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Lee Seeks To Remain Starter This Time

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Now that he knows he will start Saturday's game against N.C. State, Florida State QB Xavier Lee is focused on keeping the job, something he was unable to do last season.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden officially announced Monday during his weekly luncheon with boosters that Lee, named ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, will make his first start of the season. Lee, who found out later in the day from offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, says a renewed focus has him better prepared than a year ago when he made three starts in place of Drew Weatherford but handed the job back to Weatherford with a poor performance in a 30-0 home loss to Wake Forest.

'I just knew that this was pretty much my last hoorah if I don't practice hard and if I don't show the coaches what I can do and just practice like I play,' Lee said Monday. 'I just want to do my role for the team. I'm going to be as consistent as I can, try not to turn the ball over, be a leader and just try and have fun.

'I came here for a reason. I know I have the ability to play here.'

SHAW SPEAKS: Plant City's Joslin Shaw found out around 1 p.m. Saturday from senior associate athletics director Bob Minnix that he was cleared by the NCAA after being implicated in an academic-fraud scandal that involves FSU 23 student-athletes. Shaw, who has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation the school conducted prior to informing the NCAA, is ready to return his focus to the field.

'I had a feeling it was going to come through for me once everything got settled,' Shaw said Monday night. 'I mean, I wasn't that worried about it. I had no doubt I would be back on the field.'
Scott Carter
Leavitt: Forget Hype, Worry About FAU

TAMPA - For the past few weeks, the University of South Florida has been inundated with national attention because of its meteoric rise in the polls (No. 6 in the AP, No. 9 in the coaches).

Bulls coach Jim Leavitt cautions his players to not get buried in the avalanche of hype.

'I hope they're just thinking about getting ready for FAU, because if they don't, we'll get beat,' he said. 'It's not too difficult to figure it all out. You saw six of the top 13 ranked teams got beat this past weekend and it'll happen to us if we don't play our very best game.'

BULLS ADD TWO: Northeast (Miss.) Community College WR Anthony Jones (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) and DT Corey Grissom (6-2, 275) of LaGrange (Ga.) Troup County High. verbally committed to USF.

Jones, a sophomore from Tallahassee Rickards, has 23 catches for 271 yards and four TDs in five games this year. 'They've always been with me, they were the first school to offer me,' said Jones, who signed with Oklahoma State out of high school but didn't qualify.

ODDS AND ENDS: USF's home game vs. UCF on Oct. 13 will begin at noon and will be televised by ESPNU. The game is expected to be the school's second consecutive sellout. ... LB Ben Moffitt was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. ... Friday's USF-West Virginia contest was the second-highest rated regular-season football broadcast on ESPN2, attracting 2.6 million viewers. Only the 2005 LSU-Tennessee contest (2.7 million viewers) had more.

Gregg Becnel, Brett McMurphy

Trautwein Likely Out For Rest Of Season

GAINESVILLE - On the first day Florida coach Urban Meyer conceded that OT Phil Trautwein (stress fracture in foot) likely will not play this season, WR Andre Caldwell and CB Markihe Anderson each said their sprained knees should not keep them off the field when the Gators face top-ranked LSU on Saturday.

'I'll be going this week,' said Caldwell, a former Jefferson High star. 'Can't stop me this week.'

Anderson hasn't played since reinjuring his knee against Tennessee on Sept. 15.

In other injury news, OG Maurice Hurt is questionable for Saturday with a neck stinger. Hurt wore a neck brace at Monday's practice.

BLAMING HIMSELF: Meyer blamed his punting coach for the fact that P Chas Henry didn't line up on the line of scrimmage prior to a fake punt in Saturday's third quarter. Jarred Fayson took the snap and appeared to make a first down, but the Gators were penalized 5 yards for having only six men on the line of scrimmage and had to punt.

Meyer had no problem blaming his punting coach, because Meyer coaches Florida's punters himself.

Andy Staples

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