Times correspondent Kerry Klecic checks in from Tuesday's practice. ...

TAMPA -- Speed, speed and more speed — that was a constant thing USF coaches spoke of Tuesday when mentioning the No. 8 Florida Gators.

To help contain the Gators' quickness on offense, USF defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said sophomore middle linebacker Sam Barrington, who did not play in Saturday's opener until midway through the second quarter, will start instead of sophomore Mike Lanaris.

Lanaris, making his first start Saturday, had an interception, but Snyder said Barrington, who had 41 tackles last season while playing in every game, is a better matchup against Florida's speed. He said he plans to rotate the two this season.

"That's the good thing about us," Snyder said. "If we're playing a game that's spread out, throw it around, tackle in space, then Sam's going to play, but if it's going to be a rock 'em-sock 'em game, then Mike's going to play. And that's some of the depth that we have."

But Barrington isn't as concerned about the Gators' athleticism.

"Everybody knows Florida has speed," he said. "Everybody knows Florida is a No. 2 or No. 3 team in the nation. Everybody knows about that.

"South Florida has speed, too. They're a really good team. I feel like our speed is parallel with their speed. I don't feel like anybody is overwhelmed by their speed. Now, I'm not saying we're not going to go into the game smart and make sure we have everything contained in the defense."

Other notes: On Tuesday, USF's loudspeakers at practice blared loud crowd noise and the University of Florida band to help simulate what the atmosphere will be like at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. ... USF coach Skip Holtz said the place that needs most improvement this week is special teams, especially the kicking game. ... Offensive tackle Mark Popek, a sophomore from Plant City who started five of USF's last six games last season, is back practicing after suffering a knee injury Aug. 11 in fall camp. It's unlikely he'll play against Florida.