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Today in History: October 22, Apollo 7 returns with a splash

Tue, 10/22/2024 - 01:00

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 22, the 296th day of 2024. There are 70 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 22, 1968, Apollo 7 returned safely from Earth orbit, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

Also on this date:

In 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first constitutionally elected president of the Republic of Texas.

In 1928, Republican presidential nominee Herbert Hoover spoke of the “American system of rugged individualism” in a speech at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

In 1934, bank robber Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd was shot to death by federal agents and local police at a farm near East Liverpool, Ohio.

In 1962, in a nationally broadcast address, President John F. Kennedy revealed the presence of Soviet-built missile bases under construction in Cuba and announced a naval blockade of all offensive military equipment being shipped to the Communist island nation.

In 1995, the largest gathering of world leaders in history marked the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

In 2012, cyclist Lance Armstrong was formally stripped of his seven Tour de France victories and received a lifetime ban from Olympic sports after the International Cycling Union chose not to appeal doping charges against Armstrong by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

In 2014, a gunman shot and killed a soldier standing guard at a war memorial in Ottawa, then stormed the Canadian Parliament building before he himself was shot and killed.

In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won their first pennant since 1945, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. (The Cubs would go on to beat Cleveland in the World Series in seven games.)

Today’s Birthdays:

Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 88.
Actor Christopher Lloyd is 86.
Actor Derek Jacobi is 86.
Actor Tony Roberts is 85.
Actor Catherine Deneuve is 81.
Physician and author Deepak Chopra is 78.
Actor Jeff Goldblum is 72.
Actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk is 62.
Olympic gold medal figure skater Brian Boitano is 61.
Country singer Shelby Lynne is 56.
Reggae deejay and singer Shaggy is 56.
Film director Spike Jonze is 55.
Argentine President Javier Milei is 54.
Former MLB All-Star Ichiro Suzuki is 51.
Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson is 49.
Actor Corey Hawkins is 36.
Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 34.
Rapper 21 Savage is 32.

Daily Horoscope for October 22, 2024

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 21:00

General Daily Insight for October 22, 2024

What we say matters. Talkative Mercury harmonizes with mature Saturn, empowering everyone to communicate serious subjects with gravity and make decisions with conviction. The self-focused Sun then shoves chaotic Pluto, leading to obsessive or self-sabotaging impulses, requiring us to pause and think before acting. When the Sun moves into intense Scorpio at 6:15 pm EDT, this magnetic, obsessive effect may feel even stronger, as Pluto co-rules Scorpio. Channel this energy into empathy and fighting for truth — or get swept up in the storm.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You might be making serious decisions about resources that aren’t solely yours. Whether this involves a cooperative business venture, joint income, a mutual home, or even shared information, you’re meant to treat it with the respect that it needs. Acting rashly or flippantly at this time could result in missteps that affect more people than just you. Who else could this impact? Instead of getting caught up in your head, make sure that you’re listening to the other people in your corner.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Someone may bring you a decision that you have to make. While it may seem like you’re being pushed into a corner by a group of people in your life, it could actually be one that you needed to make a while ago. This could be a result of procrastination, avoidance, or inability — regardless, an answer is urgently needed. Instead of running away from this, it’s crucial that you stand and make a choice for yourself. Only you know what you need.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

You may struggle to make the same positive decision you made before. It might be harder than normal to be consistent — maybe you’re struggling to return to normalcy after a tough time or attempting to continue building a positive new habit. Temptations abound! Exhaustion, in particular, is likely tugging you toward the easy decision, not the best decision. While it might feel impossible to do anything except throw in the towel, hang on, and make a go of it. Baby steps are still steps!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

No one will propel you out of your comfort zone. While you might have made up your mind that you will break free from comfort to find excitement, that’s definitely easier thought than done. Details might begin to materialize that make it obvious that you need to do a bit more planning. On the other hand, though doing more research won’t hurt, you’ll never be fully prepared. Make a go of it once you’ve got your feet under you, even if it’s imperfect.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Social connections require even more sincerity than usual. You’re keenly aware that the decisions that you make don’t affect only you, even if you’re only trying to follow your heart. When you make promises to other people, you’re making a pact that you will be there for them and follow through. It’s a good idea to make sure that you’re honest with yourself and your loved ones about how you’re doing, and avoid promising anything you can’t deliver. Otherwise, you risk wounding yourself and others.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

A heart-to-heart may be in order. Someone close to you, whether a sibling, a cousin, or a friend, might be looking for advice — specifically, your input on a situation in their life. You may not realize right away that some gentle guidance is what they’re searching for, so your honest opinion could be a bit harsher than what they need to hear at this moment. Take some sandpaper to your advice and smooth off the rough edges to be honest, but compassionate.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Someone you’re at odds with may push your buttons. To an outside viewer, it might seem like you’re overreacting to their behavior, but it’s likely that you and this person both know that they’re trying to get under your skin. You could be drawn to plot revenge against them for the ways they’ve been disrupting your peace, but this will only fuel the fire and possibly give them the explosive reaction that they want. Do your best to put this issue to bed maturely.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

When was the last time you checked in on your long-term goals? Take a moment to account for any projects that have been in the back of your mind for a long time, waiting for you to have the time and energy necessary to make it a reality. While this project would be satisfying, it’ll require some hard work — the temptation to put it off for another day may be strong. Seize this moment by invigorating your passion to overpower your distraction!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Sometimes, it’s about what you don’t say. There may be something on your mind that you’re not sure if you should say — meanwhile, your peers are probably encouraging you to say it. While it’s a good idea to be an open and honest communicator, it’s also important to listen. You might gain a lot more from listening than you would from talking at present. Let someone else lead the conversation, then see if you still want to say what’s on your mind afterward.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You may be taking a step back so that someone else can shine. Even if you consistently rise to the occasion and receive praise for your hard work, your results are potentially more independent in a way that doesn’t leave much room in the limelight. Someone might be waiting to prove themselves, or simply to be given an opportunity to try, and you can provide them the space to do so. Plus, their success would mean you won’t keep having to do everything yourself.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Your career might require some serious consideration. A fork in the road might be arriving, one that demands you choose a direction to continue on. This deserves some deep thought before you make it happen. One option may be a tedious but valuable path to learn something new, while the other option is less certifiably useful despite moving more quickly. Be respectful of your wants and needs while course-correcting, whichever you choose, and don’t make a snap decision. You owe it to yourself.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Pisces is taking point! There may be an adventure that you’ve been waiting for someone to take with you. Here and now, instead of continuing to wait for them to finally show up, you’re ready to take the plunge yourself. There’s nothing wrong with doing things on your own, after all. Plus, there’s so much that you might miss if you keep delaying things in search of a partner. Who knows, your experiences might include finding someone to go on the next adventure with.

Boca Raton’s Center for Arts and Innovation falls behind on its fundraising goals

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 15:54

Organizers revealed Monday that Boca Raton’s Center for Arts and Innovation — a planned arts-oriented destination featuring many attractions — is millions of dollars behind in fundraising, drawing criticism from city officials.

The center, which is intended to be an extensive performing arts center at the north end of Mizner Park, was supposed to have raised more than $50 million by now, in order to be on track, according to city documents.

But during a public meeting on Monday afternoon, CEO Andrea Virgin told City Council members that about $32 million has been raised in “documented pledges” from donors, with about $8 million of that in “cash-on-hand” funds.

Virgin said “key donors” needed more time, explaining why the fundraising goal hadn’t been met. “This is not a setback, and this is not a result of anyone’s missteps,” she said. “It is merely a reflection on what we have learned from our donors.”

As Virgin has provided period updates on the center — such as the unveiling of the center’s design plans in April and the architect announcement in September of 2023 — discussions of finances have been kept confidential. So Monday’s meeting was a rather rare public discussion of specific finances.

The frustration was palpable. Deputy Mayor Yvette Drucker called out Virgin for telling city officials that the center’s fundraising was “on target.”

“I’m disappointed because I did not have the facts,” Drucker said.

Council member Marc Wigder called the update a “significant departure.”

“There’s been really not a lot of correspondence and not a lot of transparency from the center,” Wigder said.

Virgin said donors don’t appreciate being rushed, and some expressed a desire for further approval before feeling comfortable with giving funds.

“We are doing everything we possibly can to move as fast as we can,” she said. “One thing I cannot control, and they say to ‘control the controllables,’ with the way that donors make their decisions, I simply can only relate the message that they have to share.”

Earlier in the October, Virgin had presented “landlord plans” to city officials, as Boca Raton serves as the center’s landlord. Wary of perceived operational issues with the plans, council members postponed landlord-plan approval and decided to seek an outside consultant to further vet the project.

The Amphitheater at Mizner Park in Boca Raton on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. This is in the area where the Center for Arts and Innovation is envisioned to rise. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Despite the center’s hurdles, several people, including state Rep. Mike Caruso and Sen. Tina Polsky, came forward on Monday in support of the center, citing Boca Raton’s need for an arts-focused hub.

“A city without the arts is just a bunch of concrete buildings,” Caruso said during Monday’s meeting.

Though the agreement between the city and the center allows for the city to terminate the center’s use of the land at Mizner Park because it did not meet the fundraising goals, City Council members expressed a desire to move forward with the project. They didn’t want to let the money and time invested into the project go to waste.

Center for Arts and Innovation CEO Andrea Virgin told the Boca Raton City Council on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, that the Center had not met fundraising goals. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Council members voted 4-1 to allow the center’s team an extension until Jan. 7 to meet the fundraising goals. If all else goes as planned, Virgin said the plan would be set for the groundbreaking to begin in 2028.

