Has Sunshine Gone Out of Florida?

By CHRIS DUFRESNE

Oct. 17, 1997 12 AM PT

What a week for “Gator haters.”

Florida had averaged 49.4 points in five victories until last week’s stunning 28-21 loss at Louisiana State.

Suddenly, a quest for consecutive national championships has been replaced with controversy and a sense of urgency.

Thursday, Coach Steve Spurrier benched quarterback Doug Johnson for breaking unspecified team rules.

Truth is, Canadian freshman Jesse Palmer and fifth-year senior Noah Brindise were taking most of the snaps in practice before Spurrier announced his one-game suspension of Johnson, who threw four interceptions and was sacked five times against LSU.

“Sometimes you actually need to get beat in life to find out what all your problems are,” Spurrier said. “Sometimes the attention, the publicity, the belief that you’re unbeatable, that you can just sort of show up and win, can hit any team. We’re no exception.”

Auburn has an opportunity to get the Gators while they’re down and position itself for a national title run.

Coach Terry Bowden’s staff has studied the LSU defense that wreaked havoc on Spurrier’s Fun ‘N’ Gun offense. LSU rotated in fresh defenders throughout the game and kept the blitz coming against Johnson, who attempted 62 passes and was hit on most of them.

Florida has lost consecutive games only once in the Spurrier era, in 1992.

Bowden wonders what kind of Florida team he’ll see Saturday.

“Does the loss make them more mad, more aggressive, more serious?” Bowden said. “Or, does the loss cause them to think about themselves, cause them to wonder. . . . I’m anxious to see how the loss affects them.”

The line: Florida by 7 1/2.

ON TV

* Rutgers (0-6) at Army (1-4), FX, 9 a.m.: Sadly, the star for Rutgers is punter Jared Slovan, who set a Big East record with 13 punts for 552 yards in a 48-0 loss to West Virginia two weeks ago. Army needed a week off to rearm after a 41-0 loss to Tulane.

The line: Army by 16 1/2.

* Miami (1-4) at Boston College (2-4), Channel 2, 9 a.m.: In 1984, this was Bernie Kosar versus Doug Flutie and one of the great games in college history. Today, it’s a programming miscalculation.

The line: Miami by 6.

* Iowa (4-1) at Michigan (5-0), ESPN, 9:30 a.m.: Iowa flunked its first big test two weeks ago with a loss to Ohio State. Today’s the makeup exam. The Buckeyes held Tavian Banks, the nation’s leading rusher, to 84 yards. If Michigan does the same, Banks’ Heisman hopes are shot.

The line: Michigan by 7.

* Indiana (1-5) at Ohio State (5-1), ESPN2, 9:30 a.m.: What’s a coach to do? Joe Germaine came off the bench last week to throw for 378 yards in a loss to Penn State, but Ohio State Coach John Cooper says he’s sticking with Stanley Jackson, who had little to do with his first loss as a starter in 17 games.

The line: Ohio State by 34 1/2.

* Cal State Northridge (3-3) at Montana State (3-2), FSW2, 11:30 a.m.: An important game if either team has intentions of catching Big Sky front-runner Montana.

No line.

* Washington (4-1) at Arizona (3-3), Channel 7, 12:30 p.m.: Stanford’s loss to Arizona last week was sweet for the Huskies, who now control their Pacific 10 destiny. Washington and Stanford don’t play this season and the Cardinal has the Rose Bowl tiebreaker.

The line: Washington by 12.

* Cincinnati (5-1) at Houston (1-4), FSW, 12:30 p.m.: The Bearcats are off to their best start since going 5-1 in 1976. Houston is not off to a good start.

The line: Cincinnati by 7 1/2.

* North Carolina (6-0) at North Carolina State (3-3), ESPN2, 3 p.m.: Tar Heel quarterbacks Chris Keldorf and Oscar Davenport have combined for 1,633 yards and 13 touchdowns. North Carolina ranks third in total defense.

The line: North Carolina by 12.

* Tennessee (4-1) at Alabama (3-2), ESPN, 4 p.m.: Tennessee has already lost to Florida, but a victory over Alabama coupled with a Doug Johnson-less Florida loss to Auburn gives the Volunteers the inside track to the SEC title game.

The line: Tennessee by 9.

* Kansas (4-2) at Colorado (2-3), FSW, 4 p.m.: Colorado is 0-2 in the Big 12 and looking at 0-3 unless the Buffaloes can snap out of their offensive funk. They’ll have to do it against a Kansas defense that ranks 12th nationally.

The line: Colorado by 16.

* Georgia (4-1) at Vanderbilt (3-3), ESPN2, 6 p.m.: Georgia is coming off a stinging loss to Tennessee; Vanderbilt has generated only 26 points in its last three games.

5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. The underrated Mid-American Conference, which is better than the Big East this season, features a bona fide showcase game when Randy Moss-led Marshall (5-1) meets Miami of Ohio (5-1). Last week, the MAC had four teams receive votes in the AP poll for the first time: Toledo, Ohio, Miami and Marshall.

2. With Nebraska, it’s all about numbers. Coach Tom Osborne coaches in his 300th game Saturday when the Cornhuskers host Texas Tech. Nebraska (5-1) has a 52-3 record the last five years. A victory would be Nebraska’s 40th in a row at home and 34th consecutive regular-season Big 12 victory. Nebraska is on pace to record its 29th consecutive season of nine or more victories.

3. How about a raise for Carl Reese, LSU’s defensive coordinator? Two years ago, before the Fiesta Bowl, Reese conducted a clinic for Nebraska on how to stop Florida’s offense. The Cornhuskers used the knowledge to thump the Gators, 62-24, to win the national title. Spurrier pounded LSU last year at Gainesville, 56-13, but Reese got the last word last weekend when LSU beat the Gators, 28-21.

4. Lute Olson pulling his hair out when Ortege Jenkins gets the start at quarterback for Arizona against Washington. Jenkins, thrust into the starting job because of injuries to Keith Smith and Brady Batten, is also a heralded freshman guard on Olson’s national championship basketball team. The former third-stringer has thrown for 548 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.

5. Once, Rice in New Mexico was a side dish. Saturday, it’s the main course in the WAC’s Mountain Division. Rice, a private school known for engineering, cancer research and the occasional Tommy Kramer, is 4-2 and looking for its first bowl bid since 1961. New Mexico is 6-0 for the first time since receiving statehood.

THE REST

California (+17) at Washington St., 2 p.m.

Arizona St. (+1 1/2) at Stanford, 12:30 p.m.

Utah (+7) at Oregon, 1 p.m.

Temple (+28) at Syracuse, 9 a.m.

Wisconsin (+2) at Purdue, 11 a.m.

Minnesota (+34) at Penn St., 9 a.m.

Maryland (+7 1/2) at Wake Forest, 10 a.m.

Texas Tech (+36 1/2) at Nebraska, 10:30 a.m.

Texas (-3 1/2) at Missouri, 11 a.m.

Hawaii (+27 1/2) at BYU, 11 a.m.

Georgia (-11) at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m.