Sumrall finalized a six-year, $44.7 million contract that comes with incentives, according to a person familiar with the search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details were not released. The deal averages $7.45 million annually.

The 43-year-old Sumrall will remain with the 22nd-ranked Green Wave for next week’s American Conference title game and through the College Football Playoff if Tulane makes the 12-team field.

The Gators also are on the verge of signing front-office executive, Dave Caldwell, who won a Super Bowl during his five seasons with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, as their general manager. He previously spent eight years (2013-20) with the Jacksonville Jaguars and built a roster that made the AFC title game.

Caldwell is expected to help manage Florida’s salary cap and evaluate college talent as demands on coaches have expanded with the burgeoning transfer portal and name, image and likeness payments.

Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky (2002-04) and returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint before becoming Troy’s head coach in 2022. He won consecutive Sun Belt championships in two seasons with the Trojans and then enjoyed similar success at Tulane.

Sumrall is 19-7 in two years in New Orleans and led the Green Wave to the American championship game both seasons. So he has made four league title games in four years as a head coach. The Gators are hoping he’s Urban Meyer 2.0 and not Billy Napier 2.0.

“Not many coaches win big at two different non-Power programs, and even fewer do it as quickly as Jon has done it,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “He joins rare company — coaches like Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly and Willie Fritz — who’ve delivered immediate success at multiple stops. Jon’s track record of rapid turnarounds speaks directly to his leadership and the culture he establishes.”

Sumrall had been considered a possibility at Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Florida made a late push when Kiffin’s interest in the Gators waned. Florida fans are likely to view him as a consolation prize, another gamble from a Group of Five conference.

Sumrall replaces Napier, who was fired in mid-October and went 22-23 over four seasons in Gainesville. Napier was nicknamed “Sun Belt Billy” because he often looked in over his head in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Going back to Louisiana for another G5 coach? And a defensive guy to boot? That’s a bold move for Stricklin, who is sure to draw the ire of the Florida faithful for failing to land Kiffin.

He was roundly booed at a championship celebration to honor men’s basketball coach Todd Golden and his title-winning team in April. Now, the fan base is calling for his job.

A website titled FireScottStricklin.com documents Stricklin’s shortcomings, and some fans organized a rally Sunday outside Florida Field to promote Stricklin’s “immediate removal.”

But Stricklin seemingly has the support of the Board of Trustees, which gave him a three-year contract extension in June and allowed him to conduct a coaching search that included roughly 10 interviews without interference.

There were rumors and reports about boosters getting involved and straining relationships with Kiffin and his camp. But Stricklin made it clear he was the only one making the hire. Kiffin chose LSU after a public tug-of-war involving all three schools.

Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. The trip to Gainesville was underwhelming, according to people familiar with the search, and high school football in the area left plenty to be desired.

Florida even turned to Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel during its pursuit of Kiffin, who eventually slowed communication with UF officials to the point where the Gators decided they had to move on in a crowded market.

Now, Sumrall will be counted on to lead a downtrodden program back to prominence in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Tulane’s numbers are far from gaudy: The Green Wave rank 39th in the country in total offense and 64th in total defense. Sumrall is expected to hire outside coordinators and an NFL-style general manager to help him rebuild in Gainesville.

The Gators (4-8) clearly have talent and ended a dismal season with one of their best performances, a 40-21 victory against rival Florida State in the Swamp in which running back Jadan Baugh ran for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns and DJ Lagway threw for three scores.

___

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Haugh had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Chinyelu had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double in five games.

Florida’s frontcourt has 11 double-doubles this season. It would be 12 had Chinyelu not fallen one rebound short in an 84-80 loss to TCU in the tournament opener on Thursday.

Urban Klavzar scored 18 points and Boogie Fland added 17 for the defending national champion Gators (5-2), who smoothly rebounded from the loss to the Horned Frogs.

Ryan Mela scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures for the Friars (4-4), who were routed 104-83 by Wisconsin on Thursday. Jaylin Sellers had 14, Jason Edwards 13, Corey Floyd Jr. 12 and Stefan Vaaks 10.

Lee made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions early in the second half to push the Gators’ 45-39 halftime lead to 51-40. He continued his hot streak with a jumper and a putback sandwiched around consecutive 3-pointers by Fland to give Florida a 61-47 lead.

Providence closed within 65-57 before the Gators went on a 10-0 run highlighted by Lee’s floater, Klavzar’s 3-pointer and Haugh’s three-point play.

Chinyelu scored four points during one possession in the first half. He made the first of two free throws with 6:58 left before halftime and missed the second, with Haugh getting the rebound. Chinyelu made a hook shot, was fouled and converted the three-point play for a 30-21 lead.

Up next

Providence hosts Farleigh Dickinson on Tuesday night.

Florida visits Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on No. 4 Duke on Tuesday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because negotiations are ongoing and nothing is finalized. Sumrall also is considered to be Auburn’s top target to replace Hugh Freeze. On3 first reported the Gators’ decision to continue its search without Kiffin, which came after getting lukewarm feedback from the Mississippi coach and his camp in recent days.

Sumrall and the 22nd-ranked Green Wave host Charlotte on Saturday, with a chance to lock up a spot in the American Conference title game next week. Tulane also could make the College Football Playoff. It’s unclear if Sumrall would remain with Tulane if he took another job.

The 43-year-old Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky (2002-04) and returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint before becoming Troy’s head coach in 2022. He went 23-4 and won consecutive Sun Belt championships in two seasons with the Trojans and then had similar success at Tulane.

The Green Wave are 18-7 in Sumrall’s two years in New Orleans. Getting him away from Auburn — he’s a Huntsville, Alabama, native and his wife graduated from Auburn — would be considered a solid pull in many circles. But Florida fans are likely to view him as a consolation prize, another gamble from a Group of Five conference.

Sumrall would replace Billy Napier, who was fired in mid-October and went 22-23 over four seasons in Gainesville. Napier was nicknamed “Sun Belt Billy” because he often looked to be over his head in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Going back to Louisiana for another G5 coach? That would be a bold move for Stricklin, who also has turned his attention to Louisville coach Jeff Brohm and Washington’s Jedd Fisch if Sumrall lands at Auburn.

Florida fans have been clamoring for Kiffin for more than a year and had him in their sights when Napier got fired. But LSU fired Brian Kelly a week after, creating a tug-of-war over a coach in his prime.

Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. He even reportedly sat down with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who publicly slammed former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward for giving Kelly a 10-year contract worth about $100 million in 2022.

Kelly ended up spurning Florida and is expected to pick between Ole Miss and LSU after the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on Friday.

The world’s tallest teenager, 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, got the loudest ovation of the night when he checked in with 2:26 to play. The tallest player in college basketball history got fouled the first time he touched the ball and hit a free throw. He also got his first rebound.

It was final November tune-up for the defending national champion Gators (4-1), who next play a Thanksgiving tournament on the West Coast and then have measuring-stick games against No. 5 Duke and third-ranked UConn.

Florida had four players score in double figures, including Thomas Haugh (13) and Boogie Fland (10).

The Gators dominated down low, as expected. They finished with 36 points in the paint and a 53-25 rebounding advantage.

Florida players, coaches and support staff received their diamond-laced, oversized championship rings earlier in the week, and fans in attendance were given equally gaudy but far less expensive replica rings.

The Gators put on a show in front of a packed O’Connell Center, scoring the first 11 points and later using a 19-0 run to take a 32-4 lead with eight minutes to play in the first half.

Merrimack (2-4) battled back but was no match for Florida’s size, speed and athleticism.

Kevair Kennedy led the Warriors with 14 points. Leading scorer Ernest Shelton, coming off a career-high 33 points and a school record-tying nine 3-pointers, missed his first six shots and fouled out with three points.

Florida played without backup center Micah Handlogten, who was held out as a precaution after sustaining a concussion against Miami last week.

Up next

Merrimack plays at Penn next Friday.

Florida plays TCU on Thursday in San Diego, part of the Rady Children’s Invitational.

If anything, the Bulldogs were comfortable and confident chasing points down the stretch. It’s what they’ve done all season.

Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes, Chauncey Bowens scored on a late 36-yard run and Georgia escaped the rivalry known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” with a 24-20 victory against the Gators on Saturday.

Another week, another rally.

“It’s better than the alternative, isn’t it?” coach Kirby Smart said.

It was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive victory in the series and their eighth in the last nine meetings. But this one was closer than any of those others.

Georgia stopped Florida on a fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs 18-yard line with a little less than eight minutes to go, a momentum-turning play in a back-and-forth game. Stockton and Zachariah Branch took over from there, putting Georgia (7-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) in position for its fourth come-from-behind victory in six league games.

“I don’t write the scripts,” Smart quipped.

He has witnessed plenty of similar endings. Bowens darted up the middle and scampered untouched to the end zone for the go-ahead score.

Florida (3-5, 2-3) had a chance late, but DJ Lagway’s deep pass short-hopped intended receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant got behind the defense and probably would have scored had the pass not been badly underthrown. Smart called his team “insanely lucky.”

“That’s how it’s been the past couple games,” Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette said. “We get more energy as the game goes.”

Stockton, a noted alligator hunter in the offseason, completed 20 of 29 passes for 223 yards. Branch caught 10 passes for 112 yards.

Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for 115 yards on the ground.

Florida played inspired football in its first game since firing coach Billy Napier. Receiver Eugene Wilson III was the biggest benefactor of Napier’s departure. He more than doubled his receiving yards on the season, finishing with nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Interim coach Billy Gonzales, who simplified the playbook, made an aggressive call to go for it on fourth down. But giving the ball to Jadan Baugh up the middle was as predictable as anything Napier did in his four seasons with the Gators.

“They’re hurting. Our staff’s hurting. I’m hurting,” Gonzales said. “We came here to win. We fell short.”

Poll implications

Georgia avoided becoming another top-10 team to lose Saturday and should stay in the top five of the next AP College Football Poll. No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami lost on the road, with the Commodores falling at Texas and the Hurricanes dropping a game at SMU.

Georgia loses two defenders

The Bulldogs lost two starting defenders in the first half and defensive back Demello Jones (elbow) in the second.

Defensive lineman Jordan Hall injured his right knee on Georgia’s first defensive series. He was helped off the field and into the locker room. Defensive back KJ Bolden was ejected for targeting in the second quarter. He was penalized 15 yards for leading a tackle with his helmet.

Florida receiver watches second half in a walking boot

Florida freshman receiver Dallas Wilson came out of the locker room after halftime wearing a walking boot on his right foot. Wilson caught one pass for 7 yards in the first half. He missed the first four games this season with a left foot injury.

The takeaway

Georgia: The Bulldogs have too many holes to be considered a threat in the playoffs. Branch is the team’s only offensive star, and the Dawgs rank last in the SEC in sacks.

Florida: Trey Smack set a school record with his ninth career field goal of 50 yards or longer, breaking a tie with Caleb Sturgis. Smack’s 54-yarder in the fourth put the Gators ahead 20-17.

Up next

Georgia plays at Mississippi State next Saturday.

Florida plays at Kentucky next Saturday.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin made the move following a 23-21 victory that looked like it was going to be gut-wrenching loss until defensive tackle Michai Boireau picked off a pass with 21 seconds remaining and the Bulldogs near field-goal range.

The game-sealing takeaway energized the Swamp, but the home crowd quickly turned on Napier and booed him as he sprinted off the field. Stricklin had seen enough and pulled the plug on a run that most of the Florida faithful thought lasted longer than it should have.

“While his influence was positive, it ultimately did not translate into the level of success we expect on the field,” Stricklin said in a lengthy statement.

Napier went 22-23 in four seasons at Florida, including 12-16 in Southeastern Conference play. He was 5-17 against ranked opponents, including 0-14 away from home, and declined to give up his play-calling role despite calls to do so.

