The U.S. economy grew at a much better than expected pace to end 2021 though the acceleration likely tailed off as the omicron spread put a damper on hiring and further hindered the global supply chain.

Gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced during the October-through-December period, increased at a 6.9% annualized pace, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a gain of 5.5%.

Real GDP growth (net of inflation) was 5.7% for 2021.

Nominal growth grew 14.3% in Q4 to $23.99 trillion.

Webb has his Top 11, but Florida is still going after him leading to a March visit.

By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:
SNATCHING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY
Forget the stupid foul on the 3-point shooter with 19.5 seconds left. Forget also how the Gators squandered away the final 19.5 seconds and settled for a poor shot when they only needed two to win and Colin Castleton didn’t even sniff the basketball. Yes, those are factors in Florida’s 56-55 loss at the hands of Texas A&M (16-10, 5-8 SEC) in College Station, but when it comes right down to it, this game was lost in a first half that saw the Gators score only six points in the game’s first 6:03 and then go scoreless until Colin Castleton was freed up for a dunk with 6:35 to go.

Prior to Castleton’s dunk, the Gators were 3-19 from the field. In the final 6:53, they were 4-13 including a pair of 3-pointers. Florida was 7-32 overall from the field and 2-15 from the 3-point line in the first half. Complicating matters were 10 Florida turnovers in the first half that the Aggies converted into 17 points as they took a 27-20 lead at the intermission.

There is the game, right there. The foul by Fleming and his missed shot didn’t lose the game although they did contribute.

“We didn’t lose the game because of one of those couple plays,” Florida coach Mike White said. “There were 50 things we could have done better.”

And most of what could have been done better was on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively, the Gators were exceptional. They held the Aggies to 33.9 percent shooting overall and just 2-18 (11.1 percent) from the 3-point line. When you hold a team to 56 points and that kind of miserable shooting night, you should win the game if you get anything at all on the offensive end.

Offensively, the Gators broke out of their funk down the stretch when they rallied from a 12-point deficit (43-31) in the game’s final 10:45, sparked by, of all people, Niels Lane, who scored all six of his points in the second half and contributed three very timely assists including two that led to dunks by Castleton and the third that got Tyree Appleby his only 3-pointer of the game that gave UF a 52-51 lead with 2:31 to go.

Fleming hit a 3-ball with 1:44 left that gave UF a 55-51 lead but UF wouldn’t score again as the Aggies scored the final five points to pick up the win.

This is a game Florida had no business losing. A lot of folks will point fingers at White but he wasn’t the one who turning the ball over or missing first half layups and he’s not the one who, on so many trips down the floor, failed to get the ball into Castleton, who had a warrior’s game – 15 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. In the first half, whenever the Gators got the ball to Castleton he was swarmed by two and three Aggies every touch. He was banged around plenty although he only got to the foul line five times (made all five). When he got the ball out to the perimeter to open shooters, they couldn’t deliver. In the second half, the ball worked its way into Castleton more often, but in the final 19.5 seconds, he didn’t get a touch. The way the Aggies were trying to stop him, there is a chance he could have found someone a far better shot than Fleming took if an entry pass had been made.

The loss puts the Gators in a most precarious position. They’ve got No. 1 Auburn coming to Gainesville Saturday and a third straight loss might put UF in position to at least make the SEC Tournament semifinals to get into the NCAA.

SEC Basketball
Tuesday’s scores: Texas A&M (16-10, 5-8 SEC) 56, FLORIDA (16-10, 6-7 SEC) 56; South Carolina (15-10, 6-7 SEC) 77, Ole Miss (12-14, 3-10 SEC) 74, OT; No. 23 Arkansas (20-6, 9-4 SEC) 76, Missouri (10-15, 4-8 SEC) 57; No. 16 Tennessee (19-6, 10-3 SEC) , No. 4 Kentucky (21-5, 10-3 SEC)
Wednesday’s games: Georgia (6-19, 1-11 SEC) at LSU (18-7, 6-6 SEC); Mississippi State (14-10, 5-6 SEC) at Alabama (16-9, 6-6 SEC); Vanderbilt (13-11, 5-7 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC)



