GoUSFBulls.com Game Preview, Game Notes, Video

[Brad]

Courtesy GoUSFBulls.com

The Game

The University of South Florida begins its 11th season of NCAA football and eighth in the Bowl Subdivision (FBS) against Elon on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7:05 p.m.  The Bulls are coming off a 9-4 campaign in 2006, while Elon is coming off a 5-6 season in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Setting The Scene

Date: Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007

Location: Tampa, Fla.

Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. Eastern

TV: Catch 47, ESPN GamePlan

Radio: ISP Flagship Station

Stadium: Raymond James Stadium

Stadium Capacity, Surface: 65,000, Natural

Tickets:  1-800-GoBulls

The Series

USF and Elon have split two all-time meetings. The Phoenix won 41-13 in the first meeting in USF’s inaugural season of 1997.  After losing on the road one year earlier, the Bulls avenged the loss with a 35-7 win in Tampa in 1998.  The game was USF’s second ever at Raymond James Stadium.  Saturday will be the 54th home contest for USF at RJS.

The Coaches

USF: Jim Leavitt (Missouri ‘78) has a career record of 70-43 as he enters his 11th season at USF.  He has coached every game in the program’s history.  He is 6-4 in season openers, 51-29 in night games,  39-37 on television, 3-4 against current members of the SoCon, 49-13 at home, 10-0 in home openers, 17-0 against Championship Subdivision teams since joining the Bowl SubDivision in 2000, 19-29 on the road, 2-1 at neutral sites, 9-6 against non-conference opponents since having a conference affliation (2003) and 60-29 vs. non-conference all-time.

Elon:  Pete Lembo (Georgetown, ‘92) has a career record of 49-20 and is 5-6 at Elon. His begining his second season at Elon after a five year reign at Lehigh.

The Program

The USF program has an all-time record of 43-26 at the NCAA FBS level. The wining percentage of 62.3 is good enough to rank USF No. 29 among FBS schools.  The Bulls received votes in the preseason AP and Coaches polls for the first time this season. USF also garnered a No. 21 preseason ranking by the Sporting News and a No. 25 slot by Sports Illustrated.

Player To Watch

Sophomore Matt Grothe has quickly become the face of the USF program after garnering 2006 Big East Rookie of the Year.  The 6-0 quarterback threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns last season while completing a school record 63.7 percent of his attempts.  He ranked third among league QBs with a 138.8 quarterback efficiency rating, but what was arguably his most dangerous weapon was his legs.  Grothe ran for a USF freshman QB record 622 yards.

USF vs. The FCS

Elon is USF’s only NCAA Division I Football Championships Subdivision (FCS) – formally NCAA I-AA – opponent this season ... This year will mark the third time in the past four years that the Bulls will kick off the season with a FCS opponent ... USF comes into the game with Elon posting a perfect 17-0 record against FCS foes since it became a full NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member in 2000.

For Openers

The Bulls are 10-0 in home openers, however 6-4 in season openers ... USF has won three of its last five lid lifters with the two losses coming at the hands of Penn State, 23-13, in 2005 and Alabama, 40-17, in 2003.

Bulls Jump Into The Preseason Polls

As the University of South Florida football team gets ready to kick off its 2007 season – the 11th in the program’s history – the Bulls do so amidst some of the highest expectations in the programs young history ... Entering the season, USF, who has continually become accustomed to recording “firsts”, did so once again this year before it already hit the grid iron making an appearance in both major Top-25 preseason polls ... The Bulls received 28 votes in the Associated Press poll ranking them 35th, while the USA Today coaches poll had them 37th and receiving 26 votes.

Familiar Faces

Elon’s special teams coordinator/defensive ends coach Shane Burnham is a familiar face to the USF coaching staff, being the son of associate head coach/defensive coordinator/linebacker coach Wally Burnham and the brother of Bulls’ director of high school relations Patrick Burnham ... Shane enters his second season with the Phoenix after spending 1998 and 2001-03 as the linebackers coach at Richmond and the 2004 coaching the linebackers at The Citadel ... Elon also lists five players from the state of Florida as returnees on its 2007 roster with two of the five hailing from the Tampa Bay area ... Defensive back Nolan Ward is from Brandon and played his scholastic football at Riverview High School with the Bulls’ Amarri Jackson, while defensive end Stephen Kovach is from Tampa and played at Tampa Catholic.

Fan Fest a Huge Success

A record crowd of 2,000-plus fans attend Bulls Fan Fest at Raymond James Stadium on Aug. 25. The event, which had been held on the practice fields on campus, was moved to Ray Jay for the first time and feedback was positive.

“Today was tremendous and beyond my expectations,” said Leavitt. “Our marketing department made a great choice moving this event to Raymond James and the city of Tampa really came out and supported it. It was a wonderful experience for these players, especially the young ones.  They got to see first hand, the following USF football has in this community.”

