Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. somehow overcame Houston’s spirit-crushing defense Monday night to will out a 65-63 victory in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Clayton’s own D stopped the Cougars from taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Whoever said there were no great underdog stories left in March Madness, or that the title would go to whoever spends the most money — or amasses the best collection of big names from the transfer portal — clearly never checked out Houston.

Alijah Martin never really liked talking too much about his first Final Four experience because of the heartbreaking ending with Florida Atlantic two years ago.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 34 points and Florida beat Southeastern Conference rival Auburn 79-73 in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending the Gators to the national championship game for the first time since their titles in 2006 and 2007.

Walter Clayton Jr. rescued top-seeded Florida with two late 3-pointers, and the Gators rallied from nine points down late to reach the Final Four with an 84-79 victory over Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final.

Will Richard scored 15 points, Alijah Martin added 14 points and seven rebounds, and top-seeded Florida played a steady second half to run away from No. 4 seed Maryland and into the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final with an 87-71 win.

Walter Clayton Jr. and Florida ended UConn’s pursuit of a third straight national championship, with Clayton burying two key 3-pointers in the final three minutes of a scintillating 77-75 victory for the top-seeded Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Tobacco Road is the center of the NCAA Tournament this week with three women’s first-round sites at Duke, North Carolina and N.

UConn has a chance to join very rare company as March Madness winds into full gear this week.

Caitlin Clark drew lots of eyeballs to women’s basketball when she led Iowa to consecutive national-championship games.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points, and No. 4 Florida pulled away from No. 5 Alabama for a 104-82 victory in the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals.

Alex Condon had 27 points and10 rebounds to lead No. 5 Florida to a 99-94 win over No. 7 Alabama on Wednesday night.

Georgia guard Blue Cain sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining after No. 3 Florida took its first lead by scoring 13 unanswered points, and the Bulldogs beat the Gators 88-83.

Sixth-ranked Florida made program history with its victory over No. 1 Auburn on Saturday.

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 19 points and Alex Condon added 17 as No. 6 Florida rallied from an early deficit and beat No. 1 Auburn 90-81 Saturday, ending the Tigers’ 14-game winning streak.

No. 20 Florida and under-investigation-coach Todd Golden are about to get a feel for what to expect on the road this season.

Dylan Sampson scored his third touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run in overtime to give No. 8 Tennessee a 23-17 victory over Florida on Saturday night.

The Miami Hurricanes are on the move.

The Miami Hurricanes won their first game of the season against the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon at The Swamp in Gainesville.

The Canes and the Gators are preparing for their first game of the season Saturday in Gainesville.

College football players are finally getting to be themselves — or play against themselves — in one of the hottest video games on the planet.

Florida finished third in the 1,600-meter relay to pass Auburn — which failed to qualify for the final event — in the team standings Friday night for the Gators’ third straight NCAA men’s outdoor track and field championship and fifth in eight seasons.

The Miami Hurricanes will kick off their season in an in-state rivalry game by facing the Florida Gators at “The Swamp” at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

Utah and Florida clinched the remaining two spots at the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship on Thursday night, denying No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma a chance at a three-peat.

Billy Donovan hasn’t watched many UConn games.

Johni Broome scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 12 Auburn won the Tigers’ third Southeastern Conference Tournament championship by beating Florida 86-67.

Florida center Micah Handlogten broke his lower left leg in the opening minutes of the Southeastern Conference Tournament final Sunday and was taken off the court on a stretcher.

Meechie Johnson scored 25 points including a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds to play as No. 18 South Carolina rallied for an 82-76 victory over No. 24 Florida.

Florida coach Billy Napier needed to make changes after back-to-back losing seasons.

Aaron Bradshaw hit a 3-pointer with 1:27 to play and No. 6 Kentucky rallied to beat Florida 87-85 on Saturday in the first Southeastern Conference opener between the rivals in 26 years.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

3 key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

The state of Florida’s big three is back in the AP Top 25.

Bryson Barnes threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Money Parks on Utah’s first play of the game, rushed for another score and No. 14 Utes beat Florida 24-11 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams.

Florida coach Billy Napier opened fall practice talking to his team about expectations — internal ones, anyway.

