Injury Update: Jarrad Davis is back, but the list keeps growing

With the rash of injuries the Gators have experienced over the past month, they received a bit of good news on Wednesday.

UF coach Jim McElwain said senior linebacker Jarrad Davis practiced this week and could play a limited role when No. 15 Florida faces top-ranked Alabama in Saturday's Southeastern Conference Championship Game.

Davis, who McElwain has repeatedly referred to as the "heart and soul" of the team, has missed Florida's last three games with an ankle injury. Even with that, he is still second on the team in total tackles (56) heading into the conference title game in Atlanta.   

But outside of Davis, the injury report continues to look bleak.

In addition to the injury report McElwain provided Monday -- a list that was a dozen players long -- two starting offensive players were added to the list Wednesday.

First is tight end C'yontai Lewis, a 6-4 redshirt sophomore who has 16 catches, 174 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games (he was suspended for the season opener). He's "iffy" with a low-ankle injury, McElwain said.

The second is sophomore offensive lineman Fred Johnson, who started Florida's last two games at right guard as the Gators' o-line has dealt with a bevy of injuries as of late. He was injured after crashing his scooter. He's questionable.

"No matter what you're future lies and whatever that is, if you can give the team one play, whatever that play might be, that's what it's all about," McElwain said. "We've got some guys that are trying everything they can to get out there. Having JD out at practice today was really good."

UF coach Jim McElwain dispels Oregon rumors

Over the past two days, Florida coach Jim McElwain had been linked to the vacant head coaching position at the University of Oregon. 

McElwain quickly put those rumors to rest on Wednesday.

Speaking at his usual post-practice press conference, the second-year UF head coach said he has not been in contact with Oregon about their head coaching position.

"You know it's always interesting this time of year and how whatever comes out," McElwain said. "No, I haven't heard from Oregon and, you know, the things that get thrown out there at times, I don't know how it gets linked sometimes. And I guess slow news day."

When asked if that means he has no interest in the opening, he responded "Yeah."

"Look, I’ve got a heck of a job," McElwain said. "In case anybody checked this is the University of Florida. We’re playing in what they call the SEC Championship game. It really hasn’t crossed my mind.”

On Tuesday, USA Today's Dan Wolken reported that there were "whispers" that McElwain could be a person of interest for the job, which became available after Oregon fired head coach Mark Helfrich after a 4-8 season.

"Despite winning SEC East titles in his first two years," Wolken wrote, "McElwain has been a bit under-appreciated by the Florida fan base and just got a new athletics director in Gainesville."

McElwain said the rumors caused the staff to hit it in high gear to tell recruits the rumors were false. McElwain also said he, along with a group of his assistants, will be out recruiting Wednesday night prior to traveling to Atlanta for Saturday's SEC Championship game against top-ranked Alabama.

"We got that taken care of," McElwain said. "A lot of time on the phone last night obviously. ... You know, it's part of what you deal with."

A look back at the past Florida-Alabama SEC Championship games

Saturday's game between No. 1 Alabama and No. 15 Florida in Atlanta's Georgia Dome will mark the 25th Southeastern Conference Championship Game. The Gators and Crimson Tide will be meeting up for the league-high ninth matchup in the title game, with the series even at 4-4 when the conference title is on the line.

"Historically they've been the best team in the West, and historically we've been the best team in the East," UF cornerback Jalen Tabor said on a teleconference call Monday. "When you think of SEC Championship, you think of Alabama versus Florida, and I feel like that's the way, and that's the way it's supposed to be, and that's the way it is again this year."

And with this year's game fast approaching, let's take a look back at the past eight UF-Bama SEC Championship matchups.

 

1992: Alabama 28, Florida 21

UF needed to win its final five SEC games in 1992 to land  in the inaugural conference championship game in Birmingham, Alabama. After falling into a 21-7 deficit early in the third quarter, the Gators tied the game with a pair of touchdowns — a 4-yard touchdown pass from Shane Matthews to Willie Jackson in the third quarter and a 21-yard run by Errict Rhett with about eight minutes left in regulation. Despite Florida’s late push, Alabama sealed the game on an Antonio Langham pick-six with 3:16 to play. The Crimson Tide would go on to win the national title with a 34-13 win against Miami in the Sugar Bowl.

