sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Former Mississippi State coach and Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen agreed to become the Gators next head coach, the school announced Sunday evening.

Sports

Column: Dan Mullen just volunteered to go through hell

By Matt Brannon | Nov. 26, 2017

You fool.

Jessie Holmes and Parker Roberts hug after Florida's 1-0 over USF in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Sports

After Elite Eight loss, Gators soccer team looks back on memorable season

By Mark Stine | Nov. 26, 2017

Even though the Gators advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, their postseason run isn’t what defines them. What summed up their season more than anything was the surprise the seniors organized for coach Becky Burleigh before UF’s first game.

Coach Dan Mullen announced Feleipe Franks as the Gators' starting quarterback heading into Saturday's game against Charleston Southern.

Sports

‘We’re going to be back’: Gators reflect on a forgettable football season

By IAN COHEN | Nov. 26, 2017

The room is quiet. You can go in.

The Gators volleyball team was awarded the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They will face Alabama State in the first round on Thursday.

Sports

Gators volleyball team carries No. 2 seed, stifling defense into NCAA Tournament

By Andrew Huang | Nov. 26, 2017

Since being embarrassed by Kentucky on their home floor on Oct. 15, the Gators (25-1, 17-1 SEC) have reeled off 11 consecutive wins, including a revenge victory against the Wildcats in Lexington on Nov. 1.

Dan Mullen has been hired as the next head coach of Florida's football program, the school confirmed on Sunday evening. Mullen was the offensive coordinator at UF from 2005 to 2008 and spent the past nine seasons as head coach at Mississippi State.

Sports

Dan Mullen hired as Florida's next head coach

By Dylan Dixon | Nov. 26, 2017

Less than one decade after helping Florida win two national championships over a three-year span, Dan Mullen is coming back to Gainesville.

Shainah Joseph (15) had 15 kills in UF’s match against Texas A&M earlier in the season and was voted SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 13.

Sports

Florida volleyball takes SEC title with win at Missouri

By Mari Faiello | Nov. 25, 2017

It didn’t take much for Shainah Joseph to get fired up during the Gators’ final match of the regular season.

Florida fans have been highly critical of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier this season after the Gators 4-7 year.

Sports

Column: It’s time for Florida fans to re-evaluate their relationship with Florida’s football program

By Ethan Bauer | Nov. 25, 2017

There needs to be a reckoning.

While the Gators (4-7) stumbled to a 38-22 loss on Saturday, falling to the Seminoles (5-6) for a fifth consecutive season, many players are eager to see how UF will move on from a forgettable 2017 campaign

Sports

Forget 4-7: Three things that matter for Florida’s 2018 season

By Matt Brannon | Nov. 25, 2017

UF receiver Josh Hammond spent about 11 words reflecting on Florida’s 2017 season.

Feleipe Franks threw a career-high three interceptions and also lost one fumble in Florida's 38-22 defeat to Florida State.

Sports

Turnovers maim Florida in season-ending defeat to FSU

By Dylan Dixon | Nov. 25, 2017

As Feleipe Franks watched his third interception of the day land in the arms Matthew Thomas, the only thing Florida’s quarterback could do was stare.

UF goalkeeper Kaylan Marckese allowed two goals against Texas A&M on Thursday, including the game-winning free-kick nearly 45 yards from the goal.

Sports

UF’s season ends against Gamecocks in NCAA Tournament quarterfinals

By Mark Stine | Nov. 24, 2017

Kaylan Marckese froze. Moving to her right, UF’s junior goalkeeper realized the shot by South Carolina’s Lindsey Lane was actually twisting to her left, but it was too late.

Delicia Washington was efficient from the floor, hitting 4-of-7 shots for 12 points, while coming away with 12 rebounds and serving up 10 assists to record the Gators’ third triple-double in program history.

Sports

Gators set multiple records in final Savannah Invitational game

By Morgan McMullen | Nov. 23, 2017

Already up by 11 points with 5:02 to go in the first quarter, Delicia Washington snagged a rebound and called for her teammates to sprint up the court. She dished an outlet pass to Sydney Searcy, who promptly drained a three-pointer just six seconds after Washington came down with the ball.

