Florida
Cal Football Preview: Bears Travel to Florida State
Cal (3-0) will play its first ACC game ever when it faces Florida State at sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday night.
Here is the important information on the game:
CAL (3-0) Vs. FLORIDA STATE (0-3)
SITE: Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
WHEN: Saturday, 4 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. Eastern time)
TV: ESPN2 – Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Sam Acho (analyst), Taylor Davis (sideline)
RADIO: 810 AM and Sirius XM Radio (Sirius XM 113 and 202) — Justin Allegri (play-by-play), Mike Pawlawski (analyst), Kevin Danna (sideline reporter)
BETTING LINE: Florida State is favored by 2.5 points. Over/under is 44.5 points.
WEATHER FORECAST: Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee will be sunny with a high of 90 degrees, but the temperature will fall to about 84 degrees by game time and will drop to 78 degrees by the time the game is over Saturday night. Humidity will be about 76% Saturday night with a 4% chance of rain.
CAL-FLORIDA STATE HISTORY: Cal and Florida State have never faced each other on the football field.
CAL PLAYER AVAILABILTY: Cal running back Jaydn Ott (ankle) probably will play after missing last week’s game. Two projected offensive line starters – guard Sioape Vatikani and center Will McDonald – will probably play for the first time after missing the first three games with injuries. Starting outside linebacker David Reese is likely to play after missing last week’s game. Cal’s projected starting wide receivers Tobias Merriweather and Kyion Grayes will miss their fourth straight games because of injuries, and nickelback Matthew Littlejohn is doubtful.
CAL STORYLINES
–Cal will play its first ACC game ever on Saturday and will have to travel 2,200 miles to do it. Cal won its first road game after a long trip this season, beating Auburn 21-14, and Bears coach Justin Wilcox says his team “enjoys” the long flights. The team departed for Tallahassee on Thursday, players were expected to take care of academics on Friday, and Cal plays the game Saturday night. The last time Cal played a game in Florida was January 1, 1992, when the Bears defeated Clemson in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
–Cal is coming off a 31-10 victory over San Diego State and is hoping to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 2019. After the Bears won their fourth game in 2019, they were ranked 15th in the country, but they then lost four games in a row and finished the season 8-5, including a bowl-game win over Illinois. Cal received votes in both the AP and coaches top-25 polls this week, but the Bears are still a long way from getting a top-25 ranking.
–Cal running back Jaydn Ott, a first-team all-Pac-12 selection last year, probably will play Saturday after missing last week’s game with an ankle injury. He had just 49 rushing yards in the opener against UC Davis and just 11 yards on 10 carries the next week against Auburn when he appeared to be slowed by the injury. If Ott cannot play, sophomore Jaivian Thomas will get most of the playing time at running back, and he rushed for 169 yards last week against San Diego State.
–Cal has recorded nine interceptions, which lead the nation, and its 10 takeaways overall are tied for the most in the country. The Bears’ plus-eight turnover margin (10 takeaways, 2 turnovers) are tied for the second-most in the country.
–Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was sacked six times last week against San Diego State, and the Bears have allowed nine sacks for the season. The Bears need to provide better pass protection in Saturday’s game against Florida State, which has recorded six sacks.
–Mendoza has started each of Cal’s first three games, and backup Chandler Rogers did not play at all last week. Mendoza has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and one interception, and his passer rating of 143.7 ranks ninth in the ACC.
–Cal’s running game has not been as productive as expected, ranking 11th in the ACC in rushing yards per attempt (4.18). The Bears used a two-tight-end set for much of the second half against San Diego State, and their running game improved. Look for more two-tight-end sets against Florida State, which has struggled to stop the run.
–Cal kicker Ryan Coe is 2-for-6 on field goal attempts his season, but Justin Wilcox says he still has confidence in Coe.
FLORIDA STATE STORYLINES
–The Seminoles began the season ranked No. 10 in the national polls, but after losing to Memphis 20-12 last week, they are 0-3 for only the second time since 1976. The other time was 2021, also under coach Mike Norvell, when FSU started 0-4 and finished 5-7.
