Sports | Football - The Independent Florida Alligator

Edge rusher Jachai Polite's Twitter handle is @RetireMoms. He wants to make sure his mother is financially secure for the rest of her life.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Polite, Joseph fuel Gators defense in win against LSU

By Jake Dreilinger | Oct. 6, 2018

Update Oct. 8, 1:30 a.m.:

Safety Brad Steward dived for the pylon after picking off LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. It was Burrow's first interception of the season and the game-sealing touchdown in Florida's 27-19 win over the Associated Press's No. 5-ranked team.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

UF pulls off upset in intense home environment

By Mark Stine | Oct. 6, 2018

Dan Mullen raised his arms, pumping up the crowd before his team burst out of the tunnel.

Defensive end Jachai Polite (99) harassed Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and recorded a pair of sacks. He finished the game with three solo tackles.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

The DBUs will have to depend on their D-Lines

By Mark Stine | Oct. 5, 2018

Florida and Louisiana State both lay claim to the title of ‘DBU’ because of the professional products that each program consistently churns out of their secondaries.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Reese’s Pieces: David Reese’s ankle injury no longer holding him back

By Alanis Thames | Oct. 5, 2018

David Reese ambled toward the football field with a nervous kink in his stride.

Former UF receiver and current Cleveland Brown Antonio Callaway has totaled seven receptions in the last two games. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield targeted him 19 times.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators in the NFL: Alumni excel in Week 4

By Chris O'Brien | Oct. 3, 2018

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway continued his rookie season in a solid fashion. He’s only totaled seven receptions in his last two games, but Browns QB Baker Mayfield keeps looking his way — Callaway has 19 targets in those same two games. The wide receiver grabbed three receptions for 54 yards Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Wide receiver Trevon Grimes (8) is a former teammate of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. "Before I left Ohio State, me and him were kind of close," he said.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Grimes faces old teammate, O-line ready for another dogfight

By Jake Dreilinger | Oct. 3, 2018

There’s not a lot that followed Florida receiver Trevon Grimes from his time at Ohio State.

Florida safety Donovan Stiner (13) sacked Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald at the end of the game, forcing a turnover on downs and sealing the win for the Gators.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators defense showing physicality, improvement Mullen wants to see

By Jake Dreilinger | Sep. 30, 2018

Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald never saw Donovan Stiner coming.

Kadarius Toney threw his first pass of the season for the Florida Gators in its 13-6 win over Mississippi State, a 20-yard strike to Moral Stephens for the game's only touchdowns.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Sidebar: UF won by getting the ball to its playmakers

By Mark Stine | Sep. 30, 2018

Feleipe Franks completed a nine-yard screen pass to Kadarius Toney on Florida’s first drive of the third quarter in its low-scoring war of attrition at Mississippi State.

Safety Donovan Stiner (13) sacked MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on the Bulldogs' last play of the game Saturday. The Gators defense finished with six sacks.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators dominate Mississippi State in physical matchup

By Jake Dreilinger | Sep. 29, 2018

Quarterback Feleipe Franks took the snap in the third quarter and immediately threw it to Kadarius Toney on his left.

Florida right tackle Jawaan Taylor (65) said the team is going to try to block out the infamous cowbells at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. "We just have to keep our head in the game," he said.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Dan Mullen returns to Starkville for Florida’s second straight road game

By Alanis Thames | Sep. 28, 2018

Bulldogs fans have been foaming at the mouth awaiting Dan Mullen’s return.

Coach Dan Mullen built up the Mississippi State football team for nine years before accepting the Florida job. "The people of Starkville were great to me and my family," he said. "The fans, unbelievable."

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Mullen’s return to Starkville not a concern for coaches, players

By Jake Dreilinger | Sep. 26, 2018

It has been roughly 10 months since Florida head coach Dan Mullen made the jump from Starkville, Mississippi, to Gainesville.

Tight end R.J. Raymond said he eschewed his usual quiet tendencies after Saturday's 38-17 loss to Missouri. "You gotta play for so much more," he said.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Sidebar: Preparation met opportunity for Gators in Knoxville

By Morgan McMullen | Sep. 23, 2018

Florida tight end R.J. Raymond was a man deep in his thoughts. He strolled silently onto the field at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, about half an hour before any other Gators — even the special-teamers — made their way out of the locker room to get some extra catches in before the game.

Quarterback Feleipe Franks celebrates with fans and teammates Trevon Grimes and Dameon Pierce following a 47-21 win at Tennessee.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Turnovers plague UT in a thumping at the hands of the Gators

By Mark Stine | Sep. 22, 2018

Tennessee tight end Austin Pope was all alone running down the sideline.

Wide receiver Van Jefferson caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Colorado State on Saturday.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Three questions for UF’s matchup against Tennessee

By Jake Dreilinger | Sep. 21, 2018

The Florida-Tennessee rivalry is the stuff of legends. Well, at least to its fans it is.

UF has two bye weeks on its 2019 schedule along with a season-opening matchup with Miami on Aug. 31.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Notebook: Looking forward to 2019 schedule and back on Zach Smith GPD photos

By Alligator Staff report | Sep. 19, 2018

Gators release 2019 season schedule

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators in the NFL Week 2: Callaway bursts onto the scene

By Dylan Rudolph | Sep. 19, 2018

Gators all over the NFL made big plays on Sunday. Forty-seven Florida alumni appeared on 26 of the 32 teams.

Running back Lamical Perine (22) said he's no fan of Tennessee's fight song, "Rocky Top."

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

“Rocky Top” center of Gators' practices this week

By Morgan McMullen | Sep. 19, 2018

There are some songs that get stuck in your head. “Baby Shark” has undergone a resurgence among nostalgia-minded millennials. Some catchy songs we inflict on ourselves by playing it ad nauseam on repeat out of a simple sense of masochism and primal aural pleasure.

Former UF graduate assistant coach Zach Smith was charged in 2009 with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman. The charge was later dropped.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

GPD releases photos of Zach Smith, Courtney Smith domestic incident

By Jake Dreilinger | Sep. 17, 2018

The Gainesville Police Department released photos Monday from 2009 domestic incident between former UF graduate assistant coach Zach Smith and Courtney Smith, his wife at the time.

Freshman running back Dameon Pierce scored on a 68-yard touchdown run on his third carry of the game. Florida finished with 222 yards rushing on 29 attempts.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Notebook: Observations from Florida's win over Colorado State

By Alanis Thames | Sep. 17, 2018

Perhaps it was the focus on mental toughness in practice. Perhaps it was all the banter about the lack of physicality following an embarrassing loss to Kentucky.

Junior wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland made an impact play on special teams in the Gators' 48-10 win over Colorado State. In the second quarter, he recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown just before the ball went out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Special teams and turnovers help UF to blowout win

By Mark Stine | Sep. 15, 2018

The likelihood of wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland scoring against Colorado State on Saturday was probably pretty high. Hardly anybody could’ve predicted it’d come via special teams.