PRE-SPRING POSITION REVIEW: RUNNING BACKS
In 2021, with a quarterback-centric running game, the Florida Gators rushed for 2,713 yards and 26 touchdowns in 13 games, averaging 5.48 per carry. Emory Jones carried the ball 43 times more than Dameon Pierce, who averaged 5.74 yards per carry on 100 carries for 13 touchdowns. Over in Lafayette, Billy Napier’s Louisiana Rajin Cajuns ran for 2716 yards in 14 games, averaging 4.81 per carry. The Cajuns were a running back-centric rushing game as three backs all had more carries and more yards than Pierce.

You can be sure that Billy Napier is committed to running the football and that he likes fresh legs in the game. What you won’t see will be a back of Pierce’s caliber standing on the sideline several series every single game. Pierce only had two games – the win over Florida State and the loss to UCF in the bowl game – when he had at least 10 carries. Pierce only had nine games in which he had 10 or more carries his entire Florida career.

Napier inherits three very talented running backs plus he brought Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year Montrell Johnson with him from Louisiana. If Nay’Quan Wright is sufficiently healed from the broken leg he suffered against FSU, then Napier will have all four available in the spring when he installs an offense that forces opponents to load up the box to stop the run.

Lorenzo Lingard (6-0, 205, RJR): He had an extraordinary spring in 2021 but couldn’t sniff the field for some reason in the fall. He was a 5-star recruit who signed with Miami but had to battle through injuries. At Florida he’s gotten only 16 carries for 75 yards. He likely would not have remained with the program unless he had some assurances that he’ll get a fair shot this year.

Nay’Quan Wright (5-9, 201, RSO): He broke his leg against Florida State in the final regular season game of 2021 and his status for the spring is unknown at this point. If you saw how he lifted the Gators in the second quarter when they came back against Alabama, then you know he’s a hard runner with make-you-miss qualities and a dynamic receiver out of the backfield. So why didn’t he get more than 76 carries (326 yards) and 14 receptions in 2021? Will he be the feature back? Will he stick around? Some think he’s going to be leaving in May.
Demarkcus Bowman (5-10, 183, SO): A former 5-star who signed with Clemson out of high school, Bowman has go the distance speed any time he touches the ball. He had limited carries at UF last fall, picking up 81 yards on 14 carries. He is the type of runner who, if he gets the ball in space can change a game.
Montrell Johnson (5-11, 210, SO): He was the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after running for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns for Billy Napier and the Rajin Cajuns in 2021. He had a 99-yard run against Arkansas State and had a four TD game against Ohio U. He’s a between the tackles runner, who has speed to bounce it outside.

Assessment: Bowman and Lingard are former 5-star recruits who should have very fresh legs in that they have barely touched the football for the last two years. Both have sprinter’s speed and they should excel in this offense. Wright is an X-factor due to health and the hints on Twitter that he might not be happy. If he’s healthy and committed to the Gators, he’s shown enough with the ball in his hands that he can be very effective both in the running and passing game. Johnson knows the offense and if he’s healthy, he’s going to get the football in his hands. I think Napier would be very happy to have three backs he can rotate in the game. I’m also convinced that his rotation will make a whole lot more sense than what we saw out of running backs coach Greg Knox three of the previous four years.

SOFTBALL: UF 39, EVERYBODY ELSE 2
Tim Walton did a bit of juggling with his lineup Tuesday night, inserting freshman Kendra Falby in the leadoff spot and moving everybody one spot down. The result was a 13-hit effort that produced a 13-1 run-rule road win over Jacksonville as the 3rd-ranked Gators moved to 5-0 on the season.

Falby, who went 6-11 at the plate with four stolen bases in Florida’s first four games, went 2-3 as the leadoff hitter, scoring three runs and adding her fifth stolen base of the season. Charla Echols, 1-16 down in Tampa over the weekend while hitting in the three spot, moved to cleanup and delivered three hits and three RBI. Freshman Reagan Walsh dropped to fifth in the order and came through with a monster game – three hits including a 2-run single and a grand slam. Sophomore Avery Goelz moved down to ninth in the order and came through with two hits including a 2-run homer.

