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Grossman equals Wuerffel with honor

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 30, 2001

GAINESVILLE -- Another career-best performance earned Florida quarterback Rex Grossman the SEC offensive player of the week for the second time this season, the third in his career. Grossman is the first UF player since Danny Wuerffel to win the award multiple times in one season. Wuerffel won three times in 1996, his Heisman Trophy season.

"It's a great honor," Grossman said Monday. In Saturday's win against Georgia, Grossman was 27-of-35 (77 percent) for 407 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has thrown for more than 300 yards in every game and leads the nation in passing efficiency (184.84), total offense (373.3), yards per play (10.17), touchdown passes (24), yards per attempt (10.98) and points responsible for (22.29).

PRACTICE PARTNERS NEEDED: Vanderbilt coach Woody Widenhofer said possibly the only way he could simulate Florida's offense during practice might be to enlist the help of the Tennessee Titans. "That's really hard to do because I don't know if we have anyone here as good as some of those guys," Widenhofer said. "I guess we could line up against the Titans and play them. That might be the best simulation we could get."

TIME CHANGE: The Nov. 10 game at South Carolina has been picked up by ESPN and will begin at 7:45 p.m.

MITCHELL OUT: Offensive lineman Mo Mitchell is likely out for the season after falling out of his bunk bed and cracking a bone in his left ankle Wednesday night, coach Steve Spurrier said. Earnest Graham (sprained knee) and Willie Green, out since early in the season recovering from knee surgery, practiced.

Status quo at QB

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida State offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden said he likely will continue letting redshirt freshman Chris Rix and freshman Adrian McPherson split time with the first team in practice.

This time it has nothing to do with competition for the starting job. That belongs to Rix.

"If something were to happen to Chris in the ballgame, AD needs to be ready to go," Bowden said. "Just from that standpoint, he needs to get more reps."

NEWTON STILL OUT: Special teams standout Patrick Newton, the former Shorecrest player, couldn't schedule a CAT scan around classes and will have to have one before he can resume practice. The junior sustained his second concussion in as many weeks Saturday against Maryland.

WEEKLY HONORS: Rix, who threw for career highs of 350 yards and five touchdowns in a win against Maryland, was named the ACC's rookie of the week. Junior receiver Talman Gardner, who had career highs with six catches for 140 yards and three touchdowns, and sophomore linebacker Michael Boulware, who returned an interception for a touchdown, were named the league's offensive back and defensive back/linebacker of the week, respectively.

INJURIES: Defensive tackle Travis Johnson participated in most of the shortened practice despite experiencing severe pain in his sprained left ankle. It is the same ankle that has hampered him throughout the season.

"We looked at the X-rays (today)," Johnson said. "One person said it might be a stress fracture, but I'm not trusting that. It should be all right."

Coach Bobby Bowden said Johnson, a freshman, could be "decent" for Saturday's game if he does not aggravate the injury any further in practice.

Starting noseguard Jeff Womble was able to run on his swollen left knee after practice. Also nursing a sprained left elbow, he is expected to be ready by Saturday.

Receiver Joey Kalikini returned to practice after missing the past two games with a severely sprained right ankle.

LB returns from injury

TAMPA -- South Florida starting strong-side linebacker Maurice Jones, who missed Saturday's 68-37 win against Liberty with a sore shoulder, returned to practice and is expected to start Saturday against Houston.

Jones, who started the first seven games, will give a boost to a defense that yielded a school-record 31 first downs.

Receiver Travis Lipp (shoulder) and defensive back Johnnie Jones (tooth, back) also practiced after sitting out Saturday.

Defensive linemen Chris Daley and Tchecoy Blount, who sustained sprained ankles against Liberty, did not practice and are questionable for Saturday. Running back Derrick Rackard (ankle) did not practice and likely will miss a second straight game.

GREAT RETURNS: Hugh Smith averaged nearly 34 yards on four kickoff returns against Liberty. "Our blocking on kickoff returns was as good as it's been all year," coach Jim Leavitt said.

STILL PEEVED: Leavitt said he will file a complaint with Conference USA over the first of two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties called on Quinton Callum after his 62-yard touchdown run Saturday. Callum was flagged for leaping over the goal line, which an official deemed excessive celebration even though a defender was trying to tackle him.

Callum was ejected, but Leavitt said he will play Saturday since the ejection wasn't for fighting. However, Callum was forced to run extra sprints during practice for removing his helmet after the touchdown and earning the second penalty.

Around the nation

TENNESSEE: Coach Phillip Fulmer likes the way his team is finishing games. For two straight weeks, the No. 7 Vols have turned it on in the fourth quarter, holding onto the ball on offense and stopping teams on defense.

UT scored twice in the final period and held Alabama to minus-2 yards on offense in a 35-24 win a week ago.

The Vols used six minutes and scored a touchdown to take the lead, then held South Carolina to a field goal and stopped a final drive to hold on for a 17-10 win Saturday.

Fulmer called his team "Cardiac Kids" after the game.

"They're driving me crazy," he said.

The Vols said after the Alabama game that they believed conditioning gave them an edge in the fourth quarter, when most teams are getting tired. In each game, they've held the ball for at least nine minutes in the final period.

Senior tight end John Finlayson has been hospitalized to treat tonsillitis. He was expected to be discharged today. He is questionable for Saturday at Notre Dame.

UCLA: Quarterback Cory Paus is doubtful for Saturday's game at Washington State because of a sprained right thumb, Bruins coach Bob Toledo said. If Paus can't go, fifth-year senior Scott McEwan, who led three second-half touchdown drives last week in a loss at Stanford, will make his first career start, assuming he's recovered from the sprained right ankle he sustained in the game.

VIRGINIA: Tailback Antwoine Womack, sidelined since knee surgery after the opener at Wisconsin, could rejoin the team for practice this week, coach Al Groh said. There is no timetable for his return.

VIRGINIA STATE: Coach Lou Anderson said he will retire after the Trojans play their last game Saturday.

WISCONSIN: Quarterback Brooks Bollinger, recovering from groin and hip injuries, said he plans to start Saturday against visiting Iowa.

-- TIMES WIRES

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