Sports: Grossman takes the pain

Grossman takes the pain

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer

GAINESVILLE -- The bruises reveal how often and how hard Rex Grossman was hit Saturday, but he said he hardly notices them.

That's what a 30-13 win over Tennessee on the road can do for you.

As the Gators prepare to host Kentucky this week, Grossman's protection by a young offensive line is still an issue, but he said because of his emphasis on conditioning in the offseason he thinks he can take whatever opponents dish out.

"I have taken quite a bit of shots this year," Grossman said Tuesday. "But that's what we lift weights for. I think I've bounced back and been healthy."

Offensive lineman Shannon Snell said the front five realize there's still work to be done. "I still don't think we're playing to the best of our abilities, and that's because some people are still missing assignments and still learning," Snell said. "We showed a little bit of what we're capable of ... but until we do it to the best of our abilities, it's nothing."

LOPEZ AND LORENZEN: Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen and actor/singer Jennifer Lopez have something in common: their nicknames.

In the Kentucky weekly release the Wildcats' quarterback is referred to as "J-Lo," the nickname that helped make Lopez famous.

Lopez is largely known for her body, as is Lorenzen, who was once over 300 pounds but now is listed at 275.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT: After opening the first two weeks with all types of problems, the special teams slowly have managed to get on course the past two games.

Aside from a punt return that was called back because of a blocking penalty Saturday, the special teams played well, coach Ron Zook said.

"They got us a turnover on the kickoff, and I thought they played exceptionally well," Zook said. "But on special teams it's critical that you not have penalties and especially foolish penalties like that. We talk about it all the time, we can't have foolish penalties. Special teams is just like offense and defense: you have to play, you have to do it and get the experience to become the type of special teams you want to have."

MORE PRESEASON RANKINGS: The men's basketball team has picked up its third Top-10 preseason ranking.

Slam Magazine has the Gators ranked No. 8 in its preseason predictions. ESPN analyst Dick Vitale ranked the Gators No. 5 in his rankings, and Athlon picked the Gators seventh.

The Gators were among three SEC teams in the top 10 of the Slam Magazine poll, with Kentucky No. 7 and Alabama No. 10.

Florida opens practice Oct. 12 and has its first exhibition game Nov. 4 against the Midwest All-Stars. The regular season opens Nov. 19, when the Gators host Louisiana Tech in the Preseason NIT.

STUDENTS AND ATHLETES: A poll released by Swimming World Magazine lists Florida as the top school in the nation for combining academic success with swimming achievement.

The poll evaluates individual and team placings from the 2002 NCAA Championships and team grade point average during the most recent semester or quarter. Combined with their fourth-place finish at last spring's NCAAs, the men's team finished the spring semester with a 3.3 GPA, good enough for a No. 1 ranking in the men's Division I poll. The women's team finished third in the poll by finishing tied for seventh at the NCAA Championships with a 3.3 GPA during the spring.

"As important as the conference victory and NCAA finishes were, our focal point as a team emphasizes being just as strong academically as athletically," coach Gregg Troy said.

-- Antonya English covers Florida athletics. She can be reached at (813) 226-3389 or english@sptimes.com.