Florida
After the Deion debacle, UCF is even more threatening to Florida football
Swampcast discusses Florida football bye week, Florida basketball
The Sun’s Kevin Brockway and David Whitley discuss state of Florida football during bye week and start of Florida basketball practice,
ORLANDO – The answer to Florida’s immediate football worries has become clear. Somehow, get Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter into Gator uniforms by this Saturday.
They wore Colorado uniforms over the weekend and ruined UCF’s big coming out party. The same UCF that loomed as a uniquely existential threat to Florida football and Billy Napier.
“We didn’t get it done,” coach Gus Malzahn said. “We got outcoached and outplayed.”
Outcoached by Coach Prime? Outplayed by a 13½-point underdog?
“It hurts,” quarterback K.J. Jefferson said.
The strange thing is that by losing 48-21 to Deion U., the Knights could be even more of a threat to Florida’s ego and Napier’s job security.
It would have been bad enough to lose to an unbeaten and ranked UCF team. Imagine if the freshly humiliated Knights stick it to the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium?
“We’re going to beat them good,” Jackson Morse said.
Of course, he said that about five hours before the Colorado kickoff. Morse was one of millions of UCF fans who showed up for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff show on campus.
There weren’t really millions. It just felt that way, and they weren’t just thinking about the Buffaloes.
Beating Colorado with Fox Nation watching would have heralded UCF’s arrival as Big 12 power and playoff contender. That would have been nice, but nothing gets the black-and-gold blood flowing like beating the Gators.
“I have friends who are Florida alumni that I would love to be able to mock,” Jack Dolan said.
He and his wife, Pat, have been Knights fans for 30-plus years. They remember when Gator fans considered UCF an instate version of Tennessee Tech.
A lot still do, despite the fact UCF won the 2017 national championship. Sort of. The Knights have a banner at FBC Mortgage Stadium to prove it.
Nobody in Gainesville recognizes that accomplishment, which helps fuel UCF’s case of Little Brother Syndrome. You know, Little Bro feels he should be considered a worthy rival, but Big Bro barely notices he’s alive.
It played out in scheduling. UCF wanted a home-and-home series, but Florida wouldn’t do that for non-Power Five schools.
That triggered years of social media mockery and sniping. UCF finally agreed to play twice in Gainesville (2024 and 2033) and once in Orlando (2030).
The contract was signed in 2021. UF had gone to three straight New Year’s Day bowls and Dan Mullen was considered a genius.
The Knights were coming off a six-win season, and Malzahn had just been rescued from the Auburn scrap heap.
“I’ll play out in the parking lot,” Malzahn said. “I just want to play them and beat them.”
That came sooner than anyone imagined. Florida’s program unraveled and Mullen was fired. The Gators accepted a Gasparilla Bowl bid against UCF.
Anyone remember Greg Knox?
He was the interim coach who lost to Tennessee Tech 29-17. Watching from the Raymond James Stadium sideline that night was Florida’s prized new hire.
“We’ve got an incredible challenge in front of us,” Napier said. “But we’re excited.”
Three years later, the excitement is gone. The challenge definitely is not.
From an X-and-O standpoint, Saturday doesn’t look quite as challenging. Not after Shedeur Sanders tossed three touchdown passes against UCF and Hunter struck a Heisman pose to the deflated crowd.
“This week, we’ll find out truly who we are,” Malzahn said.
We pretty much know who the Gators are.
On the field, it doesn’t appear they are much better off than the last time they played UCF. At least then, Florida fans could point to a program in transitional disarray.
“Now,” Pat Dorsey said, “there are no excuses.”
Especially after Deion rolled into Orlando and made UCF look like Little Brother.
If Big Brother can’t do the same in Gainesville, the mocking may never end.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun’s sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on X @DavidEWhitley
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Florida mental health counselor walked into a surprising number of bats inside her office last week.
“We had about 50 bats. In the toilet, in the sink. All over,” Shaltala Boss, a licensed mental health counselor, said.
Boss has since moved her office due to maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude or remove bats from April 16 to August 14, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Any form of eviction during this time period will result in baby bats being trapped along with adult bats that may not have emerged. Trapped bats will attempt to escape and may end up in the living space of buildings,” FWC said.
Video provided by Boss showed a bat lying on the ground.
“You definitely didn’t want to come to counseling that day,” Boss said.
