South Florida Local News

October is the prime time to get a flu vaccine to protect yourself through the worst of the respiratory season.

However, keep your expectations in check.

This year’s shot may be less effective than last year’s at preventing severe disease. Newly released data from the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season typically runs from April through September, suggests that this year’s flu vaccines offer 34% efficacy against hospitalization, compared to 50% last year.

Overall, though, an evaluation of hospitalizations from places like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uraguay and Paraguay suggests that people who were vaccinated for influenza were at significantly lower risk for hospitalization from a severe respiratory infection than those who did not get a flu shot.

The annual influenza vaccine targets three strains of seasonal flu, and scientists make an educated guess months before the fall season. It takes about six months for pharmaceutical makers to produce the flu vaccine. They try to create a formula that they believe will align perfectly with the circulating strains. In some years, scientists have been more on target than others. The big question is whether the same influenza viruses will predominate during the 2024–25 U.S. flu season as in the Southern Hemisphere.

“We know this is what happened in the Southern Hemisphere during their flu season, but patterns there don’t always predict how the season will unfold in the United States,” said Dr. Bharvarth Shukla, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “A reduction of 34% in hospitalization is still good, especially for people who are very vulnerable.”

“Also,” Shukla said, “there are a lot of caveats in the study that are important to consider. The age of the primary patient population in Brazil was much younger than ours in Florida.” And some countries like Chile and Ecuador had high levels of flu this season.

In the U.S, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine yearly. A high-dose inactivated vaccine is approved for people 65 years and older.

Shukla recommends looking at the big picture in making vaccine decisions: Who is involved in your daily life and whether it includes anyone who is immunocompromised or particularly vulnerable. “Take everything into context and talk to your doctor,” he advises.

Reviews of flu season data in the U.S. since 2009 find that vaccine protection ranges from a low of 22% to a high of 60%. For the U.S. population, that means millions fewer illnesses and visits to a healthcare professional. The flu vaccine also lowers the number of people with an illness who need hospital care or who die of influenza.

“These reviews show the vaccine is never a direct match, but there are still benefits of getting one,” said Rachel Gruran, director of epidemiology and infection prevention with Memorial Healthcare System. “Even if the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, it still protects you against major serious illness.”

Once you get a flu vaccine, it takes up to two weeks to build immunity. Gruran said that because people travel to Florida from all over the world, those who live here are exposed to influenza year-round, raising the risk factors.

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“Consider the vaccine your secret weapon,” Gruran said. “If you are doing everything else, such as eating well and having healthy behaviors, by getting a flu shot, you are adding that on top. You are even more protected than you would have been, and if you get the flu, you probably will not get as severely sick.”

Experts say while the flu vaccine is your best defense, other steps can provide some protection:

• Wash your hands well and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your face. Keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth helps keep germs away from those places.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Clean often-touched surfaces regularly.
• Meet outside with others as much as possible during peak respiratory season.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Get sunshine daily.

South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@sunsentinel.com.

Q: Ira, you’ve written for a week about the Heat’s 3-point shooting. Let you in on a secret: the 3-point shooters should shoot the threes. Every 3-pointer Bam Adebayo or Jimmy Butler take is one that Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson doesn’t. – Sy.

A: Agree. As with every lineup and every rotation, the goal should be featuring what each player does best. The question in the Heat’s starting lineup is whether there is enough 3-point shooting. And if Nikola Jovic is off, as he was in Sunday’s exhibition, that’s an issue. While there is nothing wrong with experimentation in the preseason, it can’t get over the top to a degree it becomes habit. It is why a case could be made for Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup. For now, Adebayo as a lob threat and Jimmy Butler bullying his way to the foul line remain prime maximization of each. The occasional 3-pointer to keep the defense honest? No issue here.  But what is needed most is to identify the high-percentage 3-point specialists and prioritize those players at the arc . . . if the Heat have enough of them.

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Q: Where were the Pelle Larsson minutes Sunday? – P.M.

A: Likely where they will mostly be this season, at least at the start – at the back end of the rotation, if at all. The minutes in the preseason opener came with Jaime Jaquez Jr. out. With Jaquez back against the Pelicans, it had the Heat 10 deep before Pelle entered. And that was with Alec Burks given the night off and with Josh Richardson still sidelined. Pelle Larsson’s minutes won’t be gifted, and he will face stiff veteran competition.

Q: Ira, I liked Jamal Cain and saw he was with the Pelicans on Sunday. Why didn’t it work out here? – Alex.

A: When it comes to two-way contracts, and especially for players on such contracts for multiple years, it comes down to how much growth potential a team foresees. For whatever reason, the Heat, a team committed to development, saw a limit in that regard. Based on Jamal Cain being on a two-way deal with New Orleans, it’s probably best that he expands his possibilities by learning another system, which could come in handy if a career as a journeyman continues. It also shows how difficult it is to land a standard contract in the league.

Today is Monday, Oct. 14, the 288th day of 2024. There are 78 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 14, 1986, Holocaust survivor and human rights advocate Elie Wiesel (EL’-ee vee-ZEHL’) was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Also on this date:

In 1066, Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings.

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In 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial in England, accused of committing treason against Queen Elizabeth I. (Mary was beheaded in February 1587.)

In 1910, aviator Claude Grahame-White flew his biplane over Washington, D.C. and landed it on West Executive Avenue, next to the White House.

In 1944, German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel took his own life rather than face trial and certain execution for allegedly conspiring against Adolf Hitler.

In 1947, U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager became the first test pilot to break the sound barrier as he flew the experimental Bell XS-1 rocket plane over Muroc Dry Lake in California.

In 1964, in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, American Billy Mills won the 10,000 meter race at the Tokyo Summer Games. Also in 1964, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1981, the new president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak (HOHS’-nee moo-BAH’-rahk), was sworn in to succeed the assassinated Anwar Sadat.

In 2008, a grand jury in Orlando, Florida, returned charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter against Casey Anthony in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. (She was acquitted in July 2011.)

In 2012, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, at the age of 89, marked the 65th anniversary of his supersonic flight by smashing through the sound barrier again, this time in the backseat of an F-15 that took off from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Former White House counsel John W. Dean III is 86.
• Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is 85.
• Football Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner is 77.
• Golf Hall of Famer Beth Daniel is 68.
• Musician Thomas Dolby is 66.
• Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is 63.
• Actor Steve Coogan is 58.
• TV host Stephen A. Smith is 57.
• Country singer Natalie Maines (The Chicks) is 50.
• Singer Usher is 46.
• Actor-comedian Jay Pharoah is 37.
• NFL quarterback Jared Goff is 30.