Florida scored the most runs in the history of the College World Series in a 24-4 rout of LSU that forced a deciding Game 3 of the CWS finals.

Cade Beloso hit a go-ahead three-run homer, freshman Griffin Herring pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief in his longest outing, and LSU defeated No. 1 national seed Wake Forest 5-2 to stay alive in the College World Series.

Cade Kurland’s ninth-inning infield single drove in the tiebreaking run and Florida claimed a spot in the College World Series finals with a 3-2 victory over TCU.

Individual NCAA champion Fred Biondi beat Hiroshi Tai 1 up with a par on the 18th hole and Florida won its fifth men’s national golf title with a 3-1 victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

Some mock drafts have Richardson going as high as No. 4 to Indianapolis, while others have him much lower in the first round.

Colin Castleton had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kyle Lofton added 14 points and Florida used a 13-0 run late in the second half to upend No. 2 Tennessee 67-54 on Wednesday night.

Florida has granted quarterback Jaden Rashada a release from his national letter of intent.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this past weekend -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this past weekend -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh ran for two touchdowns each, and No_ 1 Georgia pulled away from Florida following a second-half scare to win 42-20 in the rivalry dubbed “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this weekend.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this past weekend.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

Trevor Etienne’s 3-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes remaining helped No. 18 Florida rally to beat South Florida 31-28.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene this past weekend.

Anthony Richardson ran for three scores in his second career start, including a 2-yard scamper with 1:25 remaining, and Florida upset seventh-ranked Utah 29-26 to get the Billy Napier era off to a rousing start.

Florida has jumped into The Associated Press women's basketball poll at No. 19.

Isaiah Bowser ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, Ryan O’Keefe had 85 yards on seven receptions, and Central Florida earned Sunshine State bragging rights by beating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.

Previously winless Texas Southern stunned No. 20 Florida 69-54 behind PJ Henry’s 16 points and a perfect shooting night by Joirdon Karl Nicholas.

Florida has hired Louisiana-Lafayette's Billy Napier to be the Gators' next football coach.

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

Florida has fired coach Dan Mullen a day after his sixth loss in nine games.

Tua Tagovailoa made a good impression in his first extensive action since the trade deadline passed and speculation about his future intensified.

Colin Castleton had 15 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and six blocks as Florida knocked off No. 20 Florida State 71-55 to end a seven-game losing streak in the series.

Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

All of a sudden, the roof has caved in and coach Dan Mullen is starting to feel some serious heat from outraged fans.

No_ 1 Georgia and its top-ranked defense dominated Florida in the annual rivalry known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party."

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

Trevin Wallace returned a blocked field goal 76 yards for the go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter, Chris Rodriguez Jr. added a 9-yard scoring run early in the fourth and Kentucky made a final defensive stand to hold off No. 10 Florida 20-13.

Emory Jones had two touchdown passes to go along with a career-high 144 yards rushing, leading No. 11 Florida to a 38-14 victory over Tennessee on Saturday night and extending nearly two decades of dominance in the series.

Huddle up! Here’s a look back at this weekend on the gridiron, with three key takeaways from the state’s football scene.

Bryce Young’s first collegiate road start was a rousing success, a three-touchdown performance that helped top-ranked Alabama hold off No. 11 Florida 31-29 in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.

No. 13 Florida tuned up for the start of Southeastern Conference play with a 42-20 rout of overmatched South Florida that did little to answer the question of whether starter Emory Jones or backup Anthony Richardson is best suited to run the Gators offense.

Oral Roberts won 81-78. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)INDIANAPOLIS – Dunk City, say hello to Max Abmas and the Golden Eagles of soaring Oral Roberts. Oral Roberts joins Florida Gulf Coast — those guys from “Dunk City” — as the only No. The Oral Roberts fans inside Indiana Famers Coliseum chanted “Cinderella” during a wild celebration after the victory. SMART FOULOne of the biggest decisions of the game came with 3:11 left after Oral Roberts pulled within 76-75.

10 seed Virginia Tech 75-70 in a first-round game on Friday. He finished with 30 points and scored the final 12 of regulation for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech hit 5 of its first 10 3-point attempts, but made just two the rest of the way. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said he considered keeping Aluma on the bench to start overtime. AdHINKLE'S LIGHTThe first NCAA Tournament game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 81 years was rife with history, nostalgia and ... sunlight.

