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Posted by will on Oct 2, 2016 in Articles

NFL Preview: Week 4 Top Matchups

October 2, 2016

Almost a quarter of the 2016 NFL season has passed and there has been plenty of excitement to this point. As of now, there are still five undefeated teams, rookie and first time starting quarterbacks have started 11-2 combined. Unfortunately, this season has also been highlighted by multiple injuries to star players. Week 4 not only marks the quarter point of this season, but it is also marks the return of Le’Veon Bell, and the final week of Tom Brady and Josh Gordon’s suspensions. Keeping all of that in mind, here is a preview of some of Week 4’s biggest matchups around the NFL.

Carolina Panthers (1-2) at Atlanta Falcons (2-1) 1 p.m.

Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

These two NFC South Rivals square off for the first time this season. The Panthers have won the NFC South division the last two seasons, but Atlanta’s high-powered offense making a name for itself in 2016. Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, who is coming off a 14 carry 152-yard performance against the New Orleans Saints, says he is ready to face the Panthers defense which is holding teams to under 100-yards rushing on the season.

The Panthers have started the 2016 season off much slower than their 2015 season. Already with two losses on the season, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton says his team knows that getting their second win will feel great, especially coming against a division rival.

Buffalo Bills (1-2) at New England Patriots (3-0) 1 p.m.

Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills will travel to Foxborough to face off against their undefeated division rival New England Patriots. The Bills are coming off a big upset win over the Arizona Cardinals, where they dominated on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. However, the Bills have lost the last two games against the Patriots and haven’t won in Foxborough since 2014.

Meanwhile, the Patriots have been without their All-Pro Quarterback Tom Brady through the first three weeks of the season, and they are still undefeated. Not only that, but they have virtually been without their star tight end Rob Gronkowski for the first three weeks, despite him taking some snaps last week. Gronkowski says he doesn’t want to rush back into things, but he is excited to be back on the field at full-force.

Dallas Cowboys (2-1) at San Francisco 49’ers (1-2) 4:25 p.m.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys are traveling to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. Despite not having Pro-Bowl Quarterback Tony Romo, the Cowboys have started off the season with two wins, behind rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. The Mississippi State product only has one touchdown through the air, thanks to the hands of Dez Bryant, but he has yet to commit a turnover this season.

However, the Cowboys could be without Bryant this week, who suffered a knee injury Sunday night in Chicago. Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett says they are pleased with the results from Bryant’s MRI, but he wishes the receiver handled the situation differently.

After going on the road for two straight games, the San Francisco 49ers are going into week four 1-2. The 49ers lost their last two games by a total score of 83-45, after winning their first game 28-0.

Although the last two weeks haven’t looked great for the 49ers, running back Carlos Hyde is coming off his first 100-yard performance of the season against a Seattle defense that is notorious for holding running backs to under 100-yards. Hyde also has four rushing touchdowns on the season, which already puts him ahead of his three rushing touchdowns from the 2015 season. If there’s anything that looks bright in San Francisco, its in their running game.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) 8:30 p.m.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

This week’s Sunday Night Football game will be in Pittsburgh, as the Kansas City Chiefs will travel there to face off against the Steelers. In the past, the Chiefs have been known for their conservative play on offense while their defense brought the physical presence. This strategy hasn’t changed much, but the Chiefs have scored 69 points over the first three weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, their defense is holding teams to just 16.3 points per game. The Chiefs have faced off against three teams with a strong running game, but none like the Steelers, who will have Le’Veon Bell available for the first time this season.

The Steelers are now known for their high-powered offense, led by the three-headed monster of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell.

After being held to just three points last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers will look to attack the Chiefs defense early and often. Bell says he is in great shape heading into his first game of the 2016 season.

Source: WRUF

Posted by will on Sep 29, 2016 in Archive

Review: Don’t Make Me Think

With today’s technology rapidly advancing before our eyes, having a website that is quick and easy to use, but is able to display your brand effectively is extremely important. Although it’s an important thing for everyone to have, it doesn’t mean that everyone has a website that achieves these goals. In fact, most people don’t, because they do not know what makes for a good website. I have had my own website for about a year now and I can tell you that after reading Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug, I have some work to do on my site. Krug explains how we can make our websites effective and usable, but more importantly, your website should be easy to use.

Krug highlights the term “usability” in this book. Although it seems like common sense, many people have websites that are aren’t exactly usable. The concept is as simple as making sure your pages should be clear, making sure links are accessible to click if any were used, and keeping your content simple. Having a website that is hard to use can turn people away from your site. In today’s world, it isn’t realistic to believe that every person who visits your website will read every word on every page of your website. So no matter if you are a multimedia journalist who is trying to share their stories with the world, or if its are a clothing company who wants their customers to be able to buy clothes easily on their website; Krug’s message is as making sure your website is easy to use, or “usable.”

