1 » The tragic earthquake in Haiti is affecting hundreds of thousands of locals, so it is no surprise that it has come home to the University of Florida. In addition to two Florida journalism students being reported missing after the quake in Port-au-Prince, Florida Gators senior cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis’ family has suffered terrible losses. You can donate to the relief effort through the Red Cross. Thanks to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald for pointing out the news on Pierre-Louis. UPDATE: Both UF students are safe, and co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chuck Heater told Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel that Pierre-Louis’ parents are as well. However, other members of his family have perished.

2 » Florida senior forward Dan Werner has hit only two of his last 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Kevin Brockaway of The Gainesville Sun asked head coach Billy Donovan last week if he has considered changing the starting lineup in order to give junior forward Chandler Parsons more minutes. “On those situations, with two upperclassmen, I would have a tendency to talk to those guys about that,” Donovan said. “Chandler comes into the game pretty quickly. It’s not that big of a factor for me, the last two games the guy has come into the game with 17:44 on the clock.”

3 » On the heels of a spectacular 29-point performance from then-senior guard Sha Brooks, the Gators took down the mighty Tennessee Lady Vols in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center 66-57 on Feb. 8, 2009. Hoping to repeat that performance, a much younger Florida team (9-7, 2-1 SEC) goes up against a more veteran No. 4-ranked Tennessee squad (14-1, 2-0 SEC) as they match-up again Thursday at 7 p.m.

4 » Florida seniors quarterback Tim Tebow and swimmer Gemma Spofforth have been named the 2009 recipients of the Ben Hill Griffin Award. Recognizing and honoring the top male and female student-athlete who excel in both athletic and academic achievement as well as extra-curricular involvement, the award is presented by the University Athletic Association. Tebow is its first three-time winner.

5 » Former Gators golfer Billy Horschel is taking his newly minted PGA Tour card with him on a trip to Honolulu, HI, as he prepares to tee off in his first official PGA event, the Sony Open. “It’s pretty awesome,” Horschel told Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun. “Monday I went out and played nine holes, and I was thinking when I teed it up on the first hole, ‘I’m going to be doing this every week.’ It’s exciting, but it’s a little nerve-wracking.” Read more about Horschel’s first event.

6 » New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has recently begun to have his name mentioned for head coaching gigs throughout the NFL. A former Florida quarterback, Schottenheimer has remained comfortable with his position on the Jets and actually turned down an interview request from the Buffalo Bills for their top job. Though it is unlikely he lands a promotion this season, look for Schottenheimer to have a legitimate chance to work in the league as a head coach in 2011.

1 » If you were watching the basketball game Tuesday night between the Florida Gators and No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats, you may have seen this clip of head coach Urban Meyer and his wife Shelley smirking while checking their respective phones:

2 » The Tennessean points out that former Tennessee Volunteers head coach Lane Kiffin “decided it was included in his job description […] to annoy Urban Meyer.” Unfortunately, as the article puts it, “a good feud was just ruined.” Similarly, the Orlando Sentinel recounts Kiffin’s top 10 most memorable moments as coach of the Volunteers.

3 » The brand new 2010 ESPNU 150 and 2010 Rivals100 both list Gators five-star defensive end commitment Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA) as their respective No. 1 prospect in the country. Other top Florida recruits ranking high on both lists include five-star defensive tackle Dominique Easley (3/7) five-star safety Matt Elam (9/25), five-star defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (25/4), four-star cornerback Joshua Shaw (28/28), four-star tight end Gerald Christian (35/81), four-star wide receiver Chris Dunkley (37/77), four-star offensive tackle Ian Silberman (41/71), four-star CB Jaylen Watkins (50/47) and four-star DT Leon Orr (81/95). Others who made the ESPNU list but not Rivals’ include: S Jonathan Dowling (10/NR), S Demar Dorsey (12/NR), RB Mack Brown (34/NR), CB Cody Riggs (79/NR), WR Solomon Patton (106/NR). ESPNU ranks four Gators in its top 10.

4 » “If Florida is to be an NCAA tournament team again — if it’s to snap a two-year hiatus after consecutive NCAA titles — the Gators must start a roll Saturday against LSU,” writes ESPN senior college basketball writer Andy Katz. Read his entire blog entry on the Gators and their hopes to earn a spot in March Madness this season.

Four days after the 2010 Sugar Bowl, the Florida State Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for Florida Gators senior linebacker Dustin Doe for failing to comply with the terms of his sentencing on two misdemeanor traffic charges. Doe plead guilty to charges of driving with a suspended license and driving without a valid driver’s license in an Alachua County courtroom on Aug. 20.

He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a fine of $311 (which he paid) and eight hours of mandatory community service work. Doe has failed to complete this day’s worth of community service over an almost five-month period.

