Ticket News & Trick Plays (Trib)

[E.T.]

Bulls In Rush To Sell More Tickets

Published: Dec 21, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. - With two days until Saturday's Papajohns.com Bowl game against East Carolina, the University of South Florida has slightly surpassed the number of tickets sold for last year's Meineke Car Care Bowl.

As of Wednesday evening, the Bulls are nearing 5,100 tickets sold. Last year, USF sold about 5,000 tickets, USF assistant athletic director John Gerdes said.

However, the Bulls are still well short of meeting their 10,000 allotment. For each ticket that USF falls short, it must compensate the bowl organizers $30 per ticket.

East Carolina, making its first bowl trip since 2001, has sold about 6,400 tickets.

MORE TRICKS? USF offensive coordinator Rod Smith has never been shy about using a trick play, but will he use even more reverses and gadget plays in a bowl game?

"We've added a couple of things - we don't have to use them, but if an opportunity presents itself, we can," Smith said.

Smith said he expects the Bulls to play better because this is their second consecutive bowl game.

"I don't want to say there were distractions, but last year [at the Meineke Car Care Bowl] it was great to be a part of it, the first bowl," Smith said. "Now, it's a little different being here and hopefully we'll win a bowl game."

ODDS AND ENDS: Pensacola High DT Terrell McClain (6-2, 280) verbally committed to USF, picking the Bulls over Alabama, Auburn, Miami, N.C. State and Maryland, Pensacola coach Mike Bennett said. … According to AccuScore.com, a sports simulation Web site, the Bulls would defeat East Carolina 62 percent of the time based on more than 10,000 game simulations. In its 10,000 game simulations, AccuScore.com calculated an average final score of USF 24.2, ECU 19.9. Not surprisingly, USF is a 4 1/2 -point favorite.

Brett McMurphy