City Manager George Brown called the process “very disturbing.”

“I’m just disturbed by a lack of accountability, a lack of transparency, a lack of forthrightness and, in this circumstance, a lack of humility,” he said.

Conservative Tom Cotton joins Marco Rubio in Boca Raton to boost Rick Scott reelection

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 15:42

U.S. Sen Rick Scott, leading his opponent but hovering below 50% in most polls, campaigned with two of his Republican colleagues as he works to close the deal with early voting underway in Florida.

U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Tom Cotton of Arkansas vouched for Scott’s conservative bona fides, and invoked the name of Florida’s most prominent Republican, former President Donald Trump, to sell Scott’s reelection.

Without a Republican majority including Scott, it would be impossible for Trump to implement his policies if he’s reelected president, they said.

“We know Donald Trump is going to be the next president and we’re gonna help him here in Florida. If he gets to Washington and he doesn’t have a Republican Senate … none of the stuff that Trump wants to do will happen,” Rubio said. “They will not give him a team to get the job done. They will try to paralyze his administration if they don’t try to impeach them again.”

Scott, too, invoked the Republican presidential candidate.

“We will win the state and Donald Trump will be sworn in on January 20th,” Scott said. “So we’re gonna get our votes out. Donald Trump will be the next president. We’re gonna have a majority in the Senate, the majority of the House, and we’re gonna turn this country around.”

A life-size cardboard cutout of the former president was on a table at the front of the venue, as if Trump was looking over the crowd

Vote now

The intentions of close to 200 people who packed The Griddle Restaurant, a Boca Raton breakfast and lunch spot, weren’t in doubt.

But Scott, Rubio and Cotton said intentions aren’t enough. They urged supporters to vote now, and not wait.

“The most important thing is vote,” Scott said.

Early voting started Monday in most of Florida. Scott took his own advice, voting earlier in the day in Naples — accompanied by another celebrity politician, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich — before heading east for the afternoon event in Boca Raton.

“This election is not on November 5th. The election ends on November 5th. It starts today at the latest,” Cotton said.

“Leave here right now, leave here right now and go vote, go early vote. Bank your vote. Don’t count on everything being fine on Election Day. You may have a flat tire, an emergency or work. You may have a parent who’s sick or a kid who’s sick. Get out and vote today so Rick Scott and Donald Trump and their campaigns can go down to the next person on the list,” Cotton said.

He added some urgency, pointing to the disruptions for people affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

People may be occupied with concerns other than voting. Some people may have misplaced their ballots, he said; others may have left the state.

Nearing an end

It’s the stage of an election when candidates are forced more on making sure supporters actually carry through with their intentions and cast ballots and less on persuasion.

Both sides are campaigning via 30-second TV ads, both to sell themselves and tear down supporters. A Scott ad shows him being pushed in the poll by his grandchildren.

A spot from former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the Democratic Senate candidate, shows Scott’s head on a snake slithering around spreading unpopular policies. Scott said he hadn’t seen the ad and didn’t have a response. “Nope. She’s silly.”

State Rep. Mike Caruso, a Palm Beach County Republican, said he thinks Trump and Scott could win the county. That would solidify a major transformation of the once reliably Democratic county, which Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly won in 2022 when Democratic turnout collapsed.

“It’s been turning redder every day,” Caruso said. “My team has knocked on about 30,000 doors this campaign. We’re still doing it every day. For the last month and a half we’ve been (contacting no party affiliation voters) and soft Democrats. I find them very frustrated with things on a national scale.”

A poll released Monday by the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab showed Scott leading Mucarsel-Powell 49% to 46%. That’s within the margin of error for the poll, plus or minus 4 percentage points. The survey of 977 likely Florida voters was conducted Oct. 7 through Oct. 18 with calls to landlines and cellphone numbers.

That’s typical poll performance for Scott, who often does not break 50% in pre-election polling, but goes on to win narrow election victories, twice for governor and once for U.S. Senate.

In the presidential race in Florida, Trump was ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris, 53% to 43%.

“At just three percentage points, Rick Scott’s lead is significantly narrower than Trump’s, similar to what we saw back in July,” Michael Binder, faculty director of the public opinion lab and a UNF political scientist, said in a statement about the poll results. “Much like the rest of the country, Trump is running notably ahead of Senate candidates in the same state.”

Sen. Rick Scott speaks during a “Get Out the Vote Rally” at The Griddle restaurant in Boca Raton on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Democratic challenger

Rubio said Mucarsel-Powell is radical and a leftist.

“I’m telling you that the differences could not be starker and the stakes could not be higher,” he said.

Cotton, too, said “the choice could not be more stark. You have Rick Scott, who will stand with you, protect your interests and help you and your family and your communities achieve your dreams and your aspirations, and you have a radical left-wing Democrat who voted to impeach Donald Trump.”

Mucarsel-Powell campaign spokesperson Riya Vashi said Cotton wouldn’t help Scott win reelection.

“Rick Scott can invite as many of his extremist friends to come campaign with him as he wants, but nothing will change the fact that Floridians know he’s a thief and are more than ready to put an end to his 14 years of failure. And honestly, who can blame them? At every turn imaginable, self-serving Scott has embraced extremism and prioritized his own political gain over the well-being of the very people he was elected to represent,” she said via email.

Vashi said Florida said voters are supporting Mucarsel-Powell because “Florida needs a senator who will deliver resources, not more talk.”

Sen. Tom Cotton, left, and Sen. Rick Scott greet supporters during a “Get Out the Vote Rally” at The Griddle restaurant in Boca Raton on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Friendly territory

Naheed Khan, who has owned The Griddle for 30 years, closed early Monday so tables could be moved aside and the venue could be readied for the senators.

She said it was “absolutely” worth forgoing the day’s lunch sales. “I am spending my time and money and everything I have to save this country. And I believe Rick Scott is very important to help do that.

“I’m an America first, ultra MAGA,” she said. “President Trump is the only way we can save this world.”

Khan, 68, who emigrated from Pakistan in 1980, said she has Democratic and independent customers, in addition to Republicans, but said she’s lost some customers over her political views. She’s active in Club 47, the big pro-Trump political organization based in Palm Beach County.

She pointed a visitor to what she described as her “ultra MAGA deplorable wall,” which showcased pictures of her with many Republican notables, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mike Lindell, the election denier better known as the “My Pillow guy” from his TV ads.

Senator Marco Rubio takes a selfie with supporters during a “Get Out the Vote Rally” at The Griddle restaurant in Boca Raton on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) Friendly questions

The senators used the crowd as a backdrop for a live interview segment on Fox, a favorite news source for Republicans.

Though the campaign said the senators would answer questions after the rally from mainstream news reporters, questioning was stopped after one inquiry, about whether any of the senators were concerned about Trump discussing Arnold Palmer’s genitalia and his frequent use of the s-word, an epithet for feces, in his public conversations.

“So we’re, we’re gonna do everything we can to make sure Donald Trump is the next president because we’ve got to change the direction of this country. Thanks everybody for being here,” he said.

Aides said no further questions would be allowed, physically blocking reporters from access to the senators.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.

GATORS PODCAST: Gators whip Kentucky as daunting November looms (Ep. 250)

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 15:36

Florida turned in its most complete performance of the Billy Napier era with a 4-touchdown rout of Kentucky. Led by a pair of true freshmen, QB DJ Lagway and RB Jadan Baugh, the Gators scored their most points under Napier during an SEC game. The defense continued its stellar play in October. Now the hard part: A November schedule featuring four Top 25 SEC teams. During the latest Swamp Things, Edgar and Mark gush about the Gators’ latest win and its impact on Napier’s future.

Gators top Wildcats (0:00)
Billy Napier’s job security (3:41)
Turning point (10:13)
Thumbs up (13:06)
Thumbs down (20:44)
Second guess (24:00)
Game ball (28:00)
Biggest concern (30:16)
On the spot (32:46)
Billy’s banter (35:38)
Post game (41:27)
Jeremy Foley’s Corner (44:19)

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

4 killed in helicopter crash into Houston radio tower

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 15:05

HOUSTON (AP) — Four people aboard a helicopter were killed when it crashed into a radio tower in Houston and burst into flames, officials said.

The helicopter went down just before 8 p.m. Sunday in a neighborhood east of downtown after taking off from Ellington Field, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference. He didn’t know the flight’s destination.

Officials said no one on the ground was injured, and no nearby homes were damaged, though some vehicles were. The crash sparked a fire that burned about 100 to 200 yards (91 to 183 meters) of grass, officials said.

Firefighters at a nearby station heard the crash and responded, Whitmire said. He said it was a “terrible accident scene” and that the tower and helicopter were destroyed. Some area residents lost power, Whitmire said.

“It is surrounded by residences and that’s where we were very fortunate — that it didn’t topple in one direction or another,” Whitmire said. “And the fireball pretty much was isolated.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement that it is investigating the crash of the Robinson R44 II helicopter, which preliminary information shows was operating as an air tour flight. The NTSB said the helicopter crashed into a radio tower “under unknown circumstances,” resulting in a fire.

Officials said the four people aboard the helicopter included a child but the identities of the victims and their ages have not yet been released.

Police and fire officials have urged residents near the crash site to call 911 if they find anything on their property that could help in their investigation.

Police officers on Monday were scouring an area of around 4 acres (1.6 hectares) for debris from the crash, said Lt. Jonathan French.

NTSB investigators, who arrived on site Monday, started collecting evidence and will return Tuesday to continue that work, said Brian Rutt, an air safety investigator for the agency. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating.