–This will be the third ACC game for Florida State, which has lost to Georgia Tech and Boston College. The Seminoles can’t afford to lose any more conference games if they hope to win the ACC title and reach the College Football Playoff. A CFP berth is already a long shot for the Seminoles.
–Florida’s Sate biggest problem this season has been its offense. The Seminoles rank 124th of 134 FBS teams in scoring (15.3 points per game), 128th in total offense (274.0 yards per game), 133rd in rushing offense (52.0 yards per game) and 131st in rushing yards per attempt (2.20). The Seminoles are last in the ACC is all those categories. They are 12th in in the ACC in passing offense at 222.0 yards per game.
–Two current Florida State players played against Cal last year as members of Oregon State’s team. Seminoles starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had a big game against Cal in 2023, completing 19-of-25 passes for 275 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in Oregon State’s 52-40 victory over Cal. Sione Lolohea, a backup defensive end for Florida State this year, had four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Oregon State against the Bears last year. “Obviously, DJ, being a quarterback who’s played against this team’s defensive coordinator, he’s got a familiarity, but you know it’s still this year’s team, and you know how they’re utilizing personnel,” FSU Mike Norvell said.
–Uiagalelei ranks 16th in the ACC in passer rating (112.4) and has thrown two interceptions and one touchdown pass. He is scheduled to be Florida State’s starting quarterback against Cal. Uiagalelei is playing for his third FBS team, starting at Clemson before moving on to Oregon State and now Florida State.
–Florida State ranks 83rd in the country in scoring defense (24.0 points per game), 76th in total defense (347.3 yards per game), 103rd in rushing defense (172.7 yards per game), 104th in rushing yards allowed per attempt (4.32) and 120th in passer rating defense (111.4).
–Florida State has sued the ACC regarding grant of rights agreement obligations, because the Seminoles would like to withdraw from the conference. Clemson is following a similar path while seeking to withdraw from the ACC. Also, Florida State and Clemson are engaging in talks with the ACC with the hope of increasing their share of ACC revenue.
—A Florida State beat writer answers five questions about the Seminoles—
CAL PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Fernando Mendoza (5 TD passes, 1 interception); RB Jaydn Ott (just 60 rushing yards in two games); RB Jaivian Thomas (7.8 yards per carry); CB Nohl Williams (4 interceptions, tops in the nation); ILB Teddye Buchanan (31 tackles, 4 tackles for loss); WR Nyziah Hunter (4 TD receptions)
FLORIDA STATE PLAYERS TO WATCH: DJ Uiagalelei (56.57% completion rate, 2 interceptions, 1 touchdown); S Shyheim Brown (21 tackles in 2 games, missed last week’s game, expected to play against Cal); WR Malik Benson (5 receptions, 99 yards vs. Memphis last week); RB Lawrence Toafili (5.2 yards per carry); DT Joshua Farmer (preseason all-ACC, 2.5 tackles for loss); K Ryan Fitzgerald (3-for-3 on field goals of 50 yards or more this year, with a long of 59 yards)
—Click here for a detailed look at Florida State’s football and basketball programs and the school’s history—
CAL STATISTICS: Click here
CAL NOTES, DEPTH CHART: Click Here
FLORIDA STATE STATISTICS: Click here
JAKE’S PICK: Cal 21, Florida State 20
JEFF’S PICK: Cal 24, Florida State 17
PETER HOLLAND’S PICK (Tallahassee Democrat): Florida State 20, Cal 17 (Overtime)
TICKETS: Sold out. Stub Hub: Click here:
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Former Penn State interior offensive lineman TJ Shanahan committed to the Florida Gators on Tuesday, Jan. 6, reuniting him with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in Gainesville.