General Daily Insight for October 14, 2024

Staying humble may be a challenge. As the confident Sun argues with rash Mars at 4:15 am EDT, controlling our egos is difficult — watch out for prideful impulses! Later, the sensitive Moon conjoins dedicated Saturn, inspiring us to be nurturing and determined, as well as allowing us to show rather than tell our intentions. Finally, Venus faces off with unpredictable Uranus, making it hard to remain poised in the face of less than comfortable surprises. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Irritation may tempt you to say things that you’ll regret. While it can be difficult to juggle the different issues of people in your life, unleashing your frustrations on them is unlikely to be a good idea for your connection. As hard as it may be to hold your tongue, doing so is probably the best option. When everyone’s on edge, even though it’s not fair, it could be up to you to try and keep the peace as best you can.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

What’s in your head could be affecting your body. Perhaps stress is physically and mentally weighing on you, or you’re using your mind so much that it refuses to rest at night. It’s important to draw a clear line between work and life at the moment, because if you don’t, you run the risk of your body forcing you to rest. Choose to create this internal balance on your own so that you aren’t caught by surprise. After all, you’re only human.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

You might be overestimating what you have. Overspending, overindulging, and overexaggerating are all pitfalls for you currently. This may be something that you weren’t aware of, particularly if someone else is egging you on to spend your money when you should be saving it. It’s up to you to lock yourself down and operate within the confines of your bank account or your health routine, or you risk falling into more challenging circumstances. Pushing the envelope is not a good idea right now.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Your ambitions may not align with your loved ones. You could have a very personal reason behind your actions, but the people who are close to you, either friends or family members, may not understand your methods. You might feel like you are misunderstood, but this shouldn’t cause you to give up on what you want. Sometimes those who care most for us don’t know how best to support us — you may have to be your own cheerleader until they do.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Unexpected tension can stress your connections. It may revolve around a friend, a coworker, or a relative — they’ll probably be a peer of yours. This tension could start from a disagreement, or absurd chaos might strike like lightning when you’re in the middle of your normal day. Whenever it comes, do your best to squash whatever issues might arise and roll with the punches. There’s no need to get stressed! You both can make it through with a little compromise and calm.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Friends may enable your spontaneous side — not for the better. It’s not easy to be responsible when FOMO makes everyone’s parties sound irresistible! If you have an urgent project or desperately need alone time for rest and recuperation, make an effort to stay strong and prioritize the plans you already made for yourself. However, if you’re already all caught up and feel fully recovered, go ahead and have fun! Just don’t do anything that you’ll regret when you wake up tomorrow morning.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Stress from the workplace may be sneakily following you home. It may sound efficient to ponder practical problems while you’re supposed to be relaxing, but in reality, you won’t be as focused as usual and you’ll lose out on valuable time to heal in preparation for tackling things anew tomorrow. Instead of allowing yourself to think about various responsibilities 24/7, make a point of setting times that you will intentionally distract yourself and rest. It’s not healthy to think about stress or work constantly.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Travel may be stressing you out. Whether you’ve received bad directions or just can’t remember them right, you’re likely to run into some type of delay or issue getting from point A to point B. Seek assistance from the people around you and don’t be afraid to ask for directions if you get lost. It’s also an excellent idea to double-check your to-do list and make sure that you have the essentials before you leave the house. Don’t let forgetfulness be your downfall!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

You may be struggling with obsessions around your goals. While focusing on your future is a wise form of proactive ambition, keep in mind that you shouldn’t completely forget to think about the side quests of life sometimes. A fixation on ultra-specific goals could actually be preventing you from accepting opportunities that would hone your skills so you become a more well-rounded person. Make a point of looking beyond any tunnel vision to avoid preventing yourself from seeing other openings that would benefit you.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Your sense of responsibility might be clashing with your passion. The fire in you may be demanding you act first, think later, while logic is letting you know that this is not a good idea — today or at all. What promises have you made recently? Fulfilling them is even more crucial than usual, since trying to skirt your responsibilities is extra likely to land you in hot water as opposed to furthering your current goals. Don’t try to sidestep the rules.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Not feeling good may spark impatience. Others might be getting on your nerves, especially if outside circumstances have left you with a lowered tolerance for whatever typically irritates you. You could be under the weather or not getting enough sleep, which then means you struggle with holding your temper. Instead of taking this energy out on the people around you, try asking them if they’d be willing to lend you a helping hand by saving certain tasks for tomorrow. Speak up for your needs.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Impulsiveness may push you into taking all sorts of risks at the moment. In particular, if someone in your life is trying to help you become more self-sufficient, capricious jests might damage the trust they’ve placed in you. The importance of staying grounded and avoiding any rash decisions cannot be overstated. You’ll regret leaping without looking! Anything that sounds too good to be true probably is, so it’s a good idea to stick to sure bets for the time being.

MIAMI — So what does a Miami Heat starting lineup of Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier look like?

Erik Spoelstra got a look at the quintet in a game situation for the first time ever in Sunday’s 101-99 exhibition victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Kaseya Center.

The early math? The Heat outscored the Pelicans by two with those five on the court, before all five were given the second half off.

“That group I thought was really encouraging,” Spoelstra said of the starters. “That’s how I thought they looked in training camp, in the Bahamas. The group has gone with it with the right mindset.

“The defense was very active and disruptive. And offensively, playing very fluid, flowing into actions without pauses.”

Most encouraging was the side-by-side backcourt play of Herro and Rozier, with Herro leading the Heat with 12 first-half points and Rozier second with 11 points over the opening two periods.

“Terry and Tyler, they look fast,” Spoelstra said. “They made our lineup look fast. Terry and Tyler gave us that pop.”

How much more of a presumptive opening-night lineup will be seen during the preseason remains uncertain, with Sunday beginning a congested run of four exhibitions in six nights, a run that ends Friday in Memphis, ahead of the Oct. 23 regular-season opener against the visiting Orlando Magic.

Until Sunday, the Heat’s opening five had not played a single second together – preseason, regular season or playoffs.

The game was decided when second-round pick Pelle Larsson, a hero of the Heat’s summer-league championship, converted a pair of free throws with 6 seconds to play to close out the scoring.

“It was important,” Larrson said, with the Heat up 20 earlier, “because we didn’t want to blow that big lead.”

Next up for the Heat are back-to-back home exhibitions against the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, respectively.

Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday’s exhibition against the Pelicans:

1. New look: The focus from the outset of camp, Spoelstra said, was to get as much court time together for Adebayo, Butler, Herro and Rozier.

“We actually have seen quite a bit,” Spoelstra said of those four together in practice. “They haven’t missed as much time as it may seem. I like the progress those guys are making, along with everybody else. And we’ll continue to look at them.”

Herro missed Tuesday’s preseason-opening road loss to the Hornets due to a groin strain.

The starting five alignment made it consecutive exhibition appearances for Butler, who did not play during last year’s preseason.

Alec Burks, who had started the preseason opener in place of Herro, was given the day off and not in uniform.

Adebayo closed with six points on 3 of 5 from the field, Butler with four points on 1 of 3, and Jovic with three, on 1 of 5.

None of the starters played more than 16:33, in street clothes by the finish.

“I liked what I saw and the guys I thought looked comfortable, as well,” Spoelstra said.

2. And then: The next five off the bench, playing as a unit, were Jaime Jaquez Jr., Duncan Robinson, Dru Smith, Haywood Highsmith and Kevin Love.

Like Herro, Jaquez missed the preseason opener with a groin strain.

It was the second consecutive exhibition Spoelstra went with a five-man second unit.

The question with Smith is whether he is just a placeholder for sidelined Josh Richardson, or will start the season on his two-contract as the backup point guard.

“He just makes winning play after winning play,” Spoelstra said. “The guys just love playing with him. Defensively, he’s really tough.”

Richardson remains sidelined in his recovery from last season’s shoulder surgery.

Another option potentially could be staggering the minutes of Herro and Rozier to have one as a de facto point guard with the second unit.

Smith had several solid defensive sequences, including a pair of early steals.

Smith then started the second half along with Highsmith, Jaquez, Robinson and Thomas Bryant.

Smith closed with five assists, four points and four rebounds in 16:27.

