The No. 12/14 UConn Huskies (8-0) handed the No. 15/12 Florida Gators (6-2) a tough defeat on Monday night at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT, winning 65-64 on a buzzer-beater that head coach Billy Donovan respectfully called “luck” and a “fluke” after the game. Donovan provided his perspective on the loss following the contest.

HISTORY / STREAKS / STATS

» UConn knotted up the all-time series between the two teams at 1-1.
» Florida fell to 4-4 against top 25-ranked opponents dating back to last season with all four losses coming away from its home court.
» The Gators have lost six-straight and are 1-13 overall in their last 14 road games against ranked opponents. The Huskies improved to 11-1 in their last 12 games against ranked opponents outside their conference.
» UF lost for just the ninth time since the beginning of the 2011-12 season when holding an opponent under 71 points in the game (60-9).
» The Gators are now 59-78 under Donovan in games decided by five points or less.
» Florida will host UConn next season in the second half of the home-and-home series.

END-OF-GAME SEQUENCE

Down one with 17.7 seconds left, UConn put the ball in the hands of point guard Shabazz Napier, who to that point had scored 24 of his team’s 63 points on the evening. After fighting out of a trap beyond the three-point line, Napier dribbled into the lane and missed a wild jump shot. Luckily for the Huskies, forward Deandre Daniels knocked back the loose ball to Napier, who shot a second jumper with 0.3 seconds left on the clock that swished as the buzzer sounded.

“We actually did a really good job,” said Donovan about Florida’s defense on the final possession. “We made the decision that we were going to trap him – and we did trap him – we got him to take a very, very difficult off-balance shot.

“The guy that won the game for them was DeAndre Daniels. He made an unbelievable tip-out off-balance which kept the ball alive. What we did was we had guys that were on Napier kind of ran to the rim to go defensive rebound, which left space for Napier. We needed to keep a guy there and we didn’t. But his shot really was luck in the fact that the ball was tipped to him. If it’s tipped anywhere else [the game’s over].”

He later added: “The last play was really a fluke play. I don’t think DeAndre Daniels even knew…he just tipped the ball back because he was off-balance…but it was a great play by him to at least keep the possession alive.”

The more egregious mistake, as Donovan also points out, is the fact that the Gators allowed the hosts to have three separate chances to tie the game on UConn’s second-to-last possession. The Huskies grabbed two offensive rebounds off a pair missed three pointers, and Napier finally drained one on his team’s third attempt. Napier also drew a phantom foul on the make, which Donovan was none too happy about, and wound up completing a four-point play to give his team the lead.

Continue Reading » 12/2: Florida at UConn post-game report

The No. 12/14 UConn Huskies (8-0) remained undefeated by taking down the No. 15/12 Florida Gators (6-2) in a heart-stopping, nail-biting, buzzer-beating finish on Monday evening at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT.

OnlyGators.com breaks down the Gators’ 65-64 loss with The Fastbreak.

It was over when: UConn point guard Shabazz Napier, who scored 26 of his team’s 65 points, missed a jumper with two seconds left but got his own rebound off a deflection and drained a 15-footer at the buzzer to send the Huskies to victory.

Prominent players: Napier scored a game-high 26 points including six in the final 34 seconds. He tied the game with a three-pointer but was fouled by Florida redshirt sophomore forward Dorian Finney-Smith and hit the ensuing free throw to put his team ahead by one. The Gators re-took the lead on a layup by sophomore guard Michael Fraizer II, but Napier stood poised and won the game for his team a few seconds later. He hit 5-of-8 threes on the evening and all three of his free throws while filling out the box score with four rebounds, three steals and two assists.

For Florida, senior center Patric Young came through in the clutch by scoring seven-straight points late in the second half to push the Gators ahead 62-59 with 1:18 remaining. He dominated the end of the game and finished 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line with a team-high seven boards

Important injury: Florida played last three minutes of Monday night’s contest without senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin, who rolled his ankle after coming down on a UConn player’s foot, immediately went the locker room and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. Wilbekin scored 15 points on the evening and also picked up two dimes, three boards and a couple swipes.