Winter break could end a day earlier in Broward due to hurricanes

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 14:50

Broward students may have to come back from winter break a day earlier to make up for some of the time missed due to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

If the region gets any more hurricanes, they could be forced to cut their weeklong Thanksgiving break by a day or two.

The Broward School Board plans to hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss how to manage the impact of losing three days due to the two recent hurricanes. The district was closed for one day for Hurricane Helene and two for Hurricane Milton.

Under the proposal, the first semester would extend a week into January, rather than ending Dec. 20 before winter break. But that doesn’t mean students will actually have to go to school any more days.

Instead, they would return to school on Monday, Jan. 6, which had been designated as a teacher work day and a day off for students. But they’ll get that day back. The semester would end on Jan. 9, and the teacher workday would move to Friday, Jan. 10, which would be a day off for students.

Although the semester ends in January, midterm or final exams would still be held in December before students leave for winter break.

This change would not extend the school year, nor would it affect spring break. That’s because the district has enough hours built into the second semester to lose a few days without having to extend the calendar.

The proposal also has identified three additional days that could be used for makeup days if the district has to close again due to a hurricane or another emergency. These are Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26, which is during Thanksgiving week, and Monday, March 31, which is the last day of Spring Break.

“This plan will allow us to meet the state’s instructional hours requirements while minimizing disruption to students, families, and staff,” a district document attached to the agenda states. “This plan is the most effective way to maintain the quality of education in our district and ensure that students meet the required instructional standards for the academic year.”

Broward is the only South Florida school district that is adjusting its calendar to make up hurricane days, even though Palm Beach County missed four days. Miami-Dade missed two. Officials from those two districts say they have enough hours built into the first semester to meet state instructional requirements.

State law requires 900 instructional hours per year for students in grades 4 to 12, and 720 for earlier grades. That’s the equivalent of five hours per day for grades 4 to 12 and four hours per day for the younger grades, based on a traditional 180-day calendar. Since Broward school days are longer than that, most schools easily meet that even with three missed days.

The concern is schools that offer high school courses on a block schedule, where students take longer classes but finish up a year’s worth of material in a semester rather than a year. State law says these classes must be at least 60 instructional hours, according to a district document attached to Tuesday’s agenda.

“Due to the loss of three instructional days in the first semester, high school courses in middle schools with block scheduling have a total of 58 instructional hours and will not meet the required instructional hours for credit,” the document said.

The district often has a harder time getting in required hours during the fall semester than the spring. That’s because of the large number of holidays that often come in the fall, including Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Election Day, up to two Jewish holidays and the weeklong Thanksgiving Break. The fall semester is also the most common time for closures since it’s during hurricane season.

In 2021, the district made a last-minute decision to extend exam days from half-days to full days, because the district wouldn’t have otherwise met the required 60 hours for some classes.

The meeting is scheduled to start Tuesday after a School Board workshop. The approximate time is 2:30 p.m. One of the items on the workshop agenda is the school calendar for 2025-26.

Dave Hyde: A defiant Tua Tagovailoa returns to this Miami Dolphins season

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 14:45

MIAMI GARDENS — This wasn’t the Tua Tagovailoa the football world expected to welcome back Monday.

This was an angry Tua.

“I’m frustrated,” he said. “Do I want to be known for (concussions)? No, I don’t. But these are the cards I’ve been dealt with.”

This was a defiant Tua, dismissing any health risk to his return to practice.

“How much risk do we take when we get up in the morning and to go drive to work?” he said. “You can get in a car crash. Everything takes risk. So, to answer that question, every time we all suit up, we’re all taking a risk that we could potentially get hurt whether it’s a concussion, a broken bone.

“You get up off the bed the wrong way you could potentially sprain your ankle. There’s risk in anything and everything. I’m willing to play the odds. That’s it.”

Let’s agree: He should play if he wants to play. Let’s be clear, too: There are NFL players like Jacksonville center Mitch Morse (six concussions) and Cleveland cornerback Denzel Ward (five concussions) with more medical questions than Tagovailoa (three diagnosed concussions).

But no one gets out of bed and is knocked out like Tua was against Buffalo on Sept. 12 in suffering his latest concussion. No one driving a car to work has a stadium fall silent and players take a prayerful knee after watching his hands go in the “fencing” pose of some concussion victims, a medical term Dolphins fans have learned.

Tagovailoa, like it or not, is the poster child of NFL concussion problem, due to his marquee position and the morbid manner his concussions have played out on national television. And it’s clear he doesn’t like it.

“This is only becoming a thing because of what happened two years ago with myself in the sport,” he said. “I hate that it happened, but we don’t look at boxers the same way. We don’t look at hockey players the same way. But I just think because of what happened and the magnitude that had, it’s becoming more of an issue here.”

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You can appreciate the frustration he has about his situation while understanding this isn’t the way to go. Different sports have different protocols. But Hall of Fame hockey players have stopped careers (see: Eric Lindros) or taken a year off (see: Patrice Bergeron) over the past couple of decades due to concussions. Boxing has disappeared from the landscape in part because of them, too.

So, Tua isn’t special in that regard. He’s just another big name whose career has unfortunately become mixed in a larger storyline that embarrasses the NFL from a public-relations standpoint and exposes them to continued liability issues.

If he doesn’t like it, he’s not alone. No one watching does, either. The Dolphins are a franchise that will have to cross its fingers and rework even more strategy every game for the rest of his career out of his health concern. Fans don’t want to go to a game to potentially see him laid out another time.

And none of us writing, trust me, wants this to be the ongoing story it is. Neurologists don’t seem to know where the line on concussions is between a healthy risk and an improper one, so how are we, whose medical knowledge stops at taking an Advil?

Yet questions have to be asked, like if he had discussed retirement with his family as he said he had after his concussions in 2022.

“Nope, nope, none of that,” he said.

Will he wear a protective guardian cap over his helmet?

“Nope,” he said.

Why not?

“Personal choice.”

His return to practice and, assuming all goes well, to Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals has been expected for weeks around the Dolphins. From a football standpoint, this sinking season needs him. This offense has scored three touchdowns in 51 possessions in his absence, thanks in good part to the front office’s mismanagement of backup quarterbacks.

As he returns, too, there’s the accompanying story of how this franchise protects itself at the most important position for the future out of fear Tua’s next concussion will come at some point. Next game. Next year. Three years from now. Who knows when?

All you know this will be an ongoing storyline as he’s returned Monday with an emotion that wasn’t expected. He wasn’t thankful to return. He was angry. He wasn’t grateful for the concern about his health. He was dismissive of the questions.

He also was clear why he was returning no matter the risk.

“I love this game — I love it to the death of me,” he said.

Let’s hope not.

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Facing 7 more lawsuits, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs protests a ‘fresh wave of publicity’

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 14:30

By LARRY NEUMEISTER

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven new lawsuits have been filed against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, including one alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl. They come as his lawyers tried again Monday to get him freed on bail, and complained that a “fresh wave of publicity” is endangering his right to a fair criminal trial.

In the lawsuits filed Sunday in state and federal courts, four men and three women, all anonymous, allege they were sexually assaulted by Combs at parties over the last two decades.

Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges contained in an indictment unsealed the day after his Sept. 16 arrest. Charges include allegations he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees, and silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.

He has remained incarcerated pending a May 5 trial after two judges denied bail in rulings being appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Combs’ lawyers asked a judge Sunday to order potential witnesses and their lawyers to stop making statements that could prevent a fair trial.

“As the Court is aware, Mr. Combs has been the target of an unending stream of allegations by prospective witnesses and their counsel in the press,” they wrote. “These prospective witnesses and their lawyers have made numerous inflammatory extrajudicial statements aimed at assassinating Mr. Combs’s character in the press.”

The latest lawsuits are drawn from what lawyers say are more than 100 accusers who are planning legal action against Combs. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Tony Buzbee announced the planned litigation at an Oct. 1 news conference and posted a 1-800 number for accusers to call.

As before, Combs’ representatives dismissed the latest lawsuits as “clear attempts to garner publicity.” They said Combs and his legal team “have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process.”

Combs “has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman,” they added.

One of the lawsuits filed Sunday alleges that a 13-year-old girl who was invited to a party by a limousine driver after the Video Music Awards in Manhattan in September 2000 was raped by a “male celebrity” and then by Combs as individuals identified only as “Celebrity A,” a male, and “Celebrity B,” a female, watched.

Another lawsuit alleged that Combs sexually assaulted a 17-year-old male at a Manhattan hotel penthouse party in 2022.

In the lawsuits, it was alleged that the plaintiffs believed they had been fed drinks laced with drugs before they were assaulted.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Combs on Monday told the 2nd Circuit in a filing that he’ll renew his bail application before the lower court based on “significant changed circumstances.” They said the issues include “constitutional concerns stemming from his conditions of confinement and evidence contained in recently produced discovery.”

In a filing last week, prosecutors told the appeals court that judges denied bail after evidence showed Combs “used methodical and sophisticated means to silence and intimidate witnesses throughout the racketeering conspiracy and during the Government’s investigation.”

Today in History: October 21, Pistorius convicted in shooting death

Mon, 10/21/2024 - 01:00

Today is Monday, Oct. 21, the 295th day of 2024. There are 71 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 21, 2014, Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting and killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The conviction was later upgraded to murder; Pistorius was released on parole in January 2024.

Also on this date:

In 1797, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, also known as “Old Ironsides,” was christened in Boston’s harbor.

In 1805, a British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French-Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson, however, was killed.