Boss has since moved to another location and said it is bat-free.
“Most bats will avoid humans at all costs and use natural roosting structures for shelter during the day. However, bats sometimes find their way into our homes and structures, which can present a health hazard,” FWC said.
Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is trailing Democratic candidate David Jolly in the race to become Florida’s next governor, according to a new poll from Change Research, a Democratic-aligned polling firm.
The survey could be an encouraging sign for Florida Democrats, who have not won a statewide election since 2018 and have struggled as the state shifted steadily toward Republicans in recent election cycles.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026, won a second term by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, while Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage and maintained control of every statewide elected office.
Still, some recent polling has suggested the push to replace DeSantis could be a bit more competitive than many have expected.
President Donald Trump last month again vocalized his support for Donalds, saying in part, “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” The president added, “Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump won the Sunshine State by 13 points in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris and no Democrat has won the Florida governorship in more than 20 years.
When reached for comment regarding the new poll, Donalds’ campaign referred Newsweek to the X post of Gates McGavick, the team’s communications director. McGavick said in reaction to the poll, “I hear Change Research also sells tremendous ocean front property in Arizona.”
The campaign also referred Newsweek to Ryan Smith’s post on X, while saying he is also affiliated with the campaign. Smith said, “This is a push poll by Democrats for Democrats. The truth is, Florida Democrats will be crying in their kombucha on November 3 when @ByronDonalds is elected governor.”
What To Know
The Change Research survey found Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties and entered the race as a Democrat, leading Donalds in a hypothetical general-election matchup.
Jolly has centered his campaign on affordability issues surrounding insurance costs, housing and healthcare, while Donalds has campaigned as a conservative successor who will attempt to enact Trump’s agenda and fight illegal immigration.
According to the poll, Jolly leads Donalds 47 percent to 42 percent and has a slightly larger margin among likely voters with 49 percent compared to 43 percent.
The poll surveyed 1,273 registered voters of which 1,015 said they will likely vote in the 2026 midterm election. The survey’s margin of error is 2.8 percent.
Also in the poll, Jolly garners 94 percent support from Democrats compared to Donalds’ 77 percent among Republicans.
What Other Polls Show
Another recent Change Research poll shows Jolly leading Donalds 46 percent to 42 percent. The poll was taken from May 13 to May 16 among 2,070 registered voters, of whom 1,593 say they will likely vote in the midterm election. The poll has a margin of error of 2.3 percent.
In a survey at the end of March by Emerson College Polling, Donalds landed 44 percent of the vote compared to Jolly’s 39 percent. The poll shows that 17 percent are undecided. It was taken from March 29 to March 31 among 1,125 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A recent viral trend — dubbed the “Door Kick Challenge” — has been causing issues as of late in Central Florida.
The challenge involves teens covering their faces, kicking or pounding stranger’s front door when it’s dark outside, and sprinting off into the night.
[WATCH: FCSO releases footage of ‘Door Kick Challenge’ in action]
But on Wednesday, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly warned there could be deadly consequences.
According to the sheriff’s office, these pranks may come across as an attempted home invasion for some, and with Florida being a “Stand Your Ground” state, neighbors have the right to treat it as such.
[ Central Florida deputy consoles 12-year-old accused in door-kicking incident]
“Parents, keep an eye on your children. We know they want to have fun, but they are taking huge risks when they mask up and kick strangers’ doors,” Staly said. “Be the sheriff of your own home, talk to your kids, know their friends, and make sure they know the risks associated with doing what the internet tells them to do.”
But in a release, the sheriff’s office delivered the message in a “language” that teens may better understand:
“This door kick ‘challenge’ is not the side quest you think it is.
It’s trendslop, pure brain rot straight off the FYP. You think you’re the alpha chad of the cul-de-sac? Nah bruh, you’re one hoodie masked-up sprint away from priors. The kind of rap that gets you cancelled before you ever stack any clout. Zero drip in our jail’s barbershop-looking mugshots.
Okay, real talk. Florida is a Stand Your Ground state. A NPC wakes up to two randos kicking their door at 1 a.m. wearing sheisties — they don’t see a flex, they get the ick, and think your side quest is a home invasion. And no cap, you’ll get capped.
Taking an L on TikTok? Recoverable. Taking a round to the chest? There’s no respawn.
So skip this one, chief. Find clout elsewhere.”
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
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