“The second unit,” Smith said, “we’ve had a good few days together.”

3. Alternate reality: When Adebayo, Butler, Herro and Rozier returned in the second period, they returned with Highsmith remaining on the court,

Highsmith as the starting power forward stands as a potential Plan B for a Heat starting lineup. It also could stand as a potential closing lineup.

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Highsmith finished with six points and seven rebounds in 18:38.

4. Stepping back: After breakout play in last Monday’s intrasquad scrimmage and then Tuesday’s exhibition opener, Larsson was shuffled back to Sunday’s third unit, with first-round pick Kel’el Ware playing in that unit, as he did in the preseason opener.

Rounding out that third unit were Nassir Little, Josh Christopher and Zyon Pullin.

Ware entered after Bryant went for nine points in 9:34, on 4-of-5 shooting.

As was the case in the preseason opener, Love was limited to a single stint, Sunday playing 7:27, with five points and one rebound.

5. Dual impact: Both teams had their preseason schedule altered by Hurricane Milton, with last Thursday’s Heat home exhibition against the Hawks rescheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Kaseya Center, and with the Pelicans’ Friday exhibition in Orlando canceled.

“I think the big picture for us, always, is first of all having an awareness that basketball doesn’t matter right now,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said pregame. “That was the first thing for us as a group, making sure that we were sending prayers and thoughts and anything that we can do for the residents of Florida that were affected by the hurricane. That was first for us.”

South Florida’s stone crab season kicks off this Tuesday, Oct. 15, and despite back-to-back hurricanes barreling through the Gulf of Mexico, early signs point to abundant claws and prices even with last season.

Fresh claws will hit fish markets, wholesalers and restaurant menus as soon as Wednesday, the morning after crabbing vessels are allowed to pull traps by state law. Yet the big question remains: Just how much will stone crabs cost fans of the sweet crustacean treat?

Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)In this file photo from 2023, owner Clay Brand places stone crabs on display at Captain Clay and Sons Seafood Market in Delray Beach. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Dewey Culbreth, owner of Catfish Dewey’s in Oakland Park, says prices usually mirror the tail end of the previous season, which ended May 1. But the double-whammy of Hurricanes Helene and Milton has muddled that conventional wisdom, he says. A few Gulf Coast suppliers sustained storm damage to boats and fish houses, and now he’s expecting lower-than-average initial hauls after both storms.

“This means that some guys have lost a lot of traps, and there might be less crabs caught, which could affect prices at least in the beginning,” Culbreth told the Sun Sentinel on Sunday. “It’s really kind of a sad situation.”

Even so, he’s optimistic. Earlier this spring, Culbreth saw a bumper crop of claws flood his seafood restaurant — so many, in fact, that he froze his final haul and kept selling them through the end of August. At the end of last season, he charged $44 per-pound for medium-size claws, $49 for larges and $75 for 1.25 pounds of jumbos.

“I’m betting prices will open up high but if the catch remains robust, it will drive prices back down flat with last season,” he adds. “We’re already seeing lots of crabs in the traps.”

Culbreth says Catfish Dewey’s all-you-can-eat deal is pending until traps are pulled on Tuesday. For now, the cost is “market price” on his restaurant website.

During the 2024-25 season, which runs Oct. 15 to May 1, most of Florida’s stone crabs are caught in muddy waters off the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys and Florida Bay, with some fisheries working the areas near the Bahamas and Crystal River, near Florida’s Big Bend region. In a meeting last week the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which regulates how many crabs can be caught, set new guidelines for crab traps, now required to be fitted with a 2 3/16-inch-wide “escape ring” with a “vertical exterior trap wall” to filter out undersize crabs and to curb overfishing, per its website.

Storm surge, winds and high seas from both hurricanes may have destroyed or scattered crab traps across the Gulf right before the start of season, argues Peter Jarvis, owner of high-end retailer Triar Seafood in Hollywood, who has suppliers in the Keys and the West Coast.

Carline Jean / South Florida Sun SentinelDannie Pierce, from Triar Seafood in Hollywood, sorts through stone crabs at the start of season in this file photo. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

“The traps got tossed all over hell’s half-acre,” Jarvis says. “It left me with a huge question mark about supply and cost. Many crabbers are still without power. Those poor guys are trying to fix their own personal scenarios instead of checking traps. On the other hand, the Keys didn’t get too clobbered and my guys found plenty of stone crabs in their traps. So we just don’t know.”

Kelly Kirk, the sixth-generation owner of Kirk Fish Co. in Goodland, next to Marco Island, counts herself lucky that no crabbing trawlers in her fleet sustained damage in either hurricane. She thinks her waterfront fish house will charge the same claw prices as the end of last season: $28 to $30 for mediums, $38 to $40 for larges and $48 to $50 for jumbos.

“It’ll be slower to start, but prices will be the same,” Kirk says. “We might not have a ton of supply on day one. We didn’t want our traps to get destroyed so we waited to put them in the water after the storms passed.”

Clay Brand, the owner of Captain Clay and Sons Seafood Market in Delray Beach, says his Gulf suppliers also waited until the hurricanes passed to deposit his traps.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if our initial haul is lower since we set traps a lot later than usual,” he says. “I’m still hopeful we’re going to have really good production this year.”

Sun Sentinel reporter Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@sunsentinel.com.

Ten years ago, almost to this day, at 2:30 in the morning, I stood in the Fort Lauderdale City Commission chambers at a hearing and begged them not to approve the 170-foot-tall AquaBlu condo building in a small single-family residential neighborhood, known as Sunrise Intercoastal.  Now, I’m a big fan of new development in Fort Lauderdale, but this project location felt wrong; it was out of place, adjacent to single family homes. The height and density belong downtown, not adjacent to small residential neighborhoods. It set a dangerous precedent for the lot next door, which I dubbed “AquaBlu Two.”

Ten years later, almost to the day, the lot next door that I had dubbed “AquaBlu Two,” now named “Sage,” came to the worst fruition possible. This time as a 300-foot building — 130 feet taller than the precedent-setting “AquaBlu” project. “Sage” was approved at a Planning and Zoning Board hearing. At 27 stories, it is taller than any building on the beachfront. Taller than Pier 66, taller than Bahia Mar, taller than many buildings on The Galt Mile. Taller than some buildings downtown.

Abby Laughlin is a neighborhood activist and local artist. (courtesy, Abby Laughlin)

But here’s the kicker — we can’t have the Fort Lauderdale City Commission look at it; the final action rests with the 5-2 Planning and Zoning approval.

The fault lies with city staff who can’t properly count to 180 — the number of days legally allowed for a “final action” after a completed development application has been submitted. This mistake eclipsed the commission’s legal ability to review this project. Not only did the city get cut off at the knees, the public was as well. No ability for the public to weigh in at a commission hearing, no ability to fight against this miscarriage of zoning, and no ability to stop the avalanche of all the other undeveloped properties in the surrounding area that are zoned for “RMH-60,” meaning high density residential multifamily high rises. Now, 300 feet will be the standard; having been approved once, it is the conditional use that every other developer will try to use.