In 1940, Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” was first published.

In 1944, U.S. troops captured the German city of Aachen (AH’-kuhn) — the first German city to fall to American forces in World War II.

In 1959, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum opened in New York.

In 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when a coal waste landslide engulfed a school and some 20 houses in Aberfan, Wales.

In 2013, a seventh grader at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nevada, shot and killed a teacher and wounded two classmates before taking his own life.

In 2021, Actor Alec Baldwin was pointing a gun on a movie set in New Mexico when it went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dropped in July 2024.

Today’s Birthdays:

Rock singer Manfred Mann is 84.
TV’s Judge Judy Sheindlin is 82.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is 75.
Former first daughter Patti Davis is 72.
Film director Catherine Hardwicke is 69.
Actor Ken Watanabe (wah-tah-NAH’-bee) is 65.
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., is 53.
Actor Will Estes is 46.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian (kahr-DASH’-ee-uhn) is 44.
MLB pitcher Zack Greinke is 41.
Actor Glenn Powell is 36.
Country singer Kane Brown is 31.
Singer Doja Cat is 29.

Daily Horoscope for October 21, 2024

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 21:00

General Daily Insight for October 21, 2024

We’re discerning intuition from fear. With the intuitive Moon conjoining explorative Jupiter at 3:25 am EDT, we can expect our fortunes to improve as we follow our adventurous spirit. Still, our emotions may be a bit over the top. Additionally, the Moon picks a fight with confusing Neptune, making it yet more difficult to tell anxiety from insight. Thankfully, we will be supported by the Moon trining the confident Sun, inviting us to follow the feeling of excitement with fewer worries. Trust the brightest voice within!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Say what is true to you. Today, you might be presented with an opportunity to express yourself in a way that you weren’t able to before. However, there may be an element of risk in your words as you put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to speak what is genuinely in your heart, because you’re more likely to regret what you don’t do rather than what you do. Live your life in a way that eliminates regrets, because at least you’ll know you tried.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

You could be taking a risk to create security. It may sound paradoxical, but sometimes you have to let go of something before you receive what you’ve been seeking. Your efforts matter more than ever! Don’t listen to naysayers who tell you that your dreams are too lofty. It’s up to you to find that sweet spot, where you remain comfortable enough to relax on occasion, but not so stagnant that you feel stuck. Make room for this balance in your life.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

It’s all about what you feel. Felicity comes from within right now, which can be daunting — you’ll probably need to make certain decisions on your own. There may be no handbook for figuring out what exactly you want out of the day and life in general. You’re making it up as you go along, and even when that feels unsteady, it’s the path that’s most likely to take you toward success, whatever that looks like for you. Listen to yourself.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Magic can come from unexpected places. You’re more likely to experience blessings when the universe gives them to you, because right now, life is more of a surprise party than it is an event you’re planning. Sometimes it can be scary to let what happens happen — maybe you feel like you must have control to feel safe. The more that you can surrender to the opportunities that the day provides, rather than resisting them, the more benefits you’re likely to uncover.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Friendship currently offers adventure! You might not have expected to find new friends or run into old ones, but you’re likely about to be provided with an avenue to go have fun with them. You may struggle with worries, but instead of focusing on what might go wrong, or what others could be thinking, try to have fun and be yourself. This doesn’t mean that you should entertain yourself at the expense of others. Just don’t let insecurities stand in the way of life.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Luck (and determination) are like spotlights on you! You could reach a wider audience or climb a rung of the corporate ladder, even as peers don’t understand your success. Perhaps some can grasp that this is just your hard work coming out of the shadows, but others believe that you don’t deserve the recognition that you’re getting. What matters is not what they think of you — what matters is what you think of yourself. Pat yourself on the back for all your hard work!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Accessing your fortune may require stepping outside your comfort zone. You might be tempted to continue doing your average routine, especially when presented with an opportunity to venture beyond your norm. Any hesitation is understandable, but for today, it’s a good idea to chase this opening. Remind yourself that you can always return to your routine tomorrow, but you’ve got a chance to upgrade that routine, making it a little closer to your dream life. Take a break from the everyday cycle.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Someone can give you the support that you need. This person could be a business partner, a benefactor, or a friend. Whoever they are to you, they should believe in you and want to support your vision for the future. It won’t come out of nowhere — you’ll likely paint the picture of your goals for them. A clear plan of your vision and of what efforts you will put in should help you manifest the outcome that you’re seeking. Swing for the fences!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

The past might be blocking your future. You may have had a negative experience that left you shying away from certain activities. Avoidance likely felt like the safest option, while people in your life are potentially encouraging you to get back to what you used to enjoy. Instead of allowing this to continue to be an obstacle in your path, or a forbidden zone that you can’t enter, try and see if time has healed those wounds. You never know until you try.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Trust in what you worked so hard on. Your continued efforts have likely provided you with knowledge, experience, and a love of what you do, but someone may cause you to doubt yourself sooner rather than later. While their careless words or actions could have put you on your back foot, right yourself, stand up tall, and remember that you know what you’re doing. They’re probably just judging your book by its cover, while you know the full story. Have faith in yourself!

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

You may be taking a calculated risk. This could be something you’ve been thinking about for a while — after all, you wouldn’t step out onto a tightrope unless the ground you’re on is no longer safe for you. You might feel as though you aren’t secure enough to make the leap, but you’ve likely prepared more than you thought. Whether you’re expressing an opinion to someone after ages holding it in or choosing to invest in yourself, don’t hold back any longer.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Following your heart isn’t just for fairytales. When your soul is clearly pulling you in a certain direction, there’s no need to worry that it’s not “you” enough. Instead, listen to that voice inside you. When did you start putting yourself in a box, one that prevents you from trying different things or developing newfound interests? Instead of walling yourself off, make like a detective and learn more about what’s intriguing you. You never know what might become your favorite place, person, or hobby!

Dave Hyde: ‘Same old story’ in Dolphins’ sloppy loss to Indy — can Tua save this season?

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 16:42

INDIANAPOLIS — This time, they dropped two fumbles like tombstones on their Sunday.

“It wasn’t acceptable,” said fullback Alec Ingold, who had one of the fumbles.

This time, their top player, Tyreek Hill, had no passes thrown his way until late in the game and no words afterward beyond hurried ones as he fled the locker room: “Y’all don’t want me to talk today.”

This time, their 10-0 lead against mediocre Indianapolis crumbled under the weight of mistakes and lost opportunities into a 16-10 loss.

“Same old story, we let one slip away we should have won,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said.

So, the Miami Dolphins (2-4) tanked without Tua. Once upon a time they tanked for him. Sunday assured they went 1-3 without Tua Tagovailoa thanks in part to a backup quarterback plan with all the involved thought of playing with your food at dinner and enough accompanying bad luck that back-up Tyler Huntley was added to the injury pile Sunday.

After Sunday’s loss, Dolphins owner Steve Ross slipped through a side of the locker room with general manager Chris Grier. Their plans are in trouble, their thinking sinking. The question a season now hinges on is how much one returning quarterback can mean.

First, do the math. They’re 2-4. They’d have to go: 9-2 the rest of the way to match last year’s 11-6 record; 8-3 to get the double-digits wins AFC teams had to last year to make the playoffs; 7-4 to give them any hope for a playoff spot with nine wins.

Tua surely can get this offense oriented again. He can mean six points against a team like Indianapolis. But send this that didn’t play well with him in it to start the year on a winning spree to the end of the year?

Could he keep tight end Julian Hill from getting his eighth penalty in six games on Sunday? Or good veterans like Raheem Mostert and Ingold from having poorly timed fumbles — one putting the Colts back in the game with a touchdown, the other taking at minimum a field goal from the Dolphins on a day three points were gold.

“We’ve just got to clean up a lot of stuff,” Mostert said. “Me, personally, I can’t put the ball on that ground. That’s the biggest thing. It’s just one of those things where you got to under severity of the game and keep it moving.”

Then there’s a defense that’s played fine enough by the numbers. It ranked fifth in yards allowed entering Sunday. It’s also had the good fortune to play the likes of quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, Jacoby Brissett and the Colts’ Anthony Richardson.

But go beyond the numbers and some details make you realize defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has done a good job hiding some blemishes. Jalen Ramsey, for instance, led the team with four pressures Sunday on Richardson.

A cornerback. That’s good work by him. It’s also a sign of something larger at work, of a defense where the usual outlets for applying pressure aren’t necessarily in play. Only two teams have fewer sacks than the Dolphins.

They’re going to play some good quarterbacks coming up, too. Maybe even next week against Arizona’s Kyler Murray. Certainly the week after against Buffalo’s Josh Allen.

But the Dolphins get their quarterback, too, and that will be a difference. Tua stood on the sideline one final Sunday in street clothes before his expected return this week, saying little to teammates, then showing even less as he sat silently at his locker.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

He’s been a presence inside this team. Terron Armstead remembers him saying in the locker room after beating New England how, “We’re going to keep running the ball just like that,” when he returns. Campbell has talked with him about life beyond football — “family, finances, faith.”

“He’s made his appearances and he’s spoke,” Mostert said. “But it’s a thing where he’s just trying to figure himself out, too.”

His health. His mindset. His larger role for this team, too.

This is an offense built for him and Sunday showed that again. Huntley threw five passes to tight ends in the first half — four, including a touchdown, to Jonnu Smith — but none to Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins ran the ball effectively, just as they should have against the Colts’ 31st ranked rushing defense.

But the only way Hill got the ball in the first half was with an end-around run that went 5 yards. Waddle, when Tim Boyle replaced Huntley, caught his only ball for 11 yards.