Check out the second half of The Fastbreak after the, well, break.
Continue Reading » Fastbreak: UConn stuns Florida at the buzzer

Location: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion – Storrs, CT [Capacity: 10,167]
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST

TV: ESPN2 (Bob Wischusen, Seth Greenberg, Andy Katz)
SiriusXM: 91 | Radio: Gator Radio Network [Affiliates]
Online Video: WatchESPN.com | Mobile Video: WatchESPN app
Live Updates: @OnlyGators on Twitter

Odds: Florida +4 | O/U 130.5

PRE-GAME READING MATERIAL

» Notebook: Donovan prepares Florida for showdown with UConn
» Story: Gators up to No. 12/15 in new top 25 polls

HISTORY / STREAKS / STATS

» Florida is 1-0 all-time against UConn as the Gators defeated the Huskies 69-60 in overtime during the Sweet 16 round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament. UF would advance to its first-ever Final Four that postseason.
» The Gators are 4-3 against top-25 ranked opponents dating back to last season with all three losses coming away from their home court.
» Florida has lost five-straight and is 1-12 overall in its last 13 road games against ranked opponents. UConn, on the other hand, is 10-1 in its last 11 games against ranked opponents outside of its conference.
» The Gators are 60-8 since the beginning of the 2011-12 season when holding opponent under 71 points in a game.
» UF’s defense has started off allowing just 60.3 points per game through seven contests, making it the stingiest in the SEC; no opponent has scored more than 69.
» Florida also sports the SEC’s best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and second-best turnover margin (+4.1 per game).
» UF has already used five different starting lineups through seven games. Only two players – seniors forward Casey Prather and center Patric Young – have started every contest thus far.
» Donovan is looking for his 16th consecutive 20-win season. Florida has him ranked sixth all-time in that category behind only Dean Smith, Lute Olson, Mike Krzyzewski, Tubby Smith and Jim Boeheim.

Read the rest of the Florida-UConn gameday preview…after the break!
Continue Reading » Gameday: No. 15 Florida Gators at No. 12 UConn

No. 12/15 Florida Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan met with the media on Sunday, one days before his team was set to visit the No. 14/12 UConn Huskies on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Stoors, CT at the Gampel Pavilion.

SECOND IN A STRETCH

Florida has already been tested early this season, dropping a close game at now-No. 8 Wisconsin and emerging victorious with a one-point victory against should-have-been-ranked Florida State on Friday in Gainesville, FL. Perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that the Gators have been competitive in these games despite dealing with a throng of injuries and disciplinary issues.

Next up for UF in a series of four tough games spread out over 16 days is a Monday night battle at UConn. Donovan believes his team will be prepared for the challenge.

“The one thing about playing Wisconsin on the road was a very good game. It was a great challenge for us,” he said. “Not having Dorian [Finney-Smith] there, not having Scottie there, having other guys on our team out, we went into that game with a lack of depth. We’ve got some new guys back, Dorian and Scottie [Wilbekin], but Kasey Hill and DeVon Walker could be out again.

“It’s been one of these things where we’ve had to go game from game. But I do think when you play big games like this, and even the Florida State game, you’re going to find out more about your team. You’re going to find out more where you need to get better. There’s certain things that will get exposed this time of year that we need to correct and get better. So I think this stretch of games, although very challenging against very good teams – two of the four are away from home – we’re going to get a chance to find out more about our team, which I think is always good.”

Continue Reading » Donovan speaks as Florida’s preps for UConn

The first current member of the Florida Gators to officially but unsurprisingly forgo his final season of collegiate eligibility, junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy confirmed Monday that he has decided to enter the 2014 NFL Draft.

“I have had a great three years at the University of Florida, but at this time I think it’s best for me and my family to pursue a career in the NFL,’’ said Purifoy in a release from the school. “Coach [Will] Muschamp and Coach [Travaris] Robinson have put me in a position to take the next step.

“I know there is still a lot of work for me ahead, but I appreciate what everyone at Florida did to get me to this point. As much as I look forward to playing in the NFL, I will miss my teammates and coaches and look forward to watching them play next year.”

Purifoy was projected as a first-round selection in this year’s draft prior to the start of the season. After being suspended for the season opener for a violation of team rules, he had an up-and-down 2013 campaign with most of his game-changing plays occurring in three contests against Arkansas, Georgia and Florida State.

Having never intercepted a pass in his first two years, Purifoy picked off two this season, returning one for a touchdown. He also broke up seven passes, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, blocked a kick and registered two sacks. Of his 24 total tackles, 3.5 were for a total loss of 17 yards.

Continue Reading » Florida CB Loucheiz Purifoy enters 2014 NFL Draft

The fourth regular season editions of the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and Associated Press Top 25 were released on Monday with the Michigan State Spartans sticking as the No. 1-ranked team in the country. Michigan State received 31-of-32 first-place votes from the coaches and 63-of-65 first-place votes from the AP voters.

