Really disappointing loss for the Gators at Rupp Arena on Tuesday,as they lost 78-58 to top-ranked Kentucky.
Florida entered the game as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, but was ice cold from three-point range against the Wildcats. The Gators made a season-low 22.2% (6-of-27) against Kentucky (24-1, 10-0), while Kentucky made 60% (9-of-15).
The win extended Kentucky’s nation-leading home winning streak to 49 games and ended Florida’s winning streak at seven. The Gators (19-5, 7-2) remain in second in the SEC with one fewer league loss than Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
Three Florida Gators football players, running back Jeff Demps, defensive tackle Jaye Howard and wide receiver Chris Rainey, have been invited to the NFL Combine Feb. 22-28 in at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.
Currently, the Gator moving up the draft board the most is Rainey, who switched from a running back to a wide receiver and performed well at that position during the Senior Bowl. According to NFLDraftScouts.com, Rainey is currently a 3-4th round draft pick, but could vault up board with a strong showing in Indy.
The University of Florida announced one of the best recruiting classes in the country last week and Will Muschamp praised the job linebackers and special teams coach D.J. Durkin had done in helping to land some of the Gators’ biggest recruits, particularly from out of state.
On Monday, Durkin received more recognition for his efforts when he was named the Rivals.com recruiter of the year.
Durkin was responsible for bringing in seven top-tier prospects, including Rivals250 prospects: five-star DE Jonathan Bullard of Shelby, N.C.; five-star OT D.J. Humphries of Charlotte Mallard Creek; Venice four-star DT Dante Phillips; and Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth three-star DE Alex McCalister.
John Jenkins and the Vanderbilt Commodores will take on Kenny Boynton and the Florida Gators on Saturday. Join Jason Horowitz and Gary Parrish as they break down this game. Watch the game on CBS at 1 PM ET.
The 12th ranked Gators (18-4, 6-1) prepare for their third straight home game Saturday against the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores (16-6, 5-2). The Gators are coming off their sixth straight conference win and 18th straight at the O’Dome.
These are streaks that will continue if the Gators attack the boards with the same intensity as they did against South Carolina on Thursday night, intensity that led to the Gators out-rebounding South Carolina 42-30, including 20-10 on the offensive boards.
Will Muschamp’s first real class at Florida is now in the books, as 23 high school seniors signed their National Letters of Intent to join the football program today.
By all accounts this is very good group of players that Muschamp and his staff have recruited. Scout.com says the Gators have the fifth best class nationally. Scout.com’s top five are Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Florida.
Rivals.com, has the Gators ranked third nationally. Rivals.com’s top five are Alabama, Texas, Florida, Ohio State and Stanford. ESPN.com ranks UF’s class fourth in the country. ESPN.com’s top five are Alabama, Florida State, Texas, Florida and Georgia.
To win some and you lose some on national signing day, and that is certainly the case for the University of Florida today.
Earlier I wrote that five-star defensive end Dante Fowler Jr had picked Florida over Florida State, but those good feelings soon dissipated with the news that that Lane Kiffin and his USC Trojans had nabbed two top Florida prospects from the Gators when No. 5 defensive tackle Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, Fla./Mainland) and No. 6 wide receiver Nelson Agholor (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley) both signed with USC. Each was thought to have Florida and USC as their final two schools.
Good start to national signing day with the news that five-star defensive end Dante Fowler Jr had picked Florida over Florida State.
Fowler Jr. had been committed to Florida State but Will Muschamp and his staff were able to flip him.
According to ESPN, Fowler who is 6’3″, 236lbs is “an athletic defensive end prospect with the tools to be a productive pass rusher. He has good size. He will need to work to add more good bulk and improve strength, but is a kid that is pretty well put together”.
Philadelphia quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg has been a Penn State commit since last July, but on Friday that changed when a source told GatorCountry.com he became the 21st commitment in the Gators’ 2012 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback became interested in Florida after the hiring of Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease.
Pease and Mornhinweg’s father, Marty Mornhinweg who is the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator, played college football together at Montana and that connection allowed Pease to come in late and snag the commitment of Mornhinweg.