Natalie Lugo got the win for the Gators, giving up three hits while striking out four in four shutout innings.

The Gators, who have outscored their five opponents 39-2, will face JU at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at 6 p.m. tonight (SEC Network+).

SWIMMING AND OTHER SPORTS
The 5th-ranked Florida men find themselves in sixth place one day into the SEC Swimming and Diving Championships in Knoxville while the 17th-ranked Florida women are in seventh. The UF men got winning relay performances in the 200 medley and 800 freestyle.

Day 1 men’s standings: 1. Texas A&M 156; 2. Tennessee 139; 3. Kentucky 153; 4. LSU 139; 5. Alabama 137; 6. FLORIDA 133; 7. Missouri 122; 8. Georgia 114; 9. South Carolina 105; 10. Auburn 90.

Day 1 women’s standings: 1. Texas A&M 155; 2. LSU 150; 3. Kentucky 148; 4. Tennessee 145; 5. (tie) South Carolina and Georgia 139; 7. FLORIDA 130; 8. Alabama 114; 9. Auburn 107; 10. Missouri 97; 11. Arkansas 78; 12. Vanderbilt 60

Florida’s 7th-ranked lacrosse team won an exhibition match with the Scotland national team, 32-10.

Leanne Wong was named SEC Gymnast of the Week after capturing the all-around title with a 39.65 in 2nd-ranked Florida’s 198.150-197.825 win over 5th-ranked LSU. For her perfect 10 on floor, Nya Reed was named SEC Specialist of the Week.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco wrote an open letter to college football Monday. Without actually saying so in the letter, Aresco called Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips a know-nothing bozo. Am I being a little harsh? Okay, he knows something, but Phillips is still a bozo. Would you like to know why?

Phillips is the commissioner of a league that has a rotten media contract with ESPN that (a) isn’t set to expire until 2036 and (b) ESPN isn’t in any mood to renegotiate. Most of his top tier schools have to recruit head-to-head with the SEC, which landed 13 (only 14 schools in the SEC) of the top 30 recruiting classes for 2022. The ACC had four, highest ranked Clemson at No. 10. Better players mean better ball games, which is why ESPN is willing to bet the farm on its SEC package and won’t renegotiate with the ACC. The SEC just distributed $56.4 million. The ACC is going to come in at less than $34 million and this is BEFORE the new ESPN contract kicks in and BEFORE Texas and Oklahoma join the league.

Phillips, especially, is standing in the way of the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams under the terms of the proposal put forth by Greg Sankey, Bob Bowlsby, Craig Thompson and Jack Swarbrick last summer. Phillips thinks expansion should wait until 2026 and he’s proposing an 8-team playoff. Aresco wants the original proposal to kick in by 2023 if possible, 2024 at the latest.

UF WBK: Women’s Basketball Returns Home for Play4Kay Game Against Arkansas
Thursday puts an end to a three-game road trip for the Gators.

#17/21 Florida (19-6, 9-3 SEC) vs. Arkansas (16-8, 6-5 SEC)
Game Information: Feb. 17 | 6 p.m. ET
Live Stream: SEC Network+
Radio: 98.1FM/850AM WRUF


GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After three-consecutive road games, Florida women’s basketball returns home on Thursday, Feb. 17, when they welcome Arkansas to Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center for their Play4Kay game.

The game will be steamed live on SEC Network+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis on the call. Radio responsibilities will be handled by Tom Collett and Kelly Davis on 98.1FM/850AM WRUF.

Thursday will mark the 42nd meeting between the Gators and Razorbacks, with Florida leading the series, 29-12. At home, UF has a 13-4 advantage. Last season the two squads split, each picking up a victory on their homecourt.

Most recently, Florida completed the season-sweep of Auburn on Monday, defeating the Tigers 83-77 in Auburn Arena. With five Gators in double figures, Zippy Broughton led the way with 18 points while Kristina Moore posted a career-best 15 points. After claiming the victory, UF has now won five in-a-row against the Tigers and has reached 19 wins the fastest since the 2015-16 campaign when they also began 19-6.

