Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Junior Keyontae Johnson (left) and sophomore Scottie Lewis (right) at the Gators' game against Arkansas last season. They are among Florida's returning defensive leaders this season.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators look to play faster offensively, more selfless defensively

By Graham Marsh | Oct. 21, 2020

Extend the pressure, increase the speed.

The Gators fell six spots in the team rankings during the second day of competition at The Ally at Old Waverly.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators fall to seventh in The Ally

By Michael Hull | Oct. 20, 2020

The Gators women’s golf team fell from first to seventh place after shooting a collective 13-over-par in the second round of The Ally at Old Waverly Tuesday.

Outside hitter Thayer Hall celebrates in home match against Kentucky last season. This year, Hall was named to the All-SEC Preseason Team.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Florida kicks off its season against Tigers

By Zachary Huber | Oct. 20, 2020

The Gators play their first match Wednesday after six months of holding meetings on Zoom and completing workouts at home hundreds of miles away from each other.

Senior Addie Baggalry is currently tied for second individually with teammate Marina Escobar Domingo after one full day of competition at The Ally at Old Waverly.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators take early lead in The Ally

By Michael Hull | Oct. 19, 2020

The Gators women’s golf team currently is in first place at The Ally at Old Waverly.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Gators pick up Michigan transfer Minnich for 2021

By Sara Kate Dyson | Oct. 19, 2020

Florida’s women’s swimming and diving team officially announced on Monday that it’s welcoming a new swimmer to the 2020-21 squad.

The Gators lost, 2-1, in double overtime to the Vanderbilt Commodores Sunday evening. This marks the first time Florida has lost back-to-back SEC matches since 2018.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Goal line scramble sees Vanderbilt edge Florida in overtime

By Declan Walsh | Oct. 18, 2020

In an unorthodox season full of cancellations and quarantines, Florida’s historic dominance on “pink day” was foiled by the Vanderbilt Commodores.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators look to ride momentum into Old Waverly

By Michael Hull | Oct. 18, 2020

On Monday, the UF women’s golf team will travel to West Point, Mississippi, to compete in The Ally at Old Waverly. The Gators look to build off their performance at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, where they finished sixth out of 14.

Both Gators squads finished in the top eight at the FSU Invitational Friday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

Teams falter, new UF star shines in last regular season meet

By Myles Herbert | Oct. 17, 2020

Both Gators cross country teams finished in the bottom half of their respective races at the Blazer Classic Friday, with the men finishing sixth and the women finishing ninth.

Linebacker Ventrell Miller at Florida's game against Texas A&M. According to ESPN's Bill Connelly, Florida is 75th out of 76 teams in success rate on defense.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Performance against A&M the breaking point for UF’s defense

By Brendan Farrell | Oct. 17, 2020

UF’s porous defense forced its offense to be nearly perfect to pull out wins in the first two weeks of the season. Through 11 quarters of football, it worked.

Junior Cassidy Lindley at the Gators home opener of the 2020 season. Florida returns to Donald R. Dizney stadium Sunday to take on Vanderbilt.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida returns home to face struggling Commodores

By Declan Walsh | Oct. 15, 2020

Florida will return home to face Vanderbilt Sunday after its first loss of the season against Texas A&M, but the Gators’ traditional white, orange and blue uniforms will take another week off.

Caeleb Dressel is one of eight former Gators participating in the ISL's second season, which starts Friday.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS SWIM AND DIVE

Eight Gators to compete in International Swimming League Friday

By Sara Kate Dyson | Oct. 15, 2020

Eight former Gators will be competing on Friday as the International Swimming League (ISL) begins its second season.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

Gators compete at final meet before SEC championship

By Myles Herbert | Oct. 15, 2020

Florida will travel to Alabama to compete in the Blazer Classic for its last meet of the regular season Friday. This is the first time in program history that Florida will run in this meet hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Outside hitter Thayer Hall made the All-SEC Preseason Team, which was announced Oct. 8.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Florida announces fan capacity for 2020 season

By Zachary Huber | Oct. 15, 2020

The Gators announced that fans will be in attendance at Florida volleyball games this season.

Quincy Lenton (14) lines up on special teams at Florida's game against Vanderbilt in 2019. Lenton was recruited to play at UF while Jim McElwain served as head coach.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Gators DB Quincy Lenton enters transfer portal as a grad transfer

By Sara Kate Dyson | Oct. 13, 2020

Florida defensive back Quincy Lenton officially entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, according to Matt Zenitz, Senior SEC football reporter for AL.com.

Susi Espinoza recorded three saves before allowing Texas A&M to score its first goal. The Aggies recorded nine shots to UF’s one in the opening half.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida falls to 11th-ranked Texas A&M on the road

By Bryan Matamoros | Oct. 12, 2020

Susi Espinoza kept Texas A&M’s Barbara Olivieri at bay in the early stages of Sunday afternoon’s game.

SPORTS | FEATURES

Walk-on: The Clifford Taylor IV story

By Christian Ortega | Oct. 11, 2020

When people are asked to describe a close friend in a word, it’s common to find them gazing at the distance as their brain scrambles to find the appropriate response. The momentary lapse for thought, varying from Joy from Inside Out-like efficiency or workers in SpongeBob’s brain office scrambling through burning ruins, leads to mixed responses.

Gators coach Dan Mullen stands on the sideline at Kyle Field Saturday. After the 41-38 loss, Mullen explained how he wants Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at full capacity from now on.

SPORTS | COLUMNS

Mullen’s ‘pack The Swamp’ comments were off-base

By Tyler Nettuno | Oct. 11, 2020

There are an abundance of reasons why the Gators lost their first game of the 2020 season against Texas A&M on Saturday.

The No. 15 Gators first road game of the year is against No. 11 Texas A&M.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Florida set to take on No. 11 Texas A&M in first road game

By Declan Walsh | Oct. 10, 2020

Florida earned the attention of the United Soccer Coaches’ national rankings for the first time this season, slotting in at No. 15 after a win and a draw against ranked Alabama and Georgia teams.

The Gators allowed 41 points in their first loss of the season.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida drops first game of the season to Texas A&M in defensive nightmare

By River Wells | Oct. 10, 2020

When Malik Davis fumbled the football near midfield with time dwindling, it didn’t matter how stunted the crowd was at Kyle Field: It erupted all the same.

Quarterback Kyle Trask's performance against the Gamecocks last weekend earned him a QBR of 91.3.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Trask, improved defense lead to dominating victory over South Carolina

By Brendan Farrell | Oct. 8, 2020

Florida’s recent battles with former coach Will Muschamp and his South Carolina Gamecocks haven’t always been easy. While the Gators are 3-0 against USC under coach Dan Mullen, the previous two meetings weren’t exactly easy wins.