FLC Presents: Snow, Swamp, and Everything Chomp

Good afternoon Gators!

While everyone is studying for final exams as our semester draws to a close, I wanted to use today's post as an opportunity to spread awareness about an event being put on by the Florida Leadership Council that I am very excited about! Tonight at 6 p.m., join FLC for their Snow, Swamp, and Everything Chomp event that will definitely get you in the holiday spirit!

The event will take place at Weaver Beach, and the night will include hot chocolate, inflatables and even snow. The Florida Cicerones, another great organization at the University of Florida, will also be offering tasty treats by the grill and will be available to answer questions to any potential applicants. UF Hillel will also be providing latkes and wholesome view of the holidays! Tonight is a great opportunity to take a short break from studying to relax and enjoy the holiday festivities while also learning a little more about a few of the many prestigious on-campus organizations offered here. I hope to see everyone there.

Happy Holidays!

Go Gators! Beat the Eagles!

Tomorrow at 2 p.m. watch as our Gators storm the Florida field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to rebound from a disappointing string of losses to try and earn a victory over the Eagles of Georgia Southern. As I've said before, injuries have been a problem for our team all year, and there is a chance that third-string quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg will be under center for the Gators again this weekend.

After the impressive outing we had against South Carolina in a hostile environment last weekend, which ended up as a close loss, there is no doubt that we should easily be victorious in this game. Georgia Southern, who is 6-4 on the year, is just lacking the kind of skill that an SEC team possesses. However, Georgia Southern is doing good things with their program. They are upgrading next year from the Southern Conference to the Sun Belt Conference. UF payed the program $550,000 to come play us in the swamp tomorrow.

The line favors Florida by 27.5 points in the matchup tomorrow, and I believe that our Gators can cover that spread. Our strong defense should have no trouble slowing down the Eagles' defense all day tomorrow. We need to get a victory on the board to gain some confidence for the powerful Florida State Seminoles that are visiting next weekend. This game should be a good game to prepare us for our biggest rivalry game of the season, which this year happens to be against the No. 2 team in the nation. Make sure to tune into ESPN3 or Sun Sports to watch. Have a safe weekend and go Gators!

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Celebrating Homecoming Week in Style

This week marks one of the most exciting weeks of the semester on campus here at the University of Florida. Homecoming week is always culminated with Gator Growl on Friday night before the big Homecoming football game on Saturday. This year we will take on Vanderbilt at noon in the Swamp.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Gator Growl, and the show should prove to be one of the greatest in recent years. The show starts at 7 p.m. on November 8th inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and the theme of this year's Growl is "Footprints of the Swamp." Gator Growl producers always strive to make the show as entertaining as possible, as they have added a second stage for this year.

Gator Growl is featuring some impressive talent this year: The Fray, Sister Hazel and the New Directions Veterans Choir will all be performing. The Swamp should be very full for the Growl this year, so get your tickets before it is too late! For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit www.gatorgrowl.org.

With only two days before the show, anticipation around campus is building as we celebrate Homecoming. Gator Growl is just another way that shows how Gators do things: BIG. This show is the largest student-run pep rally in the country, and has been that way for years and years. The hard-working students at this university are always striving to do amazing things, and the dedication that they put towards Gator Growl is truly impressive. Special thanks to all the students involved with Gator Growl that have been working for months to put this show on Friday night and all the supplementary events that go along with it. Make sure to buy a ticket and make it out to support your fellow students and to enjoy a night of talented performers under the stars! Happy Homecoming, Gators!

GO GATORS: Beat Arkansas!

Tomorrow, nighttime football returns to the Swamp for the first time since the Gators hosted Florida State back in November of 2011! We are all very excited here in the Gator Nation to watch our Florida Gators battle an SEC opponent under the bright lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. I cannot decide if I am happier that kickoff is at seven p.m. because the crowd will be more energized than it has been in the recent past, or just solely because all of us who will be inside the stadium on Saturday night won't be sweltering in the vicious Florida sun.

The Gators are coming off of an impressive 24-7 win over the Kentucky Wildcats last Saturday, which was quarterback Tyler Murphy's first career start. He went 14-15 on completions, threw one touchdown pass and ran for another. Besides his one interception, it is safe to say that Murphy impressed people around the country last week. He seems more poised and mobile that Jeff Driscoll was, which seems to be just what our offense needed.

Although things seem bright in Gator Nation, Arkansas is a legitimate opponent. They played exceptionally well against Texas A&M last Saturday, putting up 33 points against one of the nation's best football teams. They will want nothing more than to come to the Swamp and up end a Florida team that is seemingly on the rise.

However, they will be entering one of the nation's toughest stadiums to play in as an opponent, and the Swamp will be electric on Saturday night, especially because the game starts at seven. We can all expect a rowdier Gator crowd than we have seen in a long time this weekend. The Gators are favored by eleven points, and with our defense, it will be hard for the Razorbacks to score a lot of points. If we can get our offense going early in the first half, then I believe that this game can be blown wide open.

Stay safe this weekend, and Go Gators!!

Florida vs. Tennessee: Go Gators!

Tomorrow at 3:30 our beloved Gators football team will attempt to defend the Swamp for the second time this season. Last season, the Gators went undefeated at home, an accomplishment that puts fear in the thoughts of opposing teams.

The Tennessee Volunteers (2-1) and the Florida Gators (1-1) meet every season for what used to be an important rivalry game in the  Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. The game used to typically decide the team that would represent the East in the SEC Championship game. However, in recent years the Gators have dominated the series. Tomorrow when the two teams meet, Florida will be looking for a ninth straight victory against them.

Both teams come into the game off of tough losses. The Gators are looking to rebound off a tough, surprising loss to Miami a couple of weeks ago. The Vols will attempt to bounce back after a crushing defeat at the mercy of the mighty Oregon Ducks last weekend. This game has major implications on the direction that either team will head for the rest of the season.

The weather is supposed to be 88 degrees and sunny at kickoff, so make sure to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen and bring a hat! The Gators' home field advantage of sweltering heat will be in full effect tomorrow afternoon.

Our 19th ranked Gators are favored by 17 points in their first SEC matchup of the season tomorrow, and will try to get a big win to help their status in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' top 25 polls. I hope everyone is as excited as me to get back inside the Swamp, where the girls are the fairest and the boys are squarest of any old state down our way. Go Gators!