The victory over Auburn gave the Orange & Blue their ninth Southeastern Conference win of the season, marking the earliest the Gators have reached nine wins in conference season since the 2000-01 season when they began 9-2 in the league. Florida has also now won nine SEC games, for the first time since the 2015-16 season when they finished with 10 conference wins. Six of Florida’s wins have come on the road in SEC play, the most road-SEC wins for the Gators since the 2000-01 season.

After entering the top 25 for the first time since the 2015-16 season a week ago, the Gators continue to climb in the rankings, coming in at No. 17 in the AP poll and #21 in the Coaches poll this week.

An interesting SEC note, Florida’s victory over Mississippi State last Thursday solidified the first time in school history that Florida has defeated Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU, Tennessee and Georgia in the same season.

Arkansas enters Thursday’s contest with a 16-8 (6-5 SEC) record, winning five of their last seven contests. The Razorbacks are coming off of a dominant 88-71 win on the road against Missouri on Sunday.

Gator Great Billy Horschel Named Volunteer Assistant Coach
An inductee of UF's 2019 athletic hall of fame, Horschel was a four-year (2006-09) member of the Gator golf team and three-time (2006-07, 2009) first-team All-American.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Gator Great Billy Horschel was added to the Florida men's golf coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach on Wednesday, head coach J.C. Deacon announced.

"It's an honor to officially announce Billy Horschel as a member of our coaching staff," said Deacon. "To add his expertise, experience and swagger to our team is a dream come true. Our team now has full access to one of the brightest minds in golf and he has already established a great deal of trust within our guys. He is fully committed to helping our players develop their physical and mental golf skills. From a recruiting perspective, I feel like Billy adds an element that few programs can match. We now have two life-long PGA Tour players guiding our student-athletes career path."

An inductee of UF's 2019 athletic hall of fame, Horschel was a four-year (2006-09) member of the Gator golf team and three-time (2006-07, 2009) first-team All-American. A two-time (2007 & 2009) SEC Player of the Year, he won individual medalist honors at the NCAA Regionals back-to-back years (2006-07) and at the SEC Championships in 2009. Horschel also was a four-time First-Team All-SEC selection and a member of the All-Nicklaus Team (2009), a Ben Hogan Award Semifinalist (2009) and helped Team USA win the Walker Cup in 2007.

"I was excited when J.C. Deacon and Dudley Hart asked me to join the team as a voluntary assistant coach," said Horschel. "I've actually had talks with my wife, Brittany, in the past about coaching at UF when my career on the PGA Tour is over. To be offered this opportunity now is really neat and I'm excited to help J.C., Dudley, and the players any way I can so we can get back to winning championships at UF. I know that this team has the ability and talent to bring a title back to Gainesville and the players themselves believe it as well! Go Gators!"

A native of Grant, Fla., he was one of five Gators to be a four-time All-American selection, joining current assistant coach Dudley Hart. Horschel won individual medalist honors at the 2006 U.S. Amateur and his opening round of 60 was a 19-hole tournament and USGA record.

Horschel turned professional in 2009 and successfully gained his PGA Tour card and has remained on tour since with over 282 career outings and is currently ranked the 21st player in the world. He earned his first professional victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2013 and by the end of April led the PGA Tour in consecutive cuts made with twenty-three, dating back since June of 2012.

He finished T4 in his first major at the 2013 U.S. Open and held a joint lead with Phil Mickelson at the halfway stage of the tournament. Horschel was one of two players under part the second round, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and trialed only four strokes behind eventual winner Justin Rose. He was played in nine PGA Championships (2013-21), eight U.S. Open's (2013-17, 2019-21), eight (2013-19, 2021) British Opens and seven Masters (2014-16, 2018-21).

Horschel earned his second career win on tour at the 2014 BMW Championship followed by victory at The Tour Championship a week later and with it the FedEx Cup. He has also earned wins at the AT&T Byron Nelson in 2017, the Zurich Class of New Orleans in 2018, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in 2021 and most recently the BMW PGA Championship last September for his second European Tour victory by shooting a final round of 65.