Free GoUSFBulls.com Video

Bulls Fan Fest Video #1: Fans Gather Outside Ray Jay

Bulls Fan Fest Video #2: The Fun Continues on the Field

Bulls Fan Fest Video #3: Grothe & Others Enjoy the Festivities

Bulls Fan Fest Video #4: Interview with freshman WR Patrick Richardson

----  See Link Below to go to GoUSFBulls.com for video---

Grothe Looks For Another Big Year

Matt Grothe made quite a name for himself last year en route to BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year honors and looks for bigger and better things this season ... The Lakeland native threw for 2,576 yards on 202-317 passing while connecting on 15 touchdowns ... He also ran for 622 yards on 178 carries and rumbled for nine TD’s ... For his efforts last year Grothe has been named to the Manning and Maxwell Award watch lists.

Moffitt Anchors Defense

Ben Moffitt is the lone returnee out of USF’s stellar trio of linebackers from last season ... During the 2006 campaign, Moffitt teamed up with Stephen Nicholas – now with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons – and Patrick St. Louis, who is one of the Bulls’ strength and conditioning coaches ... Last year Moffitt led the team in tackles with 112 and was third in tackles for a loss with 11 including four sacks ... During the summer Moffitt was named to the Bronko Nagurski Award watch list.

DB Tandem Among Best in Nation

One of the potential strengths of this years USF football team is the return of defensive backs Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins ... One of the most experienced DB combos in college football, the two combined for 59 career starts over their careers ... Last season the two also teamed up for eight interceptions, seven of which belonged to Williams, tying a single season school record (with J.R. Reed) ... His seven picks also led the BIG EAST ... The duo has been sited as the best in the BIG EAST and the state of Florida by several outlets, including ESPN.com expert Mark Sclabach.

September Numbers

USF owns a 22-17 record in the month of September ... The Bulls have won three games in each of the last two opening months .... In 2005 it went 3-1 with the lone loss coming to Penn State in the opener ... In 2006, the Bulls were 3-2 with wins in the first three games before narrow losses to Kansas and Rutgers ... USF has never won more than three games in September.

Home Cooking

USF has only lost two home games over the last two seasons and just eight since the 2000 season.  The Bulls have recorded one home loss or gone undefeated in eight of 10 years.  USF plays six home games in 2007.

Making Moves

Three players changed positions during  preseason camp, below are their most recent positions:

Sophomore Houston Hess - WR to LB

Freshman Alonzo McQueen - LB to DT

Junior Carlton Hill - DB to WR to QB

Freshman Joshua Smiley - LB to DE

Tolley Back With Team

After saying in camp that he was going to call it career, sophomore OT Danny Tolley has decided to return to the team.  Tolley has battled a severe groin injury and a great deal of pain that accompanied the injury.  Tolley played in 11 games in 2006. On the subject, Coach Leavitt has said, “He is showing great courage.”

Weight Gains

Below are the players that according to  Assistant AD for Strength and Conditioning Ron McKeefery made the most significant weight gains this off-season:

DE Jariett Buie - +12lbs

OT Marcus Dile - +14 lbs

QB Matt Grothe -+11 lbs

DT Aaron Harris - +20 lbs

TE Cedric Hill - +10 lbs

LB Sam Miller - +14 lbs

LB Ben Moffitt - +5 lbs

TE Quincy Okolie - +29 lbs

DT Brandon Peguese - +21 lbs

LB Chris Robinson - +12 lbs

DE George Selvie - + 9 lbs

McKeefery also praised OL Walter Waker and DT Richard Clebert for dropping a significant amount of body fat, while maintaining their weight.

Coaching ‘Em Up

USF head coach Jim Leavitt is now the sole remaining member of the original USF coaching staff from 1996 (when the program simply practiced for one year before playing). But Leavitt wastes no time pondering where everyone went. Rather, he’s brought in  Dan McCarney – only the longest tenured head coach in the Big 12 (at Iowa State) – and well-respected offensive coach Mike Canales, who was actually on that original USF staff before stints at NC State and Arizona as well as a stop in the NFL with the New York Jets. Canales will function as pass game coordinator and coach the receivers.

Also new to the full-time USF staff in 2007 are offensive line coach Mike Simmonds and tight ends coach Larry Scott, both of whom were graduate assistants in 2006. Meanwhile, Greg Gregory returns for his third year on the staff, but his first in the role of offensive coordinator.

Where They At?

Two familiar faces will not be on the field for USF in the near future.  Junior OL Matt Huners suffered an ACL tear during spring practice and will be out for a large chunk of the season.  It is possible that Huners will return this season.  Huners started 10 of 11 games at guard last season.

