Canes-Gators week is here, and UM players can hardly contain their anticipation. ''Can't wait to play against [ Tim Tebow],'' UM safety Lovon Ponder said. Robert Marve even kept a picture of Tebow (and other UM opponents) on his dorm wall as motivation, Jermaine McKenzie noted.

But UM's Spencer Adkins says UF's offense doesn't scare the Canes. Although UM respects Tebow, ''there ain't nobody scared of him,'' Ponder said. Said cornerback Brandon Harris: ``There's respect, but no fear at all.''

And safety Randy Phillips put it this way: 'Tebow is one man. The Florida Gators we're worried about -- we're not worried about one player. They have other great players -- Percy Harvin, Chris Rainey, Louis Murphy. There's no fear in Miami Hurricanes' hearts.'' Gators coach Urban Meyer said he isn't sure if receiver Harvin (heel) will play.

Michigan had success with blitz packages against Tebow in January's Capital One Bowl, and nobody will be surprised if UM defensive coordinator Bill Young does the same. (Young likes to play an attacking style against a spread offense, which he faced in practice at Kansas last year.) UM will try to limit Florida's crossing routes and prepare its defense how to react to UF's presnap motion.

UM believes its improved defensive speed should help against a fast Gators offense. Randy Shannon ''did a heck of a job getting a lot of speed and athletes [who] swarm around,'' defensive tackle Marcus Forston said.

Just as important as the secondary (buoyed by Anthony Reddick's return, Harris' arrival and JoJo Nicolas' emergence) will be UM's defensive front seven, both to stop the run (especially Tebow) and generate a pass rush. ''If the defensive line . . . comes to play, we're going to come out with a victory,'' Forston predicted. That would shock experts, with one Vegas sports book listing UF as a 17 ½-point favorite.

CHATTER

• Though Wayne Huizenga has spoken of passing Dolphins managing control to co-owner Stephen Ross in ''three, four years,'' several Huizenga associates expect it much sooner, as early as after this season. . . . Coaches so respect Chad Pennington that they are taking his offensive input in meetings, such as plays he likes to run, according to a player. A teammate said Pennington privately indicated he would like to finish his career here and would be fine backing up Chad Henne eventually.

• How much of a bull's-eye is on Jake Long because of his $58 million contract? Even Jacksonville players poked fun at him -- they called him ''money,'' he said, in the middle of their preseason game. ''You just don't see a rookie that has the hands and technique that he does,'' defensive tackle Jason Ferguson said.

• Though Dallas McPherson leads Triple A with 40 homers, the problem with him playing third base here in 2009 -- and moving Jorge Cantu to first to replace trade chip Mike Jacobs -- is the Marlins want to reduce strikeouts. McPherson has struggled with curves and sliders, striking out in 37 percent of his at-bats and hitting .272 (.156 in August). The best option might be keeping Cantu at third if Double A Southern League MVP Gaby Sanchez (.320, 17 homers, 88 RBI, 17 steals) wins the first-base job next spring or, otherwise, using McPherson at third, Cantu at first.

• Agent Dan Fegan, seeking a contract extention for Shawn Marion, met with Heat owner Micky Arison, but Arison deferred to Pat Riley, who seems disinclined. . . . The Panthers believe their pending trade for Bryan McCabe from Toronto for Mike Van Ryn will give them four very good defensemen ( Jay Bouwmeester, Keith Ballard, McCabe, Bryan Allen), and they will consider trading Bouwmeester only if he doesn't agree to a new contract before the March trade deadline.

• Among ex-UM players cut the past two days in the NFL: Lance Leggett and Derrick Morse (Cleveland), Darnell Jenkins (Houston), Glenn Sharpe (Atlanta), Andrew Bain (Giants) and Teraz McCray (Buffalo). The 49ers earlier cut Kyle Wright. . . . Ex-FSU quarterback Xavier Lee, cut by the Ravens, is playing receiver for a semipro team in New Hampshire. . . . Yet another setback for ex-Canes linebacker Willie Williams, who was informed Monday -- four days before Division II Glenville (W.Va.) State's opener -- that he must sit out this season. (Glenville coach Alan Fiddler said his school misinterpreted the transfer rule.) So Williams transferred to NAIA school Union College (Ky.), where he can play immediately.

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