The Game
Freshly minted as a top-10 team, the No. 6/9 University of South Florida football team begins a two-game nonconference stretch at Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Bulls and Owls will square off on ESPN U at Lockhart Stadium in Boca Raton.  USF is coming off a 21-13 over then-No. 5 West Virginia.  FAU is coming off a 45-17 loss to  highly ranked Kentucky.

The Series
USF and FAU have met once - in 2002 - and the Bulls prevailed 51-10 at Raymond James.

The Broadcasts
The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Charles Arbuckle (play-by-play) and Doug Bell (color).  USF's radio broadcast  with Jim Louk, Mark Robinson & Mike Pepper can be heard on WFLA 970 AM, WFLL 1400 AM, WORL 660 AM, WTSU 1590 AM, WPSL 1590 and the Press Pass on GoUSFBulls.com

The Coaches
USF: Jim Leavitt (Missouri ?78) has a career record of 74-43 and is in his 11th season at USF.  He has coached every game in the program's history.  He is 2-0 when ranked, 1-0 against FAU, 5-2 against Sun Belt conference members, 20-29 on the road, 28-12 in hot weather (80 degrees or higher), 2-3 on ESPNU and 43-37 on television.
FAU:  Howard Schnellenberger owns a 136-116 record in 23 seasons as  head coach at Miami, Louisville, Oklahoma and FAU.

The Program
The USF program has an all-time record of 47-26 at the NCAA FBS level and a 74-43 overall record. The wining percentage of 64.4 is good enough to rank USF No. 12 among FBS schools in all-time winning percentage.  USF became the fastest team in the modern era of college football to go upstart NCAA FBS school to a top-10 ranking this week.  There has been 106 AP polls and 112 Coaches Polls since USF became a full-time FBS member in 2001.

Player to Watch
Senior CB Mike Jenkins (left) and his fellow CB Trae Williams will play a vital role in slowing down FAU quarterback Rusty Smith, who is averaging 257.8 yards per game and has nine TD and just two interceptions this season.  Jenkins an d Williams both excel in man coverage, which funnels the opponents offense to the middle of the field where FS Nate Allen and LB Ben Moffitt have already combined for six interceptions. 

By The Numbers - 23
Matt Grothe has the highest winning percentage of any regular starting quarterback in USF history at 75.  He has led USF to wins in 12 of 16 career games and has surpassed previous record holder Marquel Blackwell, who was 30-12 as starter for a percentage of 71.4.

Fast Starts
USF has received and scored first in all four games this season and has received the ball first three times.  The Bulls have scored 25 points in the first quarter of the last three games (14 vs. UNC & Auburn, 7 vs. WVU) and collected a TD on their first two drives against North Carolina.

This and That for Florida Atlantic
USF is 2-3 all-time when playing on ESPNU ... Saturday will mark the fourth of six consecutive weeks that USF will play on the ESPN body of networks ... The Bulls will face UCF at Noon on ESPNU next weekend and Rutgers on ESPN on Thursday, Oct. 18  ... USF's game with West Virginia was the second highest rated ESPN2 College Football regular season broadcast in the station's history ... The game was viewed by 2.7 million households ... A win Saturday would tie USF for the best start in program history at 5-0 ... The 1998 team also went 5-0 ... So far this season C Jake Griffin has graded out the best on the OL, posting a season average of nearly 80 percent ... Griffin had to replace returning starter Nick Capogna at center during and since the season opener .... Jay Vinicki, who is a government policy analyst in Georgia, has USF NO. 1 in his college football computer rankings ... His complete rankings can be found at http://collegezenindex.blogspot.com/.

Before & After
The USF defense, in addition to creating 17 turnovers this season, has been able to shut down the top offensive weapons on opposing teams. Below are a couple examples of individual & team averages for the last two opponents prior to playing USF and what they did against the Bulls.

Team NCAA Stats
Third Down Conversion % Defense - 2 (22.7)
Tackles For Loss - 4 (10.3)
Turnovers Gained - 4 (17)
Turnover Margin - 5 (2.0 per game)
Pass Efficiency Defense - 5 (86.97)
Interceptions - 5 (10)
Sacks - 6 (4.0)
Scoring Defense - 10 (14.8)
Fumbles Recovered - 12 (7)
Total Defense - 18  (287.5 ypg)
Pass Defense - 25 (181.3 ypg)
Rush Defense - 28 (106.3 ypg)

Individual NCAA Stats
George Selvie leads the country in sacks (9.5) ... His closest competition is Indiana's Greg Middleton, who had 8.5 ... Selvie also leads the country in tackles for loss (16.5) ...  His closest competition is Michigan's Shawn Crable,  who has 14 in five games ... Ben Moffitt and Nate Allen are both tied for 10th with 3 INTs .... Jerome Murphy is 12th in kick return average at 31.0.