The Florida Gators (6-1), fresh off a pair of victories on the road at Jacksonvile (86-60) on Monday and at home against Florida State (67-60) on Friday, moved up one spot to No. 13 in the USA Today rankings and stayed even at No. 15 in the AP top 25.

Florida checked in with 426 points (+31) in the USA Today poll and 758 points (+29) in the AP rankings.

The Gators will play three more top-25 teams in non-conference action.

Check out the complete top 25 rankings and see where UF stands…after the break!
Continue Reading » Florida inches up to No. 12/15 in new top 25 polls

The 2013 NFL regular season continued this week with 33 former Florida Gators spread out over 21 teams.

Eleven teams have multiple Florida players on their respective rosters including Miami (four); Washington (three); Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Jacksonville, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets and Pittsburgh (two).

Below are full game statistics for all 23 active players that participated this week along with select news updates on a number of Gators for the 13th week of the regular season.

* Rookie

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
S WILL HILL, New York Giants: Started | seven tackles (four solo, one for loss), pass defense, forced and recovered fumble
» On a fourth down completion with 1:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, Hill stripped and recovered the ball off Pierre Garçon to effectively end the game.

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL performed…after the break!

Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 13 (2013)

Updated on Wednesday at 12 a.m.

It was no surprise on Sunday afternoon when the Florida Gators fired offensive coordinator Brent Pease after his unit averaged just 18.8 points and 316.7 yards per game in 2013. But who head coach Will Muschamp will hire to replace Pease – and become Florida’s fifth offensive coordinator in a seven-year span – remains a huge unknown. OnlyGators.com has compiled a list of potential candidates:

Dave Christensen
Unemployed – former head coach at Wyoming

Hire him: A longtime offensive coordinator under Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel (he spent 19 years on his staffs at Toledo and Mizzou), Christensen was Wyoming’s head coach for the last five seasons before being fired on Sunday. His offenses are high-octane and would certainly be a welcome change at Florida.

Hold up: Christensen has no known ties to the Gators, and his pass-first spread-style offense would be quite a departure from what UF has run under Muschamp over the last three seasons. Though a source close to the program told OnlyGators.com that Muschamp is interested in going with a more up-tempo style, Christensen may be too far out of his comfort zone…but maybe that is exactly what Florida needs. Also, this happened in October, though its doubtful Muschamp would shy away from someone with passion, intensity and anger…he may even go so far as to embrace it.

Clay Helton
Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach – USC

Hire him: Pete Roussel of CoachingSearch.com floated Helton’s name on Sunday because he fits with Muschamp’s core beliefs of “ball control and an emphasis on running the ball.” Helton also has a family coaching connection with current Western Kentucky offensive line coach Neil Callaway, who has been rumored to be Muschamp’s top choice to replace Tim Davis. Callaway, a 33-year coaching veteran and the former head coach at UAB, hired Clay’s father Kim Helton as his offensive coordinator in 2007. Kim was a Gators offensive lineman from 1967-69 and UF offensive line coach from 1973-78. Clay was born in Gainesville, FL.

Update: Helton has committed to remain at USC through its bowl game and serve as interim head coach following the departure of Ed Orgeron. Florida leaked Tuesday that it may not make a hire until after the bowl season.

Hold up: There does not seem to be much of a solid connection specifically to Muschamp, and the hire would be curious because Florida’s head coach supposedly wants to go in a different direction with his offense. The Trojans may also retain Ed Orgeron as head coach, and Orgeron could certainly make an offer to Helton in hopes that he sticks around to help lead the offense for the foreseeable future. He would probably be the least-exciting hire, which probably makes him the most likely one.

Mike Norvell
Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach – Arizona State

Hire him: A young up-and-comer in his second season leading ASU’s offense, Norvell prides himself on running a balanced yet explosive offense. The Sun Devils will likely finish the season ranked top 15 in scoring offense and top 25 in total offense for the second-straight year. Also a quarterback coach, his quick-strike style has already resulted in numerous school records being set

Hold up: Norvell has had great success under Todd Graham at Tulsa, Pittsburgh and now Arizona State for the last seven seasons and may not necessarily be ready to move on. He also has no known connections to the Florida program and would be one of the youngest members of the coaching staff.

Continue Reading » Replacing Brent Pease as offensive coordinator