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State practice reports

Grossman will start Saturday

GAINESVILLE -- Quarterback Rex Grossman will start Saturday, Florida coach Ron Zook said Thursday.

Grossman did not participate in practices Monday or Tuesday after spraining his knee Saturday against LSU. Grossman compared the knee sprain with the severity of a sprained ankle in that he must periodically ice it and wear a brace to practices.

Free safety Todd Johnson has continued to improve after a deep thigh bruise and will be a game-time decision. If he cannot play, Lester Norwood will start.

MEMORIES: Tailbacks Earnest Graham and Ran Carthon have much in common: they play the same position, are close friends and live in the same apartment complex.

But the two also are linked by Oct. 13, 2001. Neither player appeared on the stat sheet as then-No. 1 Florida was upset by Auburn 23-20. Graham sat with a sprained ankle, and Carthon just sat as former coach Steve Spurrier elected to use injured Robert Gillespie.

"I thought he should have played more when Robert got hurt," Graham said of Carthon. "I was definitely surprised, but it was Coach's decision."

Entering the season, Carthon thought a lot about that date. But with the Gators in danger of dropping to .500, Carthon rarely thinks about it anymore.

"Before the season it was something that was in my mind," he said. "I was really looking forward to this game to prove a point. But the way things are unfolding right now, I really can't afford to concentrate on last year."

-- JILL MARTIN

USF's extra motivation

TAMPA -- As has become USF's routine on Thursdays, the Bulls wrapped up practice with a little extra motivation.

Two weeks ago, the Bulls took a sledgehammer to a North Texas helmet before beating the team 24-17, outgaining it 432-198. Oct. 11 the Bulls prepared for their 16-13 win by snapping a wooden sign with the Golden Eagles' logo in half.

USF hopes to continue its success against East Carolina after equipment manager Jeff Parsons took a white board with the ECU name and flung it across the field. But coach Jim Leavitt realizes the Bulls need more motivation than that to beat another future Conference USA rival.

"It's fun for the players. They laugh," Leavitt said. "But if it takes that to motivate them, then we're not very good."

BUTKUS: The 11 semifinalists for the Butkus Award were announced, and senior Kawika Mitchell was not among them.

Mitchell leads the nation in tackles for loss and is No. 18 in tackles. Two of the semifinalists average more tackles than Mitchell.

The 11 seminfinalists are: Eric Wilhelm of Ohio State, Boss Bailey of Georgia, Rod Davis of Southern Miss, E.J. Henderson of Maryland, D.J. Williams and Jonathan Vilma of Miami, Bradie James of LSU, Teddy Lehman of Oklahoma, Derrick Johnson of Texas, Courtney Watson of Notre Dame and Michael Boulware of Florida State.

-- ANTHONY GAGLIANO

Bye week practice ends

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State held its final practice of the bye week. The team worked out in full pads for approximately two hours and will return to practice Monday.

"That'll wrap it up for this week," coach Bobby Bowden said. "We've had a couple of good practices this week. I think a couple days off will be good for them."

The Seminoles concluded practice with two periods of 11-on-11 scrimmaging. The defense held the upper hand until Chris Rix hit Craphonso Thorpe for a 50-yard completion. Rix finished the day with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin.

Sophomore wide receiver P.K. Sam had the only injury. He went down with a strained hamstring running a route.

-- TIMES WIRES

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