11 West Virginia 85-80 on Saturday in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Derek Culver led West Virginia (11-5) with a career-high 28 points, but he was bottled up in the second half. NICHOLS BACKFlorida assistant coach Darris Nichols faced West Virginia coach Bob Huggins for the third time. The Gators beat West Virginia in the 2016 Big 12/SEC Challenge in Gainesville, Florida, and at the 2018 Jimmy V Classic. 10 Texas Tech last Monday, Saturday's loss could prevent West Virginia from moving into the top 10 of the AP poll.

Florida guard Tre Mann (1) and Tennessee guard Davonte Gaines (0) compete for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19. 2021, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Stamey)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Noah Locke scored 14 points, Tyree Appleby added 13 and short-handed Florida stunned No. 6 Tennessee 75-49 on Tuesday night. Guard Scottie Lewis (COVID-19 protocols) and forward Colin Castleton (ankle) missed the game. But forward Omar Payne, starting for the first time in nearly a year, finished with nine points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots for Florida (7-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference).

Florida coach Dan Mullen, center, watches play against Oklahoma during the first half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Dan Mullen wasted little time identifying problem areas following his team's worst defensive season in more than a hundred years. The Sooners racked up a whopping 684 yards — the most any team has ever gained against Florida — in the Cotton Bowl on Wednesday night. The Gators played without three defensive starters in the Cotton Bowl. Even with those give guys, Florida’s defense was mostly a debacle.

(AP Photo/Matt Stamey, File)GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is back with the team and working as a coach in practice, coach Mike White said Monday. Johnson was released from the hospital last week, 10 days after collapsing on the court at Florida State and needing emergency medical attention. “Our guys are ready to move forward, not move on from Keyontae, but move forward with him," White said. Witnesses said Johnson was standing near midcourt and suddenly fell forward and landed on his face. White said Johnson already has mentioned that he's “ready to roll” and wants to practice, but doctors will decide when and if that happens this season.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma is going right back to the stadium where the Sooners just won their sixth Big 12 championship in a row to play SEC runner-up Florida in the Cotton Bowl. During a Gators team meeting on Zoom to discuss their bowl destination, one of the first questions players asked Mullen was where the Cotton Bowl was played. Oklahoma is in the Cotton Bowl for only the third time, its first since a 41-13 loss to Texas A&M on Jan. 4, 2013. The Cotton Bowl will be played two days before Alabama faces No. Pitts announced is turning pro and won't play in the Cotton Bowl.

11 Florida in a 52-46 shootout for the Southeastern Conference championship Saturday night. “The resiliency this team has shown this season to win 11 games is pretty phenomenal.”After falling behind 35-17 by halftime, Florida (8-3, No. Alabama had won every game in the pandemic-affected season by at least 15 points until Florida gave the Tide a scare. Florida: The Gators might’ve pulled off the upset if not for some crucial mistakes in the first half. But Florida also had two silly penalties on apparent third-down stops, extending a pair of drives that turned into touchdowns.

6 Florida 37-34 on a cool and foggy Saturday night in the Swamp. Florida didn’t help itself with three turnovers in the first half that led to 10 points and a 24-17 deficit. He fumbled trying to scramble with 10 seconds to play in the half, essentially handing LSU a field goal. Florida had first-and-10 at the LSU 15-yard line when Trask tried to connect with Kadarius Toney near the sideline. Florida: The Gators have all kinds of issues heading into the title game.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida standout forward Keyontae Johnson, the Southeastern Conference's preseason player of the year, collapsed coming out of a timeout against rival Florida State and needed emergency medical attention. Johnson was taken off the floor on a stretcher and rushed to Tallahassee Memorial for evaluation. Johnson had just dunked in transition before he fell to the floor as the team broke its huddle. Several Gators were in tears and a couple buried their faces in towels as coach Mike White gathered his team to say a prayer. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Norfolk, Virginia, averaged a team-high 14 points last season to go along with 7.1 rebounds.