Last summer, he hosted his inaugural event, The Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational. The special event was partnered with the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA), a non-profit organization with the mission to "bring greater diversity to the game of golf." Established in 2008, the Tour hosts and operates professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and introduces the game to inner-city youth throughout the country. The weekend included an initial day of a pro-am, roundtable, seminars and other development opportunities all with key partners and industry leaders.

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By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
PRE-SPRING POSITION REVIEW: THE QUARTERBACKS
Typically, the unknown factor at the quarterback position in college football is that kid who emerges as the No. 1 in the spring but has never taken a snap in a real game. In the case of the Florida Gators and new HBC Billy Napier, the unknown factor is last year’s starter, Emory Jones. Back in December before Florida’s Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF, Jones said he was going to transfer. Well, the bowl game has come and gone and Jones not only didn’t transfer out, but he's enrolled in school and participating in spring practice.

That raises the question what happens to the quarterback room if Jones has a lights out spring and decides Billy Napier can teach him how to step into a throw instead of heaving it off his back foot? Would Napier gamble that EJ is his guy and take a chance that Anthony Richardson would leave for a place where he can start? What about Ohio State transfer Jack Miller III? He didn’t exactly leave Columbus for someplace where he might have to beat out last year’s starter and Richardson, too? And how about Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna. They didn’t sniff the field last year. Will one or both decide to do the big adios after the spring?

Here are the five QBs on the UF roster heading into the spring:

Emory Jones (6-2, 201, RJR): Expectations are that he’ll go through spring, graduate in May and then transfer out. But what if he doesn’t? And if he stays, will it be at QB or will he learn to catch the ball and play in the slot?
Anthony Richardson (6-4, 237, RSO): From a pure talent standpoint there are few quarterbacks in the country equal to Richardson. He has never stayed healthy and he has yet to show he can play under control, but healthy and under control? Oh my.
Jack Miller III (6-3, 215, RFR): He transferred in from Ohio State where there was an incumbent Heisman finalist and a loaded QB room. He has the big arm and serious accuracy. He didn’t transfer to Florida to sit. He’s very motivated.
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (6-2, 228, RFR): He took a redshirt in 2021 so we have yet to see him under fire but people who saw him at practice say he’s got a live arm, great wheels and a knack for making big plays.
Jalen Kitna (6-4, 205, RFR): He’s very, very young and still growing into his body. He came to UF as a skinny 180-pounder but he’s added 25 pounds of muscle. He has the arm and the pedigree as dad Jon was a 16-year NFL QB.

Assessing the situation: I am of the opinion that Jones will ride off into the sunset, college degree in hand, looking for a fresh start and a chance to be somebody’s winning QB. I think Richardson and Miller are going to go toe-to-toe for the No. 1 job. I’m of the opinion that either Del Rio-Wilson or Kitna will be in the portal in late April.

GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 17; KNOCK OFF AUBURN, 83-77
Kelly Rae Finley still has a hungry team on her hands. On the day the Gators (19-6, 9-3 SEC) moved up to 17th in the latest Associated Press women’s top 25 poll, UF scored its sixth SEC road win of the season, knocking off Auburn, 83-77, to remain tied for third place with No. 11 LSU in the SEC standings.

The Gators held a 71-57 lead with 5:57 to go in the game when Auburn on a 17-7 run to narrow the game to four (78-74) with 18 seconds remaining. The Tigers tried to extend the game by fouling but the Gators hit 5-6 free throws the rest of the way, sealing the win when Zippy Broughton hit both her shots with five seconds to go.

The game was won at the foul line where the Gators converted 23-28 shots including 14-18 in the second half.

Broughton led the way for the Gators with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kristina Moore came off the bench to score 15 while Jordyn Merritt had 13, Kiki Smith 12 and Nina Rickards 10.