You don’t think the potential developers of nearby Galleria Mall are licking their chops as they try and make the argument that their properties, zoned for commercial use, should have the same or greater height than the nearby 300-foot Sage? You don’t think any project within a mile of this 300-foot building will point to the Live Local Act the state passed last year, which in some cases allows housing in commercial zones without rezoning, and say, “Look, 300 feet, we can do this too”? We are doomed to multi-generational overdevelopment because of a counting error made by city staff. The developer knew how to count, that’s why they stuck to their dates and wouldn’t agree to a reasonable extension. They gamed the system. They have truly converted sunshine into profit at the expense of all of us. Rest in peace, neighborhood compatibility. My hat’s off to the two Planning and Zoning members who recognized this miscarriage of zoning and voted against this project — and a reminder to the City Commision that the buck stops with you.

Abby Laughlin is a neighborhood activist and local artist. She has been a member of the Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board, vice president for the Central Beach Alliance, president of the Coral Ridge Association, District 1 representative for the Council of Civic Associations and vice president for the Central City Alliance. She is a trustee at the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that UCF finds itself mired in a three-game losing streak, the Knights also are in the middle of a quarterback controversy.

Starter KJ Jefferson was benched after a 3-2 start this season in favor of EJ Colson, a 17-year-old true freshman. Colson made his first collegiate start against Cincinnati on Saturday but was eventually replaced by Miami transfer Jacurri Brown, who took most of the snaps in UCF’s 19-13 loss to the Bearcats.

The move provided a much-needed spark to a Knights’ offense that had gone flat.

“We just felt like we needed a change, we need a spark,” said coach Gus Malzahn.

UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) entered the weekend with a top-15 ranked offense (489 yards per game) and a top-35 scoring offense (34 points per game). But against Florida last week, the Knights managed a season-low in points (13) and yards (273).

To make matters worse, UCF’s passing offense was ranked 88th in the country, averaging just over 206 yards per game.

Jefferson was coming off his lowest-rated (108.46) game of the season against the Gators, where he completed just 54% of his passes. It was his third game with under 170 passing yards and the second time he failed to throw a touchdown pass.

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In the wake of the loss, Malzahn felt a change was needed.

“KJ’s a winner. He handled the situation like a champion would,” said Malzahn. “I know he’s a competitor and he wants to be out there, but he helped those guys and he helped the coaches on the sideline.”

It was a stunning move for one of the top transfer targets in the offseason, with the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Jefferson expected to be a perfect fit for Malzahn’s particular style of offense. However, the Mississippi native never seemed to get on track.

His best performance was in Week 3 on the road against TCU when he helped rally UCF from a 28-7 second-half deficit, throwing three touchdowns in the final 30 minutes in a 35-34 come-from-behind win.

Yet he struggled in losses to Colorado and Florida in back-to-back weeks, forcing Malzahn to make a change.

Colson should be playing his senior year at Cedar Grove High School in Byron, Ga. Instead, he reclassified to be able to sign as part of UCF’s 2024 recruiting class.

The 4-star product is the highest-rated quarterback the Knights have signed since 2008 according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Colson showed glimpses of potential on Saturday but also showed why he is a true freshman, finishing 1 of 4 for -6 yards with 3 carries for 6 yards.

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Fifth-year receiver Kobe Hudson encouraged the young quarterback before his first start.

“I told him you’re going to mess up; it’s football,” said Hudson, who finished with a game-high 114 receiving yards. “Ain’t nobody perfect, so don’t hang your head. He’s a young guy and a freshman with many growing pains. He’s going to be a good guy for the future.”

Brown played minimum snaps in two previous games this season — against New Hampshire and Sam Houston — completing 5 of 9 passes for 22 yards while rushing for 92 yards. He also appeared in nine games with the Miami Hurricanes.

The Valdosta, Ga. native completed 13 of 20 for 207 yards with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Hudson midway through the third quarter. Brown was second on the team in rushing with 84 yards and four plays of 10 or more yards.

“It’s a blessing for him and also a blessing for us just to get behind there and trust the new guys,” said Hudson. “I feel like he did a pretty good job with what he could do and we will get better next week.”

Malzahn wasn’t ready to commit to Brown or any quarterback heading into Saturday’s road contest at Iowa State (7:30 p.m., FOX/FS1).

“We’ll see and watch what’s going on,” he said. “He was calm and he handled himself really well.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

UCF fell behind by double digits for the fourth consecutive game as Cincinnati built a lead Saturday and handed the Knights their third straight loss, 19-13.

Red-zone issues continue to haunt UCF

While the UCF managed to convert on its three red-zone opportunities against Cincinnati, the Knights need help finding the end zone.

The team is converting just 54% (14 of 26) of its red-zone opportunities into touchdowns, often being forced to settle for field goals.

Private equity firms would run college football much better than school presidents and ADs | Commentary

No more evident was it than in the second quarter when UCF drove 93 yards and took more than 6 minutes off the clock, only to settle for a 22-yard Grant Reddick field goal.

“We’ve got to find a way to manufacture more points,” said coach Gus Malzahn.

Knights get better pressure on quarterback

UCF entered this weekend with an FBS-worst three quarterback sacks through five games but managed to get a pair against the Bearcats.

Jamaal Johnson and Isaiah Nixon registered sacks as the Knights managed to get a decent amount of pressure on UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The defense also tied a season-high with 8 tackles for loss.

“There’s an old motto on the defensive side: bend but don’t break,” said linebacker Jesiah Pierre. “Our defense just came in and attacked and played to our standard.”

Penalties come back to bite UCF

The Knights were among the most penalized teams in the Big 12 last season but have performed much better in 2024. That was until Saturday when the team was flagged a season-high 10 times for 75 yards against Cincinnati.

The offense had three false-start penalties while the defense was flagged three times on third downs.

Malzahn wasn’t happy with the penalties but also said some resulted from growing pains with two new quarterbacks.

“We did start a new center as Marcellus Marshall made his first start at center,” said Malzahn.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

I turned 80 on Oct. 9. I’m happy to report that my wife and I are relatively healthy. We’ve had medical scares like many seniors, but Medicare and Social Security keep us solvent.

I worry what might happen to these benefits, as I could not afford health insurance premiums at my age, so I’ve been researching both major U.S. Senate candidates. If Sen. Rick Scott is reelected and becomes majority leader, I worry he would lead an effort to shrink or kill Medicare and Social Security.

Scott sees them as government handouts. He wrote a “Rescue America” plan in 2022 that could reduce or end them. But they’re not handouts. Nearly 8% of my income went into these benefits, as did yours. We paid for them.

As a senator, Scott voted against the Affordable Care Act, in vitro fertilization, and to lower drug prices. As governor, he denied Medicaid expansion for Florida’s poor children. What’s so cynical is that Scott, the richest U.S. senator, was CEO of a hospital conglomerate that paid $1.7 billion for defrauding Medicare.

If Scott believes these programs should be eliminated or reduced, he should say so. Instead, his campaign evades or denies his voting record. As a senior who relies on Medicare, I don’t trust Scott to keep it secure. I’ll be voting for the Democrat.

Gerald Stone, Boynton Beach

(Editor’s Note: After a furor, Scott’s plan dropped proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security.)

Bracing for the outcome

As voters brace themselves for the outcome of the presidential election, I’d like to convey a message.

Many of us will be terribly disappointed with the election outcome and many will be very pleased. Either way, we must accept the next president with dignity, pride and understanding. We’re a nation of love and freedom, not terror and hate.

Riot or assassination attempts showing opposition to the newly elected president will not be tolerated. We live in a beautiful and civilized country. Let’s keep it that way.