Kyle Trask threw for 433 yards and four touchdowns, and the Gators beat Tennessee 31-19 on Saturday to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game. “It felt like they threw on every snap.”Playing with a depleted roster, Tennessee (2-6) dropped its sixth consecutive game. Florida stretched a 10-point halftime advantage to 24-7 with a 75-yard drive capped by an 8-yard pass from Trask to Trevon Grimes. “I think they did a great job — Tennessee — throughout the game of giving us some different looks," Trask said. The Tennessee defense stiffened and forced the Gators into a field goal attempt from 53 yards.

Trask repeatedly torched the Razorbacks (3-4), who were without coach Sam Pittman and without much of a chance by halftime. It was the second time this season Trask tossed six TDs in a game. “I think I did a great job of executing and being efficient,” said Trask, who now has an SEC-record 28 TD passes and just three interceptions in six games. He became the third player in school history with at least 25 touchdown passes in multiple years, joining Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. Florida: The Gators have the offense to beat anyone and the defense to keep everyone in games.

8 Florida beat fifth-ranked and undermanned Georgia 44-28 on Saturday. The Bulldogs (4-2), who entered the game as 3½-point favorites, were likely eliminated from College Football Playoff consideration and probably have a quarterback competition moving forward. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. POLL IMPLICATIONSGeorgia likely will fall out of top 10 of T he Associated Press' college football poll for the first time this season. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

8 Florida reported no new COVID-19 positives in the past week, the first time since September the team’s coronavirus numbers have remained steady. The Southeastern Conference postponed two of Florida’s game following a COVID-19 outbreak that included coach Dan Mullen, at least two assistants and more than 30 players. The reserve/COVID-19 list is for a player who either tests positive for COVID-19 or who has been in close contact with an infected person. ___German soccer club Hertha Berlin says defender Jordan Torunarigha has tested positive for the coronavirus. Schalke said an unnamed player had also tested positive ahead of its German Cup game against Schweinfurt on Tuesday.

10 Florida returned from a three-week layoff to handle Missouri 41-17 on Saturday night in the Swamp. It could be costly for Florida (3-1), which plays rival and fifth-ranked Georgia next week in nearby Jacksonville. The referee huddled Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Mullen near the goal line and then announced the ejections. Missouri defensive lineman Tre Williams, Florida defensive end Zach Carter and Florida linebacker Antwuan Powell were tossed. Florida plays Georgia in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, which will be limited to about 18,000 fans.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___California’s men’s basketball team is pausing workouts after an unidentified player tested positive for COVID-19. ___The NFL and its players' union say eight players and 11 other personnel tested positive in the latest round of screening for COVID-19. Coach Dan Mullen, at least two assistants and more than two dozen players tested positive following a road trip to Texas A&M earlier this month. FIU has seen more than 30 players miss time this season because of positive coronavirus tests or a need to quarantine after potential exposure. Last Sunday’s game between Lens and Nantes was postponed after 11 Lens players and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. Mullen was given several more chances Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, to walk back bizarre comments about wanting to pack 90,000 screaming fans inside Florida Field during the coronavirus pandemic. 10 Florida is planning to start returning to its football facility Monday, nearly two weeks after the program shut down because of a COVID-19 outbreak. Coach Dan Mullen, one of more than two dozen Gators who tested positive for the coronavirus last week, sounded congested as he said the team had a new positive Wednesday. '”Mullen suggested Florida would look at potentially changing its road routine, especially in regards to the size of visiting locker rooms around the league.

___The Italian swim team’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics are in crisis with 10 more athletes testing positive for the novel coronavirus. Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini was already at home in isolation after testing positive last week. The federation says all of the swimmers are asymptomatic and that no staff members have tested positive. ___The Mountain West football game between New Mexico and Colorado State has been canceled due to COVID-19. Overall contenders Simon Yates and Steven Kruijswijk had already been withdrawn from the race after testing positive.

10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. To play, the SEC requires at least 53 on game days. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. “Every time you’re taking a test," Mason said, “you're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida has shut down football activities following a COVID-19 outbreak among the team on the school’s Gainesville campus. Florida’s athletic director released a statement saying the team has experienced a spike in positive coronavirus cases among players this week, and for that, team activities are being paused. The statement read:“The University of Florida football team has experienced an increased in positive COVID tests among players this week. Out of an abundance of caution, team activities are paused as of Tuesday afternoon. After the game, Gators head coach Dan Mullen said he wanted to pack the swamp for the LSU game, saying he wanted 90,000 fans to be allowed into the stadium.