Equally damning: his 3-12 mark against rivals Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee includes the fewest wins by a Florida coach in such games since the late 1930s.

Receivers coach Billy Gonzales is the interim head coach for Florida’s remaining five games, beginning against rival Georgia (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville. The Gators (3-4, 2-2) have an off week to regroup from the chaos that often comes with a coaching change.

Jettisoning Napier will temporarily quell a frustrated fanbase, but the group won’t truly be satisfied until the Gators hire someone with a proven track record at college football’s highest level.

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin is expected to top the list, although Stricklin passed on him when he hired Napier from Louisiana-Lafayette in November 2021. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also could be targets.

Florida owes Napier roughly $21 million, with half of that buyout due within 30 days. The rest will be spread over three annual installments beginning next summer, meaning the Gators will be paying three head coaches for the second time in seven years once they hire Napier’s replacement; they did the same with Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen in 2018.

Napier sealed his fate against the Bulldogs. He dialed up a QB rollout on a third-and-1 play in the waning minutes that led to a punt and gave Mississippi State a chance down the stretch. He also called a QB keeper on a third-and-7 play earlier in the game, botched the final possession before halftime and was flagged for having 12 men on the field during a 2-point try.

It was a fitting end for a coach who often looked in over his head in the powerhouse SEC. Between repeated penalties, game organization issues, clock management miscues and running an offensive scheme that was as predictable as it was pedestrian, Napier stuck around longer than many thought he deserved.

Stricklin gave the coach a public vote of confidence shortly before the Gators won their final four games of 2024. They hoped to carry that momentum into Napier’s fourth season, but quarterback DJ Lagway missed close to eight months recovering from injuries — and it showed.

Lagway looked mostly lost in the pocket as Florida struggled to move the ball. Suddenly, the two-time Sun Belt Conference coach of the year, a guy who gained fame at his previous stop by saying “scared money don’t make money,” seemed afraid to get the ball down the field like Lagway did with such ease as a freshman.

Most outsiders saw this ending coming. Although Napier accomplished plenty while helping the program navigate name, image and likeness compensation and revenue sharing, he churned through assistants while failing to find much consistency on either side of the ball.

There’s an argument to be made that the Gators actually regressed from Game 1 (an interception in the final minute to beat then-No. 7 Utah in the Swamp) to Game 45 (an interception in the final minute to beat Mississippi State in the Swamp) under Napier despite a seemingly more potent roster.

Whoever replaces Napier will inherit a sleeping giant, a three-time football national champion that recently caught up in the facilities race and has enough booster support to be a factor in the SEC.

“We exist to win and will not settle for less,” Stricklin said. “UF has never been more invested in the success of this football program … than we are today.”

It’s the first 6-0 start for the Aggies since 2016 and they improved to 3-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

Florida (2-4, 1-2) was unable to build off last week’s 29-21 upset over then-No. 9 Texas that snapped a three-game skid as coach Billy Napier fell to 0-14 on the road against ranked opponents.

Texas A&M scored touchdowns on its first three possessions but managed only a field goal after that until Rueben Owens scored on a 2-yard run that made it 31-17 with about 4 1/2 minutes to go.

That score came after Florida couldn’t take advantage of a turnover and Texas A&M took more than eight minutes off the clock on the drive. The Aggies led by 7 when Jordan Castell intercepted Reed in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter. DJ Lagway’s pass was deflected and fell incomplete on fourth-and-6 near midfield to give Texas A&M the ball back to start the drive that ended in the score by Owens.

Dayon Hayes sacked Lagway and forced a fumble that the Aggies recovered on the first play of Florida’s next drive and they tacked on a field goal to seal the victory.

The Gators looked good early and it was tied at 14 at the end of the first quarter before Texas A&M outscored them 20-3 the rest of the way.

Lagway threw for 245 yards with two touchdowns and Vernell Brown III had six receptions for 77 yards as the Gators faced their fourth straight opponent ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll.

The Aggies had 183 yards rushing a week after running for a season-high 303 yards despite starter Le’Veon Moss leaving before halftime with an apparent injury. Owens ran for 51 yards and Moss had five carries for 46 yards and a touchdown before limping off the field in the second quarter.

Brown fumbled early in the third quarter and it was recovered by Taurean York on the Florida 29. Texas A&M couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 26-yard field goal that made it 24-14.

Florida cut the lead to 24-17 on a 45-yard field goal with about seven minutes left in the third quarter.

Lagway put the Gators up early with his 1-yard TD pass to Amir Jackson on their first drive.

The Aggies evened it up when Reed scrambled eight yards for a score on the second play and their first possession. A 67-yard grab by Mario Craver set up that score.

Texas A&M took a 14-7 lead on Reed’s 22-yard pass to Jamarion Morrow later in the first quarter.

It was tied again after Lagway found Dallas Wilson for a 6-yard touchdown on the next drive. That touchdown came two plays after Lagway connected with Brown for a 31-yard gain.

Moss ran through a defender and dashed 22 yards for a score that gave A&M a 21-14 lead early in the second quarter.

The takeaway

The Aggies should move up at least one spot after No. 3 Oregon lost at home to Indiana Saturday. The loss drops Napier to 21-23 in four seasons in Gainesville with a tough upcoming schedule which includes games against No. 10 Georgia and fourth-ranked Ole Miss.

Up Next

Florida: Hosts Mississippi State next Saturday.

Texas A&M: At Arkansas next Saturday.

Arch Manning and the Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) had a chance in the final minute thanks partly to a defensive penalty, but he threw incomplete deep and was sacked twice.

Florida (2-3, 1-1) enjoyed its first victory since beating Long Island in the season opener.

Lagway looked better than he had in four previous starts this season, and Dallas Wilson had a lot to do with it. The Tampa native showed speed, hands and arguably the most physicality of any Florida receiver in years.

Wilson’s 55-yard TD catch late in the third quarter was one of the most impressive plays in the Swamp since Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin dominated opponents regularly.

Wilson tossed aside cornerback Kobe Black at the line of scrimmage, spun out of the grasp of safety Jelani McDonald, tiptoed the sideline, ran through McDonald’s second attempt at a tackle and then powered through safety Michael Taaffe at the goal line.

Wilson finished with six catches for 111 yards. It was the best debut for a freshman receiver at Florida in program history. Wilson was the star of Florida’s spring game in April but injured his left foot early in fall camp and spent weeks in a walking boot.

He finally returned to practice during Florida’s off week and provided the jolt the Gators needed to end a three-game slide in which they scored 16, 10 and 7 points.

Texas struggled to find consistency in front of a hostile crowd of 90,714. Manning was hurried and harassed all afternoon. He threw for 263 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Manning was sacked seven times behind a line that got bullied without blitzes in Texas’ first visit to Gainesville since 1940.

Poll implications

Texas will surely tumble out of the top 10 in the next AP Top 25 College Football Poll.

The takeaway

Texas: The Longhorns have been one of the most disappointing teams in college football. The preseason No. 1 lost at Ohio State to open the season, wasn’t sharp in wins against San Jose State and Sam Houston State, and now this.

Florida: The Gators may have found something during their off week. Lagway showed significant improvement, and Florida’s pass rush was dominant for the first time this season.

Up next

Texas faces nemesis and fifth-ranked Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas next Saturday.

Florida goes on the road to face No. 6 Texas A&M next Saturday.

An eventful Saturday that began with long lines at the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables ended with yet another victory by the school’s football team, this time over their longtime rivals, the University of Florida Gators.

But ‘Canes fans who attended the game didn’t wait until it ended. Those who spoke with 7News were certain their team would emerge triumphant.

“We’re going all the way!” said a fan.

Another fan made a bold prediction. Or was it a wish?

“National Championship this year. Let’s go, Canes, baby. Let’s go, Canes! Woooo!” he said.

Orange, green and swagger packed the Rock on Saturday, as two of the state’s most historic college football programs battled off.

“Go Caaaaanes!” said an excited fan.

“The best in the city, baby, in the state!” said another excited fan.

More fearless predictions followed, as the outlook never looked good for the Gators.

“I’ve got the ‘Canes by about 1,000. Look at that,” said a fan.

“‘Canes by a million!” said another fan.

Some Gators fans thought they could survive outside the Swamp. Not quite.

In the end, the ‘Canes swamped the Gators 26-7.

But if Gators fans have their way, the ‘Canes might just encounter trouble later in the season.

“You see, right? It’s gonna be tougher for UM than they think,” said one disheartened but hopeful Gators fan.

The big game brought the eyes of the nation to the U well before kickoff, as ESPN’s “College GameDay” also returned to campus.

Miami welcomed the biggest traveling show in all of sports with some cafecito and some South Florida humidity.

Hours before the game, the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk, “GameDay’s” celebrity picker, made his prediction.

“[The Gators] have no chance at all. It’s all ‘Canes, all day, baby!” he said as the crowd behind him erupted in cheers.

It seems like one real-life gator posted on Only in Dade knew it was time to get away. The caption accompanying the video read, “Looks like the Gators are trying to swim their way out of Miami already.”

Brown had a 2-yard rush to cap the first drive of the game for Miami (4-0), then had a 1-yard plunge with 4:08 left to seal what became the Hurricanes’ ninth win over the Gators in the teams’ last 11 meetings.

Fletcher scored from 1 yard out with 1:57 left.

Jadan Baugh had a 7-yard touchdown run for Florida (1-3), off to its worst start since 1986. The loss sent embattled coach Billy Napier’s record with the Gators to 20-22, and came on a night where Florida had its fewest total yards in a game in more than 25 years.

The Gators were outgained 344-141 and quarterback D.J. Lagway completed 12 of 23 passes for only 61 yards. It was Florida’s lowest yardage since managing only 119 against Alabama on Dec. 4, 1999.

Miami quarterback Carson Beck completed 17 of 30 passes for 160 yards and an interception. Beck improved to 3-0 all-time against Florida; in the last 25 years, only fellow former Georgia quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Aaron Murray also had three wins over the Gators as starters.

The Hurricanes were fuming after a play early in the third quarter where it appeared Brown — on fourth-and-1 from the Florida 48 — bounced off a pile, kept his legs moving and broke free for what would have been a touchdown and a 19-0 Miami lead with an extra point pending.

Southeastern Conference referee David Smith said Brown’s forward progress was stopped, taking the score off the board, and Miami punted four plays later. The Gators scored on the ensuing drive, and a game where the Hurricanes thought they had gone up by three touchdowns was suddenly a 13-7 contest.

Beck got picked off on the next Miami drive, but the Hurricanes snuffed out that Florida possession by getting a fourth-down stop on the first play of the fourth quarter and holding on to the six-point lead. Florida never got any closer.

The takeaway

Florida: The Gators had 32 yards of offense on their first six drives, before going 80 yards on the third-quarter possession capped by Baugh’s touchdown run. That extended Florida’s NCAA-record scoring streak, which now is up to 465 games dating back to 1988.

Miami: Even on an off night for the offense, the Hurricanes’ defense showed up yet again. Miami improved to 10-0 at home since the start of last season and has now won seven consecutive games against in-state opponents.

Up next

Florida: Host Texas on Oct. 4.

Miami: Visit Florida State on Oct. 4.

Fourth ranked Miami Hurricanes will welcome the University of Florida to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night, but the hype on Saturday morning drew crowds to Coral Gables.

“I grew up watching “College GameDay,” and to actually see it in real life, at my school, is so exciting,” said UM student Cassidy Golden.

Fans swarmed in droves for the event wearing green and orange, creating signs with cartoons depicting the mascots of the two universities fighting, with UM mascot Sebastian the Ibis coming out on top.

UM also received a Friday night feature on SportsCenter. Pat McAfee interviewed ‘Canes coach Mario Cristobal from the top of the Shalala Student Center.