His traffic violations and resulting punishment led head coach Urban Meyer to suspend Doe for the team’s season opener against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. However, he was able to participate in all 13 of the Gators’ remaining games, recording 42 tackles (36 solo), one sack and one interception return for a touchdown. Doe has since graduated from the University of Florida.

Lane Kiffin heading west from Knoxville, TN, to Los Angeles, CA, will no doubt have its impact on the landscape of the Southeastern Conference and the immediate future of the Tennessee Volunteers. Because Kiffin dropped the Vols for the USC Trojans just three weeks before National Signing Day, some of Tennessee’s recruits may now be looking elsewhere while USC’s appear more likely to stay put.

Part of that immediate fallout may be three-star linebacker Michael Taylor (Atlanta, GA). Just hours after Kiffin’s announcement, speculation began to mount that Taylor will be joining the Florida Gators 2010 recruiting class. “Yeah, he is going to the University of Florida,” said Tony Jacobs, Taylor’s teammate at Atlanta Westlake High.

UPDATE: Sources other than the Sentinel are reporting that Taylor has not yet officially committed to Florida, though he likely will once he has some time to decide. Taylor actually paid a visit to Gainesville, FL, last weekend.

Considered one of the Volunteers’ top recruits and the MVP for his team in the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game, Taylor is not the only one upset at Kiffin and company. Fellow recruit four-star defensive end Brandon Willis told ESPN that he was dismayed at the fact that the former Tennessee tried to bring him along to their new gig. “They had the nerve to call me and ask me to come to Southern Cal,” Willis said. “And coach Ed Orgeron [who is going with Kiffin to USC] said that he was going to be my coach at Tennessee.”

Whether this decision came after Kiffin’s announcement or not, Gators four-star running back commitment Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA) has said that he no longer plans to take any official visits besides one to UF. Four-star defensive back commit Demar Dorsey (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) was planning on visiting Tennessee and Florida State but may no longer be making that first trip.

It is also important for Florida fans to keep an eye on recent five-star commitment Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA), who will almost certainly be a top target for Orgeron, a recruiting mastermind and the Trojans’ new assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator.

VIDEO: Volunteers fans torch a Kiffin t-shirt
VIDEO: Tennessee supporters rush Neyland-Thompson Sports Center
VIDEO: Vols fan pulls an R. Kelly on a Kiffin t-shirt [Explicit]
PHOTOS: Campus scenes of Lane Kiffin’s last day
STORY: Kiffin’s departure sparks emotion in Knoxville
STORY: The meteoric rise of mediocre Kiffin

Closing out the game on a 17-5 run after being tied at 72 late in the second half, the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats (17-0) stormed the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, taking down the Florida Gators (11-5) 89-77 in Gainesville, FL.

Kentucky freshman guard Eric Bledsoe scored a game-high 25 points on 10-13 shooting while going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He added seven rebounds and five assists as fellow freshman G John Wall accounted for 19 points and six dishes. Junior forward Patrick Patterson dominated the paint with 15 points and seven rebounds, sharing the block with freshman F DeMarcus Cousins (13 points, five boards) and freshman F Daniel Orton, who controlled the post with nine rebounds and four blocks.

Florida was ice cold from downtown in the first half, though junior F Alex Tyus did make two treys (the first and second of his career) before halftime; he finished with 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Sophomore G Erving Walker was 4-for-9 from three with four assists, scoring the majority of his 20 points in the second half. Freshman G Kenny Boynton finished with 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting while senior F Dan Werner was an abysmal 0-4 from beyond the arc with six rebounds.

A seven-point halftime deficit turned into a seemingly insurmountable 15-point hole for the Gators, but a red-hot Walker combined with a ferocious Tyus knotted the game at 72 with five minutes left in the game. After a alley-oop completed by Wall, Florida unraveled and allowed the Wildcats to pick them apart in front of the Rowdy Reptiles.

Now 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play, the Gators hope to right some wrongs on Saturday when they host the LSU Tigers at 8 p.m. The game will air live on FSN.

Tennessee Volunteers‘ Lane Kiffin has agreed to become the next head coach of the USC Trojans, multiple sources told ESPN‘s Chris Low Tuesday night. Kiffin, whose sole season with Tennessee was shrouded in controversy both on and off the field, will bring his father Monte Kiffin along as defensive coordinator. Ed Orgeron is expected to follow and continue his role under Kiffin as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, and Norm Chow plans to return to the program as offensive coordinator.

