Spurrier pulls Grossman from starting lineup

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Posted 7:24AM on Wednesday, January 2, 2002

MIAMI - Rex Grossman is out. Brock Berlin is in. How long will that arrangement last? Everybody will find out Wednesday night in the Orange Bowl. Indeed, the latest turn of Florida coach Steve Spurrier's quarterback carousel might be the most curious of all. Spurrier shook up a rather routine week Tuesday when he announced he was pulling Grossman from the starting lineup against Maryland because he missed curfew on the team's second night in Miami. Grossman's replacement will be Brock Berlin, who is strongly considering transferring to the University of Miami because he doesn't play enough. He suddenly finds himself preparing for his first college start on a mighty big stage. During a 20-minute news conference that made for great theater, Spurrier sounded at peace with the decision. ``Brock and Rex, sometimes at practice you can't tell a difference who's out there,'' Spurrier said. ``If we lose the game, you can blame it on me. If Rex plays and we lose the game, you're going to blame that on me, too.'' Spurrier made it clear that Grossman, who started all 11 games this season and came a scant 62 votes short of winning the Heisman, is no sure thing to play when the No. 5 Gators (9-2) face the No. 6 Terrapins (10-1). ``Whoever starts always gets an opportunity,'' Spurrier said. ``It doesn't mean they're going to finish it. But I never start a guy and say, 'If you screw up, you're out the next series.' It takes a bunch of screw-ups to take a guy out.'' Also missing curfew were starting defensive lineman Bobby McCray, backup center David Jorgensen and two other players who wouldn't play anyway. ``They'll be eligible to play in the game,'' Spurrier said of Grossman, McCray and Jorgensen. ``Their coaches will put them in accordingly.'' Spurrier, of course, is the quarterbacks coach. The Terrapins, 15-point underdogs, are watching the whole thing with smiles on their faces. The entire week has been filled with news of Florida's problems: the Berlin-Grossman thing, tailback Earnest Graham's knee injury and, of course, Florida's disappointment over not playing for the national title this season. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen insists the circus that has become Florida football probably won't hurt the Gators, or help his team. ``They're so talented, they can probably get away with it,'' he said. ``We're very happy we're here and I can't control the way they feel. We've got to deal with our players, not theirs.'' Spurrier insists his team is focused, and the Gators won't miss anything by playing Berlin, who threw for 483 yards and nine touchdowns in mop-up duty this season. These prebowl distractions are nothing new for Spurrier. Last year, players from Florida and Miami brawled on Bourbon Street the night they arrived in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Before the 1995 Sugar Bowl, one Florida player landed in the hospital after fighting with a teammate at a team meal. Other than Berlin's performance Wednesday, the next big question will be whether this affects his decision to stay or go. About 10 days ago, he visited Miami. Berlin and Grossman are both sophomores, and Berlin doesn't want to sit on the Florida bench for another season. But Spurrier, who has seen talented quarterbacks Eric Kresser, Bobby Sabelhaus and Tim Olmstead leave under similar circumstances, isn't giving up easily. Before the Grossman issue surfaced, Spurrier said Berlin would get playing time in the Orange Bowl, a clear enticement for the sophomore from Shreveport, La. The coach said this was not a last-minute ploy to keep Berlin at Florida. ``I can't worry about what other people think,'' Spurrier said. ``I've got to do what's best for the team.'' Neither Berlin nor Grossman could be reached for comment Tuesday.