The event even hosted a kicking contest, as participants vied for a chance to win a grand cash prize.

“There’s only three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and the fact that I kick that field goal through the uprights come this Saturday,” said a student.

Students express their confidence in their university’s depth on the field.

“We’re gonna win of, course,” said UM student Ana Mendez. “One hundred percent guarantee, UF is like our rival school, we can’t stand them.”

The game has fans buzzing with excitement.

“Just, like, insane energy, like, school spirit, like, everything, it’s amazing,” said UM student Paris Rahbarian.

The buzz affects more than just students, with media traveling for the anticipated showdown feeling the Hurricanes’ energy.

“We’re going to have a party here, we’re going to talk ball, and it’s going to be some hardcore X’s and O’s, but we’re gonna have fun,” said College GameDay’s Rece Davis.

“College GameDay” aired live from UM on Saturday at 9 a.m. to noon.

The game will be nationally televised on ABC 18 starting at 7:30 p.m.

Miami enters the game undefeated and ranked fourth in the nation, led by quarterback Carson Beck, a Heisman hopeful known for both his arm and his ability to run.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium and will be broadcast on ABC Miami Channel 18.

Fans can get an early start with ESPN’s “College GameDay” broadcasting live from Coral Gables, beginning at 9 a.m. after the pit opens at 6:30 a.m.

7News will also carry its own pregame coverage with “We Got U Covered” at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, leading fans right into the action.

Gramatica missed a 58-yarder with 2:52 remaining but got a chance to redeem himself after Florida defensive lineman Brandon Bett spit at a South Florida player on the Bulls’ next possession. Bett was ejected with a little more than two minutes to play, and the Bulls (2-0) got 15 yards and an automatic first down to spark an 87-yard drive.

It was the latest setback for embattled Florida coach Billy Napier, whose team is 1-1 for the fourth consecutive year.

The Gators looked as though they would rally after freshman Vernell Brown III returned a punt 40 yards to set up DJ Lagway’s lone touchdown pass. But the Gators flopped down the stretch, an all-too-familiar feeling during Napier’s tenure.

Napier’s play-calling was scrutinized as much as Lagway’s rehabilitated throwing shoulder, and the Gators found themselves trailing 15-9 in the fourth quarter following a defensive breakdown and a safety caused by a poor snap.

Poll implications

The Bulls will break into the AP Top 25 College Football Poll after upsetting then-No. 25 Boise State last week. The Gators surely will drop.

The takeaway

South Florida became only the third unranked team since 2000 to start 2-0 by beating two ranked teams, joining 2012 Oregon State and 2008 East Carolina.

Florida: The Gators have bigger issues than Lagway’s rust. Their offensive line allowed too much pressure and failed to create enough holes against USF.

Up next

South Florida: Plays at No. 5 Miami next Saturday, the Bulls’ third consecutive game against a ranked team.

Florida: Plays at No. 3 LSU next Saturday. The Gators last won in Baton Rouge in 2016.

Miami jumped into the top five after edging out Notre Dame, marking one of the program’s highest rankings in recent years.

The Hurricanes held onto the lead despite a late-game resurgence from the Fighting Irish and quarterback CJ Carr. The Irish tied it up at 24 with 3:21 remaining. Transfer quarterback Carson Beck led a 10-play, 46-yard drive, putting the Hurricanes in field goal range with 1:07 remaining. Kicker Carter Davis hit a 47-yard field goal to seal the deal.

The Hurricanes last cracked the Top 5 in 2024 after a 9-0 start.

The Hurricanes aren’t the only ones making moves in the Sunshine State.

The Florida Gators climbed to No. 13 after their season-opening win over LIU, and Florida State re-entered the poll at No. 14 after pulling off a big upset over Alabama.

It’s the first time since the 2006 preseason that Miami, Florida and Florida State have all been ranked in the AP Top 15 at the same time.

At the very top, Ohio State took over the No. 1 spot after knocking off preseason favorite Texas 14-7. Penn State held steady at No. 2, while LSU and Georgia rounded out the top four.

Florida basketball player Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center who played for the Under-19 Canadian national team this summer, recently worked out for the Gators’ football team.

Rioux donned an orange helmet and took snaps on special teams, with Florida assistant coaches hoping his massive wingspan might be a difference maker when it comes to blocking field goals and extra points.

“I like the idea,” Gators basketball coach Todd Golden said during a booster event Thursday evening. “I give them credit for trying it.”

There was one issue: The 305-pound Rioux has an 11-inch vertical, so even with his extra-long reach, he was unable to block any kicks during the workout.

“They were a little disappointed,” Golden said.

No worries. Rioux can simply stick to his full-time gig with the hoops team.

After redshirting as a true freshman last season, he’s expected to get on the court in limited capacity this fall. He’s unlikely to play much considering the defending national champions return their entire frontcourt, but he should at least get on the court in garbage time.

Golden already has considered using him to guard inbound passes, something Rioux did to perfection just before halftime against the United States in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland earlier this month. Rioux forced an errant pass that led to a turnover and a 3-pointer just before halftime.

Rioux’s unusual height landed him in the Guinness World Records a few years ago and he has become a walking viral video at Florida. While coaches and teammates climbed a ladder to cut pieces of the nets after the Gators won the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Rioux was able to do it while standing flat-footed.

“It was looking bad,” Trump said, noting that Houston led by as many as 12 points in a game Florida rallied to win 65-63 in San Antonio in April. ”Did you think you were going to win?”

Florida (36-4) delivered four come-from-behind victories in six March Madness wins. The Gators led the finale for a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a contest that was in limbo until the final sequence.

Trump recounted Alijah Martin making two free throws to put the Gators ahead to stay with 46.5 seconds left, and asked Martin if he was nervous.

“Lesser teams would have crumbled,” the president said.

Florida secured the program’s third title in basketball, and Trump noted that it is the only school to have a trio of NCAA titles in that sport and in football. When the Gators basketball team won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, they visited President George W. Bush at the White House.

Wednesday’s East Room ceremony featured top Trump administration leaders from Florida, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mentioning Rubio, Trump said there’s “no bigger Florida fan.”

Also on hand were Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, as well as assorted House members from the state and former Florida football standout Tim Tebow. Trump described Tebow “as a college player, maybe the best ever” and said he was a big fan despite Tebow having spent part of his professional career with the NFL’s New York Jets.

The team gave Trump an autographed basketball and No. 47 jersey with his name on the back. The president also hailed the Gators’ 39-year-old coach, Todd Golden, as “great” and “young” while joking, “Boy, would I like to be his agent.”

Last year, President Joe Biden held a joint ceremony honoring the 2024 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball winners, honoring South Carolina and Connecticut.

Since taking office in January, Trump has hosted a series of championship teams, including the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. His April ceremony in the Rose Garden with the NCAA football champion Ohio State Buckeyes is best remembered for Vice President JD Vance — an Ohio State graduate and Buckeye fan — fumbling the team’s championship trophy.

Police said they pulled over the car Friday for surpassing a stop signal. Officers detected a “strong odor of burned marijuana” and said Johnson was argumentative during the traffic stop, refusing to exit the gray Dodge Challenger, according to the criminal report filed in Hillsborough County.

Johnson was removed from the car and placed into custody. They searched the vehicle and found marijuana and 8 grams of synthetic marijuana inside a backpack. A black Glock 19 loaded with 17 rounds in a magazine also was found in the car, according to the report.

The gun charge is a second-degree felony. Possession of the synthetic marijuana is a third-degree felony, and the marijuana possession and resisting arrest without violence charges are misdemeanors.

Attorney Tim Taylor told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Johnson has filed written pleas of not guilty to all charges. He said a statement would be released later in the day.

Coach Billy Napier said in a statement the program is “aware of the situation.”

“We will continue to gather facts, cooperate with and monitor the legal and administrative processes,” Napier said.

Johnson, 21, was booked early Saturday and released the following night after posting an $8,500 surety bond, according to jail records.

A 6-foot-1, 196-pound junior from Tampa, Johnson recorded 27 tackles and two pass breakups last season.

Golden inked a six-year, $40.5 million extension Tuesday night, adding a year to his current deal and putting him under contract through the 2030-31 season. He signed a two-year extension in March 2024 that increased his average salary to $4.1 million annually.

His latest raise is a significant commitment from Florida and puts Golden nearly on par with football coach Billy Napier, who is scheduled to make $7.4 million in 2025.

Golden’s deal pays $6 million a year (beginning April 16, 2025), with a $300,000 pay hike every year after.

The new money makes the 39-year-old Golden the second-highest-paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference behind Arkansas’ John Calipari, who earns $8 million annually. Golden, once an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Auburn who got his first head coaching job at San Francisco in 2019, previously ranked 12th out of 16 coaches in the league.

He now jumps to fifth among the seven active coaches with national titles, behind Bill Self of Kansas, Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo.

Golden’s new deal is nearly fully guaranteed. Florida would owe him 85% of the remaining value if the school fired him without cause at any point.

Golden’s buyout to leave Gainesville starts at $16 million next season and drops annually: $11 million in 2026-27; $4 million in 2027-28; $3 million in 2028-29; $2 million in 2029-30; and $1 million in 2030-31.

However, Golden can leave for the NBA at a much lower price. His NBA buyout begins at $3 million next season and drops to $2 million (2026-28) and then $1 million in 2028-29.

Included in Golden’s annual compensation is a $500,000 signing bonus, a $500,000 annual longevity incentive and a $60,000 annual expense account. In addition to that, he gets $70,000 annually in travel allowance for using the university athletic association’s plane and other fringe benefits valued at $62,000.

He would get a $100,000 bonus for winning the SEC regular-season championship, a $50,000 bonus for winning the SEC Tournament, a $100,000 bonus for making the NCAA Tournament and a $50,000 bonus for every NCAA Tournament victory.

With Golden at the helm for his third season in Gainesville, the Gators finished 36-4 and beat Houston to clinch the program’s third national title. They won their final 12 games, including four in the NCAA Tournament in come-from-behind fashion.

Florida’s style of play under Golden has drawn rave reviews, leading to sellouts in eight of the team’s last 10 home games. Florida averaged 84.8 points a game this season after setting the program record (85.6) during the 2023-24 campaign.

Golden became the third coach this century to win a national title within his first three seasons on the job, joining North Carolina’s Roy Williams (2005) and UConn’s Kevin Ollie (2014). Williams and Ollie accomplished the feat in their second seasons.

Golden has a modest rebuild on his hands now. Leading scorer Walter Clayton, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, is headed to the NBA along with fellow guards Alijah Martin and Will Richard. Forwards Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are going through the NBA draft process with the potential to stay in school and return for next season.

Backup guard Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky) and backup forward Sam Alexis (Indiana) transferred, and assistant coaches Kevin Hovde (Columbia) and John Andrzejek (Campbell) took head coaching jobs.

Golden signed two guards out of the transfer portal — Princeton’s Xaivian Lee and Ohio’s AJ Brown — and have swingman CJ Ingram and guard Alex Lloyd joining the team as incoming freshmen.

Watson, who grew up in Plant City about 20 miles east of Tampa, announced the move on social media. He had been hoping to get selected in the later rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday. He would have become the heaviest pick in NFL history. But no team gambled on the supersized run-stopper.

The Bucs, though, took a chance by signing him after the draft ended. He will get $50,000 guaranteed, the Athletic reported, including a $20,000 signing bonus.

Watson wowed NFL scouts last month by repping 225 pounds a whopping 36 times, which topped any bench-press performance at this year’s combine. He covered the 40-yard dash in 5.93 seconds and recorded 25 inches in the vertical jump.

He looked winded during position drills, not all that surprising given Florida had just four defensive linemen in the rotation. But his size and strength — his weight, really — stood out during perhaps the most important day in his professional journey.