Rookie Malik Washington caught two passes for 9 yards Sunday to nearly match the output of Waddle and Hill combined. That can’t happen. It surely won’t when Tua returns.

“Mike (McDaniel) built a system that he thrives in, and I think it’ll be huge to have that spark when he comes back,” Campbell said. “You hope. That’s it, you hope. Obviously, we’ve got biggest issues that we’ve got to fix. But I do think he’d bring a spark.”

This team needs a spark. Tua can provide that. It also needs clearer thinking and smarter fundamentals. It didn’t have those when Tua was part of the team early this season or dating back to the end of last season.

After Sunday’s loss, Ross slipped through a side of the locker room with Grier. Their plans looked wrecked, their thinking slipshod. The question a season now hinges on is how much one returning quarterback can mean to the season.

Chris Perkins: Reality for Dolphins is get the ball to Tyreek, or kiss playoffs goodbye

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 16:13

Let me say this right away: The Miami Dolphins’ offensive problems, as I’ve told you before, are bigger than quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The offensive problems are systemic and institutional.

Having said that, it’s tough to know where to start when analyzing the Dolphins’ feckless 16-10 loss at Indianapolis.

Do you start with the fact that the Dolphins are mysteriously unable to get the ball to wide receiver Tyreek Hill, and because of that, predictably, their one-dimensional offense is stuck in the mud?

Do you start with the fact that the Dolphins erroneously and ridiculously thought they could beat the Colts with only their running game?

Or do you start with the fact that the Dolphins’ bad quarterback decisions are still coming back to haunt them?

It’s a tough one.

But let’s start where I always start … this Dolphins offense is about two things — Tyreek Hill, and the threat of Tyreek Hill.

Let me put it in a simpler way: If the Dolphins can’t get the ball to speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill, they’re done. Period. No playoffs. No nothing.

Tyreek had one reception for eight yards Sunday. He was targeted just twice.

That’s unacceptable and inexcusable.

Tyreek, not Tua, is the key to the Dolphins offense.

The Dolphins can’t beat you any other way than with Tyreek Hill.

Draw the lines back to that 28-27 Tennessee loss late last season when Hill got hurt by that combination horse collar/hip-drop tackle. He was never the same the rest of that season, and neither was the Dolphins offense.

The problem is the issue with Tyreek being silenced has crept into this season.

Tyreek has 55 receptions for 674 yards and three touchdowns in his past 11 games (he missed the 30-0 win over the New York Jets late last season). He has just one 100-yard game in that span.

The Dolphins are 3-8 in those games, and they average just 14.5 points per game.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Once an opponent decides to heavily focus on stopping Tyreek, whether it’s with the two-high safety defense, shadowing him, or whatever, it’s all over for the Dolphins offense and coach Mike McDaniel, the offense’s architect and play-caller.

Look at the bigger picture.

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s contest averaging 12 points per game this season, worst in the league.

They went below expectations against the Colts by scoring only 10 points.

It gets worse.

The Dolphins are 4-8 in their past 12 games (Tua has started eight of those games and gone 3-5).

They’re averaging 15.8 points per game in that span (they averaged 18.6 ppg with Tua).

Basically, the Dolphins have no idea how to execute an offense if Tyreek isn’t heavily involved.

This offense can’t beat you on the ground. They can only beat you through the air with big plays that feature Tyreek.

Here’s Exhibit A.

The Dolphins got lucky to squeak past New England, 15-10, two weeks ago (Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk’s foot came down out of the end zone late in the game and that would have secured their victory).

And it just so happened that the Dolphins had a 41-carry, 193-yard performance in the victory.

All of a sudden, they mistakenly thought they were a running team.

But there’s a stipulation: running teams practice the run and things that go along with the run, such as ball security.

The Dolphins had 40 carries for 188 yards against the Colts.

They also had two crucial lost fumbles by running back Raheem Mostert (11 carries, 50 yards) and fullback Alec Ingold (two carries, minus-1 yards).

Again, the Dolphins don’t win by running the ball.

Worse, rookie running back Jaylen Wright, who sparked the run game against the Patriots with 13 carries for a team-best 86 yards, didn’t even get a carry until the second half.

Wright, who looked like the Dolphins’ best running back after the Patriots game, ended with 33 yards on five carries (team-best 6.6 yards per carry) Sunday.

He should have been the main ball carrier Sunday. He runs harder than anyone else and gets tough yards between the tackles.

Chalk it up to another offensive miscalculation by the Dolphins.

It’s like how they miscalculated the quarterback situation from giving Tua the four-year, $212 million extension, to not properly preparing backup Skylar Thompson for the Seattle game, to cutting Mike White after training camp, signing Tim Boyle, and then signing Tyler “Snoop” Huntley and starting him against Tennessee about two weeks after he arrived in town.

The Dolphins (2-4) probably need to go 7-4 the rest of the way to make the playoffs. That’ll give them a 9-8 record that might get them a wild-card berth.

This is on McDaniel, the creator of this toothless offense.

And considering he’s now got a 22-20 (.524) record as head coach, including playoffs, and his offense is averaging a league-worst 11.7 points per game, things aren’t looking good, even with Tua.

The Dolphins were 8-0 last season when Tyreek had more than 100 yards receiving. Miami is 1-0 this year when Tyreek has more than 100 yards receiving. The Dolphins are 1-4 this season when Tyreek has fewer than 100 yards receiving.

The biggest test of McDaniel’s 2024 season going forward is figuring out how to get the ball to Tyreek.

If he can’t do that, it’s all over.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 14:52

In this Dolphins Deep Dive video, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Dave Hyde and David Furones discuss Miami’s sloppy loss to the Indianapolis Colts and whether the return of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will make a difference for 2-4 Miami at this point.

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Things we learned in Miami Dolphins’ 16-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 13:42

The Miami Dolphins had a chance to get to .500 with a victory at Indianapolis on Sunday, a chance to have some momentum for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s expected return this week.

The opportunity didn’t go well as the Dolphins lost, 16-10.

The Dolphins fell to 2-4 on the season and their offense appeared lost, even before quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley went out with an injured right shoulder.

At least Tagovailoa is expected back soon.

But he’ll have to work miracles.

The Dolphins are struggling in many ways.

Here are some more takeaways from Sunday:

Tyreek and Waddle are quiet

Wide receivers Tyreek Hill (one reception, eight yards, two targets) and Jaylen Waddle (one reception, 11 yards, two targets) were quiet during the first half Sunday. Neither was targeted on a pass play. Hill, who had no targets in a half for the first time with the Dolphins, had one touch in the first half and that was a five-yard gain on a jet sweep.

Hill was targeted deep in the third quarter on a third-an-2 from the 50-yard line but the pass was incomplete as it appeared Hill couldn’t locate what was a decent throw.

This offense is a mess. — Chris Perkins

Achane wears Guardian cap

Running back De’Von Achane, who left the New England game with a concussion, started Sunday and wore a Guardian cap on his helmet. The Guardian cap was covered by a cloth-type fitting that featured a Dolphins logo, same as the helmet.

Players wear Guardian caps, which are basically padded coverings for their helmets, during training camp and midweek practices. It’s designed to cushion the blow for hits to the head.

Tagovailoa, who has been on injured reserve due to a concussion, is likely to return to practice Wednesday and could play next week against Arizona. It’s not known whether he’ll wear a Guardian cap.

Tight end TD drought ends in a good sign for offense …

Tight end Jonnu Smith’s 10-yard first-quarter touchdown reception ended a 23-game tight end touchdown drought, dating to the Buffalo wild-card round playoff loss to end the 2022 season.

This was good to see on a few levels, but especially because Smith (seven receptions, 96 yards) didn’t see the field when the Dolphins had a first-and-goal from the Seattle 6-yard line earlier this season.

Utilizing Smith in such a situation on Sunday was a sign of offensive awareness and growth for the Dolphins.

… But tight ends are struggling

Overall it’s been a rough year for the Dolphins’ tight ends. Durham Smythe (two receptions, 11 yards entering Sunday) has apparently lost his starting job to Hill (three receptions, 30 yards entering Sunday) — the most penalized player on the team.

Smith (14 receptions, 140 yards entering Sunday) has had his share of penalties although his production in the pass game has picked up the past two games.

And Tanner Conner (three receptions, 16 yards entering Sunday) has had issues on special teams at times.

Hill missed a block in the third quarter that led to a sack by Colts linebacker Laiatu Latu.

There’s signs of life with Smith’s recent resurgence but the Dolphins’ tight ends are off to a slow start.

Penalties re-surface early

The Dolphins entered Sunday’s game tied for eighth in penalties (43) and tied for fourth in penalty yards (390) entering this week’s games.

They lived down to that expectation in the first half alone by recording five penalties for 45 yards.

They corrected things in the second half, it should be noted. The Dolphins ended with six penalties for 50 yards.

But in a 13-play stretch in the second quarter the Dolphins were flagged four times. Three of the penalties were accepted.

Julian Hill was flagged for a false start on a punt, his eight accepted penalty of the season.

Then, a 31-yard run by Raheem Mostert was brought back due to a holding penalty by Smythe.

Later, a facemask by guard Liam Eichenberg wiped out a six-yard gain by Mostert.

Two plays after that Smith lined up offside but it was declined.

OBJ 0-for-2

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was targeted twice in the first half and didn’t have a completion.

Beckham had a drop on the first target, a third-and-18 pass from the Dolphins’ 30-yard line, and a pass breakup on the second target, which came in the red zone on third-and-4 from the Colts’ 15-yard line.