Roberta Chaleff, Tamarac

Immigration stalemate

Kamala Harris has a hard time with issues of the border and illegal immigration. That may not entirely be her fault.

Harris tries to pretend that the country favors illegal immigration or open borders. But if I am right, no legislation will pass, and we are in this stalemate with no apparent solution.

To summarize, both parties are too far apart and appear to be willing to maintain a stalemate at all costs. The media focuses on each side’s criticism of the other without focusing on a solution.

My personal opinion is that we need more legal immigration, to offset our low growth rate because of our aging population.

Mike Brewer, Boca Raton

About Amendment 3

I was shocked to see the Sun Sentinel’s endorsement of Amendment 3 of the Florida Constitution. One of the reasons for your support of adult recreational marijuana use is that “many people will use it no matter what the law is.”

Applying that rationale, why not legalize crack cocaine and heroin as well? Many people will use it no matter what the law is.

Ray Koterba, Miramar

(Editor’s Note: As our editorial said, “The reality (is) that many people will use it no matter what the law is. The wiser course is for the state to regulate how it’s sold and to require that it be tested for potency and for dangerous adulterants.”)

Submit a letter to the editor by email to letterstotheeditor@sunsentinel.com or fill out the form below. Letters are limited to less than 150 words and must be signed. You must include your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. 

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Today is Sunday, Oct. 13, the 287th day of 2024. There are 79 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 13, 2010, rescuers in Chile using a missile-like escape capsule pulled 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom, 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine 2,300 feet (700 meters) underground.

Also on this date:

In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid by President George Washington during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

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In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.

In 1943, Italy declared war on Germany, its one-time Axis partner.

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees in Game 7, 10-9, on a home run hit by Bill Mazeroski.

In 1972, a Uruguayan chartered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes. In order to stay alive, survivors resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead until they were rescued more than two months later.

In 1999, in Boulder, Colorado, the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury was dismissed after 13 months of work with prosecutors saying there wasn’t enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year-old beauty queen’s slaying.

In 2011, Raj Rajaratnam (rahj rah-juh-RUHT’-nuhm), the hedge fund billionaire at the center of one of the biggest insider-trading cases in U.S. history, was sentenced by a federal judge in New York to 11 years behind bars.

In 2016, Bob Dylan was named winner of the Nobel prize in literature.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 86.
• Singer-musician Paul Simon is 83.
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is 82.
• Singer-musician Sammy Hagar is 77.
• Model Beverly Johnson is 72.
• Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is 66.
• Singer/TV personality Marie Osmond is 65.
• NBA coach Doc Rivers is 63.
• Actor T’Keyah Crystal Keymah (tuh-KEE’-ah KRYS’-tal kee-MAH’) is 62.
• Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is 62.
• Actor Matt Walsh is 59.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman is 57.
• Actor Kate Walsh is 56.
• Actor Tisha Campbell is 56.
• Olympic silver medal figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is 55.
• Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is 53.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer and TV personality Summer Sanders is 52.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce is 47.
• Singer Ashanti is 44.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe is 42.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is 35.
• Former first daughter Tiffany Trump is 31.
• “Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin is 23.

Florida coach Billy Napier touts “complementary football” as key to his winning formula.

But W’s rarely come easily for his Gators, even on an atypical night in Tennessee when football’s three phases all showed up. With his offense, defense and special teams clicking on Rocky Top, Napier didn’t do his part during a soul-crushing 23-17 overtime loss to the No. 8 Vols.

Rather than go for the win and avoid overtime, Napier played it safely. With the chance to build a first-half cushion, his offense fell flat and provided hope to Tennessee.

UF failed twice with a yard or less to gain, including on the goal line when quarterback Graham Mertz fumbled.

“We had many opportunities to score points and left a ton of points out there,” Napier said.

Florida head coach Billy Napier walks the sideline during the Gators 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee Oct. 12 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Coach Josh Heupel’s Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) eventually capitalized to keep alive their College Football Playoff hopes. The loss undercut Florida’s push for a winning season and Napier’s case to save his job.

Until Tennessee tailback Dylan Sampson’s third touchdown run secured the win, the Gators went toe to toe with a top 10 team with a sellout crowd of 101,915 against them.

Napier had his team, particularly UF’s embattled defense, prepared to compete as 15.5-point underdogs. Yet his repeated miscues derailed the effort and offered the latest example of Napier’s in-game struggles with play-calling, game management and overseeing the operation.

Consider the end of the first half when the Gators squandered three critical points after an illegal-substitution penalty left UF with 12 men on the field and negated Trey Smack’s 42-yard-field goal. Napier claimed an injured player failed to exit the game.

“The player that had been substituted on that unit did not come off (the field),” he said. “He stayed.”

The ensuing 10-second run-off ended the half, with the Gators leading 3-0, because Napier had used Florida’s final timeout moments earlier with the game clock stopped.

Four trips to the red-zone ultimately produced a single field goal for a UF squad entering Saturday third in the SEC with 78.95% touchdown rate (15 of 19) inside an opponent’s 20.

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (15) is stopped and fumbled at the goal line facing 1st-and-goal during the first half of the Gators overtime 23-17 loss at Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Yet all could have been forgiven, if not forgotten, when true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway found Chimere Dike for a 27-yard touchdown with 29 seconds remaining. With a chance to win in regulation, the Gators initially lined up to attempt a 2-point conversion. But after a Tennessee timeout, Napier had Smack kick an extra point to tie the game.

“Wasn’t quite ready to do that at that point in time,” Napier said of his shift in thinking.

The Gators soon went backward to open overtime, forcing Smack to attempt a 47-yard field that drifted right.

The dispiriting loss left Napier and his players searching for positives.

“Definitely a tough one today,” said Dike, who finished with 133 all-purpose yards. “But you have two choices: You can either fold or you can respond and keep being better.”

The Gators might have to do it without Mertz and top rusher Montrell Johnson Jr.

After a 13-yard touchdown pass to Arlis Boardingham gave UF a 10-0 lead, Mertz side-stepped a pass rusher and immediately fell to the ground with a non-contact injury to his left leg. Four plays earlier, Johnson injured his left lower leg at the end of a 20-yard run and left the game with 85 yards on just 12 carries.

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (15) runs for yardage during the Gators 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee Oct. 12 in Knoxville. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Lagway stepped in for Mertz after he’d suffered a concussion during the season opener against Miami and threw for 456 yards against Samford, a UF true freshman record. But at Tennessee, Lagway replaced Mertz, promptly threw an interception and finished 9 of 17 for 98 yards, though he did show resilience on the Dike touchdown.

The best news Saturday night for Florida was continued defensive improvement.

The Gators held Tennessee to 312 yards, more than 200 below its average (519), forced 2 turnovers after entering with just 4 in five games and had 3 sacks to give them 11 in three games after managing one combined during losses to Miami and Texas A&M.

“It was great for us to see the improvement week to week,” veteran linebacker Shemar James said. “It kind of starts in practice. It’s great to see the product get put on film.”

With Kentucky visiting the Swamp Saturday for homecoming, Napier will challenge the Gators to keep pushing.

“It’s the hardest part about it,” he said. “They played their tails off. You have to put yourself out there, with no guaranteed reward. It takes courage to do that.

