by David on March 26, 2012
UF defensive coordinator Dan Quinn spent a great deal of time this winter studying how some of the best defenses in pro football produced turnovers last season. He’s passed those lessons along to his defensive players.
“It was important for me to call some other (NFL) clubs and say, ‘What are some things you’re doing that you guys played so well to get that ball away?’ ” Quinn said. “I talked to the guys at San Francisco; they had a terrific turnover margin, so it was important for me to reach out — ‘Are you guys doing anything different?’
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Dan Quinn Wants More Turnovers From Gators Defense
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by AnthonyRichards on March 24, 2012
It has been 25 years since Billy Donovan led Providence to the Final Four under the tutelage of his coach Rick Pitino. Donovan will now face his mentor Saturday in Phoenix with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
The Gators (26-10) will play the Louisville Cardinals (29-9) in an Elite 8 matchup which will decide who will represent the West Region in the Final Four. It will be the Gators fourth Elite 8 appearance in the last seven years.
by David on March 23, 2012
Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease is really encouraged by the improvement on the offensive line so far during spring practice.
It’s a unit that struggled last season. It had trouble creating holes between the tackles, couldn’t handle the Southeastern Conference’s better fronts, and got physically pushed around way too often. Then there was head coach Will Muschamp calling the group soft by saying it needed to get tougher mentally and physically.
Through five practices, however, Pease likes what he has seen from the group.
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Pease encouraged by what he seems from offensive line so far
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by David on March 23, 2012
The University of Florida men’s basketball team are a game away from returning to the Final Four after a 68-58 victory over Marquette. Next up for Florida is a West Regional final Saturday against Louisville.
Against Marquette, Florida was led by Bradley Beal, the freshman phenom, who scored 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting. He also had six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots, including one on Jae Crowder while the third-seeded Golden Eagles (27-8) were desperately trying to claw back after trailing by 14.
by David on March 22, 2012
After spending the 2010 season on the sidelines, wide receiver Quinton Dunbar was determined to make an impact as a redshirt freshman last year.
He never did. Dunbar finished 2011 with a very disappointing 14 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns last season failing to live up to the hype surrounding his arrival.
One reason Dunbar’s poor season according to Will Muschamp was that he was still young and inexperienced.
by David on March 21, 2012
Some interesting, and worrying, observations from Michael DiRocco of ESPN’s GatorNation about the Gators’ first practice in pads over the weekend.
One thing that sticks out in DiRocco’s observation is that the quarterbacks didn’t have much success throwing the ball downfield.
DiRocco writes:
“[Jeff] Driskel, Jacoby Brissett and [Tyler] Murphy had a lot of success completing passes in the 10- to 15-yard range, but were unable to get the ball down the field. Each quarterback did complete deep balls over the two days, but it was rare to see any completions of 20 or more yards that weren’t sideline or seam patters. No deep ins or outs. It’s understandable that they would struggle, though, because it is only the first week of practice, and the Gators’ secondary is pretty good.”
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Michael DiRocco From ESPN Not Impressed With Gator Quarterbacks
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by David on March 21, 2012
A welcome sight at Florida’s spring practices is the appearance of starting cornerback Marcus Roberson whose season came to an abrupt end last season due to a serious neck injury that he picked up against South Carolina in mid-November.
Roberson spent six to eight weeks in a very hard, plastic, stationary brace following the injury. Then he spent another six weeks in a less restrictive brace.
“I don’t know the exact medical terms for it, but there was a displacement in the neck area,” Muschamp said. “It was a very, very serious issue. All very healable as far as the medical process is concerned, it just takes time.”
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Marcus Roberson Back Playing Football Again
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by David on March 21, 2012
How physical is Marquette? Well Murray State coach Steve Prohm compared the Golden Eagles to playing a football team. And matching Marquette’s physical play will be a big challenge for the Gators on Thursday night.
But Marquette isn’t just about banging bodies around on the court. They like to run and keep the tempo fast, and they shoot well — but with the added benefit of quick big men.
“They’ve got great speed and quickness,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “I think they’re a great offensive rebounding team, they’re an attack team, they push the ball very hard.
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Gators Say They Can Match Marquette’s Physical Style
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by AnthonyRichards on March 19, 2012
The next stop in the Gators quest for a National Title is Phoenix, Ariz. and a date with Marquette on Thursday.
Marquette is a team with strong guard play that operates an offense averaging 75.9 ppg this season.
The leading guard is senior Darius Johnson-Odom who was an All-Big East First Team selection after leading the team with 18.5 ppg.
As a third-year starter in coach Buzz Williams’ system, Johnson-Odom has a great understanding. His size (6-2, 215) brings a physical nature to his position and presents the Gator defenders with the challenge of cutting off driving lanes to the basket.
by David on March 18, 2012
No big upset this time. Kenny Boynton and Florida were just too good for surprising Norfolk State. Norfolk State shook up the West Regional when it upset No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84 on Friday, and was trying to become the first 15 seed to reach the round of 16.
Florida put a quick end to that idea, making five 3-pointers during a 25-0 run that made it 29-6 midway through the first half.
The seventh-seeded Gators (25-10) have made it to the regional semifinals six times in 12 NCAA tournament appearances under coach Billy Donovan. They will play No. 3 seed Marquette on Thursday in Phoenix after their second straight runaway win.