21 Texas A&M beat fourth-ranked Florida 41-38 on Seth Small's 26-yard field goal as time expired Saturday. Kellen Mond threw a 51-yard pass to Caleb Chapman for a tying TD with about 4½ minutes to go. Florida led 28-24 early in the fourth when Spiller struck again, running 19 yards for a touchdown on a fourth-and-2 play. Spiller bounced off several defenders before waltzing into the end zone and then hitting the Florida fan section with a Gator chomp. Trask’s second TD pass came on the next drive when he found Toney for an 11-yard grab.

Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts hooked up for two more touchdowns, continuing their hot start and leading Florida to a 38-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. But the Gators had their way with South Carolina for three quarters in front of 15,120 socially distant fans in the Swamp. BRIGHT SPOTHarris was one of the few bright spots for South Carolina. "I just did what I had to do.”DROPPED PASSESA big reason South Carolina couldn’t keep up was dropped passes. Florida takes its “Kyle to Kyle Show” to Kyle Field to play Texas A&M next Saturday.

– Kyle Pitts caught four of Kyle Trask's six touchdown passes and No. 5 Florida spoiled the head coaching debut of Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin with a 51-35 victory Saturday. Trask completed 30 of 42 passes for 416 yards including touchdown passes of 1, 16, 71 and 17 yards to Pitts. Ole Miss (0-1) tied it at 14 midway through the second quarter before yielding to the Trask-led Florida outburst. “As members of the Florida and Ole Miss football teams, we recognize the impact of our personal platforms and are choosing to amplify the issues that directly impact us.

MIAMI – University of Florida football games will sound a little different moving forward. The school has decided to drop the “Gator Bait” cheer. The President of the school Kent Fuchs said it was because of “historic racist imagery associated with the phrase.”Fuchs said the school’s athletics and the band will discontinue the cheer.

6 Florida defeat Virginia 36-28 in Monday night’s Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. 9 College Football Playoff) capped their first 11-win season since 2012 and improved to 4-0 all-time at the Orange Bowl. “That’s pretty incredible.”Dan Mullen, whose Mississippi State team was upset by Georgia Tech in the 2014 Orange Bowl, improved to 7-2 in bowl games as a head coach. Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen reacts to a call against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at the Orange Bowl, Dec. 30, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images)That includes Steve Spurrier, who coached his final game as a Gator in the 2002 Orange Bowl and took part in the pregame coin toss.

6 Florida’s game against Virginia in the Orange Bowl. Virginia Cavaliers head coach Bronco Mendenhall and Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen pose for a photograph during a news conference for the Orange Bowl, Dec. 29, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (AP Photo)Under Mullen, Florida has quickly surpassed Florida State and Miami to become the premiere program in the Sunshine State. (AP Photo)Florida hasn’t played in a true Orange Bowl game since Steve Spurrier coached his final game as a Gator to conclude the 2001 season. “The Orange Bowl is the first bowl game that I was ever a part of as a grad assistant at Syracuse,” Mullen recalled.

SUNRISE, Fla. – Sam Merrill scored 21 points Saturday and Utah State held Florida without a field goal for six minutes down the stretch to win 65-62 in the Orange Bowl Classic. Utah State won despite losing hard-luck center Neemias Queta to an injury in the first half. The Gators missed their first 14 shots, and missed seven in a row in the final minutes after taking a 55-54 lead. The Gators outrebounded the tallest team in the nation 41-33 but shot only 32 percent, including 4 for 17 from 3-point range. Justin Bean had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Utah State.

The Miami Hurricanes will get one more chance to finish their season on a high note. The Hurricanes will face Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on December 26th in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Canes finished at 6-6, including disappointing losses to FIU (at Marlins Park) and Duke to close out the season. The Orange Bowl will bring an in-state team to Hard Rock Stadium. The Gators are 3-0 in the Orange Bowl, including a win in their last appearance following the 2001 season.