“There’s an opportunity here for our team. I just really believe there’s something good on the other side of this.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

General Daily Insight for October 13, 2024

Hold on tight — today’s gonna be a bumpy ride! Mercury squares chaotic Pluto, so we can forget about focusing early on. Later, when Mercury leaps into intense Scorpio at 3:23 pm EDT, it may become easier to mentally ride the choppy waves that Pluto’s sending our way. Plus, once the Sun trines optimistic Jupiter, we can expect to be able to laugh at any earlier difficulties. A dose of luck may even make up for any earlier headaches. Let’s prioritize self-care after this storm.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Social connections are changing, Aries — and that’s a good thing. In particular, you’re potentially taking your bond with someone to the next level. Whether they’re a personal or professional link, it’s unlikely that you’re going from being complete strangers to being close with somebody overnight. The more likely scenario is that they are someone that you have met before now, but simply hadn’t bonded with until recently. Let this comradery develop naturally by giving yourself time to contemplate this new path you’re walking together.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Common ground can be found with unexpected people. When you clash with someone once, you may not think that there would ever be a future friendship between the two of you. At least consider giving them a chance to reveal another side of their personality (as long as they do the same for you, of course). Once you find out that you’re not so different after all, you might find yourself developing a connection that wasn’t on your radar. Be open to changing your heart.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Something you once did for fun could become a part of your routine. This hobby likely serves two functions, such as hiking providing exercise and fun, or a crafting hobby becoming a side hustle if you choose to sell your results. It should be something you enjoy on its own that happens to be able to supplement your health or abundance. Don’t be afraid to seek out fresh activities, but your greatest successes will likely come from pursuits that you’re already interested in.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

You are done playing it safe! You might have been holding back some ideas, but it’s time for you to externalize your ambitions and turn them into reality. This could require you to say something to someone that intimidates you, or it may compel you to bring in resources from other areas to increase support for these dreams. Step out from the shadows and take a chance on yourself. Be patient, but be confident — slowly but surely, results should begin manifesting.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Your head should be making way for your heart to speak. You might have had your mind made up about a certain person in your life, but opportunities to change are around every corner. Even though it may not make sense on paper, your thoughts may return to this person often, asking you to give them another chance. This is not necessarily a romantic connection — it could be a friend or business partner. Follow your intuition and make sure you’re listening to your heart.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You’re giving yourself space to grow. You may have once been locked into a situation that was cramping your style, but today, you’re fully breaking free. You need room for your roots to spread out and create a foundation for yourself. Be careful — you might have to destroy old foundations to make way for healthier new ones. Anything or anyone who is keeping you locked into past negative habits needs to be especially scrutinized. Prioritize your ability to build a secure foundation for yourself.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

You’re turning the focus off of yourself. You may have had to single-mindedly pursue success lately, but now you’re capable of making more expansive, wiser choices for the future. Creating security is a focus for you, so making solid, substantial choices is the name of the game. While this may require some sacrifices, the long-term results should be incredibly rewarding. You could also have partners, either business or romantic, who need your attention. The more you work with solid people, the better.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

The blinders are coming off. You may have previously been happy to live in ignorance about a certain situation in your life, but you are realizing that it needs your attention at present. This could be something that you have been actively procrastinating, or maybe someone else has been asking you to take a look at it, but you were unaware of its true importance. Once your mind is finally clear, you can pay attention to anything that’s been asking for your attention.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

A spiritual retreat could be in order. You may have been going through extra stress or frustration lately — you need a getaway! Perhaps this means going to another country or simply driving to the next city over to clear your mind. Whatever you do, don’t box yourself in right now. You might need freedom and a change of scenery as you work through the inner feelings that are concerning you at present. Make sure that you’re honoring your spiritual health.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

You might have recently finished up a big project or done a lot of overtime — regardless, you’re probably ready to have fun! As you spend beneficial quality time with your loved ones, don’t forget to keep your attention fully in the present. There are people who want to spend time with you, Capricorn! Spending all of your time thinking about work or practical matters is draining. You deserve to refuel yourself with some fun, so take time to spend with the people who make you happy.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Healing isn’t a straight line. You might have believed that you’d put a difficult experience behind you, but something abruptly brings it up again. When it resurfaces, pay attention to how your instincts react to it, then make an effort to deal with it more wisely than before. The process could still be frustrating, but you deserve to feel good about yourself when you realize that you know healthier ways of handling your frustration and are putting them into action. Be proud of your growth.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Fish don’t have to swim in schools, you know. Perhaps you’ve typically worked on a team or been dependent on another person for your success — until now, when you’re finding your wings to fly solo. This may involve a work project, household DIYs, or the creation of secure routines that should lead you to success. Instead of letting the intimidating nature of working alone scare you off, consider this your opportunity to show the world all the amazing things you can do.

BOCA RATON — Chandler Morris threw two of his four touchdown passes to DT Sheffield in the final 2:38 to rally North Texas to a 41-37 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday night.

North Texas (5-1, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) trailed 37-27 when Morris capped an eight-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard scoring toss to Sheffield. North Texas got the ball back with 1:43 remaining and Morris hit Sheffield for a 3-yard touchdown at the end of a five-play drive for the lead. Shane Porter had a 34-yard run to set up a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line.

Morris completed 27 of 45 passes for 336 yards with one interception for the Mean Green. Sheffield finished with 11 catches for 126 yards.

Morris threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Carnes for the game’s first score and connected with Nick Rempert for a 25-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead after one quarter.

Cam Fancher followed a 14-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to Omari Hayes with scoring tosses covering 28 yards to Wyatt Sullivan and five yards to Jabari Smith in the second. Morgan Suarez added two field goals and Florida Atlantic (2-4, 0-2) took a 27-17 lead into halftime. The Owls led 34-27 heading to the final quarter.

Fancher totaled 351 yards on 22-for-30 passing with one interception for FAU. CJ Campbell Jr. carried 18 times for 89 yards and a score.

 

Florida’s dominance over rival Tennessee was one thing the Gators have been able to count on, even during tough times.

With UF leading by 10 points in the second half, Saturday night at Neyland Stadium was going according to script for the Gators, winners of 17 of the previous 19 meetings. But an injury to quarterback Graham Mertz following a touchdown pass and too many miscues allowed the No. 8 Vols (5-1, 2-1 SEC) to rally for a 23-17 overtime win over Florida (3-3, 1-2).

A 1-yard touchdown run by tailback Dylan Sampson ended the Gators’ bid for an upset as 15.5-point underdogs and magnified the continued in-game struggles of embattled coach Billy Napier.

“It’s a punch in the gut,” he said.

With Mertz on crutches on the sideline with a brace on his left leg, true freshman DJ Lagway — his sidekick in the team’s two-QB rotation — overcame several shaky moments to tie the game in dramatic fashion, finding Chimere Dike for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining.

A Gators’ defensive stop with 2:31 remaining had forced a punt from the Tennessee 10. A 27-yard punt return by Dike to the Vols’ 31 positioned his team to tie.

Florida head coach Billy Napier dropped to 2-12 against ranked opponents during a 23-17 overtime loss at No. 8 Tennessee Oct. 12 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

UF’s previous five drives with Lagway featured an interception, turnover on downs and three punts, an inauspicious start to what could be a new era at quarterback for the Gators. But when Florida needed a play, the 19-year-old delivered.

Lagway stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure before firing a strike to Dike, who found space in a zone among three Vols defenders.

“DJ obviously rose to the occasion,” Napier said.

