSU game recently. Ratliffe also attended the Gators’ open gym this past summer. Ratliffe seems as if he could possibly be looking forward the short journey to Gainesville to continue his success as an elite basketball player. Although, coming to Florida will not be an easy job, as he will have to fight and work hard for a starting spot playing for the Gators.
Other coaches who were previously affiliated with the Gators are now in the hunt for Ratliffe as well. Anthony Grant, the former Gator assistant coach and the current Crimson Tide head coach, was in the hunt for Ratliffe in his sophomore of high school season while he was in Virginia. Arkansas coach and previous assistant coach at Florida, John Pelphrey, is also in persuit of the JUCO standout. Ratliffe is unable to sign with a university until April 14th. Until then, it will be up to the top recruiters in the nation to try to sway Ratliffe their way.
I got a chance to witness Ratliffe play this season in Ocala, and what a player he is. I remember the gym was always packed from people waiting to see him play. Also when I entered the gym one night there were several college coaches there scouting Ratliffe. Two of the coaches that I saw and had a chance to talk to were Mike Anderson from Missouri and head coach John Pelphrey over at Arkansas.
Below is a short video interview of Ratliffe that was taken inside of a room in the gymnasium at CFCC.
Gators Acquire Marvin Kloss
Posted by Staff Writers on February 17th, 2010 No CommentAt the end of National Signing Day on February 3rd, the Florida Gators had handed out all of the scholarships possible to the elite athletes from around the country. Although, they missed the 3-star kicker out of Naples Barron Collier,Marvin Kloss. Kloss recently accepted the sign-on offer with the Gators earlier this week. South Florida offered an opportunity for Kloss to sign on as a grayshirt, which meant he could not attend until January of 2011. As Summer rolls around in the sunshine state, Kloss looks forward to competing for opportunity to have playing time for the Gators in the Fall of 2010.
Gathered by Robbie Andreu, Kloss was reported to say, “If they can get me in, I’m going up there,” he told the Times. “I want to play right away, and they’re a lot better than USF scholarship-wise with just one kicker and one punter on scholarship.” As Kloss looks forward to becoming a Gator, he is currently undergoing the admissions process in Gainesville.
Even though Kloss has the grades and SAT scores that earned him the Florida Bright Futures scholarship, he looks to gain a football scholarship with his hard work and training. In a few years, Marvin Kloss could be knocking down field goals from 45 yards just like they are chip shots for the Gators.
(Information collected from Gatorsports.com)
By: Justin Rectenwald
Redshirt Freshman Gary Brown Suspended
Posted by Staff Writers on February 15th, 2010 2 CommentsOn Sunday Morning, Gary Brown, a 2009 5-star recruit and defensive tackle, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery after an incident at a UF frat house. After being told to leave a party early Sunday morning, Brown allegedly slapped a woman opened handed and also scratched at another woman.
The Gainesville Police reported that, Brown used an open hand to strike the face of a woman trying to kick people out of a party. Another woman who intervened was scratched by Brown as he attempted to slap her arms away. The two women were not injured so badly that they were in need of medical attention, but both women filled out and sworn on the incident report.
Although Brown was looked to be one of the best defensive lineman coming out of the 2009 recruiting class, he only served on the scout team as a redshirt during fall practices. It is unknown whether Brown will participate during Spring training on March 17. It seems as if as the off-season goes by, more and more woes and worries cross the minds of the Gator coaching staff.
(Information collected from Gatorsports.com)
By: Justin Rectenwald
Official: Teryl Austin named Florida Defensive Coordinator
Posted by Staff Writers on February 12th, 2010 No CommentThe Florida Athletic Department officially named Teryl Austin to the defensive coordinator position on Friday. Coming with Austin is 19 years of coaching experience. In those 19 years, 12 of those come from the collegiate level working as a defensive assistant at Penn State, Syracuse and Michigan. Austin coached defensive backs at Wake Forrest as well. Having ties with current Gator coaches Steve Adazzio (Syracuse) and Scott Loeffler (Michigan) the familiarity in the coaching staff will be there almost instantly and things will begin to gel quite nicely.
“I am pleased to have Teryl join our staff,” said head coach Urban Meyer. “Coach Addazio did a great job coordinating our efforts with Chuck Heater and Dan McCarney to hire Teryl. It was important that we had some familiarity with Teryl as both Coach Addazio and Coach Loeffler had worked with him before. He also comes highly recommended from my close friend Bill Davis, the defensive coordinator of the Cardinals. It was also important that we hire a coach who is a great teacher, a great mentor and has the ability to be a great recruiter. Coach Austin has all of those qualities and beyond that is a good family man.”