“Dez, obviously, he’s a unicorn,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “You’ll go the rest of your career and you’ll never be around a guy that’s that stature. And then you get to know Dez. He’s extremely intelligent. He’s got a great sense of humor. He was a great teammate.

“He’ll get his shot, and I’m hoping he’ll make the most of it.”

Watson stepping on the scale was as eye-popping as his bench press. He was listed at 449 pounds last season, up from 435 pounds as a junior and 415 pounds as a sophomore. He’s had to manage his weight since he first stepped foot on campus in 2021, when then-Florida coach Dan Mullen called him “a 385-pound athlete.”

“He’s had numerous nutritionists, numerous position coaches, numerous strength coaches, and I think this past year we probably executed the best we have,” Napier said. “And I thought he played his best football of his career. In general, I think he’s learned a lot about habit-building, self-discipline.

“Ultimately, the guy’s frame score would indicate that he’s going to be a huge — that number’s always going to be pretty big. He’s 6-foot-6 and just the density, the bone structure. It’s just a big man.”

Watson never missed a game in his four seasons in Gainesville. His highlights, though, are few and far between. He rag-dolled South Florida running back Brian Battie in 2022 and ripped the ball out of South Carolina running back Jaheim Bell’s hands for a forced fumble and a fumble return later that year. Watson probably would have scored had quarterback Spencer Rattler missed an open-field tackle.

Watson, the ultimate space-eater, finished his collegiate career with 63 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks. He also carried the ball for a 1-yard gain and lined up at fullback for a few more plays against Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl in December.

On Saturday, though, it felt right at home around his neck.

Golden and the Gators were revered in another national championship celebration, this one in front of nearly 60,000 fans at Florida Field during an extended halftime of the annual football spring game. The hoops team has one more get-together on tap: at the White House, presumably this summer.

“It’s just absurd,” Golden said. “Today was awesome. … Our guys, especially our older guys, are going to be moving on to go train for the draft. You don’t know if they’re going to be around.

“To be able to put something like this together on kind of short notice and do a great job honoring our players in front of our fans, which to me is the most important thing. People that have been supporting us really all year got to see these guys together again one last time. It was special.”

Golden wore the remnants of one of the nets from the Alamodome; center Micah Handlogten wore the other. Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard carried trophies into the Swamp.

Highlights from Florida’s six NCAA Tournament victories flashed on the stadium replay boards as players and coaches were introduced one by one. Clayton, named most outstanding player of the Final Four, and Golden — hardly surprisingly — received the loudest ovations.

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward presented Golden with a key to the city “so you’ll always know where home is.”

Golden might not be going anywhere anytime soon. The coach said he and athletic director Scott Stricklin are close to a contract extension. Four of the past five national championship-winning coaches at Florida — J.C. Deacon (men’s golf), Mike Holloway (track and field), Kevin O’Sullivan (baseball) and Tim Walton (softball) — signed 10-year deals in the wake of their titles. Could Golden be next?

“My family and I love being here,” said Golden, who made $3.6 million this season and ranks 12th in the Southeastern Conference in annual salary. “In three short years, we’ve been able to meet a lot of great people and get comfortable. Florida’s a place that we can win national championships, as we just proved. Yeah, we love being here.

“Scott and I have been talking a lot. I feel like we’re very close to putting something together that will keep the Goldens in Gainesville for quite a while. I think in the next week or two, we’ll get to the finish line on that.”

Golden unveiled a working poster of the program’s third championship banner, which will be hung in the O’Connell Center to open next season. He also took time to thank fans and several key boosters, one of whom donated $1 million to the program this week. The Gators also have an $8 million renovation to their practice facility on tap this summer.

“At this point in college athletics, it’s the lifeblood,” he said. “And the reality of it is we need a lot more. We need a lot more to retain our players. We have a good problem right now. We have a lot of great players in our program that we need to support and retain, and we need to get a couple guys.”

Clayton, Martin and Richard have exhausted their eligibility and will moving on, and Golden said big man Alex Condon will go through the NBA’s pre-draft testing process to see whether he turns pro or returns to school.

“If we’re fortunate enough to get Alex back, I think we’ll have one of the strongest front lines in America,” Golden said. “We’re deep there. We’re athletic now. We’re very accomplished. Guys have played a lot of minutes on a really good team.”

The Gators finished 36-4 and won their final 12 games. They won four of six in the tournament by rallying late: “Beat the odds to say the least,” Golden quipped.

The 39-year-old Golden became the youngest coach since North Carolina State’s Jim Valvano in 1983 to win it all. Golden flung what was left of the net around his neck Monday night and still had it on when the team returned home Tuesday afternoon.

He insisted Saturday he hasn’t slept in it or even thought much about it since.

“But I wanted to bust it out for today,” he said. “This will be, along with some other important mementos over the last month, in my office at home. … This is a little more important and a little more impactful on the trophy shelf now.”

The men’s basketball team was met with thousands of fans when they arrived back in Gainesville, Tuesday afternoon.

Students and fans cheered for Walter Clayton Jr. as he got on stage with his teammates.

“Man simply, just thank y’all,” he said as the fans chanted his name. “We wouldn’t have been able to do what we did without y’all. Thank you for all your support and all your love. Appreciate y’all.”

Fans waited for hours in the sun to welcome their team back home.

“I mean, I’m about to graduate in 25 days, so being able to take home the Natty, it’s amazing for me,” one fan said.

“It totally revitalizes our school spirit. I feel like, I think it’s something that we’ll remember forever,” another fan said.

“We’re seniors, so this is pretty crazy for us. Last three weeks before graduation that we get to experience something this awesome, never thought we’d get to see this, it’s amazing,” said student Lilly Katz.

Monday night, more than 11,000 students filled the arena, which at times seemed to shake as Gator Nation cheered their team to victory.

“This was at least better because it was just us, it was just the students, this was the energy that I needed tonight. I didn’t need to be at a bar. I wanted to be right here,” said a student.

But as fast as they packed the arena, they emptied it just as swiftly and headed for the streets of Gainesville, where the celebrations continued well into the morning hours.

The Gators beat the Houston Cougars in the final seconds of the game.

Florida was down by as much as 12 at one point, but the Gators were able to come back, stopping Houston from getting the potentially game-winning shot.

It was a come-from-behind win for the ages, and fans said they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“How about that game?!” said a fan.

“You were down 12,” said 7News reporter Brandon Beyer.

“We’ve been down all season. We’ve been down all season, but every game we’re down, we came back […] It’s a great win. Go Gators!” the fan replied.

This is the first championship victory for Florida since they won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

A record number of 11,355 students were in attendance at the watch party.

Gators star Clayton won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.

The Gators’ head coach praised his team for their hard work throughout the season and the well-earned championship celebration.

“Incredible, absolutely amazing,” Todd Golden said. “These guys deserved it, they were amazing all year. Thirty-six wins, one of the best teams of all time in college basketball standing behind me right here.”

The Gators have more events planned for the weekend to celebrate their third title.

Clayton finished with 11 points, all in the second half, but what he’ll be remembered for most was getting Houston’s Emanuel Sharp to stop in the middle of his motion as he tried to go up for the game-winning 3 in the final seconds.

Clayton ran at him, Sharp dropped the ball and, unable to pick it up lest he get called for traveling, watched it bounce there while the clock ticked to zero.

Will Richard had 18 points to keep the Gators (36-4) in it, and they won their third overall title and first since 2007. The Cougars (35-5) and coach Kelvin Sampson were denied their first championship.

Florida will face Houston for the national title Monday night in San Antonio. If Florida wins, it will be their first championship since 2007.

Fans said they are ready for an intense battle.

“We’re seniors so this is pretty crazy for us. Last three weeks before graduation that we get to experience something this awesome, never thought we get to see this, it’s amazing,” said student Lilly Katz.

“I’m just so excited for all the energy everyone together and when we win, everyone storming court and getting super excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said another student.

Two fans who were students at the University of Florida drove all the way from North Carolina to be close to the action.

“Couldn’t be in San Antonio but is this like the next best thing?” said 7News’ reporter Brandon Beyer.

“Yeah, unfortunately it was like $2,600 to fly to san Antonio,” said Jessica Frankel.

“We were definitely talking about it cause it’s weird having adult money now but we’re just like we’ll come back to the homeland and just watch on campus,” said Mike Marder.

7News cameras captured students catching up on their schoolwork as they waited for the doors to open.

“Are you skipping class to be here or is it excused?” asked 7News’ reporter Brandon Beyer.

“They’ve been excused, at least my classes. I think the professors understand how important today is,” said a student.

James De Rideer, who is majoring in sports management, said Gators’ guard Walter Clayton Jr. is the one to watch during the game.

“When you have Walter Clayton Jr and he can close like he does. As long as your within touching distance, this team can do anything,” he said.

He added that with two top players clashing for a title, anything can happen.

“They’re very good. I’m terrified. They’re an amazing defensive team. Saw what they did to Duke in that final four game, but again with Walter Clayton Jr. anything is possible for this team right now,” said De Rideer.

The game is set for 8:30 p.m. Doors will open at 7 p.m.

Florida and Houston will collide in San Antonio’s Alamodome for the men’s title after a national semifinal round that was simply magical. The Gators got to this point by surviving a heavyweight bout with fellow SEC team Auburn, outlasting the Tigers through the heroics of Walter Clayton Jr. The Cougars earned their way into this contest with one of the most unlikely comebacks in Final Four history that included trailing by six with 75 seconds to play.

Both teams will have needed Sunday’s day of rest. Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson said Sunday that his players will have plenty left in the tank after their incredible rally against Duke.

“Lives are so consumed by our next game, your next game. I’m glad last night was not our last game, that we do have a next game,” he said. “That’s a good thing for this group because I’ve enjoyed coaching this team.”

How to watch the men’s national championship

The game between the Gators and Cougars tips off at 8:50 p.m. ET on CBS and pits the No. 1 seeds from the West Region and the No. 1 seed from the Midwest Region.

If you want to watch via streaming services, Fubo carries the game as does the March Madness Live app.

Clashing styles

If styles make matchups, then we’re in for an intense battle on Monday.

Houston comes in sporting one of the nation’s best defenses, which was a key factor in their win against Cooper Flagg and Duke on Saturday night.

On the other end of things, Florida’s explosive offense can barely be contained once it gets going and Gators guard Clayton is the straw that stirs the drink.

“We’re an elite offensive team, a top-10 defensive team. They’re a top-10 offensive team and elite defensive team,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “I think it’s going to be a contrasting battle that way. Hopefully, we can get the game up and down a little bit. They’re going to impose their will as they’ve done on everybody this year. We’re a pretty tough team also.”

He added, “They’re absolutely an elite team. The way they guard, they’re going to make it really hard on us. I think they’ll pressure the ball screen, try to get the ball out of Walt’s hands. But they rotate, they’re long, they play so hard, so tough. We’re going to have great mental and physical toughness if we want to give ourselves a chance tomorrow night.”

The Gators average a tick over 85 points per game and have been on an absolute tear this season. The Cougars only allow about 58 points per game and can ratchet up the pressure in the blink of an eye as the Blue Devils learned on Saturday – Duke made one free field goal in the final 10 minutes of its game against Houston.

“They’re the best defensive team in America. They have just a great identity as a program of just being both physically and mentally tough. That’s something we’ve tried to pride ourselves on this year,” Golden said. “Houston I would say is a great example of that. Not only this year but Coach Sampson and his program have done it for a long time now.”

Two star guards could light it up

The Final Four was all about Clayton and Houston’s LJ Cryer. Expect much more of the same on Monday.