 

1993: Florida 28, Alabama 13

Call it deja vu. The Gators and Crimson Tide found themselves against each yet again in the SEC Championship. This time, though, Florida turned the tables with their punter providing the edge. Holding onto a 14-13 lead in the third quarter and facing a fourth and 8, punter Shayne Edge took the snap and ran 20 yards to move the chains. On the next play, quarterback Terry Dean hit Jack Jackson for a 43-yard touchdown to give UF a 21-13 lead. The Gators held on to win.

 

1994: Florida 24, Alabama 23

The first SEC Championship game to be played in the Georgia Dome turned out to be one of the most contested in the championship game’s history. It also showcased Steve Spurrier’s prowess. With the Gators down by six in the fourth quarter and quarterback Danny Wuerffel limping to the sideline, backup signal caller Eric Kresser fired a dart to Aubry Hill for 25 yards. Wuerffel then returned to the game. Two plays later, a double pass moved the Gators to the 2-yard line, setting up a Wuerffel-to-Chris-Doering shot for the game-winner.

 

1996: Florida 45, Alabama 30

Fresh off a three-point loss to Florida State, Florida played Alabama with a vengeance. Danny Wuerffel threw for an SEC-record 401 yards and six touchdown passes to lead the Gators to their fourth consecutive SEC title. The win gave the Gators a second date with FSU, this time with a national title on the line. Florida won the rematch with the Seminoles 52-20 to claim the program’s first national title.

 

1999: Alabama 34, Florida 7

The Gators, who lost to the Crimson Tide two months earlier in a 40-39 overtime thriller, looked to rebound and defeat Alabama on the second time around. Instead, Alabama rolled. Florida drew first blood on a trick play when tailback Earnest Graham threw a 3-yard touchdown to tight end Erron Kinney. Alabama controlled the game from there. The Crimson Tide defense forced four interceptions and the offense racked up 462 yards to hand UF its most lopsided loss to Alabama in an SEC Championship game.

 

2008: Florida 31, Alabama 20

Down 20-17 as the third quarter drew to a close, the Gators scored back-to-back touchdowns on a 1-yard Jeff Demps rushing touchdown and a 5-yard pass from Tim Tebow to Riley Cooper to take a 31-20 lead with 2:50 remaining in the game. Cornerback Joe Haden sealed Florida’s victory with an interception along the right sideline with about 90 seconds to play. The Gators went on to the BCS Championship game, where they defeated Oklahoma 24-14 for the third national title in program history.

 

2009: Alabama 32, Florida 13

Eventual Heisman Trophy winner and first-team All-American Mark Ingram rushed for 113 yards and scored three of Alabama’s four touchdowns. Quarterback Greg McElroy also threw for 239 yards and a touchdown on just 12 completions en route to MVP honors. The Gators put up a fight early, trailing just 19-13 at halftime, but Alabama’s defense shut Tebow and Co. down in the final 30 minutes.

 

2015: Alabama 29, Florida 15

Alabama dominated in every facet of the game. On offense, Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown, becoming the SEC's all-time single-season rushing yards leader in the process. Quarterback Jake Coker threw a pair of touchdown passes. On defense, the Crimson Tide sacked UF's Treon Harris six times and held the Gators to an 0-for-11 third-down conversion clip. On special teams, Alabama blocked both a UF field goal and a punt, the latter of which resulted in a safety. Florida's two touchdowns came on an Antonio Callaway punt return in the second quarter and a last-second desperation heave from Harris that found C.J. Worton in the end zone for a 46-yard grab.

A look at Florida's bowl possibilities

Despite losing 31-13 to Florida State on Saturday, the Florida Gators held firm at No. 15 in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff rankings, released on Tuesday.