“I’m excited to join the Gator coaching staff,” said Austin. “I’ve watched from afar what this program is about – winning championships with dynamic players and doing things the right way. Now, I’m honored to be a part of the program and a part of The Gator Nation. I look forward to getting to work with an outstanding group of players and a great coaching staff.”
Austin also spent 7 years in the NFL coaching defensive backs with the Seattle Seahawks (2003-06) and most recently with the Arizona Cardinals (2007-09). Coming highly recommenced to Urban Meyer from current Cardinal DC and Meyer friend Bill Davis, Austin should have a big part in developing some of Florida’s younger athletes into NFL caliber players.
While coaching college Austin got a reputation for being an excellent recruiter and talent developer. Austin has strong ties in the Pennsylvania area and should help the Gators recruit well nationally. High School prospects will definitely notice and will want to play for a 7 year NFL defensive veteran.
Some other tidbits on Austin:
- In 2008 Arizona rookie and first-round pick Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie led the Cardinals with four interceptions in the regular season.
- In 2007 Austin’s secondary helped the Cardinals lead the NFL in six interceptions returned for touchdowns. The Cardinals also lead that year with interception return yards (551).
- At Seattle Austin developed a solid secondary in players Marcus Trufant, Ken Hamlin, Michael Boulware and Kelly Jennings- all young draft picks.
- Austin has coached in two superbowls.
- While in the college game Austin was instrumental in developing several future NFL players. At Syracuse he mentored All-American Donovan Darius and Kevin Abrams. In 1997 Darius was named the Big East Player of The Year and later was drafted in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania he played college football at Pittsburgh from 1984-87. While at Pitt he played in the 84 Fiest Bowl and the 87 Bluebonnet Bowl.
- Coaching timeline:
1991-92 Penn State Graduate Assistant
1993-95 Wake Forest Defensive Backs
1996-98 Syracuse Defensive Backs
1999-2002 Michigan Defensive Backs
2003-06 Seattle Seahawks Defensive Backs
2007-09 Arizona Cardinals Defensive Backs
By: Kurt Posner
Teryl Austin is the Leading Candidate for Co-Defensive Coordinator
Posted by Staff Writers on February 11th, 2010 No CommentReports out of Arizona have stated that the Cardinal defensive back coach, Teryl Austin, has left the Cardinals for the Gator co-defensive coordinator position. Although, some reports based out of the University of Florida have stated that the claim is wrong on Thursday evening.
George Edwards was the previous defensive coordinator for the Gators but soon after accepting the job in Gainesville, he left Florida for the Buffalo Bills. As his seat was vacant, Austin was named as one of the considerations for the job. Charlie Harbison, who coached at Clemson as the co-defensive coordinator, took his name off of the list for possible candidates. This opened a larger window of opportunity for Teryl Austin to fill the vacant position.
The Arizona Cardinals website reported that Austin left the Cardinals for the Gators along with a local radio station in Phoenix. Teryl Austin has coached in the NFL for seven years at Seattle and Arizona. If the Gators happen to hire Austin, this will be the second time in a month that the Gators picked a coach from the NFL to serve as a coordinator. Austin has a bit of background to his career also. He has appeared in two Super Bowls while coaching in the NFL. He has also coached at Penn State, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Michigan for a grand total of 12 years in college ball. Austin has also coached with Steve Addazio (offensive coordinator) at Syracuse and with Scot Loeffler at Michigan.
If the reports turn out to be true, the Gators will look to be in great shape come Fall with Teryl Austin having a hand in coaching Florida’s defense as they look to rebuild with some of the top recruits in the nation. Austin has had 19 years of experience in coaching various defenses of NFL and collegiate teams. After Austin was hired to a team, they have turned out to be quite successful as he has coached two teams that have appeared in Super Bowls under his control. Therefore, Austin looks to be a great addition to the Gator coaching staff if he is hired. Could this mean the Gators could be on the road to a fourth BCS National Championship with a previously successful coaching staff and the best recruits in the country? We will have to wait until the upcoming football season to find out.
(Information collected from GatorSports.com. Photograph from Life.com)
By: Justin Rectenwald
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