By George!
Sophomore DE George Selvie began the 2007 season with a record breaking evening against Elon ... He hasn't slowed down since ... Below are Selvie's game-by-game stats:

Selvie broke his own single game record for tackles for loss with six against Elon ... Below is the new single game record chart for TFL:

1. George Selvie -  6, Elon, 9/1/07
2. George Selvie - 5, North Carolina, 9/22/07
George Selvie - 5, Florida International, 9/9/06
Kawika Mitchell - 5, at Oklahoma, 9/28/02
Tim Jones - 5, at Army, 9/27/03
Craig Kobel - 5, Pittsburgh, 12/4/04

Selvie also tied the USF single game record for sacks with four against Elon ... Below is who he shares the honor with :

1. George Selvie - 4, Elon, 9/1/07
Shurron Pierson - 4, Southern Miss, 10/12/02

Selvie leads all NCAA players with 9.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss despite having only played four games, when many have played five ... He is already 0.5 sacks shy of the USF single season record of 10 by Terrence Royal (2005) and Shurron Pierson (2001) ... The career record for sacks is 20 by Stephen Nicholas ... Selvie is No. 5 in the USF history book with 15 career sacks ... He is already 2.5 shy of the USF single season TFL record of 19 set by Craig Kobel in 2003 ... Selvie had 5.5 sacks as a freshman last season and has already surpassed that number in 2007 ... He was named a freshman All-American by The Sporting News.

Making Plays
USF's defense is led by a bunch of playmakers, which are producing turnovers at a record pace ... The USF record for forced turnovers is 35 set in 2002 .... USF has already forced 17 in four games and is on pace for 51 this season ...  The Bull “D” ranks fourth nationally in turnovers, 12th in fumbles recovered (7) and fifth in interception (10) ... Nate Allen and Ben Moffitt both already have three interceptions ... Moffitt, a four-year starter, did not have any picks prior to this season ... Allen also has two fumble recoveries and has a pick in three of four games ... The defensive line has accounted for 14 of the team's 15 sacks and 28 of the 45 tackles for loss ... USF is  fourth nationally in TFL with an average of 10.3 per game.

The Largest
USF has the largest stadium (65,657), largest student section (12,501) and the largest enrollment (44,038) of any school in the BIG EAST.

Secondary to None
USF's secondary has proven early that it may be one of the best in America ... Currently, USF is ranked No.25 in pass defense at 181 yards per game ... Prior to West Virginia, the Bulls had only allowed 250 passing yards combined to the last two opponents, Auburn and North Carolina ... Carolina was averaging 300-plus yards passing before USF held them to 85 and intercepted four passes on Sept. 22 ... The secondary has accounted for six of the team's 10 picks... Sophomore FS Nate Allen has three INT, while senior cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams each have one ...  SS Carlton Williams has 3.5 TFL, one sack and 27 tackles this season ... The secondary as a whole already has 21 pass breakups, led by Trae Williams with six and Jenkins with six.

Trae & J
Seniors Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins are one of the most experienced CB combos in college football, the two combined for 66 career starts over their careers ... Combined they have 12 pass breakups and two INT this season ... They lock-down cover abilities allow USF to funnel all of the offensive action to the middle of the field ... Both posted impressive numbers in the season opener ... Williams had five tackles, one for a loss and a pass breakup ... While Mike Jenkins had two pass breakups ... Jenkins followed that performance up with an interception late in the fourth quarter against Auburn that he nearly took in for a TD before stepping out of bounds at the three ... Recently, Mel Kiper of ESPN.com listed Mike Jenkins as the best senior CB prospect for the 2008 NFL Draft ... 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) ... Williams' 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 Schlabach.