Clayton pulled off something only one other college player has done when he scored 34 against Auburn in the Final Four: back-to-back games racking up more than 30 points in the Elite Eight and Final Four. The only other player to pull off that feat was Larry Bird, the legendary Indiana State and Boston Celtics star.

It was Clayton who took the biggest shots in crunchtime after the Gators overcame Auburn’s strong first half. In fact, when the Tigers were getting out to a lead and dominating the opening stages of the game, it was Clayton who kept them in the contest by slashing to the basket repeatedly for layups and sinking 3-pointers.

He shares that in common with Cryer, who was Houston’s only bright spot on offense for much of Saturday night. The senior guard at one point had half of his team’s points before the rest of the Cougars squad woke up and caught fire in the final minutes.

“Our best player, the guy that kept us in the game, was LJ. He kept us in touch with them. So, when the time came, we had an opportunity to get the lead down where we could put some game pressure on ‘em, LJ was the guy,” Sampson said.

Each player will be the focus of the opposing defense on Monday night, and Golden said Clayton’s teammates are going to have to step up to get him the same kind of looks he enjoyed on Saturday.

“I think Walter is going to be able to run around it a little bit, keep them on their toes in terms of whether he’s going to get off it quick and let somebody else make the play or get in the paint,” he said.

A generational clash between head coaches

Sampson is 69 years old while Golden is 39. They’re very different head coaches but they share one thing in common: they’re both going after their first national title on Monday.

Golden is known to be an analytics whiz who looks to the numbers to guide his game plans, while Sampson is much more old school.

“We’re very analytical in everything we do. We talk about that a lot. Whether it’s roster building, whether it’s scheduling, deciding who I want to play, game scouting reports, etc.,” Golden said.

“It’s more than any one specific thing, the way I like to explain it, a macro outlook on our decision-making and how we build out. We try to gather as much data as we possibly can when it comes to any sort of decision, then make what decision that data tells us to make. Then we got to live with the consequences. It’s not always going to work. Life is not perfect. You want to give yourself the best chance to be successful and live with the results.”

Sampson said he’s definitely learned from coaches like Golden and Duke’s Jon Scheyer, another young head coach who is already succeeding early in his career.

“The game is in good hands with the young coaches. I think they’re better set up to navigate these choppy waters that we have in front of us than maybe the old guys that coached the game when there was no shot clock, no three-point line. Then we had a 45-second shot clock. Most of these young ones don’t even know that,” he said before the Final Four tipped off. “I know I learned from ‘em. There’s a lot to be learned from these young guys, how they do things, their ideas, their energy. There’s a lot of things I don’t know. I’ve always been pretty good about not knowing what I don’t know.”

But that respect doesn’t mean that Sampson isn’t looking to score one for the sport’s elders on Monday.

“Last night, I got so many texts. I haven’t returned any. There’s too many to even look at. I didn’t even get through all of them,” Sampson said on Sunday with a smile. “I saw Tubby (Smith) and Rick Barnes, Tom Izzo, (Gregg Popovich), a bunch of the older coaches. They all kind of had similar messages to me: win one for the old guys, something like that.”

Set to face Houston in the title game Monday night at the Alamodome, the Gators finally are getting a shot at another national championship after another special performance from their All-America guard.

Clayton scored 34 points with five 3-pointers, giving him the first consecutive 30-point games this deep in the tourney since Larry Bird, and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night. The Gators are going to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.

“Clayton was the difference. He was just flat out the difference,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “We couldn’t contain him down that end.”

No team has against the leading scorer in this NCAA Tournament. He is the first player with 30-point games both the the Elite Eight and semifinals since Bird for Indiana State in 1979, according to ESPN Stats.

“He’s poised, calm and collected, confident in himself. We have that confidence in him,” Gators guard Will Richard said. “We see him practice, see his work ethic. We’re glad everybody else is getting to see him do it in a game.”

The Gators (35-4) got this far only after Clayton rallied them twice in this tournament. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes in a 77-75 win in the second round that ended UConn’s pursuit of a third national title in a row, then had two late 3s last Sunday when they came from nine points down with less than three minutes left to beat Texas Tech.

“I’m just used to seeing him put the ball in the basket, I guess,” Gators coach Todd Golden said. “But he’s done what he’s done all year for us. In big moments, stepped up, hit huge shots, settled our team down and made winning plays when we needed it the most.”

Clayton had a driving layup with 2:24 left in the national semifinal, on the possession right after Australian big man Alex Condon drew a charge against Johni Broome, the other All-America player in the game — and who was dealing with an injured right elbow.

The first SEC matchup in a Final Four ended with Clayton chasing down a loose rebound and tipping it back inbounds to keep the clock running out on the win. When he started to walk back on the court, teammate Alijah Martin was standing watching him at the end line nodding with a smile to greet him.

“We’re just all together, on the court and off the court,” Clayton said.

After a record 14 SEC teams made this NCAA Tournament, seven got to the Sweet 16 before the league made up half the Elite Eight and then this Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds.

Florida will have the chance Monday night to win the SEC’s first title since Kentucky in 2012, the only one since the Gators won in back-to-back seasons. They take an 11-game winning streak into the title championship game against Houston, a 70-67 winner over Duke in the second semifinal.

Martin, who played in the Final Four with FAU two years ago, added 17 points for the Gators. Thomas Haugh had 12.

The Tigers, in their second Final Four with Pearl, were the top overall seed and had an eight-point halftime lead.

“Auburn had us on our heels in the first half but we came out with a great start and we didn’t look back,” said the 39-year-old Golden, who joined Pearl’s first staff at Auburn in 2014.

Florida opened the second half with a 13-3 run, with Clayton capping that with a layup after Rueben Chinyelu’s steal. That put the Gators up 51-49 with 15 1/2 minutes left.

After eight lead changes and six ties in the first 11:02 of the game, Auburn stretched out to as much as a nine-point lead before halftime, and led until Florida ended its big spurt with 11 consecutive points. There were 15 lead changes and 10 ties.

Chad Baker-Mazara, with his left hand partially wrapped because of a thumb issue, led Auburn with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Broome finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting and had seven rebounds — he had only three points after halftime in the Tigers’ second loss to Florida this season.

Broome was hunched over even before the final buzzer, and then was surrounded by cameras to capture his reaction. He eventually stood up to shake hands, then walked off the court with his eyes red from crying — pulling up his jersey to wipe his face as cameras continued to follow his exit.

Baker-Mazara and Broome both were injured in the win over Michigan State last Sunday that sent the Tigers to the Final Four. Broome’s right elbow bent awkwardly during a hard fall in the second half, and in the Final Four he wore some kind of brace on his arm covered by a sleeve.

“My elbow felt fine going into the game. Obviously here and there it bothered me a little bit. But, I mean, nothing that I couldn’t play with,” Broome said. “I feel like we got the looks that we wanted to get. I wasn’t able to capitalize and finish them.”

Saturday’s game is the second meeting of the season between the two teams. The Gators won the previous matchup 90-81. Auburn is 16-4 against the SEC, and Florida is 17-4 against the SEC.

Florida Gators (34-4, 17-4 SEC) vs. Auburn Tigers (32-5, 16-4 SEC)

San Antonio; Saturday, 6:09 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Gators -2.5; over/under is 159.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 4 Auburn and No. 3 Florida play in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

The Tigers are 16-4 against SEC opponents and 16-1 in non-conference play. Auburn is fifth in the SEC in rebounding averaging 34.5 rebounds. Johni Broome leads the Tigers with 10.9 boards.

The Gators are 17-4 in SEC play. Florida ranks sixth in the SEC shooting 35.7% from 3-point range.

Auburn averages 83.2 points, 13.5 more per game than the 69.7 Florida gives up. Florida scores 16.2 more points per game (85.4) than Auburn allows (69.2).

The teams meet for the second time this season. Florida won 90-81 in the last matchup on Feb. 8. Walter Clayton Jr. led Florida with 19 points, and Miles Kelly led Auburn with 22 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Broome is averaging 18.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for the Tigers. Tahaad Pettiford is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.

Clayton is averaging 18.1 points and 4.1 assists for the Gators. Alijah Martin is averaging 13.9 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 7-3, averaging 80.3 points, 31.7 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.9 points per game.

Gators: 10-0, averaging 90.6 points, 38.5 rebounds, 16.1 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 76.9 points.

A celebration that seemed completely improbable just a few minutes earlier was in high gear. Florida is heading back to the Final Four.

Walter Clayton Jr. rescued top-seeded Florida with two late 3-pointers, and the Gators rallied from nine points down late to beat Texas Tech 84-79 in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final on Saturday.

“It goes to show how together we all are,” Clayton said. “Many times could easily just break, start pointing the finger, blaming each other for this and that. But we just stayed together through the end and stayed the course. And thankfully we got it done today.”

The Gators (34-4) trailed 75-66 with less than three minutes to play before staging a furious rally against the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-9), who had done the same in the Sweet 16 against Arkansas.

Clayton dribbled out of the paint and hit a fadeaway 3 with 59 seconds left to give Florida a 78-77 lead, and the Gators held on from there to advance to their first Final Four since 2014 in Golden’s third season. Florida will face the South Region champion — either Auburn or Michigan State — next Saturday in San Antonio.

“There’s not another player in America you would rather have right now than Walter Clayton with the ball in his hands in a big-time moment,” Golden said. “The biggest thing in those moments is you need to have somebody that wants to take those shots. They’re obviously difficult plays, but someone that has the confidence to step up and make incredible individual plays. Walter did that for us tonight.”

The comeback provided a happy ending to Golden’s return to the Bay Area, where he played in college at Saint Mary’s and got his start as a head coach at San Francisco.

As the final horn sounded, Golden turned to the Gators fans and demonstrably pumped his fist as his players rushed out to the court to celebrate.

“It’s crazy,” forward Thomas Haugh said. “I feel like I’m dreaming. I was watching the round of 64 in the eighth grade sneaking my phone into science class watching it. Now to say I’m playing in the Final Four is wild. It’s wild.”

Clayton, who began his college career at Iona, scored 30 points to lead the Gators. Thomas Haugh added 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, including the two 3-pointers that started the comeback.

Clayton then tied it with his shot from long range after Texas Tech missed a second straight front end of a one-and-one as Golden called for the Gators to foul early to prolong the game.

“It was a calculated decision we had to make at that point where we needed to get more possessions in the game and it worked out well for us,” Golden said.

After Darrius Williams scored down low for Texas Tech, Clayton’s last 3 put Florida ahead to stay, and the Gators sealed it at the foul line.

Williams missed two 3s late. He had sank the game-tying basket late in regulation and game-winner in the closing seconds of overtime against Arkansas on Thursday night.

“I wish I could change a few plays that happened,” Williams said. “But can’t go back and do that. I thought we could win until it hit zero.”

Texas Tech fell just short of its second Final Four trip ever after being on the wrong side of a late-game comeback. The Red Raiders rallied from 13 points in the final five minutes to beat the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16.

Williams scored 23 points to lead Texas Tech and JT Toppin added 20.

The game was tight most of the way with neither team able to build a lead bigger than six points for the first 30 minutes as Texas Tech capitalized on turnovers and second-chance points and Florida repeatedly got to the foul line. Clayton got fouled twice on 3-pointers early in the second half, leading to five points on the six foul shots.

The Red Raiders went on a 12-2 run to go up by 10 but couldn’t hold on late.

Up next

The Final Four appearance will be Florida’s sixth. The Gators won back-to-back national titles in 2006 and ’07 under coach Billy Donovan.

Meet Olivier Rioux, a famed player on the basketball team, and while he hasn’t played in a game yet his height and presence is already turning heads on and off the court.

Standing at 7-feet-9 inches, he is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest teenager.

CBS’ Tracy Wolfson shared a photo on X of their height difference which quickly went viral. Standing at is 5-foot-2, her shoulders barely passed Rioux’s waist. This garnered a lot of fans’ attention.

