sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Gators quarterback Kyle Trask daps up linebacker Andrew Chatfield Jr. at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 7. Florida beat Georgia for the first time since 2016 on Saturday 44-28.

Sports

So, you’ve just beaten the Georgia Bulldogs…

By River Wells | Nov. 8, 2020

…What do you do now?

Gators coach Becky Burleigh made her return to in-person coaching this weekend when Florida played Kentucky on Friday and Missouri on Sunday. UF dropped both out-of-town games, extending its program record for consecutive losses to six.

Sports

UF suffers sixth-consecutive loss against Missouri in regular-season finale

By Bryan Matamoros | Nov. 8, 2020

The keepers took center stage against a dark and windy backdrop in Florida’s regular-season finale at Missouri.

Junior Lukas Greif left the Southern Intercollegiate Championships undefeated, having won all five of his matches.

Sports

Gators win 11 matches Saturday, sweep Sunday to end fall competition

By Ryan Haley | Nov. 8, 2020

The Florida Gators beat the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in an SEC showdown in one of the team’s best performances of the year.

Sports

Gators finish fall at Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate

By Michael Hull | Nov. 8, 2020

The Florida Gators men’s golf team is set to begin their third and final tournament of the fall at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, hosted by the University of Alabama.

Gators Coach Dan Mullen greets fans prior to Florida's home game against Mizzou Oct. 31. UF beat the Georgia Bulldogs for the first time with Mullen at the helm on Saturday.

Sports

Mullen got over the hump, even if he says there never was one

By Christian Ortega | Nov. 7, 2020

Only two Florida coaches — Will Muschamp and Charley Pell — lost their first three tries against Georgia.

Sports

UF Football adds three recruits in two weeks

By Sara Kate Dyson | Nov. 7, 2020

UF has come up big in the recruiting game lately, adding three commitments in two weeks. The commitments came from outside linebacker Jeremiah Williams, ranked No. 5 in Alabama, safety Sam McCall, ranked No. 5 in Florida and offensive tackle Yousef Mugharbil, ranked No. 17 in North Carolina, according to 247 Sports.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask hypes up the crowd at TIAA Bank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Saturday. The Gators defeated the Bulldogs in the most recent rivalry game on Nov. 7.

Sports

Gators’ lethal offense takes down Bulldogs in Jacksonville

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 7, 2020

Down 14-0 in the first quarter, the Mullen-era narrative of a Gators loss in Jacksonville thrived.

Sports

Gators drop fifth-straight game despite Burleigh’s return against Kentucky

By Bryan Matamoros | Nov. 6, 2020

Florida coach Becky Burleigh returned to the sidelines Friday night following her mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 contact tracing. Kentucky, meanwhile, was forced to play without coach Ian Carry after he tested positive for the virus.

Sophomore Blaise Bicknell won a singles match against Georgia on Friday at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships.

Sports

Gators continue singles dominance in Georgia

By Ryan Haley | Nov. 6, 2020

The Florida men’s tennis team won seven of eight singles matches to open its final event of the fall season on Friday. The Gators rode their momentum from their previous two events to a strong outing on day one of the Southern Intercollegiate Championships.

Gators stand in a huddle in their final home game of the 2020 season. Florida will play two road games this weekend against SEC opponents Kentucky and Missouri.

Sports

Gators prepare for weekend doubleheader

By Declan Walsh | Nov. 6, 2020

After dropping four games in a row, the Gators plummeted from a nationally-ranked program to last in the SEC East.

Kyle Trask darts through Missouri defenders in Florida's game versus Missouri on Oct. 31. He and senior Kadarius Toney will lead the Gators in their charge against Georgia this weekend.

Sports

Gators’ electrifying offense faces its toughest test against Georgia

By Christian Ortega | Nov. 6, 2020

Recent history shows the winner of the Florida-Georgia game has a one-way ticket to Atlanta.

Kaiir Elam at the Gators' game against the Missouri Tigers last Saturday. Florida' defense will face its greatest challenge yet in Georgia this weekend.

Sports

Defense finding the right spots midseason

By Christian Ortega | Nov. 6, 2020

Expectations for Florida’s offense act more like hurdles in front of Grant Holloway than mountains.

Sports

Gators travel to Georgia for final men’s tennis event of fall

By Ryan Haley | Nov. 5, 2020

The Florida men’s tennis team will travel to Athens, Georgia, for their final event of an abbreviated fall season, the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, from Nov. 6-8.

Sports

UF women’s swimming and dive take down Miami for first win of the season

By Sara Kate Dyson | Nov. 5, 2020

The Gators bounced back strong this week against the Hurricanes after a tough loss in the season’s first meet. UF toppled Miami for the win with a final score of 190-94.

Sports

Gators women’s swimming and diving host Miami in home opener

By Sara Kate Dyson | Nov. 3, 2020

Florida’s women’s swimming and diving team will compete in their second meet of the season against Miami at the Marie Rogers Swimming and Diving Pool inside the O’Connell Center Thursday. After a tough loss to No. 4 ranked Georgia, the Gators look to bounce back against an unranked Miami team in their 2020 home opener.

Jade Caraway stands in the outfield during the Gators' series versus the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns last season.

Sports

So you want to talk about sexism in sports?

By Payton Titus | Nov. 1, 2020

Jade Caraway is an excellent Division I softball player.

Joe Pagdin drains a putt for Trinity Prep in 2015, where he was the No. 1 player on the varsity team in eighth grade.

Sports

Joe Pagdin begins Florida career five years in the making

By Michael Hull | Nov. 1, 2020

Nervous. That’s how I felt the first time I interviewed Joe Pagdin.

Kadarius Toney (1) and receiver Justin Shorter (89) celebrate a score in Saturday's win against Missouri.

Sports

From gadget player to human joystick: Kadarius Toney is now the complete package

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 1, 2020

Florida’s offense looked rusty and lifeless for most of the first half against Missouri on Saturday. It looked like a team that had barely practiced, let alone played a game, in three weeks.

Senior Kadarius Toney had three touchdowns Saturday night in Florida's drubbing of Missouri at home.

Sports

Florida spooks Mizzou on Halloween night in return to the gridiron

By Payton Titus | Oct. 31, 2020

Playing football at night on Halloween with about 15% of your roster unavailable against an in-conference foe is frightening.

Thayer Hall spikes the ball in the Gators game versus LSU last season. She and T'ara Ceasar led Florida in kills Saturday afternoon in their win over Alabama.

Sports

Spooky defense carries UF to 3-0 victory over Alabama

By Zachary Huber | Oct. 31, 2020

Junior Haley Warner didn’t see the court on Friday night when the Gators defeated Alabama 3-0. Coach Mary Wise called her name late in the first set on Saturday with Florida nursing a narrow 20-19 lead.