Sports | Football - The Independent Florida Alligator

Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks had three turnovers against Miami. He looks to tighten up his performance against Tennessee-Martin.

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3 things to watch Saturday

By Sam Campisano | Sep. 5, 2019

There’s a lot we still don’t know about Florida’s football team.

The Florida Gators launched a new app for this year’s student ticketholders. Fans can also use it for other in-game experiences called “Swamp Moments.”

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UF rolls out new game day experiences ahead of home opener

By Victor Prieto | Sep. 5, 2019

It’s been 293 days since Florida football hosted an opponent in the Swamp.

No. 3 Georgia opens its season with a conference matchup at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs were the preseason favorite to win the SEC East and are a popular College Football Playoff pick.

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Bye Week Blues: Games to watch

By Dylan Rudolph | Aug. 29, 2019

A bye week is long and tedious for college football fans. While Florida’s Week 0 battle with Miami on Aug. 24 was entertaining, it left a hole for the UF faithful this week while the rest of the country gets to watch their team play.

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Picks Column: Week 1

Aug. 29, 2019

Oh boy.

UF receiver Trevon Grimes (right) on quarterback Feleipe Franks' celebrations: "People don’t understand, he goes through so much stuff. He goes through so much criticism."

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Florida football: 5 of the best quotes from Tuesday’s practice

By Sam Campisano | Aug. 27, 2019

The dust has settled after Florida’s uninspiring 24-20 season-opening win over Miami. With the team back in Gainesville, the media had the chance to speak with players and coaches after Tuesday’s practice. Here are five of the most interesting quotes:

Quarterback Feleipe Franks hit receiver Josh Hammond on a 65-yard streak in the fourth quarter. It set up Franks' game-winning touchdown run.

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By the way, the Gators won

By Kyle Wood | Aug. 27, 2019

You don’t have to look far to find critics of Florida football’s Week 0 performance.

Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks went 17 of 27 with 254 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble in UF's 24-20 win over Miami Saturday.

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Mullen must learn to trust Franks more to be successful

By Dylan Rudolph | Aug. 25, 2019

Coach Dan Mullen went into Saturday’s matchup against the Miami Hurricanes hoping to win with a conservative mindset. He expected short passes and outside run plays to compensate for an inexperienced offensive line that was sure to have trouble with a Miami defensive line that started four upperclassmen.

Junior receiver Kadarius Toney scored a 66-yard touchdown off a screen pass in the first quarter of UF’s 24-20 win over the Miami Hurricanes.

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UF leaves Orlando with a win and a lot to work on

By Kyle Wood | Aug. 25, 2019

Florida’s football team may have had a slightly shorter offseason than the majority of Division I football teams, but it still had 238 days since its last snap of meaningful football to prepare for Miami.

Florida's offensive line struggled on Saturday. The Gators managed just 52 rushing yards.

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A tale of two lines

By Dylan Rudolph | Aug. 24, 2019

The contrast between Florida’s two lines on Saturday in Orlando was evident. No. 8 Florida came out on top against Miami, 24-20, with the help of its defensive line and its aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage, but the offensive line still remains a huge question mark.

Feleipe Franks scored the game-winning touchdown on a three-yard rush with 8:18 left in the game.

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Gators eke out comeback victory over Miami

By Tyler Nettuno | Aug. 24, 2019

It wasn’t the game Florida’s players hoped it would be.

Saturday's season opener was sloppy for both teams. Florida and Miami combined for five fumbles.

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It’s hard to find any positives from UF’s season opener

By Sam Campisano | Aug. 24, 2019

The Gators won. That’s about the only thing that went right.

Redshirt senior receiver Van Jefferson led the Gators in receiving yards (503) and receiving touchdowns (6) last season. He faces a Miami secondary that only returns one starter on Saturday.

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Previewing UF's Week 0 opener against the Hurricanes

By Kyle Wood | Aug. 22, 2019

Florida opens its season against Miami on Saturday night. Here are several key positional matchups to keep an eye on as the Gators and Hurricanes renew their rivalry.

The Gators and 'Canes played annually from 1944-1987. They've played six times since then, with UM taking every game except for a 26-3 Florida win in 2008.

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alligatorSports predicts Florida-Miami matchup

By Dylan Rudolph | Aug. 22, 2019

Florida takes on the Hurricanes in Orlando on Saturday in the first matchup between the two teams since 2013. Football writers Sam Campisano, Dylan Rudolph, Kyle Wood and Tyler Nettuno give their predictions for the game below.

Redshirt senior center Nick Buchanan is the only returning starter on Florida’s offensive line.

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Ground zero for Week 0: the line of scrimmage

By Kyle Wood | Aug. 20, 2019

The Florida football team is experiencing unfamiliar continuity under center in returning starting quarterback Feleipe Franks. The same cannot be said for the offensive line, the unit charged with protecting the focal point of the Gators offense.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart looks on during an NCAA college football practice at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019.

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The blueprint UF can follow to the College Football Playoff

By Sam Campisano | Aug. 20, 2019

Making a good team a great team is rarely cut and dry. Florida won 19 games in former coach Jim McElwain’s first two years, but failed to reach the ultimate stage.

Receiver Trevon Grimes (8) shined in Florida's spring game with four catches for 195 yards.

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Three storylines to know heading into Florida-Miami clash

By Dylan Rudolph | Aug. 18, 2019

Florida and Miami will meet in Orlando five days from now to commence the 2019 college football season. Both teams had a lot of turnover during the offseason. Here are three storylines to know about this Gators team heading into this weekend’s contest:

Tim Tebow is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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UF, UM agree to home-and-home

By Sam Campisano | Aug. 18, 2019

Saturday’s season opener will not be the last chapter written in the Florida-Miami rivalry.

Tight end Kyle Pitts caught his first career touchdown pass last year against Idaho. The sophomore was a four-star recruit before enrolling at UF.

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Position-by-Position: Evaluating Florida's tight ends

By Sam Campisano | Aug. 11, 2019

The final edition of alligatorSports' Position-by-Position series focuses on the most inexperienced unit on UF's depth chart: tight end.

Former UF football player John Huggins allegedly choked a female tutor in October.

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John Huggins dismissed from football team

By Dylan O'Shea | Aug. 11, 2019

Florida sophomore defensive back John Huggins has been dismissed from the football program.

Florida and Georgia players scuffle in this Alligator file photo from 2014.

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Former five-star Brenton Cox transfers to UF

By River Wells | Aug. 9, 2019

Florida didn’t have a single five-star recruit for 2019, but a new transfer might just make up for it.