UF is the third-highest ranked team in the Southeastern Conference heading into Saturday's SEC Championship Game against undefeated Alabama, trailing No. 14 Auburn and the top-ranked Crimson Tide.

So what does this mean for UF's bowl outlook? Let's take a look.

With the three-loss Gators all but eliminated from contention for the four-team College Football Playoff, Florida's top bowl prospect is the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, a New Year's Six bowl slated to kick off at 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. Normally, the Sugar Bowl is a matchup between the SEC champion and Big 12 champion. However, if the conference champion should make the CFP, the conference's second-highest ranked team in the final CFP poll will represent its conference in the Sugar Bowl.

This means the Gators can get into the Sugar Bowl in one of two routes.

The first would be simply beating Alabama, a team that enters the SEC title game on a 24-game win streak and is a 24-point favorite in Saturday's matchup. 

Should the Gators lose to Alabama, that brings us to the second option: The Gators would need to play well enough against the Crimson Tide that the committee jumps Florida over Auburn in the final rankings. This would make the Gators the second-highest ranked SEC school and would fill in for Alabama in the Sugar Bowl while the Crimson Tide chase a second straight national title and fifth in eight years.

If neither of those scenarios play out, UF will be eligible for one of the other nine bowl games with tie-ins to the SEC.

The Citrus Bowl in Orlando -- which the Gators played in last year and lost 41-7 to Michigan -- gets first crack of the group. While there is no rule barring the bowl from selecting UF for a second straight appearance, it might opt for another school (likely LSU or Tennessee) for the Dec. 31 matchup.

From there, the conference, with consultation from both the bowls and the member institutions, assigns teams to a pool of six bowl games. Those games, in no particular order, are:

1.) The Outback Bowl in Tampa (SEC vs. Big Ten) on Jan. 2

2.) The TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville (SEC vs. Big Ten/ACC) on Dec. 31

3.) The Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee (SEC vs. ACC/Big Ten) on Dec. 30

4.) The Texas Bowl in Houston (SEC vs. Big 12) on Dec. 28

5.) The Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina (SEC vs. ACC) on Dec. 29

6.) The Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee (SEC vs. Big 12) on Dec. 30

While UF is almost guaranteed to be selected in the SEC pool of six bowl games, the final two bowls with SEC tie-ins are the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 and the Independence Bowl on Dec. 26 in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

For a full breakdown of how the SEC bowl scenarios can play out, here's an easy-to-follow chart from the SEC's Chuck Dunlap.

SEC Bowl announcements will be next Sunday late afternoon. Here is how the selection process works: pic.twitter.com/aeIoa4ngHD

— Chuck Dunlap (@SEC_Chuck) November 28, 2016

Florida injury report keeps growing

The injuries are still piling up.

With the 15th-ranked Gators getting ready to play top-ranked and undefeated Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championshp Game, UF coach Jim McElwain has ruled eight players as out or "probably out." The list includes:

• Defensive lineman Jordan Sherit (knee), who will have surgery this week
• Safety Nick Washington (high ankle)
• Safety Marcus Maye (arm)
• Linebacker Alex Anzalone (arm)
• Linebacker Jarrad Davis (ankle)
• Defensive lineman Bryan Cox (leg)
• Center Cam Dillard (ankle)
• Defensive back Jeawon Taylor

In addition to those eight, offensive lineman Martez Ivey, wide receiver Ahmad Fulwood, nickel corner Duke Dawson, and linebacker Daniel McMillian are going to be either limited in practice or day-to-day this week.

Heading into Saturday, the Gators have just six of their regular starters on defense healthy to play against Alabama: Cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson, defensive linemen Joey Ivie, CeCe Jefferson and Caleb Brantley, and safety Marcell Harris.

Gators hoops falls to No. 11 Gonzaga, faces Miami on Sunday

Florida’s defense held Gonzaga at bay for about 30 minutes on Friday.

Then, it broke.

With the game tied 57-57, a Silas Melson three-point basket gave the No. 11 Bulldogs their first lead of the game with 8:46 to play. They held on from there to defeat Florida 77-72 on Friday in the semifinals of the Advocare Invitational in Orlando.