SEC Basketball
Monday’s game: NO. 17 FLORIDA (19-6, 9-3 SEC) 83, Auburn (9-14, 1-11 SEC) 77
Thursday’s games: Arkansas (16-8, 6-5 SEC) at FLORIDA (19-6, 9-3 SEC); Auburn (9-14, 1-11 SEC) at No. 1 South Carolina (23-1, 11-1 SEC); No. 11 LSU (21-4, 9-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (15-8, 6-5 SEC); No. 12 Tennessee (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at Alabama (12-11, 3-9 SEC); Missouri (16-9, 5-7 SEC) at No. 21 Georgia (17-7, 6-6 SEC); Vanderbilt (12-14, 3-9 SEC) at Kentucky (10-11, 3-8 SEC); Texas A&M (14-10, 4-8 SEC) at Ole Miss (18-6, 6-5 SEC)

The Associated Press Top 25: 1. South Carolina 23-1; 2. Stanford 21-3; 3. Louisville 22-2; 4. North Carolina State 23-3; 5. Indiana 18-3; 6. Iowa State 21-3; 7. Baylor 19-5; 8. Arizona 18-4; 9. Michigan 20-4; 10. UConn 17-5; 11. LSU 21-4; 12. Tennessee 21-4; 13. Maryland 18-6; 14. Texas 17-6; 15. Oklahoma 20-4; 16. Georgia Tech 19-6; 17. FLORIDA 18-6; 18. Ohio State 18-4; 19. Notre Dame 19-6; 20. BYU 21-2; 21. Georgia 17-7; 22. Iowa 16-6; 23. Virginia Tech 19-6; 24. North Carolina 19-5; 25. Florida Gulf Coast 22-2

MUST WIN SITUATION FOR UF AT TEXAS A&M
There is no margin for error for Mike White and the Gators, who face Texas A&M in College Station tonight (7 p.m., SEC Network). Winning won’t cement the Gators’ chances to make the NCAA Tournament, but a loss could all but doom them. Florida comes into the game with the No. 49 in the NCAA Net Rankings, just inside Quad 1, while the Aggies are No. 73. Winning won’t boost the Gators in the Net Rankings, but losing would be a Quad 2 loss, and with just six games left on the schedule and only a 1-6 record in Quad 1 games, that could be a torpedo to Florida’s chances to avoid the Nobody’s Interested Tournament.

SEC Basketball
Tuesday’s games: FLORIDA (16-9, 6-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-10, 4-8 SEC); South Carolina (14-10, 5-7 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-13, 3-9 SEC); No. 5 Kentucky (21-4, 10-2 SEC) at No. 19 Tennessee (18-6, 9-3 SEC); Arkansas (19-6, 8-4 SEC) at Missouri (10-14, 4-7 SEC)
Wednesday’s games: Georgia (6-19, 1-11 SEC) at LSU (18-7, 6-6 SEC); Mississippi State (14-10, 5-6 SEC) at Alabama (16-9, 6-6 SEC); Vanderbilt (13-11, 5-7 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC)

The Associated Press Top 25: 1. Gonzaga 21-2; 2. Auburn 23-2; 3. Arizona 22-2; 4. Kentucky 21-4; 5. Purdue 22-4; 6. Kansas 20-4; 7. Baylor 21-4; 8. Providence 21-2; 9. Duke 21-4; 10. Villanova 19-6; 11. Texas Tech 19-6; 12. Illinois 18-6; 13. UCLA 17-5; 14. Houston 20-4; 15. Wisconsin 19-5; 16. Tennessee 18-6; 17. Southern Cal 21-4; 18. Ohio State 15-6; 19. Michigan State 18-6; 20. Texas 18-7; 21. Murray State 24-2; 22. Wyoming 21-3; 23. Arkansas 19-6; 24. UConn 17-7; 25. Alabama 16-9
The Coaches Top 25: 1. Gonzaga 21-2; 2. Auburn 23-2; 3. Kentucky 21-4; 4. Arizona 22-2; 5. Duke 21-4; 6. Kansas 20-4; 7. Purdue 22-4; 8. Baylor 21-4; 9. Providence 21-2; 10. Villanova 19-6; 11. Texas Tech 19-6; 12. Illinois 18-6; 13. Tennessee 18-6; 14. UCLA 17-5; 15. Houston 20-4; 16. Wisconsin 19-5; 17. Southern Cal 21-4; 18. Ohio State 15-6; 19. Michigan State 18-6; 20. Texas 18-7; 21. Murray State 24-2; 22. Wyoming 21-3; 24. (Tie) UConn 17-7 and Arkansas 19-6