2007 Honors

Nate Allen
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week - 9/10
Nagurski National Player of the Week - 9/11
Master Coaches Survey Game Ball - 9/11

D-Coordinator Wally Burnham
MCS Nike Game Ball - 10-3

Matt Grothe
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll - 9/10

Ben Moffitt
Walter Camp National Defensive POW - 9-30
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week - 10-1
Nagurski National Defensive POW - 10-2

George Selvie
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll - 9/3
Walter Camp National Defensive POW - 9-23
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week - 9-24

USF
FWAA National Team of the Week - 9/11 

Freshmen Scores
Mike Ford and Jamar Taylor, both true freshman, have accounted for 6 of the 8 rushing TDs this season.  Ford also has a receiving TD, meaning the rookies has accounted for 7 of USF's 12 offensive TD (58.3%) in 2007.

Sophomores Starring
USF returned 16 starters this season and has quickly risen to national recognition despite being essentially a young team.  The Bulls are receiving award worthy play from their sophomore class.  At the top of that list are second year stars Matt Grothe, George Selvie and Nate Allen.

Selvie's leading the country in sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (16.5), despite having played only four games this season when the majority of the country has played four. He was named Walter Camp National Player of the Week (9/23) for his 3 sacks and 5 TFLs against North Carolina.  He also received a “helmet sticker” on ESPN's College Gameday Final late Saturday evening.

Grothe's numbers and recognition as the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year speak for the themselves.   He has a 127 passer rating, five TD passes and 126 yards rushing this season.

Nate Allen is putting himself all over the box score with 3 INT, 30 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recovery and 1 tackle for loss.  Allen was recently named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and Nagurski National Player of the Week after playing a part in three turnovers against Auburn.

USF has 15 underclassmen among its current projected starters on offense and defense.

Poll Position
In just its seventh season as a full time member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, the University of South Florida football team made its first appearance in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll and the AP Top 25 Poll on Sept. 16.  The Bulls debuted at No. 23 in the AP Poll and No. 24 in the Coaches Poll on Sept. 16. They were at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively, by Sept. 30.

Below are some notes:
? USF was ranked for the first time exactly 10 years and 10 days after its inaugural game against Kentucky Weslyan in 1997.

? USF rose at unprecedented pace, earning an AP ranking 104 polls after becoming  a full-time, bowl eligible FBS member in 2001.

?Boise State had the previous record, getting ranked after 115 AP polls during their seventh season.

? USF became the fastest team in the modern era of college football to go upstart NCAA FBS school to a top-10 ranking.  There has been 106 AP polls and 112 Coaches Polls since USF became a full-time FBS member in 2001.

20,000 Season Tickets Sold
A national ranking, two wins (at the time) and now another plateau in season tickets. The USF ticket office announced on Tuesday, Sept. 18 that it had surpassed 20,000 season tickets. At the end of the business day on Tuesday, USF's season ticket total was up to 20,043. The record season ticket number of 20,619 was set in the inaugural season of 1997. 

USF is expecting a crowd of 60,000-plus, with that number growing towards a sellout for the West Virginia game next Friday, Sept. 28.

Student Allotment Increases
After a turnout that exceeded the allotted number of seats for season opener against Elon, the University of South Florida athletics department has dramatically increased the number of tickets available to students for the remainder of the 2007 football season.
 
USF will now make 12,501 seats available to the student population.  The USF ticket office allotted 8,000 for the Elon game and a student attendance numbered of 8,600.
 
“Our students support and interest is off the charts and that is why we made the decision to allocate 12,000 seats for students for the rest of the season,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director Bill McGillis. “We had 8,600 for the opener and there is no question those numbers will grow. Student attendance is critical because they bring a level of energy, spirit and tradition that is unrivaled.  Our intent is to have the largest student section in the BIG EAST and we will.”
 
USF is the largest school in terms of enrollment, which tops out at over 44,000, in the BIG EAST and has the largest student section.

Monitoring  Matt
Matt Grothe made quite a name for himself last year en route to BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year honors Threw for 135 yards, including a 55-yard TD connection with Carlton Mitchell against West Virginia ... He had a streak of 136 passes without an interception snapped against the Mountaineers ... Grothe racked up 216 yards passing, the second highest single half total of his career, against UNC ... He built upon his legacy as a gamer by leading USF to a come-from-behind overtime win over Auburn ... After being sacked three times in the third quarter, Grothe went 6-8 for 75 passing yards, plus 25 rushing yards, and a TD pass in leading USF to the overtime win ... He began the 2007 season with 239 yards, two TDs and no picks against Elon ... The gun slinger attempted 39 passes, a career high, and completed 23 ... 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 | Mofftt Sweeps Defensive Awards
Ben Moffitt is the lone returnee out of USF's stellar trio of linebackers from last season ... He is currently third on the team with 32 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss ... He is ranked as the fifth best senior inside linebacker prospect for the NFL Draft ... The senior was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Year and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week after picking off two passes, including one for a TD, against West Virginia ... Moffitt also nine tackles, including two for a loss and a pass breakup vs. WVU ... He collected a TFL and his first career interception, followed by a 41 yard return against UNC ... He began the 2007 campaign with 10 tackles, eight assisted, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup against Elon ... 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 and Butkus watch lists.