Trautwein’s connection with Shanahan loomed large in his recruitment. The only visit Shanahan took was to Gainesville on Saturday, and Trautwein recruited him out of high school before he moved from Florida to Texas. The hometown angle also plays a factor here. His family lives outside of Tampa, and his cousin, Jon Halapio, played at Florida from 2009 to 2013 before being drafted in the sixth round.
247Sports does not have a transfer portal grade for Shanahan, but On3 ranks him at No. 341 overall and No. 25 among interior offensive linemen in the portal. He has two years of eligibility remaining with hopes of becoming a full-time starter at Florida.
TJ Shanahan’s college career
A consensus four-star recruit and the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, Shanahan chose Texas A&M after visiting several SEC programs. He appeared in three games as a true freshman before redshirting. He became a regular in the Aggies’ offensive line rotation in 2024, playing in 10 total games. He spent time at center and left guard, starting four of five games at the latter position.
He entered the transfer portal following coaching changes at Texas A&M, ultimately landing at Penn State. He played in all 13 games for the Nittany Lions, making five starts while jumping between both guard positions. Injuries kept him from playing a bigger role at the end of the regular season, but he played nearly 80 snaps at right guard in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 63.5 overall grade on offense, a 75.1 pass-blocking grade and a 59.2 run-blocking grade in 2025.
Florida’s interior offensive line room
Florida’s interior offensive line returns starting left guard Knijeah Harris and backup guards Roderick Kearney and Tavaris Dice Jr. Assuming Harris stays at left guard, Shanhan is a strong possibility at right guard for Florida next season. Kearney and Dice could provide depth at both positions, or the former could transition to center in hopes of replacing All-American starter Jake Slaughter.
Florida is losing several interior linemen to graduation and the transfer portal. Along with Slaughter, Damieon George Jr. and Kamryn Waites have exhausted their eligibility. Noel Portnjagin and Marcus Mascoll are in the portal. Redshirt freshman Jason Zandamela is staying and received high praise from Slaughter.
Florida is expected to land Georgia Tech lineman Harrison Moore, which would reload the stable with plenty of room for competition at all three positions.
Florida 2026 transfer portal additions
Shanahan is the 10th official transfer portal addition of the 2026 cycle for Florida.
On offense, Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, Cincinnati running back Evan Pryor, Georgia Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton, Wake Forest receiver Micah Mays Jr., and James Madison tight end Lacota Dippre have committed. On defense, Florida has earned commitments from Baylor defensive lineman DK Kalu and Baylor safety DJ Coleman. The Gators are also adding a pair of special teamers from Tulane, kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark.
Florida is also expected to land Georgia Tech interior offensive lineman Harrison Moore, who is on an official visit (Jan. 6).
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Florida
Florida boy, 4, found dead in Alabama had no signs of assault, trauma as dad is busted on explosives charges
Heartbreaking new details have emerged in the case of the missing Florida boy who was found dead next to his dog as his father faces charges for allegedly making explosives.
Johnathan Boley, 4, did not show any signs of “trauma or assault type injuries” after officials performed an autopsy on Monday morning — three days after the heartbreaking discovery, according to Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith.
A cause of death has not been released as officials await the results of further tests, WBRC reported.
Boley, known by his family as “John John,” was discovered partly in a body of water by a group of volunteers who were searching the wooded area in Jasper, Ala. — two miles from where the boy vanished.
The child, who was visiting his father for the holidays, was last seen playing in the yard with his older brother and their mixed lab pup Buck just before noon on New Year’s Eve.
Boley’s elder sibling said his brother and the Buck had walked across the property line. Jameson Kyle Boley reported his son missing an hour later.
The little tyke, who lived with his mother in Florida after his parents separated, was discovered just before 1 p.m. Friday.
Buck, the loyal pooch, was found alive and next to Boley’s body.
Volunteers were “shook up” when they found Boley after the days-long search.
“You know, obviously you come out to do a good deed and when you get our there, you may have thought that you have fully prepared yourself for what you might come across,” Smith said. “Obviously, they were shaken up.”