As for the layout of your website, it should be designed like a billboard. What that means, is that your website consists of clear headings, with short paragraphs or even bulleted lists. These little details are what makes your website appealing for whomever is browsing your site.

Not only is it important for your website to make your website appealing for the average browser, but also making your websites message is clear. When someone visits your website, they should be able to know exactly what to do while they’re browsing and where to go to do so.

As a multimedia journalist, no matter if I am writing for news or sports, I know that the main goal is to grab the attention of the audience, while producing reliable content for them to see. Whether its using creative titles to catch the readers attention or having teases on your homepage to entice the reader to look throughout your site, I always want to make sure that my site is usable and that my content is accessible.

All in all, Don’t Make Me Think taught me many of the important characteristics of what makes up a good website. Not every user is the same and not everyone will agree on what makes for a good website. As a journalist, I know that not everyone will like the way I share my brand with the world, or the content I produce, but I can do the best I can to make it appealing to the average browser. The same goes with creating a website. I can only do my best to make it easy to use, accessible to anyone, while providing reliable and accurate information.

Posted by will on Sep 22, 2016 in Archive

Preview: No 19 Florida at No 14 Tennessee

The Florida Gators will travel to Knoxville this Saturday to take on the Tennessee Volunteers. The highly anticipated matchup between two ranked SEC East teams will be on display in Neyland Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Not only that, but the College Gameday crew will also travel to Knoxville to preview the games from around the country.

Florida’s early season success has a lot to do with their defense. The Gators have allowed less than 10 points on the entire season, and are coming off a game where they allowed only 53 total yards. Florida is also one of two teams who have yet to let an opposing team score through the air.

Tennessee is looking to change that this Saturday. A Volunteers team who is led by Senior quarterback Josh Dobbs, came into the season ranked inside the Top 10 and were the rumored favorite to win the SEC East. After pulling out an overtime victory against Appalachian State in Week 1 and late starts to Week 2 and 3, Tennessee has dropped to 14th in the rankings.

In order for Tennessee to win, Dobbs will need to make an immediate impact on the game, whether its through the air or on the ground. In Florida’s first three games, they started off slow in two of them, but their defense made up for it.

Florida will be without starting quarterback Luke Del Rio for this game. Del Rio suffered a knee injury during the North Texas game and will be out the next 2-3 weeks. That means graduate transfer Austin Appleby will get his first start under center for the Gators. Appleby, who originally played for Purdue University, has plenty of in-game experience.

If Florida can establish the run, open up the play-action game for Appleby and play half as good of defense as they have all season, then they could come out on top on the road.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

Posted by will on Sep 22, 2016 in Archive

Gators Lose Starting Quarterback in Win Over North Texas

The Florida Gators improved to 3-0 on the season and moved to No. 19 in the AP Poll after defeating the North Texas Mean Green by a score of 32-0. However, the Gators can’t help but feel that they lost in a way. Starting quarterback Luke Del Rio suffered a left knee injury, and is expected to miss the next two to three weeks. The Gators will turn to backup quarterback Austin Appleby to lead the Gators to victory in Del Rio’s absence.

Despite the injury to Del Rio, the Gators posted their second shutout of the season, four different running-backs got into the end-zone, and Appleby was able to get some more in-game experience under center for the Gators.

Notable Statistics

Mark Thompson (UF)- 11 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
Jordan Scarlett (UF)- 11 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
Luke Del Rio (UF)- 14 for 25, 186 yards, 1 INT
Jeffery Wilson (UNT) 10 carries, 30 yards

The Gators defense continues to amaze, as they allowed just 53 yards of total offense last weekend, the lowest in school history. The Gators have also held their first three opponents to under 10 points combined, which is the first time since the team has done that since 1988. The Gators look to bring the same defensive intensity to Knoxville this Saturday as they square off against SEC East rival No. 14 Tennessee.

Posted by will on Sep 15, 2016 in Archive

Game Preview: North Texas at Florida (23)

After putting on an offensive-showcase against the Kentucky Wildcats, the Florida Gators look to build off that momentum as they square off against the North Texas Mean Green. Both teams are coming off victories where they scored over 40 points each.

If Florida comes out against North Texas like they came out against Kentucky, then the Mean Green are going to be in for a long night in the Swamp. Luke Del Rio is coming off a performance that put him in the conversation with Gator greats such as Tim Tebow and Rex Grossman, so Florida might look to air it out early.

However, the Mean Green have only allowed 245 yards through the air this season. For Florida, establishing the run will be important and could be the better strategy, as North Texas has given up over 400 yards rushing to opposing teams. Offensively, North Texas’ run game is their team’s strong point, rushing for over 400 yards in the first two games of the season. Although the numbers might not show it, Florida had its struggles last week against the run. Granted, Kentucky only threw the ball 13 times so most of their offense had to come from their ground-game.

If Florida comes out like they did against UMass then North Texas will need to take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts. But, if the Gators come out like they did against Kentucky then North Texas could be in for a long night in the Swamp

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