Sophomore WR Colby Erskin, who impressed by running the 40 yard dash in under 4.4 seconds, will likely be out for the entire 2007 season.  Erskin torn an ACL during preseason camp. Erskin worked as a running back last season, collecting nine yards on six carries.  He also had five catches for 73 yards.  Erskin was making noise at the receiving position and would have challenge for playing time this fall.

Time to Stand Out

For redshirt-freshman Carlton Mitchell, it is time to make his own name in a circle of family and friends that is full of standouts.

Mitchell’s mother, Angela, is the cut “man” for professional boxer Antonio Tarver.  The cut man position is a male dominated occupations and Angela is considered a pioneer in the sport of boxing.

Tarver and Carlton have been close friends since the Bull wide receiver was 12. He is also close friends with Tarver’s son, Antonio Jr..  Antonio Jr. is  a freshman point guard at Daytona Beach Community College.

Carlton’s father, Carl, is 6 feet 8 and played pro basketball in Europe for 12 years.  His half-brother, Carl Jr., is 6-10 and playing professionally in the Domincan Replublic.

Our Turn

There are five true freshmen listed as the top backups on the two-deep roster for Elon.  OL Sampson Genus, OL Jeremiah Warren, RB Mike Ford, WR Dontavia Bogan and LS Mike Walsh.

Among redshirt freshman OG Zach Hermann is in line to receive the first start of his career against Elon.  Other redshirt rookies WR Carlton Mitchell, WR Ednir Alcin, DE Brandon Pequese, DE Joshua Smiley and LB Sabbath Joseph are listed at the second spot at their respective positions.

Balance Act

With what appears to be the deepest pool of running backs in several years and a dual threat quarterback in Matt Grothe, the USF offense, which improved 35 spots from 2005 to rank 44th nationally in 2006, may just have a chance to be the most balanced offense in the school’s 11 seasons of play.

Grothe returns at quarterback, and a backfield that includes returning starter Ben Williams plus Moises Plancher, who had been named starter at the outset last year only to sustain a torn ACL in the first series of the season, junior college transfer Shawn Cannon and promising freshmen Aston Samuels and Mike Ford, should make his passing opportunities that much easier. And that’s not even taking into account that Grothe himself led the team in rushing last year or the potential for a hardship waiver for true-freshman Jamar Taylor, who was Nick Saban’s first commitment at Alabama and was ranked 25th nationally at his position.

Butch and the Sunshine State

When North Carolina travels to meet the Bulls in Raymond James Stadium September 22, it not only marks the first time a non-conference BCS opponent will play USF at home, but it also becomes the first college game back in the State of Florida for first-year Tar Heels coach Butch Davis.

Davis, of course, coached the Miami Hurricanes from 1995 to 2000, compiling a 51-20 record, while leading the team to one outright and two shared Big East championships. Davis was also an assistant coach with the Hurricanes from 1984 to 1988, including the 1987 National Championship season.

We're Back Too

The defense isn’t to be forgotten. Other than one small “blip” in 2004, defensive coordinator Wally Burnham and his defensive staff have been remarkably consistent through the years. With Dan McCarney adding his defensive “teeth” to the staff, plus honor candidates Ben Moffitt (LB), Mike Jenkins (CB) and Trae Williams (CB), the USF defense once again appears to be in great hands.

Momentum could be a real key for the unit as well. After all, look at what the Bulls – who return eight starters – did in the final two games last season. In a 24-19 win at seventh ranked West Virginia, USF held the number two rushing team in the nation to 132 yards, some 170 below its average. Heisman hopeful Steve Slaton had just 43 yards and quarterback Pat White ran for just 17. If not for a receiver reverse that picked up 57 yards by itself, the run game would have been essentially grounded completely.

Then in the Papajohns.com Bowl, USF held East Carolina to just 54 yards on 32 carries and only seven points in a 24-7 Bulls win.

FUTURE SCHEDULES

While the Big East portion of USF’s schedule will be set on an annual basis, the following non-conference games have been scheduled – and are subject to change.  All caps indicates home games:

2008

Aug. 30 - TENN. MARTIN

Sept. 6 - at UCF

Sept. 13 - KANSAS

Sept. 20 - at FIU

Sept. 27 - at NC State

2009

Sept. 5 - WOFFORD

Sept. 19 - FIU

Sept. 26 - MIAMI

Oct. 10 - at Indiana

2010

Sept. 4 - SAMFORD

Sept. 11 - at Florida

Oct. 2 - FAU

Nov. 27 - at Miami

2011

Nov. 26 - MIAMI

2012

Sept. 8 - MICHIGAN STATE

Nov. 24 - at Miami

2013

Sept. 7 - at Michigan State

Sept. 14 - FAU

Nov. 30 - MIAMI

2014

Sept. 13 - NC State

2015

TBA - at Florida

2016

TBA - INDIANA

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