Gonzaga (5-0) made 51.7 percent of its shots from the field overall, including a 60.7-percent shooting efficiency in the second half. Guard Josh Perkins led Gonzaga with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Forward Johnathan Williams (16 points), guard Nigel Williams-Goss (14 points) and Melson (12 points) also finished the game with double-digit points.

UF (4-1), meanwhile, slumped to the finish, missing 11 of its final 14 shots.

For the game, Florida made just 36.9 percent of its shots from the field, and was just 2-for-19 from three-point range. It’s just the second time this year UF made less than 40 percent of its field-goal attempts.

One bright spot for UF: Florida went 19-for-21 from the free-throw line, a 91.7 percent efficiency. For games where UF attempted at least 15 free throws, it’s the highest single-game free-throw efficiency for the Gators since Feb. 4, 2012, when the team made 16 of 17 attempts from the charity stripe against Vanderbilt (.941).

The Gators led 37-32 at halftime mostly in part to the play of junior Devin Robinson. The 6-8 forward scored UF’s first nine points and had 13 overall in the half, going 5 for 9 from the field and making all three of his free throws.

Robinson finished the game with a game-high-tying 18 points, one of four UF players in double-digit scoring. Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen scored 15 points, while center John Egbunu and guard Canyon Barry each chipped in 12. Senior point guard Kasey Hill also had eight points and added seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals.

With the loss, Florida will play Miami in the third-place game of the invitational on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

Gonzaga will face No. 21 Iowa State in the championship.

Clutch shooting down the stretch lifts Gators hoops over Seton Hall in Advocare Invitational

In a game with eight ties and a dozen lead changes, the Florida Gators found a way once again to end up on top.

Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen scored 21 points, graduate transfer Canyon Barry added 20 of his own off the bench and the Gators closed out their opening round of the Advocare Invitational in Orlando by making six of their final eight free throws to defeat Seton Hall 81-76 on Thursday. 

Streaky shooting plagued Florida (5-0) throughout the game, but the Gators made shots down the stretch when it mattered.

With UF holding onto a 58-57 lead with a little more than eight minutes left in the game, Allen stepped back and attempted a fadeaway jumper. As the shot bounced off the backboard, Justin Leon corralled the ball and fired it up for a quick putback as he was fouled.

UF went on to make seven of its final eight baskets to end the game with a 44.8-percent shooting efficiency (54.5 percent in the second half) put the game out of reach despite a relentless attack from Seton Hall. Neither team led by more than eight points in the game.

Foul trouble hindered Florida early. A trio of UF frontcourt players -- Devin Robinson, John Egbunu and Kevarrius Hayes -- had two fouls each by halftime.

By the end of the game, Robinson (5 points, three rebounds) and both of UF’s point guards -- Kasey Hill (6 points, two assists, five turnovers) and Chris Chiozza (14 points, two assists) -- fouled out of the game.

The Pirates (3-1) led 40-39 at halftime and had as much as a six-point advantage (45-39) early in the second half after UF went scoreless in its first six second-half possessions (0-2 from the field, four turnovers) before Florida began to find its stride. Junior guard Khadeen Carrington led the Pirates with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting before fouling out with 20 seconds left in the game.

With the win, Florida advances to Friday’s semifinal game in the invitational against No. 11 Gonzaga, which defeated Quinnipiac 82-62 earlier in the day Thursday. This will be UF’s first game this season against a ranked opponent.

Tipoff between the Gators and the Bulldogs is set for 9:30 p.m.

Gators hoops improves to 4-0 with win over Belmont

Canyon Barry scored 17 points off the bench, three other Florida players scored in double digits and Gators men’s basketball team improved to 4-0 on the year after defeating Belmont 78-61 in Tampa on Monday.

Florida led the entire game, but Belmont (1-2) made it interesting early in the second half when a Taylor Barnette three-pointer cut the Gators' lead to 43-34 with 16:56 to play. Florida went off from there, though, rattling off 16 straight points in about four minutes to push their lead to a game-high 25 points and put the game out of reach.