Beckham is playing in just his second game after spending the first four on the physically-unable-to-perform list. He was listed with a hamstring injury this past week.

Game plan for Huntley … before the injury

Mostly the Dolphins ran the ball to keep things easy on Huntley. The Dolphins had 25 carries for 115 yards in the first half.

But tragedy struck in the third quarter when Huntley (7 of 13, 87 yards, one touchdown, two sacks, 100.5 passer rating) injured his right shoulder while throwing a ball out of bounds to evade a pass rush.

Huntley had a designed run in the second quarter on a second-and-8 from the Dolphins 29-yard line. He gained six yards to set up a third-and-2. He then scrambled for the first down on a three-yard gain.

But mostly the Dolphins kept the ball on the ground and out of Huntley’s hands as he made his third start.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Run game giveth — and taketh away

The Dolphins run game, which had 115 yards in the first half, was their key to success and also their undoing. The Dolphins ended up rushing 40 times for 188 yards.

But they were mostly harmless yards as the Dolphins didn’t have a rushing touchdown and weren’t effective running in the red zone.

Third quarter fumbles by Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold killed drives. The Colts turned the Mostert fumble into a touchdown that tied the game at 10. The Ingold fumble came at the Colts’ 15-yard line, wiping out certain points that could have broken the 10-10 tie.

The Dolphins had an impressive 41-carry, 193-yard effort in their 15-10 win over New England.

Pressure non-existent on Colts QB

The pass rush hardly put any pressure on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. The Dolphins ended with no sacks.

The rookie edge rusher draftees — Chop Robinson, the first-round pick, and Mo Kamara, the fifth-round pick who was making his debut — had to handle bigger roles.

They were largely silent.

The Dolphins were without edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah (bicep). They were already without edge rusher Jaelen Phillips (knee). And edge rusher Bradley Chubb (knee) hasn’t yet made his season debut.

Sure, the Dolphins had Quinton Bell and Tyus Bowser. But neither played a major role for the team last season, or even in training camp.

The Dolphins entered the game with nine sacks, tied for fourth-fewest in the league.

The pass rush didn’t surprise anyone.

Run defense struggles again

The Colts rushed for 155 yards on 37 carries, meaning the Dolphins have allowed all six opponents at least 100 yards rushing.

The difference this time was the Colts didn’t have that one big, explosive run that many of the Dolphins’ other opponents had (although Richardson had a 22-yard run). This was mostly an old-fashioned, grind-it-out rushing attack that took time off the clock and wore down the Dolphins’ front seven.

Defensive linemen Calais Campbell (five tackles) and Zach Sieler (four tackles) were active.

Colts outwit the Dolphins?

The Dolphins used a fourth-quarter timeout when they thought the Colts were going for it on fourth-and-goal from the Dolphins 4-yard line.

Indianapolis had Richardson on the field.

But the tip-off should have been that the Colts also had kicker Matt Gay and punter/holder Rigoberto Sanchez and long snapper Luke Rhodes lined up as wide receivers.

Nonetheless, the fake out worked as the Dolphins burned a timeout before Gay’s 22-yard field goal that gave the Colts a 13-10 lead.

The Dolphins could have used that timeout on their final possession, in which quarterback Tim Boyle futilely raced the clock.

Special teams spotty; high snap on key FG attempt

Kicker Jason Sanders banged a 54-yard field goal attempt off the left upright in the fourth quarter. The snap, executed by 39-year old long snapper Matt Overton, who was just signed Saturday after long snapper Blake Ferguson was placed on the reserve/non football injury list, was a bit high.

But Sanders, who made a 33-yard field goal earlier, should have made the kick.

Special teams were leaky once again Sunday.

Julian Hill was called for a false start on a punt.

Linebacker Duke Riley, who might have been responsible for the blocked punt against New England, was switched on the punt team. Riley used to be on the right side of the formation. He was on the left side against Indianapolis. Tight end Tanner Conner was on the right side.

Calais Campbell fountain of youth is still flowing

With his opening-play quick move inside to beat Colts guard Dalton Tucker and takedown of running back Trey Sermon for a 2-yard loss and then two tackles of Tyler Goodson for a minus-1 yard each, the 38-year-old UM legend and longtime NFL standout, with seven on the season, enters Week 8 against the Cardinals on pace to tie the most in a season in his career, matching his incredible 20 while with the Jaguars in 2018. — Steve Svekis

The Dolphins rushing attack could hit a streak not seen in almost two-dozen years

With Sunday’s 188 rushing yards, the Dolphins, with a game with at least 155 yards next week, would have a three-game streak with at least 155 yards for the first time since the magical 2002 season of Ricky Williams, when he ran for 1,853 yards. That year, the Dolphins had three consecutive games where Ricky and company decimated run defenses for at least 222 yards (222, 270 and 248 yards from Nov. 24 through Dec. 9).

Dolphins’ sluggish-scoring skid gets extended to almost unprecedented length

That was the ninth consecutive game where the Dolphins didn’t score more than 20 points. The last time the Dolphins had such a skid of futility was Dec. 3, 1967. You read that correctly. Almost 57 years ago.

The slow start with takeaways is concerning, and has become a McDaniel-era trend

The Colts gave the Dolphins a takeaway when Anthony Richardson mishandled a snap. Even with that gift, though, the Dolphins will head into their seventh game with a mere five takeaways. That rate of 0.833 takeaways per game, if continued over the full regular season, would barely finish second to the record for the worst rate in Miami Dolphins history. The worst rate ever by the franchise? In 2022, Mike McDaniel’s first year as coach, Miami forced only 14 turnovers in the 17 games (.824).

The most turnovers per game in a regular season were the 3.31 per game of the first 16-game season (1978), when the Dolphins had 53 takeaways. When including a postseason, the Perfect Season team of 1972 had 56 (in 17 games) after a torrential 10 in their three playoff games for a rate of 3.29 per contest. The greatest rate when including the playoffs came in another Super Bowl season, 1982, albeit after a regular season cut down to nine games because of a strike. In the 13 total games, Kim Bokamper and the Killer B’s secured possession of the ball 44 times, including an incredible 17 in the four postseason games, for a total-season rate of 3.38 per game. Heading into next week, the McDaniel Dolphins have 46 in 40 games for a brutally spare 1.15 per game.

What version of Tua will the Dolphins get when he returns?

Twice before has Tua Tagovailoa made a start in October coming off of multiple games sidelined by an injury, and the results have been tepid. In 2021 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, coming off a rib fracture that held him out for three games, Tua had a decent 95.1 passer rating, but he missed a wide-open Jaylen Waddle for a likely touchdown pass that would have put the Jags behind the eight ball. Jacksonville rallied to win that game 23-20 for one of their three victories that season.

Then, the next year, Tagovailoa returned for a Sunday night game at Hard Rock Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had five passes hit both of their hands, but instead of interceptions, each ball fell to the grass. Now, on the positive side, the Dolphins quarterback made his first career road start against the Cardinals in 2020 and had one of his best games of his career, leading the offense to 27 points and piling up a 122.3 passer rating in a 34-31 win. It also was accompanied by 35 rushing yards, the second-most in a game in his career.

What happened to the K ball after Week 2 in the NFL?

This is a wild one. In the first two weeks of the NFL season, kickers were a flat-out incredible 35 for 39 (89.7%) from 50 yards or longer. But in the next four weeks they were 42 for 64 (65.6%) entering Bills-Jets. How did Jason Sanders fit in regarding these splits? He was 1 for 1 from long range the first two weeks, and 2 for 3 from weeks 3-5.

The risk-reward on Alec Ingold touching the ball is pretty poor right now

With that third-quarter fumble Alec Ingold has two in his past eight touches. Yuck.

Raheem Mostert lost a chunk of yardage to penalties

The Dolphins running back had a 32-yard jaunt and a 6-yard run each called back. The first was negated by a hold on Durham Smythe and the latter came back on a facemask flag against Liam Eichenberg.

On deck: Arizona Cardinals, Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Kyler Murray makes his first career visit to South Florida, as the Dolphins enjoy a schedule rarity: having the rest advantage over an opponent in consecutive games. Miami, with 14 days off, played a Colts team who had played the previous week, and the Cardinals are playing the Chargers on Monday night.

Dolphins drop another ugly game without Tua, as quarterback Tyler Huntley exits early vs. Colts

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 13:10

INDIANAPOLIS — The return of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can’t come soon enough for the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins suffered through another Sunday afternoon of subpar quarterback play, lost a key pair of fumbles and dropped an ugly 16-10 decision to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium — all while Sunday’s starter, Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, exited early.

Miami, with hopes Tagovailoa can return for next week’s game, fell to 2-4 and lost three of the minimum four games Tagovailoa must miss while on injured reserve to recover from his Sept. 12 concussion.

After the game, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel declined to answer whether Tagovailoa will indeed have his practice window opened up this week.

But on Sunday, as Miami was able to run the ball effectively despite its struggling quarterback play, two critical fumbles occurred with ball-carriers losing possession between tailback Raheem Mostert and fullback Alec Ingold.

“They were tough ones,” McDaniel said of the turnovers. “It’s a game of accountability and at the same time, they know they can’t do that.

“Collectively, as a team, we just have to play smarter football. That starts with me.”

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was without a reception until the final two minutes and Jaylen Waddle didn’t have a catch until the middle of the final period.

McDaniel pointed to the team’s emphasis on running the football Sunday in Indianapolis as to why they were limited.