Rioux showed off the perks of his height earlier this month, after winning the SEC Championship against Tennessee, when he cut down a portion of the net without using a ladder.

Instead of playing this year as a red shirt, he decided to save a year of eligibility instead.

And then Walter Clayton Jr. took over.

The Gators’ first-team All-America guard scored 13 of his 23 points in the final eight minutes on Sunday, including two crucial 3-pointers down the stretch, and Florida rallied to a scintillating 77-75 victory over the Huskies, ending UConn’s pursuit of a third straight title.

Florida (32-4) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will play Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.

“This is a great win for our program,” coach Todd Golden said. “The time was now for us to take that next step. Again, Florida basketball, back where it belongs. Being in the Sweet 16 is a great step in the right direction. … We made winning play after winning play down the stretch in the last six minutes.”

There’s little doubt about that.

But they also had help from the Huskies, who made some uncharacteristic mistakes, including twice allowing the Gators to corral offensive rebounds off missed free throws, resulting in four second-chance points.

The Huskies (24-11) came in with modest outside expectations as a No. 8 seed but led for most of the second half. During his postgame news conference, Hurley struggled several times to hold back tears.

“This was just historic run that these guys have been on and the guys that have worn the uniform the past couple years,” Hurley said. “If it’s going to come to an end for us, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be in a game where we lost to a lower seed.

“There’s some honor, I guess, in the way that this went down.”

UConn was seeking to become the first team to three-peat since UCLA’s run of seven straight titles from 1967-73.

The Huskies won the 2023 title in Houston and last year in Glendale, Arizona, joining Duke (1991-92) and Florida (2006-07) as the only schools to win back-to-back since the Bruins’ run under John Wooden.

Florida entered the game as a 9 1/2-point favorite and ranked No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency by scoring 128.9 points per 100 possessions, and the Gators of the powerful Southeastern Conference joined fellow 1-seed Duke as the only teams to rank in the top 10 on both sides of the ball, making them a popular pick to cut down the nets.

But the Huskies’ defense stymied Clayton and company for most of the game, holding Florida to 35% shooting through the first 30 minutes to build a 52-46 lead.

The Gators chipped away and then Clayton showed why he’s one of the best players in the country.

He made a 3 from the right wing with 2:54 left to put Florida ahead 62-61, and teammate Will Richard followed with a steal and dunk. Clayton’s 3 from the same spot with 1:06 left made it 70-64 — part of a 14-3 run that gave Florida an eight-point advantage with 40 seconds left.

Champs battle to the buzzer

Even when Florida seemed to have the game in hand, UConn kept fighting. Thomas Haugh’s two free throws with 5.9 seconds left pushed the Gators’ lead to five to seal the win.

Hurley watched, arms folded, standing on the sideline as Liam McNeeley’s 3-pointer at the buzzer sailed skyward and dropped through the net as the horn sounded.

Afterward, Clayton thanked his teammates for believing in him after his rough start.

“We knew this game wasn’t going to be easy,” Clayton said. “(UConn) has got a championship pedigree, back-to-back champions. That’s a great team. They had that experience. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We kept our composure.”

McNeeley led UConn with 22 points, and Alex Karaban scored 14. Alijah Martin contributed 18 points for Florida and Richard had 15.

Takeaways

UConn: A major rebuild is in store for the Huskies, who struggled to replace losing four starters to the NBA last season.

Florida: The Gators took a huge step forward. Golden has resurrected the program in a span of three years, but he had never won a March Madness game before this year.

The second-seeded Gators (28-4) never trailed and advance to the semifinals on Saturday against fifth-ranked Alabama, a 99-70 winner over Kentucky. Florida shot 62% from the floor, including 38% from 3-point range.

Tamar Bates scored 16 points to lead the seventh-seeded Tigers (22-11). Bates was Missouri’s high scorer in both of its SEC Tournament games. Anthony Robinson II and Tony Perkins each scored 13.

Florida began the game with a 10-0 run and held a 50-37 lead at the half.

Missouri junior and leading scorer Mark Mitchell did not play with coach Dennis Gates electing to hold him out to rest a knee injury and be ready for the NCAA Tournament. Mitchell had seven points in 12 minutes played in Thursday’s victory over tenth-ranked Mississippi St.

Takeaways

Missouri: Playing without Mitchell, the Tigers fell behind early and hung fairly closely with Florida but could only draw as close as four in the second half before the Gators put the game out of reach.

Florida: The Gators lost the only regular season matchup against Missouri 83-82 on Jan. 14 in Gainesville, Florida’s only home loss this season.

Key moment

With 9:01 remaining in the second half, Martin gave Florida a 10-point lead on a dunk off of a long pass from Richard.

Key stat

Missouri kept the game close largely in part to forcing 16 Florida turnovers and scoring 22 points off of those turnovers.

Up next

The Gators have a chance to beat Alabama a second time, this with a berth in the championship game on the line. The Tigers wait to learn their next opponent on Selection Sunday.

Fellow senior Alijah Martin chipped in 13 points for the Gators, who closed out the regular season by winning nine of 10 and strengthening their case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Florida (27-4, 14-4 Southeastern Conference) already clinched the No. 2 seed in next week’s league tourney.

Coach Todd Golden’s team put this one away with a 14-0 run early in the second half, turning a three-point game into a lopsided affair. Clayton, Condon and Martin did most of the scoring in the spurt.

Condon finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Clayton, Martin and Will Richard were honored before their home finale.

Sean Pedulla led the Rebels (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points.

Takeaways

Mississippi: Give coach Chris Beard credit for trying to muck up the game. Beard mixed in zone and press in hopes of affecting Florida’s attack. It worked for a while.

Florida: The Gators finished 15-1 at home this season and improved to 29-2 in the O’Connell Center over the last two years, creating one of the best home-court advantages in the SEC.

Key moment

Richard brought down the house when he was introduced last on senior day. Richard, a transfer from Belmont, was Golden’s first signee at Florida in 2022.

Key stat

Clayton extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 53. He hit back-to-back 3s in each half.

Up next

Mississippi will be the No. 8 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament and play the South Carolina-Arkansas winner Thursday. Florida has a double bye and will play Friday.

Alijah Martin had 14 points for the Gators, who bounced back from a midweek loss at unranked Georgia and moved a step closer to securing a double bye in the Southeastern Conference Tournament in two weeks.

Texas A&M (20-9, 9-7 SEC) could fall out of the AP Top 25 college basketball poll. Florida (25-4, 12-4), meanwhile, improved to 14-1 at home this season.

Florida trailed by six early but started hitting from long range to close the gap and build a double-digit lead. Richard had the hot hand and scored 17 points in the second half, thanks mostly to five 3s. His 3 with 4:52 remaining was a dagger.

The Gators made 14 of 33 from behind the arc, nine more than the Aggies.

Pharrel Payne and Zhuric Phelps led Texas A&M with 16 points apiece.

Takeaways

Texas A&M: The Aggies missed 10 of their final 12 shots from 3-point range and missed nine free throws.

Florida: Despite the loss at Georgia, the Gators bounced back and improved their chances of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Key moment

Florida’s Alex Condon, who wore a mouthpiece after having two teeth moved back into place earlier in the week, had consecutive dunks with roughly 7 minutes to play to help the Gators pull away.

Key stat

Walter Clayton Jr. extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 51, now 10 more than second-place Michael Frazier II.

Up next

Texas A&M hosts top-ranked Auburn on Tuesday; Florida plays at No. 6 Alabama the following night.

Thomas Haugh scored 16 points, Alijah Martin added 14 and Walter Clayton Jr. 13 for Florida (24-3, 11-3 SEC), which won its sixth straight.

LSU freshman Robert Miller III scored a career-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds and was the big reason the Tigers (14-13, 3-11) looked poised to challenge Florida well into the second half.

Florida raced to a 29-15 lead during the opening 13 minutes. But LSU suddenly found its footing when Curtis Givens III hit a 3, sparking a stunning 22-2 run during the final 6:41 of the half.

Florida surged into the lead for good with a 15-2 run that gave the Gators a 53-48 lead. Chinyelu scored seven points during that spurt, including a put-back as he was fouled.

Florida played its third game without starting forward Alex Condon and backup Sam Alexis.

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators shot 7 of 22 from 3-point range, marking the first time in six games they did not hit as many as 10 3s. But they showed the ability to adjust and use their size advantage to dominate the paint, where they outscored LSU 44-24.

LSU: The Tigers are showing the ability to compete in spurts against the SEC’s elite teams, but closing out such games has been another matter.

Key moment

Clayton’s steal from Mike Williams III led to Martin’s right-wing transition 3, which gave Florida a 69-59 lead with 4:16 to go.

Key stat

In addition to outrebounding LSU 48-33, Florida grabbed 19 offensive boards and converted those into 17 second-chance points.

Up next

Both teams return to action on Tuesday night, when Florida visits Georgia and LSU hosts No. 6 Tennessee.

The Gators (22-3, 9-3 Southeastern Conference) led by four at halftime and started the second half with a 12-1 run to open up a comfortable lead. The Gamecocks (10-15, 0-12) never recovered.

Florida center Micah Handlogten, playing in his first game since gruesomely breaking his left leg in the SEC title game 11 months ago, finished with two points, three rebounds and five assists in his return.

The Gators were without starting forward Alex Condon (right ankle) and backup Sam Alexis (left ankle). Those injuries were among the reasons Handlogten gave up a redshirt season to play in 2025. He also hopes to contribute to what is shaping up to be a special season.

Florida guard Alijah Martin returned after missing two games with a hip pointer and scored 11 points. He had three of the team’s 14 3-pointers.

Jacobi Wright led the way for South Carolina with 13 points.

Takeaways

South Carolina: The Gamecocks are still looking for their first conference win of the season.

Florida: Midway through a daunting February, the Gators look like a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Key moment

Martin hit a trey late in the first half, with the ball hitting the back of the rim and bouncing several feet into the air before dropping through the net.

Key stat

Aberdeen (8 of 12) and Haugh (6 of 10) combined to make 14 of 22 shots. They were 8 for 13 from behind the 3-point arc.

Up next

South Carolina plays at LSU on Tuesday; Florida hosts Oklahoma the same night.

Florida (20-3, 7-3 Southeastern Conference), down by 10 points early, built a 10-point advantage by the end of the first half and held off Auburn in the second half for its second victory over a top-ranked team this season. Florida beat then-No. 1 Tennessee 73-43 on Jan. 7.

The Gators shot 13 for 33 from 3-point range, while Auburn shot 32% from long distance, finishing 7 for 22.

Tigers leading scorer Johni Broome, a fifth-year senior and preseason Associated Press All-American who is considered a contender for national player of the year, had 18 points and 11 rebounds as Auburn (21-2, 9-1) had its nine-game conference winning streak halted.

Miles Kelly scored 22 points, Tahaad Pettiford added 14 and Chaney Johnson 13 for the Tigers.

Takeaways

Florida: The victory is a signature road win for Todd Golden, whose Gators hadn’t played their best away from Gainesville this season.

Auburn: The Tigers have been excellent on defense at home, but struggled to slow down the Gators’ offensive balance.

Key moment

Florida was down by six points with 5:58 left in the first half before going on a 14-2 run and taking control of the game. The Gators scored 23 of the final 30 points before halftime.

Key stat

Florida hit 13 3-pointers in the win. The Gators had averaged 7.7 3s over their last three games — victories over Vanderbuilt and Georgia and a loss at Tennessee.

Up next

Both teams are back in action on Tuesday. Florida travels to No. 22 Mississippi State. Auburn is at Vanderbilt.

The Volunteers (18-4, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) were playing without starters Zakai Zeigler (knee) and Igor Milicic Jr. (illness).