Carli Snyder attempts a kill during Florida's 3-0 win against Florida A&M on Sept. 15 at the O'Connell Center.

Sports

Snyder dominates Auburn, one regular season game remaining

By Andrew Huang | Nov. 22, 2017

In what may have been her last home match, Carli Snyder put on a show.

Searcy, filling in for Funda Nakkasoglu, turned in a valiant attempt at replacing the Gators’ leading scorer in Florida's 85-71 loss to Stetson. She made 4-of-8 from the floor, including three buckets from beyond the arc in her first start of her career.

Sports

Gators, without leading scorer Nakkasoglu, blown out by Stetson

By Morgan McMullen | Nov. 22, 2017

With the final minute winding down in the game, Sydney Searcy hoisted a three-point attempt in the right-hand corner directly off an inbound pass, and swished it.

Before she suffered the injury, Funda Nakkasoglu led the Gators to their second win of the season against the Richmond Spiders, 87-80, in their opening game of the Savannah Invitational, scoring a season-high 25 points.

Sports

Three-point success overshadowed by Nakkasoglu injury during Gators win over Spiders

By Justin Ahlum | Nov. 21, 2017

With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Funda Nakkasoglu ran down the floor before taking the ball across the halfcourt line. She fell and remained down on the sideline for several moments. With coach Cameron Newbauer to her left, the junior transfer walked off the court gingerly and was replaced by freshman Tameria Johnson.

Over the course of a little bit more than an hour on Sunday night, over 30 members of UF's football team posted a barrage of cryptic, mysterious tweets featuring only the thinking face emoji.

Sports

Column: Three possible explanations for Florida football’s “Emojigate”

By Dylan Dixon | Nov. 21, 2017

Ladies and gentleman, we have a mystery on our hands.

Over three days, Florida will play three games, starting with the Richmond Spiders at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. With the schools meeting for the fourth time, UF has never notched a win against Richmond.

Sports

After 30-point home loss, the Gators women’s basketball team gears up for three games in three days

By Justin Ahlum | Nov. 20, 2017

Throughout his news conference following the Gators’ loss to Florida State, UF coach Cameron Newbauer kept his head down as he assessed a 30-point home blowout.

In her last home game as Gator, Gabby Seiler played all 104 minutes of the double-overtime thriller against Washington State on Sunday in multiple positions.

Sports

Do-it-all midfielder Gabby Seiler leading Gators into Elite Eight

By Mark Stine | Nov. 20, 2017

Gabby Seiler was in obvious discomfort early in the first half of Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Round of 16 win over Washington State. Playing in a knee brace and only one day’s rest, the senior and UF team captain was favoring the leg she injured in an Oct. 22 win at Tennessee after a WSU defender tackled her from behind.

While Chauncey Gardner struggled in areas like tackling at the beginning of the year, he’s come into his own as a safety, grabbing interceptions in each of Florida’s past two games.

Sports

Gators in position to snap Florida State’s 35-game bowl streak

By Matt Brannon | Nov. 20, 2017

Something was different when Josh Hammond showed up to practice on Monday.

Even though UF interim coach Randy Shannon went 28-22 at Miami as the head coach before being fired, many of Florida's players have expressed interest in having Shannon take over as the Gators' coach. “We play our best for (him),” linebacker David Reese said.

Sports

Column: The case for Randy Shannon as Florida's next head coach

By IAN COHEN | Nov. 19, 2017

Please, save me your sighs.

The Gators haven’t beaten the Seminoles since 2012, meaning both last year's and this year's seniors never did. “We just want to send those guys out with a good win,” sophomore running back Lamical Perine said. “There’s going to be a whole lot of fans coming out for that game. It’s going to be a nice game.”

Sports

With newfound momentum, Gators can save sinking ship of a season vs. FSU

By Ethan Bauer | Nov. 19, 2017

Sentimentality crept through Florida’s locker room after the team’s win over UAB on Saturday. Finally, after six weeks and five games without a win, the Gators could celebrate. And they did.