Rueben Chinyelu has become a beast on the backboards (Photo by Chris Spears) There was no secret formula to Florida’s success last week. Combine defense and rebounding with rowdy crowds jamming into the O-Dome and the Gators began looking like the team that might have what it takes to make a deep run in March. Throw in some shooting that has been AWOL much of the year and the Gators played at what Todd Golden says is “close to our highest level.”   In beating two ranked teams

But just for a moment, let’s suspend all those rules and offer you my following column given the recent phenomenal success of new Gator coach seems to have mastered in the first 10 days of office.

It was another productive weekend in the portal for Florida coach Jon Sumrall, who added Auburn wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr., Georgia Tech tight end Luke Harpring and Southwestern Oklahoma State punter Miller Fealy. That brings Florida’s roster totals to 59 veterans and 19 freshman/jucos. Sumrall has as many as 27 more scholarships available to reach the NCAA maximum of 105.   Here is a position-by-position breakdown of what the Gators need to add: Quarterback (3): Four o

Boogie Fland lit up the Vols for 23 points (UAA Photo) For the first 16 minutes Saturday afternoon at the O-Dome, the Tennessee Vols were going toe-to-toe with the Florida Gators. Other than the fact the score was tied 26-26, the game had almost gone as if Rick Barnes had scripted it. It was hand-to-hand combat, tough and physical. About the only thing missing was Gordon Solie on the play-by-play.     “It was a good game, a close game, the kind of game you would expect and th

Fland rocked a new haircut – his first in five years –and the second year guard from Archbishop Stepinac high school in the Bronx he cut his dreadlocks ahead of the Gators' 91-67 victory  over No. 20 Tennessee.

It was a mix of old and new. We saw the return of fab freshman Kayla DiCello after a two-year absence.

Xaivian Lee (1) sizes up Georgia's Blue Cain (Photo by Chris Spears) The late, great Red Auerbach, who coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, once commented, “You can’t win without the ball.” With Bill Russell as his anchor, Auerbach and the Celtics proved that on nights when you can’t throw the ball in the ocean from the end of the pier, you can still win if you play defense and rebound.   That theory will be tested to the max today when the Florida Gators (10

If it’s star power that you’re looking for when it comes to Jon Sumrall’s very systematic retooling of the Florida football roster, then you need to look somewhere else. Retaining Jadan Baugh and Jayden Woods was certainly huge, but the guys Sumrall is bringing in from the transfer portal don’t have the same sizzle. That doesn’t mean Florida is a bust when it comes to recruiting in the portal, just that Sumrall is ensuring he will have a competent veteran roster with very few

We never really got to see you play at one hundred percent — injuries robbed us of that — and you didn’t have the right coach at the right time.

Certainly, there will be more additions to come. Will they all pan out? Doubtful, it seems they rarely all do. But this staff has already done good work in the portal.

In the 38 days he’s been Florida’s head football coach, only 18 as the full-timer actually since he coached Tulane to the American Conference title and the first round College Football flameout at Ole Miss, Jon Sumrall has done a rather remarkable job of changing perceptions in a subtle but substantial way. Subtle, because he hasn’t made himself the center of attention. Substantial because he held onto most of the high school recruits on signing day, retained the most importa

These moments may not last forever — nothing in this sport ever does — but sitting here right now, glass raised over the orange and blue, there is only one thing left for an old homer to say.