Built Ford Tough
True-freshman Mike Ford is leading the USF team in rushing yards with 212 (53.0 per game) and scoring (five TD, four rushing) ... Ran for 42 yards, including 35 on his opening carry, against West Virginia ... Had just 13 yards rushing against UNC, but broke the scoring open with a five yard TD run in the first quarter ... The Sarasota native ran for 74 yards, including 59 in the first half, and 1 TD at Auburn ... He set USF freshman debut record with 3 TDs, two rushing and one receiving against Elon ...  The debut record, regardless of class, for TD in a USF debut was four by Jermaine Clemons in USF's inaugural game (9-6-97) ... Ford had runs of 21 and 48 yards, which accounted for a large chunk of his 83 yards on six carries ...  After the game when Ford was asked about breaking two tackles on his 48-yard run, he just said that his style was, “Ford Tough” ... ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale, who lives in Sarasota, put himself among the Ford backers after watching him as a high schooler and hearing about his production in the USF opener ... No USF freshman has ever run for 100 yards in their debut.

September Numbers
USF owns a 26-17 record in the month of September ...  This September was the first time in program history that USF has won four games in the opening month and the second time it has gone undefeated ... The Bulls were 3-0 in September of 1998 ... The Bulls have won three games in the in the opening month of the two prior seasons ... In 2005 USF 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.

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 and is 2-0 at Raymond James Stadium so far.

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.

Nicked Up
Senior C Nick Capogna suffered a knee injury early in the game wth Elon.  The injury sidelined him through the North Carolina game but Capogna was able to return for the West Virginia game.

Denson Closes the Books
WR Courtney Denson has already earned a BA in communications from USF.  What makes his graduation even more impressive is that he transferred from Auburn, but didn't allow the change of scenery to slow his academic pursuits.  He is currently pursuing a second major in Africana Studies.

USF Honors Dorsey & Camon
The 2007 USF Bulls have two stickers, bearing the initials “JC” and “KD,” for former Bulls defensive back Javan Camon, who died after a collision in an indoor football game in February, and Keeley Dorsey, the freshman running back who collapsed and died during a team conditioning workout in January. 

USF also observed a moment of silence in honor of Dorsey, Camon and late Sun Dolls coach Caroline Wiren, who died in May due to complications from labor, prior to the Elon game.

Is That The Wing Tee?
USF unveiled a new formation in its win over Elon that reminds many of the famed Wing Tee.  The Bulls lined up three running backs and stocked the line with two tight ends.  Senior RB Ben Williams was flanked by Jamar Taylor and Mike Ford in the setup.  USF used the formation twice against the Phoenix.  USF has used the formation a number of times this season.

Time to Shine
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 occupation 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.

In his first collegiate season, Mitchell has 7 receptions for 100 yards.  He made Sportscenter's “Top-10 Plays” on the night of the West Virginia game (Sept. 28) after his 55-yard catch and score against the Mountaineers.  Mitchell tip-toed the sideline after catching the ball on a crossing route before easily scoring.  It was his first career TD.

Balancing 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 be the most talented in USF history.

USF is averaging 150 yards per game and most importantly, is taking a lot of the running load off of QB Matt Grothe.  Grothe has 126 yards rushing this season, which is second on the team.  He ran for 622 in 2007 and his rushes are down about two per game from last season.

True freshman Mike Ford is leading the team in rushing with 212 yards on the season.  He has led the team in rushing in the first two games of the season.  Senior Ben Williams posted a team-high 64 yards against North Carolina and has 124 on the season.  Another true freshman, Jamar Taylor, led the Bulls in rushing against West Virginia with 58 yards and the final TD of the game.

USF also uses Aston Samuels, who is a scat back type, in a variety of ways, including lining him up at WR.