Officials also discovered explosive materials inside and around the elder Boley’s home. The discovery of the potentially dangerous materials forced officials to cancel a ground search in the area.
Methamphetamines were also discovered inside the home.
Officials found “evidence that they have had some type of bomb type materials and that have exploded on the property.”
Boley, 40, was arrested and charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child.
He was transported to Blount County jail to “keep him separated from the county and people he may know in the jail,” Smith said.
After “John John’s” body was recovered, family members were permitted to go to Blount County and share the devastating news with the jailed father.
“I arranged with the sheriff of Blount County to let the family go make that notification in person,” Smith said.
What if a state program were bleeding billions of taxpayer dollars, providing funds to nearly anyone who applied, with minimal oversight?
Fiscal conservatives would demand immediate intervention. They would call for rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, insist on accountability from those in power, and demand swift action to protect public money.
While much public attention has focused on charter school expansion, including Schools of Hope, this discussion concerns a different program altogether: Florida’s rapidly expanding, taxpayer-funded voucher program.
That program, particularly the unchecked growth of the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES), now allows public dollars to fund private school and homeschool education on an unprecedented scale.
State officials tout a budget surplus, but independent analysts project that an additional $4–5 billion in annual voucher spending will lead to an imminent budget deficit.
The findings of a recent independent audit of FES are alarming. It examined what happens to these public funds and whether they truly “follow the child,” as Floridians were repeatedly promised.
They did not.
The auditor general was blunt: “Whatever can go wrong with this system has gone wrong.”
The audit raises more questions than answers:
— Why would state legislators steer a previously healthy state budget toward a projected deficit?
— Why is the state unable to account for roughly 30,000 students — representing approximately $270 million in taxpayer dollars — on any given day?
— And why is voucher spending deliberately obscured from public scrutiny by burying it in the public-school funding formula?
According to auditors, Florida’s voucher program has grown faster than the state’s ability to manage it. They identified gaps in real-time tracking, limited verification of eligibility and enrollment, and financial controls that have failed to keep pace with explosive growth.
These are not minor administrative errors; they are flashing warning lights.
Waste, fraud, and abuse are not partisan concerns; they are fiscal ones. Any government program that cannot clearly show where public dollars are or whether they are used appropriately represents a failure of the Legislature’s duty to safeguard taxpayer funds.
It is also important to be honest about what voucher growth truly represents. Despite frequent claims of a mass exodus from public schools, data show that roughly 70%of voucher recipients in recent years were not previously enrolled in public schools.
This is not a story of families fleeing public education. It is a story of public dollars being quietly redirected away from it.
That distinction matters because Florida’s public School Districts remain subject to strict accountability standards that do not apply to private or homeschool programs that receive voucher funds. Public schools must administer state assessments, publish performance data, comply with open-records laws, and undergo regular financial audits.
Public education across Florida is not stagnant. School Districts are actively innovating while serving as responsible stewards of public dollars by expanding career pathways, strengthening partnerships with local employers and higher education, and adapting to an increasingly complex choice landscape. When Districts are supported by stable policy and predictable funding, they lead.
But choice only works when transparency and quality accompany it. If state dollars support a student’s education, those dollars should be accompanied by state-level accountability, including meaningful oversight and participation in statewide assessments.
State dollars should meet state standards.
The audit also makes clear that technical fixes alone are insufficient. As long as voucher funding remains intertwined with public school funding formulas, billions of dollars in voucher spending will remain obscured from public scrutiny. The program must stand on its own.
Florida’s fiscally conservative Senators recognized this reality when they introduced SB318, a bipartisan bill to implement the auditor general’s recommendations and bring transparency and fiscal responsibility to school choice. The House must now follow suit.
Families like mine value school choice. But without meaningful reform, the current system is not financially sustainable.
Fiscal responsibility and educational opportunity are not competing values. Floridians must insist on both.
___
Liz Barker is a Sarasota County School Board member.
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