Jordan Gainey scored 16. Felix Okpara had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 10 for the Gators (18-3, 5-3) in the first half before injuring his left ankle. He reinjured it in the second half. The Gators shot 6 of 26 in the second half.

Tennessee took the lead at the end of the first half when Cade Phillips and Darlinstone Dubar had back-to-back blocks before Lanier drilled a 3-pointer. Clayton went down with a left ankle injury with 1:07 left.

Takeaways

Florida: Thomas Haugh, a 6-foot-9 power forward, has emerged as one of the top sixth men in the country. His contributions off the bench have been significant. … Center Micah Handlogten, who sustained a gruesome ankle injury at the SEC Tournament last year, was considering a comeback in February, but has decided to sit out the year.

Tennessee: If the Vols are going to have a strong finish to the season and a deep run in the postseason, senior point guard Zeigler will need to be healthy. He injured his right knee Tuesday against Kentucky.

Key moment

From the end of the first half to the first few minutes of the second, Tennessee had a 14-2 run that put the Vols ahead 30-21. Gainey had six of those points.

Key stat

The Vols hit their first six shots of the second half to grow their lead to double digits.

Up next

Florida will host No. 24 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. Tennessee will host No. 20 Missouri on Wednesday night.

It’s the longest streak by either team in the Southeastern Conference rivalry that began in 1923.

Will Richard chipped in 16 points and Alex Condon 14 for the Gators (18-2, 5-2), who also got a double-double off the bench from Thomas Haugh (13 points, 11 rebounds).

Georgia leading scorer and rebounder Asa Newell, a 6-foot-11 freshman from the Sunshine State, finished with eight points on 4-of-14 shooting and six boards.

Martin scored 11 of Florida’s first 16 points, capped by a layup that began an 11-0 run and turned a close game into a lopsided affair. Georgia led for just 11 seconds before getting blown out.

Georgia coach Mike White fell to 0-6 against his former team.

Takeaways

Georgia: The Bulldogs can expect their schedule to lighten up a bit from here. Six of their first seven conference games came against ranked teams, a brutal stretch that included four top-10 matchups.

Florida: Micah Handlogten, a 7-foot-1 junior who broke his left leg in the SEC Tournament title game last March, was planning to forgo a redshirt season and return to the court Saturday. But he changed his mind Friday and now plans to sit out.

Key moment

The game started to get out of hand midway through the first half when Richard hit three 3s over a three-minute span. His third one put the Gators ahead by 19.

Key stat

Clayton extended his school-record streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 43.

Up next

Georgia hosts South Carolina on Tuesday night.

Florida gets a few days off before playing at No. 6 Tennessee on Feb. 1.

Four days after having their 16-game winning streak in Gainesville snapped by Missouri, the Gators (16-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) bounced back with more effort and energy despite dealing with more turmoil.

Assistant coach Taurean Green was on the bench two days after being publicly accused of sexual assault. ESPN reported Thursday that a formal complaint was filed with the school’s Title IX office accusing Green of kissing an athletic department employee and trying to put his hand down her pants in March 2024.

It came while the university is still investigating a Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against head coach Todd Golden that includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of the complaint.

None of it seemed to affect Florida with Texas (12-6, 1-4) visiting the O’Connell Center for the first time since 1996. The Gators made eight 3-pointers and outrebounded the Longhorns by eight.

The SEC’s leading scorer, Tre Johnson, led Texas with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Takeaways

Texas: No SEC team has had a tougher opening conference slate than the Longhorns, with losses to three top-five teams (Auburn, Tennessee and Florida).

Florida: The Gators missed nine of their first 10 shots in another lackluster start, but quickly turned it around thanks to Martin and Clayton.

Key moment

Florida used a 15-0 run in the first half to help build a double-digit lead that Texas never really challenged.

Key stat

Alex Condon finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double in his last four games.

Up next

Texas hosts Missouri on Tuesday night: Florida plays at South Carolina a day later.

Head coach Todd Golden said Green “will be with us” when the fifth-ranked Gators take the court against Texas on Saturday. Golden, who remains the subject of a Title IX investigation himself, also ripped into a process that is supposed to be confidential.

“I would suggest people do not rush to judgment based off a headline,” Golden said Friday. “For me, I am just frustrated and disappointed that a Title IX mechanism that is created to protect both sides during a situation like this — that confidentiality and privacy continues to be abused.

“So as frustrating and as disappointing and as hard as it is to do, I am going to do what I think I need to do and continue to respect the process, as I have.”

Golden’s comments came one day after ESPN reported that a formal complaint was filed with the school’s Title IX office accusing Green of kissing an athletic department employee and trying to put his hand down her pants in March 2024. ESPN reviewed a copy of the complaint.

The woman, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, pulled Green’s hand away, said no and left. She told ESPN she had never been alone with Green previously and had only exchanged casual greetings with him on campus.

The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time in part because of Green’s status. Green, who won NCAA championships as a player with the Gators in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 following a professional basketball career.

The woman told ESPN she came forward after Title IX investigators working on Golden’s case asked to interview her last fall about Golden’s interactions with female athletes. She said that inquiry made her realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior.

“Yeah. I don’t like it,” Golden said about how his program is being painted. “But perception is perception. It is not reality. I am in this program every day. I see how our staff acts. I see how our players act. I am proud of what we’ve done since we’ve got here. And that’s all I can do is keep my head up and keep working.”

The woman told ESPN she first reported her allegations in mid-December to Florida deputy athletics director Amy Meyers Hass.

It came while the university is still investigating a Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden that includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of the complaint.

The complaint accuses Golden of sending photos and videos of his genitalia, making unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requesting sexual favors.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. Florida outsources its Title IX investigations to Grand River Solutions, a private firm based in California.

Golden initially signed a six-year, $18 million contract to take over at Florida and agreed to a two-year extension in March 2024 that will keep him at Florida through the 2029-30 season. His contract prohibits “romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control and/or authority of such coach or other employee.”

The contract also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a manner “that has an ‘adverse effect’ or causes an ‘adverse reflection,’ on the reputation, mission and/or interests” of the athletic department or the university.

Golden praised his team for “staying the course and working hard” despite all the distractions.

“Obviously, it is not ideal, but at the same time, I think we’ve done a pretty good job this year of staying the course and keeping winning the main thing with the way we’ve played and the way we’ve performed,” he said. “I believe we will continue to do that on a day-to-day basis.”

Alex Condon, Will Richard and Walton Clayton Jr. scored 12 points apiece for the Gators (15-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference), who were coming off a 73-43 win over top-ranked Tennessee on Tuesday.

Adou Thiero scored nine of his 17 points from the line for Arkansas (11-5, 0-3), which started conference play 0-3 for the second straight season and for the third time in four years.

First-year Arkansas coach John Calipari fell to 0-3 in conference play for the first time since 1988-89, his first year of college coaching at Massachusetts.

Florida limited Arkansas to 30% (18 for 6) shooting and 3 for 16 from 3-point range. The Gators scored 19 second-chance points compared to six for Arkansas, and 19 bench points compared to seven for the Razorbacks.

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators are poised to take a leap from No. 9 in the rankings after a dominating win and a hard-fought road victory during the week.

Arkansas: The Razorbacks’ 0-3 start in conference play is not insurmountable, but they are well short of preseason projections in Calipari’s first year.

Key moment

Richard and Condon hit back with a combined 7-0 run after Arkansas pulled with five points with about six minutes left.

Key stat

Arkansas closed the game with free throws. The Razorbacks outscored Florida 24-13 from the line. The Gators otherwise dominated, including outscoring Arkansas by 15 points from 3-point range.

Up next

Florida travels to Missouri on Tuesday. Arkansas plays at LSU on Tuesday.

The Gators (13-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) had cut an 80-69 Kentucky lead to 89-87 on Walter Clayton Jr.’s free throws with 4:40 remaining, but Lamont Butler hit a 3 as the shot clock wound down and added two free throws to help the Wildcats (12-2, 1-0) hang on.

Clayton scored 33 points, 12 of those in Florida’s 18-9 run before Butler’s 3 with 3:42 left. Alijah Martin scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half to rally Florida after Kentucky took a 52-42 halftime lead.

Butler finished with 19 points and eight assists as Kentucky placed six players in double digits.

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators used offensive rebounding to take an early lead in the game and then battle their way back in the second half. They had 15 offensive rebounds leading to 31 second chance points.

Kentucky: In the first 10 minutes, Kentucky was outrebounded 12-2 and trailed 20-11. Over the rest of the first half, Kentucky held a 16-9 rebounding edge and a 10-point halftime lead.

Key moment

Florida had cut the Kentucky lead to one at 70-69 when coach Todd Golden took a 30-second timeout. The Wildcats scored the next 10 points.

Key stat

Florida had held its previous four opponents to 20% shooting on 3-pointers, giving up about five 3s per game. Kentucky shot 48% and made 14 3s.

Up next

Both teams play Tuesday night: Florida hosts top-ranked Tennessee while Kentucky goes on the road to Georgia.

Fellow guard Walter Clayton Jr. chipped in 12 points and seven assists as the Gators (13-0) extended their home winning streak to 15 and ended nonconference play without a blemish.

Florida opened up a double-digit lead early and really started to pull away midway through the second half with an array of dunks and fast-break baskets. The Gators finished with 52 points in the paint and 34 on the break.

Coach Todd Golden’s team is one of four unbeatens remaining in Division I, joining top-ranked Tennessee, No. 12 Oklahoma and Drake.

Mehki Ellison led the Hatters (2-11) with 15 points. Josh Massey landed hard on his left elbow in the second half and was helped to the locker room.

Stetson was ravaged by the transfer portal after making its first NCAA Tournament in March, losing four of five starters.

Takeaways

Stetson: It could be a long year for the Hatters and coach Donnie Jones, who are showing what could happen to a midmajor program that enjoys success.

Florida: The Gators continue to look like one of the deepest and most talented teams in the country. This victory came after a week off for the holidays, and the Gators had no issues following their long layoff.

Key moment

Martin and Richard combined to score 17 consecutive points for Florida late in the first half, turning a 13-point lead into a laugher.

Key stat

The Gators had 19 assists on 35 baskets.

Up next

Stetson opens ASUN Conference play at Queens on Thursday, and Florida opens Southeastern Conference play at Kentucky on Saturday.

Richard made 9 of 12 shots from the floor, including 6 of 8 shots from 3-point range, and finished with five rebounds, two steals and two assists.

Sam Alexis chipped in 14 points and 12 rebounds. Alex Condon had 12 points and 10 boards. And Thomas Haugh finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Florida.

The Gators (12-0) extended their best start since beginning the 2005-06 season with 17 consecutive wins. They won this one with relative ease, scoring the first 10 points of the game and closing the first half with a 14-0 run.

The Ospreys (7-6) lost for the fourth time in six outings in December and played their second straight game without leading scorer Josh Harris (ankle).

Jasai Miles and Liam Murphy led North Florida with 13 points apiece.

Takeaways

North Florida: After stunning South Carolina and Georgia Tech in the first week of the season, the Ospreys have taken a huge step back. They need to get Harris healthy to have a chance in the ASUN Conference.

Florida: Coming off an adversity-filled victory over North Carolina and with the holidays looming, the Gators avoided a letdown and dominated another inferior opponent.

Key moment

The Gators set the tone in the opening minute with back-to-back 3s from Walter Clayton Jr. and Richard. It started a 10-0 spurt that was one of three double-digit runs in the first half.

Key stat

Florida finished with a program-record-tying 26 offensive rebounds, giving the team 188 on the season.

Up next

North Florida hosts Austin Peay on Jan. 2. Florida hosts Stetson on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Alijah Martin had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Adam Miller led Arizona State (8-2) with 18 points.