“When you run the ball 40 times, it does minimize your opportunities,” the Dolphins coach said, “and then if you’re trying to take advantage of a defense over playing and doubling them and getting the ball to the tight end, then they have less (opportunities).”

Hill did not speak with reporters after the frustrating output, telling a Dolphins staffer in the locker room the team won’t want him to talk to the media.

Waddle, like McDaniel, pointed to effectiveness in the run game as to the reasoning the team’s two star receivers combined for two receptions for 19 yards.

The Dolphins had 188 rushing yards, with De’Von Achane, wearing a guardian cap upon his return from concussion, leading the charge with 77. Tight end Jonnu Smith led Miami pass-catchers with seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown.

The Dolphins finished the game with backup Tim Boyle, in for Huntley, trying to lead a winning touchdown drive, but his late fourth-down pass to the sideline sailed out of bounds, sealing Miami’s fate.

“I tried to put it in a spot where only (wide receiver Malik Washington) could get it,” Boyle said, “but we all got to be better at the end of the game.”

Huntley, who was making his third start for the Dolphins, left Sunday’s game in the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Extending a third-down play as he rolled right, Huntley took a hard hit from Indianapolis defensive back Kenny Moore on his right shoulder while throwing downfield incomplete.

Huntley was quickly brought into the Dolphins’ locker room off the sideline during the change of possession on the ensuing punt. Originally deemed questionable to return with the ailing shoulder on his throwing arm, he was then ruled out early in the fourth quarter.

Boyle, as he did Sept. 22 in Seattle against the Seahawks for Skylar Thompson, entered in relief for Huntley, and went 8 of 13 for 74 yards.

Huntley finished 7 of 13 for 87 yards and a touchdown pass to Smith.

The Colts took the lead and broke a 10-10 tie with a short 22-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay in the fourth quarter after a 12-play, 69-yard drive.

Miami nearly responded, but Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders had a 54-yard field goal attempt bang off the left upright, no good. It came on a fourth-and-1 where McDaniel could’ve opted to go for it, but the points would’ve tied the game.

As the Dolphins looked to get the ball back, a deep Richardson pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman found its target after deflecting off the fingertips of safety Jordan Poyer. Richardson later picked up the yardage needed to extend the drive in Miami territory on a designed run on third-and-four.

The Colts added another field goal with 1:51 remaining to go up, 16-10, before the final Boyle drive ended with a thud.

Protecting a 10-3 halftime lead, Mostert gifted the Colts’ previously lifeless offense momentum early in the second half.

Mostert fumbled in Miami territory. The recovery and 18-yard return by Colts linebacker Segun Olubi set Indianapolis up 28 yards away from the end zone. The Colts worked the necessary yardage in four plays, the touchdown coming on a Tyler Goodson 7-yard scamper up the middle.

“I can’t put the ball on the ground,” Mostert said. “It’s just one of those things where you got to understand the severity of the game and keep it moving.”

After Huntley exited with his shoulder injury, the Dolphins, with Boyle in at quarterback, got offensive momentum going by using rookie running back Jaylen Wright in the run game. But once in the red zone, Ingold fumbled, and Taven Bryan recovered it for the Colts takeaway and Miami’s second pivotal fumble lost.

“It wasn’t acceptable (Sunday). A couple of turnovers, mine in the red zone, obviously changed quite a bit of the game,” Ingold said. “We can’t keep losing momentum whenever we get it. We need to be a lot more fundamentally sound.”

The Dolphins scored first Sunday when Smith took a screen from Huntley 10 yards for a touchdown on third down in the first quarter. Led by left tackle Terron Armstead and center Aaron Brewer with downfield blocks, Smith used his patented run-after-catch abilities to find the end zone.

It marked the first Dolphins touchdown by a tight end since the 2022 season’s final game, a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. It was also Huntley’s first passing touchdown for the Hallandale High product’s hometown Dolphins and Miami’s first passing touchdown since the night Tagovailoa suffered his concussion.

As the Colts appeared primed to respond in the red zone, Richardson fumbled an exchange in the backfield, and defensive tackle Zach Sieler made a diving fumble recovery while losing his helmet to force the turnover.

“I saw them bobbling it around coming off of the edge. I jumped on it and tried to keep hold of it,” Sieler said.

Miami added a field goal to its lead toward the end of the first half, with a nine-play, 65-yard drive resulting in Jason Sanders’ 33-yard field goal.

With just 22 seconds left before halftime, though, the Dolphins defense allowed the Colts to quickly get into long field goal range. Richardson had an over-the-middle connection with Michael Pittman for 33 yards to put Indianapolis within range for a 52-yard Matt Gay field goal.

The Dolphins led, 10-3, at halftime, although neither Hill nor Waddle even had a target in the first half.

Miami returns home next Sunday to face the Arizona Cardinals in what could be Tagovailoa’s first game back.

Hyde10: Fumbles, injuries, ugly play — 10 thoughts on Dolphins’ 16-10 loss to Colts

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 13:07

More injury. More ugly. More losing, too.

The Dolphins lost a 10-0 lead and then lost to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, 16-10.

Quarterback Tyler Huntley also was lost with a shoulder injury as the Dolphins fell to 2-4. Here are 10 thoughts on the game:

1. Plays of the game: Two Dolphins fumbles. They had fumbled twice in five games entering Sunday. They fumbled twice in this third quarter. Raheem Mostert’s fumble was recovered by linebacker Segun Olubi at the Dolphins 46 and returned to the 28-yard line to set up a Colts touchdown. Alec Ingold then fumbled with the Dolphins going in for a score at the Colts’ 14 and defensive tackle Taven Bryan recovered it. So, one turned a 10-3 Dolphins lead into a tie and the other took away at least a field goal on a day points were rare.

2. Huntley became the third Dolphins quarterback knocked out of a game this season when suffering a shoulder injury in Sunday’s third quarter. Back into the season came Tim Boyle, who quickly found his team down 13-10. So, some poor planning regarding the backup situation keeps getting mixed with bad luck. Huntley completed 7 of 13 passes for 87 yards, a touchdown and a 100.5 rating before getting hurt.

3. The Dolphins did what they had to Sunday on offense. They ran the ball. And ran it. They ran 25 times for 115 yards (4.6 average) in the first half against seven passes. De’Vone Achane had 15 carries for 77 yards in his first game back from a concussion injury (he wore a padded guardian cap). Raheem Mostert had 11 carries for 50 yards. Huntley ran five times for 20 yards. Jaylen Wright ran five times for 33 yards in the second half. But when it came to a hard yard, Ingold couldn’t get a third-and-1 midway through the fourth quarter. That resulted in a 54-yard field goal attempt …

4. … by Jason Sanders that hit the upright with the Colts leading 13-10. That’s the kind of play this team needs when it’s having trouble scoring. Special teams coach Danny Crossman half-joked the uprights had been a nemesis this year as Sanders had it two of them. Make it three.

5. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were odd spectators most of the day. Hill ran an end-around for 5 yards for the only touch between them through three quarters. Neither had a pass thrown at them in the first half. Hill was the target once in the third quarter and it went incomplete. It’s one thing to know you’re going to have a run-heavy day. It’s another to see your two best offensive threats not be a part of the offense.

6. Stat of the game: 13-0. That’s what the Dolphins were outscored by in the second half. Their offensive problems are obvious. The defense held up well for the most part against Anthony Richardson until back-to-back field goal drives of 68 and 36 yards were the difference. Richardson completed 10 of 24 passes for 129 yards and a 59.2 rating. He also ran 13 times for 51 yards.

7. How long had it been since a Dolphins’ tight end caught a touchdown? Well, the Dolphin who last caught one, Mike Gesicki, hasn’t been with the team since 2022. When Jonnu Smith took a 10-yard screen for a touchdown in the first quarter it was the first by a tight end since Gesicki caught a 7-yard pass from Skylar Thompson in the 2022 playoff loss to Buffalo. That was 22 games ago. Smith had a big part of that scoring drive, catching an 18-yard pass before the touchdown screen pass. He had seven catches for 96 yards.

8. McDaniel must think tight end Julian Hill can be a special player, because he’s putting up with a lot of penalties. Hill, to be sure, had some crucial blocks for the Dolphins running game on Sunday. But when he was flagged for a false start on a Dolphins punt, it was his eighth penalty in six games. Four of them — two false starts, an illegal motion and illegal formation — have been pre-snap penalties. The Dolphins entered Sunday leading the league with 8.6 penalties per game and were second with 4.2 pre-snap penalties per game. They had five penalties in Sunday’s first half, Hill, meanwhile, has more penalties than catches (five this year, including one Sunday).

9. Quick Hits:

When the Dolphins took a 10-0 lead just before half, it was their first lead of more than one score all season.

Emmanuel Ogbah and Jevon Holland were ruled out before the game with injury.

From the first play, a 2-yard tackle for loss, Calais Campbell keeps being worth everything the Dolphins are paying.

The Patriots are fighting for the No. 1 pick in the draft as their ugly loss to Jacksonville again showed.

10. Next game: Arizona at Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa’s expected return has a good opponent as Arizona entered Sunday ranked 26th in yards and points allowed. Arizona didn’t get a break from NFL schedule-makers as it plays Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers before flying across the country for Sunday’s 1 p.m. start.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Instant Analysis: Indianapolis Colts 16, Miami Dolphins 10

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 13:03

Quick thoughts from South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers on the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in on Sunday:

Chris Perkins, Dolphins Columnist

I’m at a loss. The Dolphins can’t continue to commit turnovers, mess up on special teams and not make big plays on offense. They simply can’t. This was embarrassing. And it’s not the first time this season they’ve put on an embarrassing performance. I’ll say it again — this problem goes beyond starting QB Tua Tagovailoa being injured. Way beyond Tua.