UF shot 45.8 percent from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, missing its first nine three-point shots. UF finished the game making five of 21 three-pointers. Florida also managed to make 19 of its 24 free throws (79.6 percent).

Florida led 38-26 at halftime after opening the game on a 15-0 run that was fueled by six turnovers that led to 10 points.

Forward Evan Bradds led Belmont with 17 points.

UF’s next game is Thursday against Seton Hall in Orlando, the first of three straight games the Gators will play as part of the Advocare Invitational. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. UF has the potential to face No. 11 Gonzaga and No. 21 Iowa State on Friday and Saturday, respectively, depending on how the tournament plays out.

Gators hoops slips past St. Bonaventure, improves to 3-0 on young season

The Florida Gators men's basketball team almost saw a double-digit lead fade away, but a last-minute run kept the Gators undefeated with a 73-66 win over St. Bonaventure on Thursday in Lakeland.

Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen and graduate transfer guard Canyon Barry led the Gators (3-0) with 16 points each, while junior forward Devin Robinson chipped in 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting clip.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw Florida lead 38-32 at intermission, the Gators found their offensive stroke in early in the second half, opening on a 9-2 run. UF would go on to make half its second-half shots and end the game making 41.1 percent of its shots overall, including a 47.1-percent clip from three-point range (8-for-17).

But after taking a 60-45 lead with 11:29 left to play, Florida saw its second-half lead over St. Bonaventure slip away almost as quickly as it was gained.

The Bonnies (1-1) went on a 21-6 run to tie the game at 66-66 with 1:37 left to play. Guards Matt Mobley and Jaylen Adams fueled the run, scoring 19 of the 21 points on the run. Mobley led all scorers in the game with 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting (6-for-12 from three-point range). Adams was close behind with 20 points.

But a pair of dunks from John Egbunu and Robinson along with three free throws from Barry in the final 53 seconds along with a suffocating defense can Florida just enough to leave with the win. St. Bonaventure's final five possessions consisted of three missed shots and a pair of turnovers. Overall, the Gators held the Bonnies to a 38.1 percent shooting clip from the field and won the rebounding battle 41-36.

Florida's next game is Monday against Belmont in Tampa.

Pineiro could face two counts of misdemeanor for reportedly damaging scooters on campus

UF kicker and former Miami Sunset Senior High soccer standout Eddy Pineiro could face a pair of misdemeanor charges after police said he damaged two scooters while on campus earlier this month.

According to a UF Police Department sworn complaint, Pineiro was walking toward a scooter parking lot on campus on Nov. 7 at about 2 p.m. and pushed over a pair of scooters that were next to his.

“Pineiro damaged two scooters by kicking them and then ripping off the side mirrors," according to the complaint, which was filed to the Alachua County Clerk of Courts on Wednesday. “Pineiro then got on his scooter and drove away.”

The total cost of the damage was about $800, according to the complaint.

Graham Hall of the Gainesville Sun was the first to report.

Pineiro's status has not changed for Saturday's road game between No. 21 Florida and No. 16 LSU.

"We have been aware and it has been handled," the University Athletic Association said in a statement. 

UF coach Jim McElwain on Wednesday said that Pineiro has been at practice.

“I’m telling you, he kicked the heck out of it [Wednesday],” McElwain said. “Made it rain a couple of times. Did good.”

A junior college transfer from ASA College in Miami, Pineiro is in his first year at UF. The redshirt sophomore has made 13 of his 17 field-goal attempts, including three from at least 50 yards. On kickoffs, 35 of his 47 attempts have resulted in touchbacks.

 

Florida men's basketball moves to 2-0 with win over Mercer

A late first-half run, a solid performance at the free-throw line and a stifling defensive performance pushed the Florida men’s basketball team to a 76-54 win over Mercer on Sunday night at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.

Senior Justin Leon led Florida (2-0) with 17 points and was one of three UF players to score in double figures. Junior Devin Robinson (12 points, nine rebounds) was one rebound away from posting the team's first double-double of the season. All 12 UF players who saw time on the floor scored at least one point.