The Gators (10-0) set the tone early as they hit four of their 10 total 3-pointers as part of a 12-0 run, to take an 18-8 lead with 14:29 to play in the first half.

The Gators shot 48% from the field (32 of 67) compared to Arizona State’s 37% (23 of 62) shooting performance. The Gators outrebounded the Sun Devils 47-27.

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators started the season with a 10-0 record for the third time in school history, following the 1951-1952 team, coached by John Mauer, and Billy Donovan’s 2005-2006 squad. Donovan’s team started 17-0 and won the program’s first NCAA title.

Arizona State: Both of the Sun Devils’ losses have come against top 10 teams. On Nov. 10, they lost 88-80 to No. 8 Gonzaga.

Key moment

Florida started the second half on a 36-18 run to take its largest lead of the game, 79-50. The Gators shot 16 of 26, including four 3-pointers, during the run.

Key stat

Walter made five 3-pointers, making him the second player in program history to make five 3s in three consecutive games.

Up next

Florida travels to Charlotte to face North Carolina on Tuesday. Arizona State will travel to Massachusetts on Dec. 21.

Jadan Baugh added 81 yards as Florida racked up 235 rushing yards, while DJ Lagway had two touchdown passes to give coach Billy Napier his first victory over the Seminoles in three tries.

The Gators (7-5) wrapped up an impressive stretch to finish November, knocking off ranked opponents in LSU and Ole Miss and picking up a victory over Florida State after starting the season 3-3.

Florida’s defense held Florida State to 79 first-half yards, in which the Seminoles were held to just 2.5 yards per play.

Lawrance Toafili had a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for Florida State (2-10). The Seminoles dropped all three rivalry games (including Miami and Clemson) by double digits.

TAKEAWAY

Florida: The Gators averaged 6.5 yards per carry in the first half and picked up a dominating, first rivalry win over Florida State to finish off an impressive last three weeks in what was arguably the nation’s toughest schedule.

Florida State: The Seminoles suffered their first season with double-digit losses since 1974, which is two years before Bobby Bowden arrived.

UP NEXT

Florida: Regular season ends, awaits bowl announcements on Dec. 8.

Florida State: Regular season ends.

Martin went 11 of 19, including 8 of 13 from 3-point range, and drained four consecutive shots from behind the arc midway through the second half. His career high is 34 points back when he played for Florida Atlantic.

The Gators (6-0) made a season-high 16 shots from 3-point range, their third consecutive game with double-digit treys.

Thomas Haugh added a career-high 19 points to go with seven boards for Florida, which is off to its best start since 2021.

Florida’s Todd Golden coached while the university investigates sexual harassment and stalking allegations.

Ali Dibba led the Salukis (2-3) with 17 points, and Jarrett Hensley added 14.

Takeaways

Southern Illinois: The Salukis played Charleston and Oklahoma State tough this month and looked like they might be in position to exceed expectations under first-year coach Scott Nagy, who won his share of games at Wright State and South Dakota State.

Florida: The Gators played their most complete game of the young season, leading by 21 at halftime and 30 midway through the second.

Key moment

The Gators started slowly before using a 16-0 run over a three-minute span in the first half to build a 35-15 lead. Martin came up huge during the stretch with a dunk, a driving layup and then his second 3 of the night.

Key stat

Florida’s 16 3-pointers are the program’s most since hitting 18 against Texas A&M in 2019.

Up next

Southern Illinois plays Louisiana Tech in Estero, Florida, on Monday, and Florida plays Wake Forest in Kissimmee, Florida, on Thanksgiving.

Jadan Baugh’s 55-yard scoring scamper with 3:48 remaining essentially sealed it and put the Gators (5-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) on the verge of becoming bowl eligible.

Florida had dropped eight in a row against ranked opponents and was 1-10 under coach Billy Napier in rivalry games.

Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier suggested all week that fans should rush the field named after him if the Gators win. But it didn’t happen.

Florida’s defense, though, deserved to be celebrated. The unit sacked Garrett Nussmeier seven times — one more than LSU (6-4, 3-3) allowed in its first nine games combined.

Lagway provided the big plays on offense for Florida. After sitting out most of the last two losses with the injury, he connected with Elijhah Badger for a 23-yard score in the first. He never scrambled but was mobile enough to create extra time by moving around the pocket.

He completed 13 of 26 passes for 226 yards. Badger caught six passes for 131 yards.

The game started to turn in Florida’s favor when T.J. Searcy sacked Nussmeier late in the third quarter. Nussmeier fumbled, one of his linemen scooped it out of the air and then fumbled again. Caleb Banks recovered, one of several huge plays for the defensive tackle.

The Gators went backward from there despite the solid field position and ended up punting. But Jeremy Crawshaw pinned the Tigers inside the 10.

Florida then forced a punt and started another drive in LSU territory. This time, Lagway found Badger for a 36-yard gain that set up Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard scoring run.

LSU dominated time of possession in the first half and doubled up Florida in plays. But Nussmeier struggled to find time in the second half. He completed 27 of 47 passes for 260 yards, with a touchdown and the fumble.

The Takeaway

LSU: Coach Brian Kelly’s streak of 10-win seasons will end at seven. Kelly won double-digit games in each of his last four years at Notre Dame and extended it with consecutive 10-win seasons in Baton Rouge. But losing three in a row to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida make it impossible to get past nine and will surely lower his approval rating with the team’s frustrated fanbase.

Florida: The Gators will have to win one of their final two games, against Ole Miss and at Florida State, to become bowl eligible for the second time in Napier’s three seasons. Florida is trying to avoid its fourth consecutive losing season.

Up Next

LSU: Hosts Vanderbilt next Saturday.

Florida: Hosts Ole Miss in its home finale next Saturday.

Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday that Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 freshman who owns a spot in the Guinness record book, is planning to redshirt. Had the popular Canadian played in even one game, he would have burned one of his four seasons of college eligibility.

Instead, Rioux will spend the 2024-25 season practicing with teammates and honing his skills — and still be a freshman next fall.

“I should have made that clear (before),” Golden said. “Honestly, it’s put him in a tough situation. He’s sitting over there at the end of games and everybody’s yelling at him and trying to get him out there. They just hadn’t understood that that was our potential plan for him.

“So that’s where we’re at at this moment. I’m not saying that’s 100% going to be the plan. We’ll continue to talk to him and see if he changes what he wants to do. But as of right now, that’s the plan that we’re going to have with him as we move forward.”

Florida students chanted for “Oli” in both of the team’s home games this season. Golden emptied the bench in the final minutes of an 86-62 victory over Grambling State on Monday night and even said a few words to Rioux during the chaotic scene.

“I was just explaining to him, ’Hey, the reason why I’m not putting you in right now is what we’ve talked about a little bit,’” Golden said. “This wasn’t a choice that I made for him. This is something that people (from) our program have talked with him and his family and his parents, his AAU coach and just kind of trying to figure out what the best route for him is.

“I just went up to him and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m not trying to be disrespectful with you. I’m just not trying to burn your year putting you in for 30 seconds.’”

Rioux handled the decision well, Golden said.

“He’s a great kid, and he’s a pleaser,” Golden said. “He wants to do what others think is best for him. And he’s coachable. Again, if this is what our staff, his parents, the people around him that care about him, think is best, I think he’s going to be comfortable. Ultimately, it’s his decision. But I think that’s where he’ll land.”

Ewers connected on open passes to Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm for touchdowns in the first quarter. Quintrevion Wisner took a screen pass 50 yards for a score before Ewers connected with Golden again for a 32-yard strike in the second.

Texas (8-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 5 CFP) led 35-0 at halftime.

Coach Steve Sarkisian had said the Longhorns had been struggling to find their rhythm offensively in recent weeks, but they dialed up big play after big play against the Gators. Texas had 12 plays of more than 20 yards.

“The explosiveness of the offense showed back up today,” Sarkisian said.

Wide receiver Isaiah Bond returned to the lineup after missing a game with an ankle injury and had a 44-yard run on a misdirection play and a 34-yard touchdown off a screen pass.

“We want people to feel our speed. We want people to fear our speed,” Sarkisian said.

Ewers’ easy day could have been even bigger if not for a couple of deep throws dropped by receivers. He was replaced by Arch Manning in the third quarter after his fifth touchdown pass.

The five TDs were a career high for Ewers and one shy of a school record. The big numbers on a short afternoon were a confidence boost for a quarterback who was briefly benched two games ago in a loss to Georgia and who has been playing with a nagging abdomen injury.

“Who wouldn’t be confident after that performance by the whole offense?” Ewers said. “I’m just trying to get the ball in the playmakers’ hands, and they make all the plays.”

Florida (4-5, 2-4) started Yale transfer Aidan Warner at quarterback because freshman DJ Lagway is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Warner, who was third team when the season started, was 12 of 25 passing for 132 yards and two interceptions.

“It got out of hand in the first half. You looked up and the game was over,” Napier said. “Aidan fought his tail off out there today. … You go into the game understanding that you’re playing with your third quarterback, and you know you have to defend them, and we did not do that.”

The takeaway

Florida: Getting routed on the road will only raise questions about athletic director Scott Stricklin’s decision to give Napier such a public statement of support for another season. The loss drops Napier’s record to 15-19. Tough, close losses to rivals Tennessee and Georgia had suggested the program was improving, even if not winning, but the Gators were overwhelmed by Texas.

“I’m thankful for our players,” Napier said of the vote of confidence. “I do think when you look at the roster as a whole, we have a ton of young talent that I think will continue to develop. They’re learning, they’re going through this experience, and I think that will prove beneficial in the future.”

Texas: After allowing 11 sacks in the previous two games, the offensive line protected Ewers well most of the day. He was sacked on the opening drive but was seldom harassed again. Some quick reads and short passes also kept the pressure off. Texas wants to avoid hits on Ewers that could aggravate his abdomen strain.

Poll implications

Texas put together the kind of all-around impressive performance that can be important for late-season positioning in the rankings and for playoff implications. The Longhorns should move up after No. 4 Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech.

Setting the tone

The game was still 0-0 when Texas converted a fourth-and-1 from its own 24 and got the first down by inches. The drive ended with the game’s first touchdown.

“I believe in our players,” Sarkisian said. “I really didn’t blink. I was going for it.”

Up next

Florida hosts No. 14 LSU next Saturday.

Texas plays at Arkansas next Saturday.

According to the Independent Florida Alligator, the claims against Golden include unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, and sending photos and videos of his genitalia. The newspaper based its report on a copy of a Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden it said it had obtained.

The Associated Press contacted the university to request a copy of the complaint. Under federal law, the school cannot comment on or even confirm any Title IX inquiries, complaints or investigations. School officials declined comment when reached by the AP. It was not immediately known if Golden has legal representation and he did not return a text message seeking comment.

On more than one occasion, the paper said, Golden allegedly took photos of women walking or driving and sent those pictures to the subjects involved. Alleged stalking incidents also included Golden, a married father of two young boys, showing up to locations where he knew the women would be.

The 39-year-old Golden signed a two-year contract extension in March that includes a $1 million raise. The additional two years puts Golden under contract through 2030. His new deal tops $4 million annually.

Golden is 42-29 in two-plus seasons in Gainesville and has his deepest and most-talented roster in three years. The 21st-ranked Gators (2-0) won each of their first two games by double digits.

This is the third set of serious allegations against a head coach during athletic director Scott Stricklin’s eight-year tenure.

Stricklin forced women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer to resign in 2021 amid allegations he verbally, physically and mentally abused players and staff members.

Less than a year later, Stricklin fired women’s soccer coach Tony Amato amid an investigation into the coach’s comments and behavior regarding players’ eating habits and body shapes. Amato was fired without cause one year into a six-year contract, leaving the Gators on the hook for roughly $1.125 million.