David Furones, Dolphins Writer

The return of Tua can’t come soon enough. There’s no reason other NFL quarterbacks can’t find ways to get Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle the ball. This team needed to get to 3-3 at the point of Tagovailoa’s return, and 2-4 looks grim.

Steve Svekis, Assistant Sports Editor

The Dolphins are in deep trouble, having gone 1-2 the past three games against unrefined quarterback play. Now, those passers become much more accomplished. Hard to imagine how a winning record can be fashioned at this point.

Keven Lerner, Assistant Sports Editor

The Dolphins may get Tua Tagovailoa back next week, but can he really create enough of a difference to turn around this sinking season?

Dolphins Deep Dive: Dave Hyde and David Furones break down Miami’s loss to Colts | VIDEO

Gators’ 3-interception night spurs 4-touchdown rout of Kentucky: ‘It’s priceless’

Sun, 10/20/2024 - 12:15

GAINESVILLE — Florida veteran Devin Moore came up just short of recording his first pick-six yet was anything but disappointed following a resounding win against Kentucky.

Moore was front and center to celebrate sophomore Cormani McClain’s touchdown off an interception to cap a 48-20 victory Saturday night during UF’s homecoming in the Swamp.

Each cornerback had traveled a long road for his chance. Florida’s secondary had, too.

The Gators’ 3-interception night against the Wildcats was a long time coming and marked the first time UF recorded a trio of picks since beating Kentucky in 2020.

“It could bring you to tears sometimes,” Moore said. “It’s priceless just being able to see all the hard work we put in as well as that of the coaches.”

Florida cornerback Devin Moore runs with the ball after intercepting a pass during the first half of the Gators’ 48-20 win Oct. 19 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Florida’s inability to force turnovers has been a point of emphasis all year.

The three picks matched UF’s season total, which were as many as the Gators managed the entire 2023 season. This included just one interception by a cornerback.

Two days after last season ended, coach Billy Napier fired secondary coach Corey Raymond and soon hired Will Harris to replace him. Harris inherited a group of players with pedigree and potential at cornerback, including Moore, former five-star recruit Jason Marshall Jr. and former Kissimmee Osceola standout Jakeem Jackson — UF’s top-rated signee in 2023.

Moore, though, had played just 12 games in two seasons because of injuries. Finally healthy, he attacked the offseason, building his 6-foot-2 ¾ frame to 197 pounds.

“He renewed his commitment to the offseason, changing his body, addressing some areas where he’s been banged up,” Napier said after Moore’s fifth straight start. “He’s been available. He’s played; he’s gaining experience. He has elite traits.

“We’re definitely better when he’s out there.”

Meanwhile, Marshall hadn’t missed a game since he was a true freshman in 2021. But he’d at best been a serviceable starter rather than the shutdown corner many expected. So the 22-year-old returned for a fourth season to prove his worth to NFL teams.

Marshall entered Saturday night, and his 40th career start, amid his best season — Pro Football Focus graded him college football’s No.1 cornerback in single coverage through five games.

But Marshall exited the game early in the third quarter after he’d been involved in tackle along the sideline and near UF’s goal line. He returned in street clothes with his right arm in a sling.

Given Jackson has been out since starting in Weeks 1 and 2, coaches soon turned to McClain — a Colorado transfer from Lakeland yet to play a snap at Florida. The 20-year-old answered the call with an end zone pass breakup and the pick-six.

Florida sophomore corerback Cormani McClain intercepts a pass for a touchdown during his Gators’ debut Oct. 19 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

McClain’s talent and upside were never a question with the former 5-star prospect and Gators’ target in 2023 before he committed to Miami and later flipped to Colorado to play for Deion Sanders. McClain’s maturity was.

“He’s got a long way to go,” Napier said. “But he stepped up. Guy got injured and he was able to go in there and do his job in a critical moment.”

The 6-foot-1 ½, 175-pound McClain arrived this past summer needing to bulk up, shape up and wait his turn. During fall camp, his talent shined through.

“When Cormani was on the scout team early in the season he would intercept a couple passes every day,” Napier said. “I would just tell the staff, ‘Hey, this guy is down here, he got here mid-summer, doesn’t know as much, but he can play man coverage.’

“He’s got great instincts.”

Moore senses that Saturday night’s performance is a sign of things to come.

The Gators enter a bye week before a Nov. 2 date with Georgia. During UF’s first bye week following a 42-28 win Sept. 21 at Mississippi State, coaches and players pushed to improve the defense during a three-day stretch akin to fall camp, if not boot camp.

Florida was last in the SEC against power conferences foe, yielding an average of 499 yards in three games — two of them double-digit losses to Miami and Texas A&M. UF has since allowed an average of 298 in three games.

Moore said the goal this week is simple.

“Two things: get healthy and compete,” he said. “Replicate what we did the first bye week and take it to another level.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Daily Horoscope for October 20, 2024

Sat, 10/19/2024 - 21:00

General Daily Insight for October 20, 2024

Finding our way out of today’s darkness is easier said than done. The sensitive Moon struggles to comprehend erratic Mercury, making it hard to align our heads and our hearts. When the ego-focused Sun misunderstands perplexing Neptune at 11:44 am EDT, it might just cause us to make the wrong decision out of pride or confusion, so we must stay grounded. On top of all that, the Moon clashes with cold Saturn, which can entangle us in criticism, self-doubt, and isolation. This too shall pass!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Not knowing what another person is thinking may be grating on you. You might want to know what’s going on inside someone’s head, but it’s not that easy to figure out what’s going on up there. Asking direct questions will probably get you nowhere — it could even be driving them further within themselves, as shyness or caution blocks your efforts. Look for a way to approach them with a less interrogative conversation and you may both be able to gain useful insight.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

People in your life might be distracting you from what you need to be doing. You may have set aside time to focus on getting back on track, especially if you’ve fallen off when it comes to a routine of yours or begun to loosen a valuable habit. Wherever you’re at, someone could interrupt you and further damage your focus, complicating the process of returning to consistency. Set up boundaries and guard them — they’re the best way to keep yourself on course.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Work and play may be in a tug of war. There might be a fun event that your responsibilities mean you must miss, which can be a bummer when you know that you were so close to being able to go. Alternatively, you could be about to blow off some of your to-do list in favor of pursuing a good time, but are anxious about the consequences that could come from this. It’s not a good idea to shirk any urgent tasks!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Tradition is grappling with innovation. Even if you were once absolutely convinced that you were on the right path, you may come to realize that something you’ve held as a belief for a long time is leading you away from where you want to be going. It can be uncomfortable to set venerated patterns aside when you’ve valued them for so long, but is comfort worth the potential stagnation of staying in the same place? Make the right decision for yourself — no one else.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

How you express yourself may not be received in the way that it was intended. You might have been trying to pay a compliment or talk about a subject that you found interesting. Either way, someone could read negative intentions into what you’re saying, putting you on your back foot. While this can be startling, do your best to maintain authenticity and, if you were mistaken, try to be humble. How you handle yourself at present is more important than proving them wrong.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Someone’s words may feed insecurity. It could be that you’ve recently been trying to feel more secure within yourself, but a peer makes a comment that sets off some self-doubt. They might not have even been talking about you — maybe it was a criticism of someone else that also applies to you. In this moment, consider sticking up for the person being criticized, whoever they might be. If the speaker cares about you, they should understand your point of view.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You might be struggling with exhaustion. There may have been too many opportunities for you to try and take advantage of, but you tried anyway, and the attempt left you worn out. Depriving yourself of sleep or nourishment when you’re pursuing your goals isn’t wise, as you might achieve them, but then be in bad condition and unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Make sure that you’re not pushing yourself too hard, or your efforts could end up going to waste.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Be wary of recent risky behavior. There may be bad habits that you’re trying to break, but temptations arising could cause you to fall back into your old ways. Instead of struggling to resist any enticements, make an effort to remove yourself from the source of the siren’s call. Then, see if you still want it tomorrow. This could clarify whether you’re acting on impulse, someone in your midst is not respecting your boundaries, or your goals aren’t particularly sustainable. Do what’s right for you.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Watch out — stormy social seas ahead! You might find that longtime friends aren’t getting along with more recent acquaintances, or that you’ve invited someone to meet your family and they are not mixing well. While you can’t always make everyone you like appreciate each other’s company, you can at least show them another side of your life. Your loved ones should be understanding of the different sides of your friend group. People can respect each other without enjoying hanging out, after all.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

The need to take the lead may clash with the need to be a team player — especially if circumstances require you to act in both roles at once. There might be those who want to be your friend, but when it’s time for you to lead, they don’t want to follow your directions. It’s a fine line to walk, being a good leader, but you have it in you! Work humbly alongside the people you’re leading, and you’ll all make it much further.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

What you know to be true and what makes you feel secure can be two different things. There may be areas of your life that you are avoiding, as they seem too difficult to figure out currently. What you don’t know is that you have the ability to contain these complex, opposing feelings and be completely valid! Simply do your best to find a sense of harmony between the two. Get creative, and don’t shy away from what’s really happening in your life.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

What you can’t see about yourself might be holding you back. There could be a trait that you have that you’re not aware of — in fact, you may firmly believe you DON’T have it. This might be a positive trait that you won’t be able to see in yourself until someone you trust tells you, so a second opinion on a confusing matter or ongoing situation could strengthen you to break out of the darkness. You’re worth more than you know!

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