GATOR GYMNASTS CLIMB TO NO. 2
Florida’s 198.150-197.825 win over LSU moved the Gators up two spots to No. 2 in the weekly Collegiate Gymnastics Rankings.
Collegiate Gymnastics Association Top 25 (by average score): 1. Michigan 197.963; 2. FLORIDA 197.638; 3. Oklahoma 197.604; 4. Utah 197.496; 5. LSU 197.400; 6. Minnesota 197.313; 7. Auburn 197.250; 8. Alabama 197.154; 9. California 196.960; 10. Kentucky 196.880; 11. Missouri 196.850; 12. Denver 196.800; 13. Oregon State 196.755; 14. Michigan State 196.611; 15. UCLA 196.410; 16. Arkansas 196.370; 17. Iowa 196.268; 18. Stanford 196.230; 19. BYU 196.221; 20. Arizona State 196.160; 21. Utah State 196.142; 23. Southern Utah 195.871; 24. Boise State 195.783; 25. Western Michigan 195.720

UF SOFTBALL UP TO NO. 3 IN D1SOFTBALL.COM POLL
Lexie Delbrey, who came within a seventh-inning single of pitching a no game in her collegiate debut against 16th-ranked Michigan, was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week. Delbrey struck out five and walked two as the Gators knocked off Michigan 4-0 as part of a perfect 4-0 weekend in the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa.

The Gators, now ranked third in the D1Softball.com poll, will face Jacksonville on the road tonight before returning to Gainesville for their home opener against JU Wednesday evening.

D1Softball.com Top 25: 1. Oklahoma 5-0; 2. Alabama 4-0; 3. FLORIDA 4-0; 4. UCLA 4-1; 5. Florida State 4-0; 6. Washington 5-0; 7. Oklahoma State 4-1; 8. Virginia Tech 5-0; 9. Arkansas 3-2; 10. Texas 4-1; 11. Oregon 0-0; 12. Duke 4-1; 13. Clemson 3-1; 14. Missouri 3-2; 15. Tennessee 4-0; 16. Arizona 3-1; 17. Michigan 3-2; 18. Kentucky 4-1; 19. Georgia 5-1; 20. Louisiana 5-0; 21. Northwestern 4-1; 22. Arizona State 3-2; 23. LSU 4-2; 24. UCF 3-1; 25. Illinois 4-1

OTHER UF SPORTS …
Freshman Emma LoPinto, who scored six goals in her collegiate debut in Florida’s 22-7 win over Kennesaw State, was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week. The Gators (1-0), meanwhile, remained No. 7 nationally in the Inside Lacrosse poll.
Inside Lacrosse Top 25: 1. Boston College 1-0; 2. North Carolina 1-0; 3. Syracuse 2-0; 4. Stony Brook 0-0; 5. Northwestern 0-1; 6. Duke 2-0; 7. FLORIDA 1-0; 8. Maryland 1-0; 9. Loyola 0-0; 10. Virginia 2-0; 11. Michigan 2-0; 12. Notre Dame 1-1; 13. James Madison 0-1; 14. Stanford 1-1; 15. Denver 1-0; 16. Princeton 0-0; 17. Rutgers 1-0; 18. Jacksonville 1-0; 19. Drexel 1-0; 20. Pennsylvania 0-0; 21. Johns Hopkins 1-0; 22. Temple 1-0; 23. UConn 0-0; 24. UMass 1-0; 25. Penn State 0-0

The Florida women are No. 2 nationally in the latest US Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association poll while the UF men are ranked No. 9.
USTFCCCA Women’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Arkansas; 4. LSU; 5. Kentucky; 6. Texas Tech; 7. BYU; 8. Texas A&M; 9. Ole Miss; 10. Virginia Tech; 11. North Carolina State; 12. Oregon; 13. Washington; 14. Ohio State; 15. Tennessee; 16. Notre Dame; 17. Oklahoma State; 18. Nebraska; 19. South Carolina; 20. Colorado; 21. Penn State; 22. Binghamton; 23. Alabama; 24. Florida State; 25. Colorado State