A 13-yard touchdown pass from Mertz to tight end Arlis Boardingham with 7:18 to go during the third quarter appeared to provide some breathing room, given the way the Gators’ struggling defense had contained the SEC’s top scoring offense, a group averaging 46 points.

But the drive proved to be costly.

After he threw, Mertz side-stepped a pass rusher and immediately fell to the ground with a non-contact injury to his left leg. Four plays earlier, leading rusher Montrell Johnson Jr. injured his left lower leg at the end of a 20-yard run and left the game.

“We’ll give you some updates on that when we get to next week,” Napier said. “It was significant enough that he couldn’t complete the game. Montrell Johnson was in that category, as well.”

Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (15) dives for the goal as he’s hit by Tennessee defensive back Andre Turrentine (2) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. Mertz fumbled on the play. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

With Mertz and Johnson out, the Gators could not keep pace with a Vols’ attack led by Sampson, whose 23-yard touchdown run with 9:42 gave Tennessee a 17-10 lead.

After Lagway’s excellent  touchdown strike to Dike,  the extra point forced overtime after a decision by Napier to not follow through on a 2-point attempt.

“We had a play that we felt good about, and then obviously they burned their timeout,” he said. “We felt from the 3 there we were playing pretty good on both sides of our team, so we thought, ‘Let’s go play overtime. Let’s go give our guys a chance to play some more plays.’

“Defensively, we kept ourself in it. Wasn’t quite ready to do that at that point in time.”

The Gators opened the extra period with the ball and took a first-down shot to score. But Lagway’s pass in the end zone to Dike was incomplete as two Vols defenders blanketed him. A false-start penalty by center Jake Slaughter and a 5-yard loss on a screen pass to true freshman tailback Jadan Baugh forced Florida to settle for a 47-yard field goal attempt by Trey Smack, who missed wide right.

Lagway completed his first four passes at Tennessee, giving him 15 straight in three games, but he finished 9 of 17 for 98 yards with a touchdown plus an interception on his first throw after he replaced the injured Mertz.

Florida running back Ja’Kobi Jackson (24) is tackled by Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter (7), defensive back Will Brooks (35), and defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott (55) during the Gators 23-17 overtime loss Oct. 12 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Mertz’s status is yet to be determined, but the Gators host Kentucky Saturday for homecoming.

Whoever lines up Florida, better execution will be paramount.

The Gators squandered multiple first-half scoring opportunities that would have given them more of a cushion than a 3-0 advantage. But Florida managed just the 3 points on four red-zone trips during the game’s opening 30 minutes.

“We had a chance to really take control of the game in the first half, and we missed on those opportunities,” Napier said.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

COACHELLA, Calif. — Both presidential campaigns agree that seven swing states are likely to determine the outcome of this year’s election. California, which has not voted for a Republican in a presidential race since 1988, is not one of them.

But that did not prevent former President Donald Trump from heading there anyway Saturday evening to hold a rally in Coachella, which is better known for its annual music festival with headliners like Lana Del Rey and Bad Bunny than it is for being a stop on a presidential campaign trail.

It was an unusual choice 24 days before the election. In 2020, Trump lost the state by more than 5 million votes to President Joe Biden. Four years earlier, Trump lost the state to Hillary Clinton, who got more than 60% of the vote. The last Republican to win the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Although Trump is not expected to be competitive in California, the rally showed that he could turn out a crowd. Throngs of people at Calhoun Ranch, where it was held, braved the desert sun and temperatures that hovered near 100 degrees, with several attendees requiring medical attention for heat-related illnesses.

“I want to give a special hello to Coachella,” Trump told the crowd, before putting on a red Make America Great Again cap for protection from the desert sun.

Trump then spoke for about 80 minutes in a rambling speech. He criticized California, Vice President Kamala Harris’ home state, as an incubator of failed liberal policies; disparaged the physical appearance of Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the first impeachment trial of him and is now running for Senate; used a crude nickname to refer to the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom; and took a number of detours to praise billionaire Elon Musk and to criticize Biden.

It was Trump’s second foray into a blue state in two days. On Friday, he visited Aurora, Colorado, where he made a series of nativist attacks and promoted falsehoods about crimes committed by migrants in a state where Harris is safely ahead in polls. And word surfaced this past week that Trump was planning to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden, in New York City, on Oct. 27. That would be his third major campaign event in New York, a state that was once his home but is also solidly blue. He has already held rallies on Long Island and in the South Bronx this election cycle.

At his California rally, several speakers taunted Harris, who represented California in the Senate and served as its attorney general, for problems the state has faced. Trump called California a “paradise lost.”

Trump gave a shout-out to actor Dennis Quaid, who spoke at the rally.

Schiff’s Republican opponent in the Senate race, Steve Garvey, a perennial baseball All-Star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the 1970s and 1980s, did not attend Trump’s rally, a campaign spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did not address remarks made by Trump last month saying that Garvey was making a “big mistake” by not embracing the MAGA movement.

The Desert Sun reported that Garvey would be out of the state at a symposium in Philadelphia for women in sports media.

Both Trump and his critics tried to use the iconography of his Coachella rally to energize voters. The former president posted a photo on social media of himself with palm trees and snow-peaked mountains that are synonymous with the desert oasis to show he was headlining Coachella. And the Lincoln Project, a prominent anti-Trump group, created its own “Trumpchella” social media post, resembling a music festival poster but with a lineup that included “Trump Federal Power Seizure” and “Trump Loyalists in All Federal Positions.”

Trump is no stranger to Coachella. His name once graced a casino just 5 miles from the site of Saturday’s rally as a part of a short-lived business partnership with a Native American tribe, which eventually bought him out while his company was going through bankruptcy.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By JOHN WAWROW

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jordan Greenway and Tage Thompson scored 41 seconds apart in the first period, and the Buffalo Sabres ended a season-opening three-game skid with a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson and Alex Tuch, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Sabres, who combined for three goals in their first three outings. Lindy Ruff won his first game in his second stint as Sabres coach, 4,257 days after his last victory with Buffalo — a 4-2 decision over Boston on Feb. 15, 2013.

Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt scored for the Panthers, who have lost two straight since a season-opening win over Boston.

Panthers goalie Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots in his first start since a 6-2 loss to St. Louis on Feb. 14, 2023. He then entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to help manage an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and spent last season in the minors.

Takeaways

Panthers: The defending Stanley Cup champs lacked punch playing without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and Matthew Tkachuk (illness). Knight has to be sharper, especially on Thompson’s go-ahead goal that beat him through the legs from 25 feet.

Key moment

Sabres goalie Devon Levi turned aside Sam Reinhart’s shot off a 4-on-2 break 32 seconds into the second period. Jokiharju put Buffalo up 3-1 66 seconds later.

Up next

The Panthers play the third of a four-game road trip at Boston on Monday at 1 p.m.

Today is Saturday, Oct. 12, the 286th day of 2024. There are 80 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 12, 2002, bombs blamed on al-Qaida-linked militants destroyed two nightclubs on the Indonesian island of Bali, killing 202 people, many of whom were foreign tourists.

Also on this date:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus’s first expedition made landfall on what is now San Salvador Island in the Bahamas.

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In 1870, General Robert E. Lee died in Lexington, Virginia, at age 63.

In 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev protested remarks at the United Nations by pounding his shoe on his desk.

In 1968, Mexican track and field athlete Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremonies of the Mexico City Summer Games.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated House minority leader Gerald R. Ford of Michigan to succeed Spiro T. Agnew as vice president.

