The Gators dropped by to watch the Gators play Saturday, and more items of interest to Gator Nation.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There was a moment late in Saturday's Florida-Michigan State game at the O'Dome when football and basketball intertwined in an unusual way.
Sure, the action on the court was rugged at times in Michigan State's 63-59 win, but the physicality of the game is not it. Instead, late in the second half with the Gators mounting a rally, several UF football players in full practice uniforms –
Cece Jefferson,
Jachai Polite,
Jeremiah Moon,
David Reese to name a few – strolled into Exactech Arena to watch the final minutes.
CBS television cameras spotted them almost immediately, adding an unexpected twist to the noon broadcast.
While the football players' appearance excited fans and added some juice to the building, the Gators on the court were unable to pull off the upset against the 10th-ranked Spartans despite slicing the lead to two with less than a minute remaining.
Still, it was one of those moments showcased to a national TV audience that makes Gators athletics special:
Â
Â
Let's take a look at other fresh items of interest to Gator Nation on this Sunday morning:
Â
-- Once a Florida-UCF matchup didn't come to fruition in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the story turned to why. In the aftermath,
both ADs have stated an interest in the schools playing in the future as
Edgar Thompson of
The Orlando Sentinel reports.
-- The SEC Commissioner
tells UCF to look inward for inclusion in the College Football Playoff writes
Jason Dill of
The Bradenton Herald.
--
Inside Job is the headline on
Gainesville Sun columnist
Pat Dooley's story off Florida's 63-59 loss to Michigan State on Saturday.
-- Michigan State withstood a late rally by UF and Lansing State Journal columnist
Graham Couch writes
his takeaways for the Spartans in beating a UF team still evolving.
Â
-- Gators head coach
Dan Mullen says
there are recruiting benefits from making a bowl game for reasons beyond the obvious via
Thomas Goldkamp of
Swamp247.com.
--
Mullen, staff producing proof that UF program is heading in right direction writes
Robbie Andreu of
The Gainesville Sun.
-- Florida fans know
Steve Spurrier's place in Gators lore,
but Spurrier's place in Duke lore is secure as well writes
Bob Holliday of
WRALSportsFan.com.
-- If you watched the
UF volleyball team's loss to BYU on Friday night in the Sweet 16, you know BYU is good. The Cougars proved it Saturday
by sweeping Texas to earn its first trip to the Final Four since 2014 writes
Jay Drew of
The Salt Lake City Tribune.
Â
