When coach Jim McElwain took over at Florida, he inherited one of the Southeastern Conference’s stingiest defenses. The unit got even better during McElwain’s first two seasons in Gainesville. The Gators finished eighth in yards allowed in 2015 and fifth last year, no question the main reason they played for back-to-back conference championships.
The second and third rounds of of the NFL Draft on Friday night saw plenty of action for players from Florida universities. It took two rounds and 41 picks, but Dalvin Cook has finally found an NFL home. The Minnesota Vikings traded up with the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire Florida State’s all-time leading rusher. “We started making some calls once we knew he was sliding into the second day,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. “We felt he was just…
There were a few unexpected things that cropped up during Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft. Some are more impactful than others, but from a Floridian’s point of view, these stood out. Dalvin Cook’s free fall from the first round. Some of the mock drafts said this could happen, but we thought his character scrapes from a younger age would not hurt him that much. Many thought Cook would go to the Tampa Bay Bucs, but GM Todd Licht…
Talk about a mismatch. Alabama’s defense is the best in the nation. Florida’s offense looks like one of the worst. They’ll face off Saturday in the Southeastern Conference championships game, with the top-ranked Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 SEC) heavily favored to lock up its third straight trip to the College Football Playoff with a victory over the No. 15 Gators (8-3, 6-2). Alabama has not given up a defensive touchdown in 17 quarters, a span that covers its entire November…