USTFCCA Men’s Top 25: 1. North Carolina A&T; 2. Georgia; 3. Texas; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Arkansas; 6. Iowa; 7. Oregon; 8. Kentucky; 9. FLORIDA; 10. Tennessee; 11. Northern Arizona; 12. Florida State; 13. Alabama; 14. Notre Dame; 15. Nebraska; 16. Ole Miss; 17. Princeton; 18. Michigan State; 19. Stanford; 20. LSU; 21. Clemson; 22. Grand Canyon; 23. Washington; 24. Indiana; 25. Arizona State

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Writing in Saturday Down South, Matt Hayes points out the hypocrisy of Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and his feigned outrage that the Aggies might have used NIL money to lure the top recruiting class in the country to College Station, hardly the garden spot of the earth. Hayes says that instead of acting angry, Fisher should have said, “Yes, the idea of our student-athletes being able to earn off their NIL through our vast alumni helped us – and it’s only going to get better.”

In the Lone Star state there is a saying that only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies. Because of NIL, what the Aggies used to do that got them on probation so many times in the past is now legal. Jimbo should – and probably does behind closed doors – tell kids this is where the money is, so come join us.

We may not like it, but that is where college sports are today.

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Just curious what people think about all the talk regarding the hiring of minorities in the management and coaching of the major sports including basketball and football. I am curious as it is effectively affirmative action which I personally believe is inherently racist regardless of whether you are for or against it since the sole parameter upon which to base a decision is skin color. I am also curious as to why people like Flores think that the coaches and management should reflect the ethnic makeup of the NFL (77% black) when the overall population of the United States does not have this makeup. If you are in favor of increasing minority hiring in the NFL simply because the league is mostly black, then should we not mandate that the NFL ethnic makeup reflect the general population of the United States to be fair to all people? (So, more Caucasians, Latinos, Asians) Should we have mandates across teams to reflect the ethnic makeup of society in general? I would guess most people would be against this idea, yet it is the underlying basis of Flores' logic as best I can tell.

I am not trying to start a racist debate. I am struggling with the perspective of Flores, not from saying he was overlooked because of his ethnicity, but saying that 77% of coaches should be black because the majority of the league is black. If we use this logic across all aspects of life, we would have unbelievable problems. Is his perspective a common one among certain populations groups or is it an outlier? I can't trust ESPN to give an honest take anymore.

I would love to hear other opinions both for and against so I can understand all perspectives and not just my own experience as I have never been a minority athlete in a pro sport. Please keep the discussion respectful as we need to be able to talk and understand each other's perspective without resorting to attacks.

Things are starting to pick up so I thought we could keep track of it here:

OC-?

Co-DC/Safeties-Patrick Toney

Co-DC-?

QBs-Billy Napier

RBs-Jabbar Juluke

WRs-Keary Colbert

OL1-Darnell Stapleton

OL2-?

CBs-Corey Raymond

DL-?

LBers-?

ST-?

we would also bring up analysts. I know we've hired 1 or 2

Tre has had a few nice games with Shai out of the line up. Here is the highlights from all his makes last night. Good for Tre.
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29 pts vs the Mavs
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March is going to be crazy! 5*'s everywhere!

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definitely a sandwich! 🤣

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Currently this place has lost a degree of enjoyment. The humors off. It’s kind of lost a sports bar feel. I’ll try back before football season unless we win something big in baseball or softball. Y’all be good. Go Gators.

Gators on the first four out line.

- Josh Rivera starting throwing again this week. I know this was a concern for some people here but it seems like Rivera should be good to go for Opening Day on Friday.

- Wyatt Langford is expected to get the start at left field but others will get the opportunity to play especially some freshmen.

- One freshmen that isn’t expected to be available this weekend is Michael Robertson. He’s been dealing with a hamstring injury since the fall.

- The Sunday starter should be decided tonight. I think the two favorites are Timmy Manning and Pierce Coppola. Original had Manning as the Sunday guy but Sully is very high on Coppola comparing him to AJ Puk. I know he’s been impressive in the fall and scrimmages.