After the Bears cut the Gators’ lead to 18-12 with 5:37 left in the first half, Florida’s offense came to life, ending the frame on an 18-2 run in which the team went five-for-14 from the field -- including a floating layup from Kevarrius Hayes on an inbound pass from KeVaughn Allen as time expired -- and made all six of its free-throw attempts to go into halftime with a comfortable 36-14 advantage. The Gators finished the game making 80 percent of its free-throw attempts (24 of 30) and outrebounded Mercer 47-32 (20-10 on the offensive glass). Florida finished the game shooting 36.1 percent from the field.

Junior guard Ria’n Holland led Mercer (1-1) with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting. No one else scored more than seven points for the Bears, who turned the ball over 17 times and shot 37.3 percent from the field.

Florida’s next game is Thursday against St. Bonaventure in Lakeland. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Florida soccer wins opening round of NCAA Tournament; Men's, women's basketball win season openers

After 65 minutes of missed shots in Florida soccer’s NCAA Tournament opener, UF’s Meggie Dougherty Howard found an opening.

The senior midfielder took a short pass from sophomore Samantha Chung and fired 8 yards across the box, past Florida Gulf Coast goalkeeper Melissa Weck and into the lower left quadrant of the net.

Dougherty Howard’s 66th-minute goal provided a much-needed spark for the No. 1 regional seed Gators in their 3-0 victory against Florida Gulf Coast on Friday at UF’s Donald R. Dizney Stadium in front of an announced crowd of 1,132.

Freshman defender Julia Lester and senior forward Savannah Jordan provided the Gators with insurance goals in the victory.

“Our sport is a strange one,” UF coach Becky Burleigh said. “I felt like we had a really dominating performance but still you have to put the ball in the back of the net and Gulf Coast had a lot to do with that, why it wasn't in the back of the net. Give credit to them, but I think our ability to stay composed and stay relaxed in spite of not scoring and still doing the things we knew would lead us to that, that was really important."

The Gators (16-4-1), ranked No. 9 in the country, dominated possession for the majority of the match and spent the majority of the game on FGCU’s half of the field. Florida outshot the Eagles 22-2 and had 12 shots on goal but faced stiff competition early from FGCU’s goalkeeper Weck. The freshman ended the match with nine saves, including a pair in the first half that forced her to jump and twist to punch the ball away from the net.

“I think they did a really good job defensively,” said Jordan, the NCAA active leader in goals (81) and points (189). “They gave their 100 percent effort in blocking shots and kind of denying us the first half. I think we stayed patient with that but I do think they did a really good job of holding us defensively.”

But as the second half progressed, Florida broke through FGCU’s defense. After Dougherty Howard gave Florida the lead with about 25 minutes to play, Lester provided an insurance goal in the 78th minute, an unassisted 5-yard shot in the middle of the box. Not even five minutes later, Jordan responded with a 5-yard blast off an assist from midfielder Mayra Pelayo to close out scoring. It was Jordan’s team-high 16th goal of the season. FGCU (14-5-1) attempted just one shot each half.

With the win, the Gators advance to host the second and third rounds of the NCAA Tournament face Wisconsin (9-4-8) in the second round on Friday at 7 p.m.

Men’s basketball comes back to defeat Florida Gulf Coast

A late second-half surge, four double-digit scoring performances and a strong showing at the free-throw line lifted the UF men’s basketball team to an 80-59 win over Florida Gulf Coast in its season opener on Friday at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.

The Gators (1-0), trailed 50-49 with 13:23 to play, closed out the game on a 31-9 run that saw Florida shoot 11-for-16 from the field and make all eight of its free throws. Seven players scored during the final surge.

Junior forward Devin Robinson led the Gators with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting and six rebounds, two blocks and three steals.

Center John Egbunu (13), guard Canyon Barry (13) and point guard Kasey Hill (11) also had double-digit scoring efforts for Florida, which went 28-of-62 from the field (45.2 percent) and made 76.9 percent of its free throws.

