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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 10, 2002
USF No. 1 in run defense
TAMPA -- Saturday's South Florida at Arkansas game is a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown -- in rushing defense.
The Bulls rank No. 1 nationally in rush defense, allowing 18.5 yards a game. Arkansas is No. 2 after allowing 27 rushing yards in its only game, a 41-14 win over Boise State.
"I would think (we would be No. 1) after that first game," USF coach Jim Leavitt said, referring to the minus-36 rushing yards the Bulls allowed against Florida Atlantic. "When you start getting to the fourth and fifth game, then it really means a lot."
The Bulls are No. 9 in scoring defense (8.0 points a game) and No. 11 in total defense, (205.5 yards a game) after wins over Northern Illinois 37-6 and Division I-AA FAU 51-10.
RECOGNITION: DeAndrew Rubin's three touchdowns in the second half against NIU earned him the Independent player of the week award from collegefootballnews.com. Rubin caught four passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including a school-record 95-yarder, and he returned a three punts for 95 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown.
PUNT MASTERS: USF is No. 2 nationally in punt returns with a 30.63 average on eight returns, trailing only Buffalo (32.0). Rubin has a touchdown return in each of the first two games, and Brian Fisher had a 66-yarder against FAU. Rubin is fifth in the nation with a 26.0 average.
ON THE TUBE: Arkansas is the first of five USF road games, all of which will be televised. WMOR Ch. 32 will broadcast the 7 p.m. game Saturday from Little Rock.
-- PETE YOUNG
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State linebacker Marcello Church broke his left hand during practice, putting his status for the Maryland game in jeopardy.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore linebacker from Lakewood High will have X-rays before a decision is made on his status for Saturday's game.
"We feel it, but around here it's always been a numbers game," defensive back Stanford Samuels said. "We stack up (players) so when something like this happens we can plug someone else in. We are going to console (Church) so he keeps his head right, but we've still got players."
Listed as the third-team linebacker, Church has played in both games this season, recording one tackle.
GETTING HEALTHY: After a bye week, several players returned to practice or began to shake off injuries. Receiver Robert Morgan, trying to come back from a torn ACL that sidelined him all of last season, ran routes and took passes from quarterback Chris Rix.
"It wasn't (at full) contact, but he looked real good," coach Bobby Bowden said.
Tackle Ray Willis, who missed the Virginia game Aug. 31 with a sprained ankle, practiced with the first-team offense. Receiver Craphonso Thorpe, who missed the opener against Iowa State and saw limited action against Virginia, made noticeable improvement, Bowden said.
OSEI QUESTIONABLE: Safety Claudius Osei is questionable for Saturday's game. The sophomore has battled hamstring injuries since preseason. Junior free safety Yohance Buchanan was moved to replace Osei if needed.
-- JASON SCHNEIDER, Times wires
GAINESVILLE -- After two games, Florida running back Earnest Graham leads the SEC in rushing.
Graham has 271 yards on 33 attempts, averaging 8.2 yards a carry. He ranks seventh on UF's all-time rushing list with 2,251 yards. The Fort Myers senior needs 159 yards to pass John L. Williams for sixth place.
TIME OFF: Two days after their 41-16 loss to No. 1 Miami, the Gators took Monday off. They will resume practice today in preparation for Saturday's game against winless Ohio.
ODDS AND ENDS: Quarterback Rex Grossman has fallen to fourth on the NCAA passing efficiency list. ... Freshman receiver Dallas Baker will redshirt this season. ... UF is 8-0 since 1990 against teams in the Mid-American Conference. ... Linebacker Byron "Bam" Hardmon leads the team in tackles with 23. He had 42 last season. ... The last time Florida gave up four passing touchdowns in a game -- which it did against Miami -- was 1996 against Tennessee, 73 games ago. UF gave up five passing TDs all of last season. ... Saturday was the third time in Grossman's career he completed fewer than 50 percent of his passes. The longest pass play to a wide receiver was 15 yards.
-- ANTONYA ENGLISH
CORAL GABLES -- Miami swept the Big East offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week awards after its win over Florida.
On offense, sophomore tailback Willis McGahee was honored after registering the fourth-best rushing total in school history, gaining 204 yards on 24 carries.
On defense, junior strong safety Maurice Sikes was honored for his two interceptions, including one that he returned 97 yards for a touchdown.
On special teams, kicker Todd Sievers contributed 11 of UM's 41 points against the Gators, connecting on two field goals, including a 53-yarder.