In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escaped an attempt on her life when an Irish Republican Army bomb exploded at a hotel in Brighton, England, killing five people.

In 2000, 17 sailors were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen.

In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours, crossing the finish line of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, with a time of 1:59:40.

Today’s Birthdays:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett is 92.
• Singer Sam Moore (Sam and Dave) is 89.
• Broadcast journalist Chris Wallace is 77.
• Actor Hiroyuki Sanada is 64.
• Jazz musician Chris Botti (BOH’-tee) is 62.
• Actor Hugh Jackman is 56.
• Country musician Martie Maguire (The Chicks) is 55.
• Actor Kirk Cameron is 54.
• Olympic gold medal skier Bode Miller is 47.
• Actor Josh Hutcherson is 32.

By  LINLEY SANDERS and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chances are, you have never been contacted for an election poll. But the dozens of high-quality election polls that will be released before Election Day, Nov. 5, represent a reasonable estimate of the opinions of all Americans.

The best pollsters do that by ensuring they can randomly select the group of people who respond. That means each household in the United States has an equal chance of being included. Pollsters cannot reach every single household or even come close, so they assemble a group of people with the same range of political affiliations, ages, genders, educational backgrounds and locations as Americans overall.

In other words: You may not have been contacted to participate in the latest poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Chicago, but someone else who shares your background and outlook likely was.

High-quality pollsters select people randomly to take surveys

It is the concept of random selection that allows a relatively small group of survey participants to represent the country as a whole.

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Top-quality pollsters often start with lists of possible home addresses or telephone numbers, and then people are randomly selected from within that group. This is the kind of method that the AP uses in its polls conducted through the AP-NORC Center.

Some pollsters use a different technique, where anyone who wants to participate in their panel can join it. But with that approach, there is less certainty that the group of people responding to any given poll — a “sample,” pollsters call it — is randomly representative of a broader population.

If the initial sample does not look like the country as a whole, some views could be overrepresented or underrepresented, making it harder to accurately capture the attitudes of the entire U.S. population.

An individual’s chance of being selected to participate is low

Polls conducted by the AP through the AP-NORC Center use the AmeriSpeak panel, where households across the U.S. are randomly selected for the sample and then contacted to tell them about the panel. If the household agrees to participate, people complete an introduction survey that collects basic information and participate in polls between two times to three times each month.

For this kind of poll, the odds of being randomly selected to participate are extremely low. There are about 130 million households in the U.S., so to start with, each individual household has only the tiniest chance of being chosen. Even once a household has been selected to participate, there is a relatively small chance of being selected for the surveys that are conducted by media organizations such as the AP-NORC poll.

Pollsters make adjustments to make sure they’re reflecting the population as a whole

It is not a perfect system. Some groups are harder to reach or are less inclined to take surveys, such as nonwhite adults or people without a college education.

To correct for that, pollsters magnify the responses of people who are part of those underrepresented groups to make sure the population percentages in the survey reflect the overall population and they lower the impact of people who are part of groups that are more likely to take surveys.

This process is called “ weighting.” The goal is to make some responses count for more if their demographic characteristics are underrepresented in a survey and some count for less if people like them are overrepresented. To figure out which participants should get more weight and which should get less, pollsters use findings from the most accurate surveys out there, such as ones by the Census Bureau, to get a baseline for what the U.S. population actually looks like.

Even this extra step cannot ensure that the group of people who are being surveyed is fully representative. That is why all high-quality pollsters will tell you about the margin of sampling error, which helps you understand how much the response could vary.

Pollsters do not talk to every single person in the country, so the results have some amount of error. The margin of error is a reminder that each finding is not exactly precise. It also is a guide for understanding how big the range of responses could be.

By  LINLEY SANDERS and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX

WASHINGTON (AP) — The presidential race is competitive.

That’s about as much as the national polls can tell us right now, even if it looks like Democrat Kamala Harris is down in one poll or Republican Donald Trump is up in another.

And that’s just fine.

Even though polls are sometimes treated as projections, they aren’t designed to tell you who is likely to win.

Polls are better for some things than others. Tracking shifts in voter intention is hard to do with a survey, particularly when the number of truly persuadable voters is relatively small. Voters’ opinions can change before Election Day and they often do. Horse race polls can only capture people’s viewpoints during a single moment in time. Even then, a margin that looks like one that could decide an election — say, one candidate has 48% support and the other has 45% support — might not be a real difference at all.

When reporters at The Associated Press are covering the election, horse race polling numbers don’t take center stage. The reason for this is that the AP believes that focusing on preelection polling can overstate the significance or reliability of those numbers.

Election-year polls are still useful, particularly when they’re trying to assess how the public is feeling about the candidates or the state of the country. They told us quite clearly, for instance, that many Americans wanted Democratic President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. But they’re not the same thing as an election result, and even a poll conducted just before Election Day still reflects opinion before all ballots have been cast.

Even in high-quality polls, each finding is just an estimate

Polls are useful tools, but it’s important not to overstate their accuracy. After all, a polling organization can’t talk to every single person in the country. They instead rely on a sample to produce a statistically valid estimate of the views of all adults. Even though polls can give a reasonable approximation of the views of the larger group, the question is how much each finding could vary.

The margin of error, which all high-quality pollsters will share along with their results, helps capture some of that uncertainty. It means that in a poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, a finding that 47% of voters say they’ll support a particular candidate actually means that there’s a very good chance that anywhere between 50% and 44% of voters are supporting that candidate. If the other candidate has 45% support, which could really be anywhere from 42% to 48%, the 2 percentage point difference isn’t statistically meaningful.

That’s why the AP will only say a candidate is leading if that candidate is ahead by more than twice the margin of error.

When you’re looking at a subgroup, rather than a national sample, the potential error is even larger. The fewer people interviewed, the larger the margin of error. This means that state-level polls or polls that measure the views of a subgroup such as women, men, Hispanic Americans or Black Americans are subject to even more error than a national finding.

The margin of sampling error is not the only source of survey error. It is simply the only one that can be quantified using established statistical methods. But there are other factors, too. The wording and order of questions can affect how people answer. An interviewer’s skill can have an effect. Even in high-quality polls, some respondents may be less likely to answer, which means their views can be underrepresented.

Don’t forget about the Electoral College

National polls measure how voters all over the country are thinking about the election. But that’s not how we elect presidents.

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The Electoral College system means that presidential elections are functionally decided by a small number of states. So in some ways, looking at polls of those states is a better way to assess the state of the race.

But state-level polls introduce their own challenges. They’re not conducted as frequently as national polls and some states get polled more often than others. Also, the number of people surveyed for state polls is often smaller than for national polls, which means the margin of error is broader.

What about polling averages?

Some media outlets or organizations publish polling averages or aggregates that combine the results of multiple polls into a single estimate. There are some organizations that create polling averages or models during elections that attempt to determine which candidate is leading in overall polls.

But averaging poll results does not eliminate polling error and it can introduce additional problems. Polling averages contain their own methodological decisions, such as which polls are included or receive greater weight. Some of them also include other factors such as the state of the economy to turn those estimates into forecasts.

In election polling, survey averages can provide a general sense of the state of a race. But it’s also important to not overstate the accuracy of an average or expect it to be a crystal ball into the election outcome. Sometimes the individual results of multiple different polls can provide a better sense of the potential array of outcomes than an average boiled down to a single number.