AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) _ It was the kind of performance the old Florida coach would have sliced and diced.

The new coach, however, is in no position to crack jokes or make bold proclamations about the Gators not being as good as they used to be.

Then again, some things go without saying.

The 10th-ranked Gators looked awful Saturday night in their 34-6 win over Ohio, and a day later, Ron Zook was still spinning a positive story.

"I think if criticism is due, then you do it," the first-year coach said Sunday. "But I see a lot of things a lot of people evidently don't see."


Because, despite the score, and despite the fact that the Gators stopped Ohio in the second half, this game was close _ too close for comfort _ for the better part of three quarters.

In fact, not until Earnest Graham scored on a 40-yard run early in the fourth did the Gators have a 28-6 lead and enough padding to start emptying the bench.

Zook was happy his team was able to make adjustments after halftime, when the Gators (2-1) held a 14-6 lead, but the point is that no adjustments should have been necessary against an opponent of this caliber.

Zook was pumped that his team was slowly starting to catch on to the new offensive and defensive systems being put in place, but again, the point is that Florida should look good against a 42-point underdog like Ohio no matter what systems are being used.

"We've played three games, we've got nine to go," Zook said. "It takes time to get through some growing pains, some learning pains. We weren't as good Saturday as we're going to be at the end of the year. But we feel we're a football team that's making a lot of progress."

Good thing, because No. 4 Tennessee is next, and as Zook conceded Saturday night, a lot of judgments will be made based on that game.

It's the Southeastern Conference opener between the teams who usually decide the SEC East. It's Zook's second big test, and he has already failed his first, a 41-16 loss to Miami.

A 63-0 drubbing is what most Florida fans expected against Ohio, a team that lost 31-0 to Division I-AA Northeastern the previous week. Instead, they saw Ohio keep it close, thanks in part to a 20-play, option-heavy drive in the second quarter.

"The drive was one of the things that stood out as a negative," Zook said. "But as far as the run defense goes, the big thing is we made great strides in correcting things, and learning to play within the system."

He says it will take time to get used to "the system," and Rex Grossman is one of those who seems to be taking the longest. He threw for 202 yards, and is 37-for-76 for 393 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions over the last two games.

"We're real close to tightening everything up,,' Grossman said. "Gator fans are expecting big numbers, and it takes a while."