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FAMU QB finds form in Game 2

So, it wasn't just Casey Printers.

Rex Grossman and Florida proved that. When defending national champion Miami defeated Florida and its Heisman-caliber quarterback 41-16 Saturday at Florida Field, it gave Florida A&M and Printers -- the team's new QB -- a little boost.

After all, it was the Division I-AA Rattlers who had to go down to Miami for the Aug. 31 season opener and get trounced 63-17 by the No. 1 team in the nation.

It was Printers' debut withFAMU after transferring from Texas Christian, and he had an awful day, not even finishing the game.

But FAMU re-asserted itself Saturday as one of the dominant programs in I-AA, lighting up Morris Brown 64-6 in front of 17,945 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Finally, Printers showed what he can do, completing 21-of-32 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores.

"You just have to play your brand of football," Printers told the Tallahassee Democrat. "I went out there and played like I play. I scramble around and run around and try to do little things to get people open. And it worked."

Yes, it's amazing what a quarterback can do in coach Billy Joe's Gulf Coast offense when he isn't running for his life.

"The big difference was he had protection," Joe told the Democrat. "He had time to plant his foot and throw the ball. He did not have that opportunity last week."

HUH?: Coach Mike Kruczek doesn't know what happened Saturday night.

Yes, he knows his Central Florida team lost 46-13 to Arizona State at Sun Devil Stadium. But why did the Golden Knights surrender a 13-3 second-quarter lead? Why did they give up 43 consecutive points? Why did UCF go 0-for-11 on third down? Why commit 17 penalties for 133 yards, including the third-quarter ejection of center Mike Mabry?

And what happened to the offense? Quarterback Ryan Schneider had his worst career day, completed 7-of-24 passes for 145 yards and two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, before being carted off in the third quarter with bruised ribs. How does the ninth-ranked passing offense in the nation that averages 308.3 yards a game come up with 152?

Whatever happened, UCF has two weeks to prepare for the program's first Mid-American Conference game, a Sept. 20 visit to No. 16 Marshall.

"It is a blessing to have an open date at this time," Kruczek said. "We completely melted down in the second half against Arizona. We were up 13-10 at halftime and the defense was playing well. If we hadn't dropped a number of passes in the first half, offensively the score would have been lopsided."

MORE THAN A WIN: For Bethune-Cookman, Saturday's 30-17 win over Florida Atlantic at Pro Player Stadium could help stop the bleeding.

Wildcats coach Alvin Wyatt has long lamented how the rise of future I-A programs like FAU and Florida International hurt his recruiting. Last season FAU won the program's first game against B-CC. This year the Wildcats rallied from a 17-6 third-quarter deficit to score 24 consecutive points.

Safety Rashean Mathis had three interceptions, including one that put the game away after he returned it 83 yards for B-CC's last touchdown.

"I think their mistake was throwing the ball around Rashean Mathis," Wyatt told the Daytona Beach News Journal. "I guess (FAU) wanted to prove a point, but he proved better. This kid is an NFL player today. He just robbed them. He kept stealing them."

NO HART: No, Jefferson High product Troy Hart did not suddenly gain another year of eligibility at FAMU. The team is waiting for its new orange jerseys to arrive, forcing several players to wear old jerseys. So Brian Alexander had to wear the old jersey of Hart, who starred at corner for the Rattlers.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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