Gators end strong, but still wonder what might have been

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Posted 2:43PM on Thursday, January 3, 2002

MIAMI - For the 10th time this season, Florida put on a dazzling display -- an impressive performance led by Rex Grossman that made the Gators look like the most talented team in the country. But they are Orange Bowl champions, not national champions. A loss to Tennessee sealed that deal a while ago, and their 56-23 stomping of Maryland on Wednesday night simply added a final, bittersweet chapter to a season of unmet expectations. "It was a good win, good to finish up the way we did," coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday. "We salvaged a good season. I certainly wouldn't call it a great year." The difference between good and great came down to a 34-32 loss to the Volunteers on Dec. 1. It derailed Florida's path to the Southeastern Conference title game and the Rose Bowl, and turned a season that started with the Gators ranked No. 1 into a tale of what might have been. Florida's most telling statistic of the season was this: The Gators (10-2) won their 10 games -- over teams ranging from Louisiana-Monroe to Florida State to SEC champion LSU and Atlantic Coast Conference champion Maryland -- by an average of 36.5 points. Their two losses (the other was to Auburn) were by a total of five points. "The Tennessee game, you'll never forget," Spurrier said. "The two close ones we had, we lost. To win a championship, you've almost always got to win some close ones." Win or lose, it was a season full of intrigue, and the plot twists kept coming until the end. Spurrier's unexpected decision to pull Heisman Trophy runner-up Grossman from the starting lineup for missing curfew made no difference in the competitive balance of the Orange Bowl. It was, however, great theater and it served a few purposes -- drawing more attention to Spurrier's team, and putting some doubt into the mind of Wednesday night's starter, Brock Berlin, who is leaning toward transferring to Miami. It's doubtful Berlin's spotty, 11-for-19, two-interception performance will be enough to keep him with the Gators. He's going to make his decision official soon, and if he surprises everyone and comes back, he certainly won't be the starter. "I would say Rex is the starting quarterback at Florida with no questions -- as long as he goes to class, as long as he goes to workouts, as long as he passes" his classes, Spurrier said. "Hopefully, in the long run, that was good for Rex. Only time will tell." Of the four other underclassmen who could leave, only left tackle Mike Pearson made his intentions relatively clear. "In the end, it's got to be a selfish decision," said Pearson, who already has earned his degree and is getting married. "It's got to be what's best for me and my family." Receivers Jabar Gaffney (sophomore) and Reche Caldwell (junior) and cornerback Lito Sheppard (junior) are the other candidates. None had reached a decision after the game. Leaving early is nothing new for Florida players, and Spurrier didn't appear to be losing much sleep over it. Receiver Taylor Jacobs was the Most Valuable Player in the Orange Bowl, and he's coming back. So is Grossman and Earnest Graham, who returned from a knee injury, rushed for 149 yards and helped the Gators go 10-for-10 when he's in the lineup. Gone for sure will be seniors Alex Brown, Marquand Manuel, Andra Davis and Travis Carroll. "The seniors wanted to go out with a victory, end it up right, and prove we really are a good team this year that didn't quite reach our potential because of one game," Spurrier said. "It's history now. At least we salvaged something. We're Orange Bowl champions."