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College football notebook

Florida safety Johnson is KO'd in scrimmage

GAINESVILLE -- Florida safety Todd Johnson was taken to Shands Hospital after colliding with cornerback Johnny Lamar toward the end of Wednesday's scrimmage at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Johnson was knocked out while he and Lamar were trying to break up a pass to receiver Kelvin Kight. He was on the field almost 30 minutes before he was taken to Shands.

Johnson ran into Lamar, hit Lamar's helmet and was knocked unconscious a few minutes. He later was able to talk and had feeling throughout his body.

An ambulance arrived and Johnson was wheeled off on a stretcher. He waved to the crowd when leaving.

Team doctor Doug McDonald told coach Ron Zook they would probably keep him overnight at Shands for observation.

"He's a good football player and I think just the way the football team was watching him that shows you what kind of person he is, the leader that he is on this football team," Zook said.

There were other injuries during the scrimmage. Receiver O.J. Small sprained his left knee and left ankle making a catch. He left on crutches. Junior defensive end Darrell Lee did not play because of a rib cartilage injury. Zook said Lee would have played in a game situation.

STATS: Quarterback Rex Grossman was 12-of-18 for 150 yards. Wide receiver Taylor Jacobs had four catches for 54 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown. Running back Earnest Graham had 23 yards on eight carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run. Freshman Dallas Baker had a 19-yard TD reception.

-- JILL MARTIN

FSU starting OG ineligible

TALLAHASSEE -- After waiting since the start of preseason workouts for the NCAA's decision regarding the eligibility of starting guard Milford Brown, Florida State finally got its answer. But not the one it wanted.

FSU learned late Wednesday Brown was declared ineligible to play football by the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Sub-Committee.

"We're really speechless about it," quarterback Chris Rix said. "We all talked to (Brown) today, told him if there was anything we could do for him to just let us know, that we love him and that he is still our teammate."

Brown enrolled at Alabama State University in the fall of 1997 and left after the spring semester, taking a year off before attending East Mississippi Junior College from the fall of 1998 to spring 2000. In 2001, Brown started all 12 games at FSU. At issue was Brown's year at Alabama State and whether that year counted toward his five years of eligibility. Brown said he was enrolled as a part-time student, but the NCAA decided he was full tim. The NCAA ruled Brown's five years ended at the end of the 2001 season.

The Seminoles moved tackle Todd Williams to the spot vacated by Brown. Williams spent the summer working out at guard while FSU waited for the NCAA's ruling, which had the case in April.

"(The NCAA) has a process they go through and there are 60 other players in the country facing an issue like this, and Milford (Brown) just falls into one of the 60 and it just where he fell in the order and his situation being evaluated," offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden said.

"Being a senior, we wish that his situation has been a little higher on their priority list so he could have made a decision on his future, but he'll be a great draft pick next year."

With Brown, the Seminoles' offensive line would have returned all five starters from last season and was ranked as one of the best in the country.

"We are working on our chemistry to get it back where it was," guard Montrae Holland said. "With Milford (Brown) there, he was a vital part of the middle. We are going to miss him."

-- JASON SCHNEIDER

Mullins No. 2 QB at USF

TAMPA -- South Florida declared two-a-days over and freshman David Mullins the No. 2 quarterback after scrimmage.

"We're going to break camp after tonight," coach Jim Leavitt said. "We're in game week now. We've got to get ready."

The Bulls will go into the Aug. 29 opener against Florida Atlantic with Mullins, who enrolled in January, behind incumbent Marquel Blackwell. Mullins outperformed sophomore Ronnie Banks a second straight scrimmage, going 7-for-12 for 107 yards, one interception and the only touchdown, 22 yards to Cedric King.

"Mullins played real well. He did some good things," Leavitt said. "He's the No. 2 guy right now."

Banks was 6-for-9 for 32 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Most starters, including standouts such as Blackwell, Shurron Pierson, J.R. Reed and DeAndrew Rubin, did not participate in the 67-play scrimmage.

King had two catches (both from Mullins) for 60 yards, and Joe Bain had the highlight grab, a leaping 38-yarder from freshman Evan Kraky. Vince Brewer had five carries for 41 yards and Billy Henderson had eight for 24.

DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!: Matt Groelinger and Jon Simmons had two sacks each, and Terrence Royal had one. Kenny Robinson had the interception. The offense was held to a touchdown and two field goals, by Santiago Gramatica. Gramatica also made an extra point but missed one field goal.

MOVING ALONG: The design contract for the $15-million, 110,000-square foot athletic facility was awarded to Simmons Construction of Tampa.

ON THE VARSITY: Leavitt indicated five true freshman likely would play this season: linebackers Stephen Nicholas and Devon Davis, center John Miller and two who enrolled in January, Mullins and Royal. Receiver Willie Williams, another January enrollee, may not redshirt.

INJURIES: Freshman receiver Rodney Joyner sustained a knee injury and will have an MRI today.

-- PETE YOUNG

Miami names starting CBs

CORAL GABLES -- Cornerbacks Antrel Rolle and Kelly Jennings were named starters, solidifying a Miami secondary depleted by the NFL draft.

Rolle played late in games last season and has impressed coaches in fall practice. He will line up opposite Jennings, a redshirt freshman who was a standout during spring practice, coach Larry Coker said.

"He's playing smart, he's given great effort," Coker said of Rolle. "He played a lot last year, but he's really stepped his game up this year."

The decision to start Rolle and Jennings at corner seemingly leaves out Al Marshall, a junior who started two games last season. But Coker said Miami's first two opponents, Florida A&M and Florida, will offer four- and five-wide receiver formations, forcing the use of more defensive backs.

"We have three that will play a lot," Coker said, including Marshall. "You can consider them all starters."

Miami had to replace all four starters from last year's secondary -- Ed Reed, Phillip Buchanon, Mike Rumph and James Lewis, three of whom were first-round draft picks.

Sean Taylor and Maurice Sikes were named starters at free and strong safety, respectively, earlier in the preseason.

-- Times Wires

FIU names first QB

MIAMI -- Quarterback Jamie Burke was Florida International coach Don Strock's first big recruit. Now he can add another honor: the school's first starting quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Burke, a Sarasota native, will be FIU's opening day starter when the Golden Panthers face St. Peter's (N.J.) in the inaugural game Aug. 29.

Burke, who was recruited by Florida and Pittsburgh, chose FIU after former Florida coach Steve Spurrier went to the NFL's Washington. Strock, who spent 17 years as an NFL quarterback, said he expects backup quarterback David Tabor to see playing time.

-- TIMES WIRES

Weather turns for UCF

ORLANDO -- For the first time in two days, practice was not dictated by weather, with the squad getting in a full practice. "For us to be back on the field is very important," defensive captain Elton Patterson said. "It is imperative that we get into the sun and hot weather and be able to run around and get good work in."

-- TIMES WIRES

Around the nation

BIG 12: The conference landed an eighth bowl spot this season, adding the Humanitarian Bowl at Boise State on Dec. 31.

JIM THORPE CLASSIC: Virginia hopes the earliest season opener ever in Division I football will help the Cavaliers rebound from their first losing season in 15 years. Virginia hosts Colorado State tonight. The Cavaliers, under second-year coach Al Groh, are trying to forget last year's 5-7 record, but the team has just a few seniors on the roster. Groh will rely heavily on underclassmen, including a freshman class rated among the nation's 10 best.

Colorado State has gone to a school-record three straight bowl games and is expected to contend for the Mountain West championship. The Rams will start a junior quarterback who started about half the games last season. Bradlee Van Pelt, son of former New York Giants linebacker Brad Van Pelt, also is a threat as a runner.

GEORGIA: A 19-year-old former student who said she was sexually assaulted in a dorm testified that defensive back Brandon Williams raped her after emerging from a walk-in closet, half-naked and fondling himself. Williams is the first to be tried; basketball guard Tony Cole and forward Steve Thomas also face charges.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Coach Lou Holtz said Mikal Goodman, who played quarterback his first two seasons, was shifted back because of injuries at the position. Backup quarterback Dondrial Pinkins had surgery to remove a bone chip in his left ankle and reserve Bennett Swygert reinjured the ACL in his left knee. Swygert, who chose rehabilitation over surgery, will be re-examined in about 10 days.

TENNESSEE: Defensive end Constantin Ritzmann is out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The senior hopes to get a redshirt and return next season.

USC: Starting cornerback Kevin Arbet is out for the season with a broken right foot. He will redshirt and play his senior year.

-- TIMES WIRES

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