The Univ. of Florida's football game with LSU on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium "could be in jeopardy after UF halted all team activities" yesterday due to an "uptick in positive tests for COVID-19," according to Robbie Andreu of the GAINESVILLE SUN. UF over the past week has had "five tests come back positive, raising the total to six for October." UF student newspaper the Independent Florida Alligator "later reported that 19 players tested positive." UF AD Scott Stricklin, who would not confirm the reported 19 positive tests, later said that he "wanted to calm the situation by stopping football activities" (GAINESVILLE SUN, 10/14).
NOT A GOOD LOOK: In Orlando, Mike Bianchi writes three days after UF football coach Dan Mullen urged school administrators to "lift COVID-19 crowd restrictions and allow 90,000 fans to brave the pandemic and pack into the Swamp for Saturday's game against LSU," there "might not even be a game." Bianchi: "Hopefully, this embarrassing ordeal has made Mullen rethink his irresponsible comments after the loss to Texas A&M." Even after Mullen's two bosses -- Stricklin and UF President Kent Fuchs -- "both rightfully rejected Mullen's plea and said UF would continue to follow CDC safety guidelines, Mullen refused to walk back his statements." Three different times during his Monday news conference, he was "asked to clarify his postgame comments and three different times, he deflected the questions" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 10/14).