Brandon Goodwin led FGCU (0-1) in scoring with 14 points.

The Gators return to Jacksonville on Sunday to play Mercer.

UF women’s basketball surges in season-opening win

Behind an all-around consistent offense and a suffocating defense, the No. 20 Florida women’s basketball team cruised to an 85-33 season-opening win over South Alabama on Friday at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.

Senior Ronni Williams, junior Haley Lorenzen and sophomore Eleanna Christinaki led scoring with 16 points each. Williams added a game-high 10 rebounds for a season-opening double-double, and Florida collectively shot 53.5 percent from the field.

The Gators (1-0) stifled South Alabama (0-1) all night, limiting the Jaguars to a 19.6 percent shooting clip on the night. Savannah Jones led South Alabama with six points.

After jumping out to a 37-15 halftime lead, Florida stepped on the gas in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 20-0 run over a seven-minute stretch to put the game out of reach.

Florida’s next game is Monday at Chattanooga.

NCAA: UF freshman Gak can play this season

UF freshman forward/center Gorjok Gak during practice on Nov. 3, 2016.

Florida men's basketball freshman Gorjok Gak has been ruled eligible by the NCAA for the season after the school's waiver appeal was approved, UF announced Thursday evening. Gak will have four full years of eligibility and will be available for the Gators' season opener against Florida Gulf Coast in Jacksonville on Friday.

“I’m extremely happy for Gorjok,” second-year UF head coach Mike White said in a release. “Our administration spent a lot of time fighting for him and during that time, despite assuming he wouldn’t be eligible to play this season, Gorjok was a steady contributor at our practices with his work ethic.”

The release added the team was already en route to Jacksonville when White heard Gak's eligibility was restored. The freshman joined the team later.

"I was in my apartment getting ready to go to tutoring when Coach White called me," Gak said according to the school's website, FloridaGators.com. "I couldn't believe it. I called my mom right away and she got very emotional. … So did I." 

In July, the NCAA initially declared the 19-year-old Gak ineligible to compete during his inaugural season due to questions about the number of games he played at Bradenton (Fla.) Victory Rock Prep after arriving there from Australia.

He was allowed to enroll at UF and practice, but his role with the team was limited to that.

An athletic, 6-11 post player, Gak was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, ESPN and 247sports. Gak averaged 13.8 point and 9.3 rebounds during his senior season at Victory Rock and has a 7-foot-4 wingspan. 

He adds depth to a Florida frontcourt led by veterans John Egbunu, Devin Robinson and Justin Leon. Sophomore Kevarrius Hayes, redshirt freshman Keith Stone and senior Schuyler Rimmer should also see playing time this season.

Luke Del Rio out for foreseeable future

Luke Del Rio will not take the field Saturday against South Carolina -- and possibly for the rest of the season.

Coach Jim McElwain announced Monday that the redshirt sophomore quarterback injured his shoulder during Florida's 31-10 loss to Arkansas and will be out of commission for the foreseeable future.

"It's bad, man," McElwain said. "When you can't lift your duffel bag up, chances are something's hurt."

McElwain said Del Rio suffered the injury during the first half of the game and in hindsight should have been taken out of the game at halftime.

"He's a tough guy and never said anything [during the game]," McElwain said. "... It speaks for him."

For the season, Del Rio has thrown for 1,358 yards on a 56.7-percent completion rate and has eight touchdowns to eight interceptions. 

It's Del Rio's second injury this season. The first came late against North Texas on Sept. 17, when Mean Green defensive lineman Joshua Wheeler dove into Del Rio's planted leg, which resulted in a sprained MCL. Del Rio missed the next two games -- a 38-28 loss to Tennessee and a 13-6 win over Vanderbilt. In the three games since his return, Del Rio has thrown just two touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

With Del Rio out yet again, McElwain said this week will be an open competition among graduate transfer Austin Appleby and true freshmen Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks for the starting job.

"We'll find out," McElwain said.