“We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” Trojans athletic director Mike Garrett said. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect. Lane brings a lot to the table. He has a coaching background both in the pros and in the best collegiate conferences. He has a great command of the X’s and O’s. He is familiar with the Trojan landscape and will be a great representative of our university. He keeps the game fun. And, very importantly, he has proven to be one of the finest recruiters anywhere.”

An assistant with USC from 2001-06, Kiffin left to become head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007. He spent just over one season in Oakland, going 5-15 before being fired by owner Al Davis in September 2008. His sole season with the Volunteers ended with a 7-6 record and 37-14 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Peach Bowl.

Kiffin made it a point to become public enemy No. 1 for the Florida Gators and their fans after he claimed his team would be singing “Rocky Top all night long” after defeating UF in The Swamp. He furthered his villainous stature by not only insulting head coach Urban Meyer but also falsely accusing him of recruiting violations after nabbing wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson away from the Gators.

Ironically, Kiffin and his staff incurred six minor recruiting violations over the last year, and Richardson was dismissed from the team after committing armed robbery outside of a gas station in Knoxville, TN. Florida would go on to defeat Tennessee 23-13, leaving Meyer undefeated against Kiffin in Southeastern Conference play.

Location: Stephen C. O’Connell Center – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 12,000]
Time: 9:00 p.m. (EST)

TV: ESPN
Online: ESPN360.com
Sirius 217 – XM: 199

Odds: Kentucky -3.5, O/U 142

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Players scoring in double-figures…five Gators starters and one bench player are all averaging double-digit points. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton averages 14.6 ppg while junior forwards Alex Tyus and Chandler Parsons, redshrit junior center Vernon Macklin and sophomore point guard Erving Walker all average 11.7-10.0 ppg.
- Kentucky’s double-digit scorers…three average more than 15 points per game, while the team is scoring 82.4 points per game and shooting 49.8 percent from the floor.
- Tyus…who is averaging 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds over the last six games. He has been in double figures for six straight contests and scored above his average in four.
- Boynton/Walker connection…the duo combined for 50 points against Vanderbilt on Saturday and have dished out 127 assists to just 58 turnovers on the season.
- The Wildcats’ John Wall…ranks in the top five in the NCAA with 6.9 assists per game and leads the team in points (17.2) and steals (2.2) per game.
- Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson…is averaging 16.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

STREAKS:
- Florida trails the all-time series against Kentucky by a large margin – 86-32. However, the Gators won the last meeting, eight of the last 10 and five straight in Gainesville.
- The Wildcats are the highest-ranked opponent to come to the O’Connell Center since they were also ranked No. 2 in March of 2003.
- Under Donovan, Florida is 3-3 against top-five teams at home (2-2 vs. Kentucky).
- The Gators and Wildcats will face-off on national television for the 24th straight time since 1999 – the longest streak in the SEC.

Read OGGOA’s Gators vs. No. 2 Wildcats preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Florida Gators vs. No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats

1 » With Eastern Carolina’s Skip Holtz looking like the top candidate for the USF Bulls head coaching gig, the Florida Gators 2010 coaching staff may be solidified after all. Assistant head coach and defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney was thought to be in consideration for the job, but it appears like he was not even contacted. Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel spoke with co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Chuck Heater, who also had other opportunities but turned them all down to continue working for head coach Urban Meyer. “I have a deep respect and relationship with Urban that goes back more than 20 years,” Heater said. “I’m joined at the hip with him. It’s personal for me.” Heater also indicated that he is impressed with new defensive coordinator George Edwards and believes that Florida will indeed see 3-4 fronts.

2 » Gators four-star running back commitment Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA) will be taking official visits to Florida (1/15), Florida State (1/22) and Tennessee (1/29) according to Brown’s high school head coach Corey Jarvis via Mark Wheeler of Rivals. Brown has been silent since Gators RB coach Kenny Carter left for the Louisville Cardinals. Also looking around is four-star defensive back Demar Dorsey (Lauderdale Lakes, FL), who will take official visits to the same schools: Tennessee (1/15), Florida State (1/22) and Florida (1/29). However, Dorsey recently upped his commitment level to “90 percent.”

3 » Two sources are reporting that Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback commit Andrew Hendrix (Cincinnati, OH) is seriously considering the Gators after visiting Gainesville, FL last weekend. Adam Gorney of Rivals has said that Florida is now considered the leader for Hendrix who is thinking things over with his parents while JC Shurburtt of ESPN says the decision is a “toss-up” between the two schools.

4 » The Gators have reached out to a number of the USC Trojans‘ commitments after it was learned that head coach Pete Carroll was stepping down. Along with five-star wide receiver Kyle Prater (Hillside, IL), Florida is also going after four-star QB Jesse Scroggins (Lakewood, CA). According to Shurburtt, the team is trying hard for him to take a visit across the country.