Setting The Scene
USF: 9-3 Overall, 4-3 BIG EAST
Rankings: No. 21 BCS, No. 23 AP, No. 25 Coaches
Oregon: 8-4 Overall, 4-4 Pac 10
Rankings: Receiving votes in AP & Coaches
Date: Monday, Dec. 31, 2007
Location: El Paso, Texas
Kickoff: 12:15 Mountain
Stadium: Sun Bowl Stadium | Map It
Stadium Capacity - Surface: 50,426 - Natural Grass
TV Broadcast: CBS
TV Talent: Craig Bolerjack, Steve Beurlein, Sam Ryan
Radio: WFLA 970 AM (Tampa)
Radio Talent: Jim Louk, Mark Robinson, Mike Pepper
Tickets: 1-800-GoBulls
Will Call: North Entrance
Series Record: First Meeting
Sun Bowl Record: First Appearance
The Game
The University of South Florida makes its third straight bowl appearance and its first ever appearance in the 74th edition of the Brut Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, 2007 when the No. 21 Bulls square off against the Oregon Ducks (8-4, 5-4 Pac 10) at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. The game will be broadcast to a national audience at 12:15 Mountain and 2:15 Eastern by CBS with the team of Craig Bolerjack (play-by-play), Steve Beurlein (color) and Sam Ryan (sideline).
Pregame Notes
? The game features head coaches Mike Belotti and Jim Leavitt, both of whom are synonymous with football at their institutions. Belotti has a 90-46 record in 12 seasons, while Leavitt owns a 79-46 record in 11 seasons.
? The game between the Bulls and Oregon pits two teams that were previously No. 2 in the BCS and AP polls. The only bowl match up that can claim a meeting of teams with higher rankings this season is the BCS National Championship game between LSU and Ohio State, who have both been No. 1 this season.
? USF is the only team in NCAA FBS to have defeated three conference champions. The Bulls defeated BIG EAST champion West Virginia (21-13) on Sept. 28, Sun Belt champion Florida Atlantic (35-23) on Oct. 6 and Conference USA champion Central Florida (64-12) on Oct. 13. The three wins came in consecutive weeks. Kentucky - who beat LSU and Florida Atlantic - is the only other team in the NCAA FBS with multiple wins over conference champions.
? USF has never played a Pac 10 opponent or a team from the state of Oregon. The only Pacific Time Zone team the Bulls have faced is San Diego State in 1999.
? The trip to El Paso is the third longest in USF's 11 years of football. The Bulls will travel 1,724 miles to El Paso. The only trips with longer distances were to Salt Lake City to face Utah in 2001 (2,328 miles) and San Diego State in 1999 (2,441).
? It will also be just the second game USF has played in the Mountain Time Zone. The other was against Utah.
? The two schools are also among the furthest apart of the bowl match ups. Others games with teams from opposite coasts are Oregon State vs. Maryland in the Emerald Bowl, Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl and Hawaii vs. Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
? The teams enter the games with different streaks. USF has won three straight games, while the Ducks have dropped three straight since a season-ending injury to award candidate Dennis Dixon.
? There are several marquee match-ups on the individual level including Hendricks Awards finalists George Selvie and Duck DE Nick Reed. Selvie leads the country in tackles for loss with 31.5, while Reed is third with 22.5. Selvie holds the edge in sacks with 14.5 to Reed's 12. The showcase of two of the best dual threat quarterbacks won't happen between Matt Grothe and Duck QB Dennis Dixon, since he is sidelined with an ACL injury.
? The efforts of Reed and Selvie have helped both teams post impressive defensive numbers. As a team the Ducks lead the country in tackles for loss per game (9.3), while USF ranks third (8.9). The Bulls lead the country in turnovers gained (41), interceptions (21) and fumbles recovered (18). Senior CB Trae Williams has six interceptions, which is the third highest total among NCAA FBS players. He is also tied for the NCAA lead with three interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Gilliam's Connection
USF senior defensive back Ryan Gilliam played for Oregon in 2004 before transferring to USF and sitting out the 2005 season ... Gilliam had 13 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered another during his redshirt freshman year in Eugene ... While at Oregon, Gilliam was roommates with Oregon QB Dennis Dixon ... USF does not have any players from Oregon and Oregon does not have any players from Florida on their roster ... Gilliam competed in track at Oregon, as he also does at USF.
Los Toros
The Bulls have two players that are fluent in Spanish and can fulfill media requests by Spanish speaking outlets in the El Paso area. Kicker and punter Delbert Alvarado learned his native tongue as a child. Special teams star Houston Hess is also fluent after learning the language on his Mormon mission to Guatemala. Freshman linebacker Josh Soto can also speak the language.
Leavitt, USF Go for #80
A victory in the Sun Bowl will the be the 80th in program history for USF and head coach Jim Leavitt. Leavitt has owned a 79-46 record in 11 seasons since helping start the football program at USF. He leads all BIG EAST coaches in wins at their current school. Below are the numbers
Jim Leavitt, USF - 79-46 11 Seasons
Randy Edsall, UConn - 60-54 9 Seasons
Greg Schiano, Rutgers - 37-46 6 Seasons
Dave Wannstedt, Pitt - 16-19 3 Seasons
Brian Kelly, Cincinnati - 11-3 1 Season
Greg Robinson, Syracuse - 7-28 3 Seasons
Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville - 6-6 1 Season
**West Virginia is currently without a head coach**
Bowl Babies
The Bulls are still pretty new to the bowl season, although they are still new to many experiences in college football. In its 11th season of football, USF is making its third consecutive bowl appearance and hoping to win its second consecutive. On the flipside, Oregon is making its fourth appearance in the Sun Bowl and owns a 2-1 record in the game. USF fell to NC State 14-0 in its bowl debut in the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Bulls rebounded with an impressive 24-7 win over East Carolina in the 2006 Papajohns.com Bowl.
Selvie & Jenkins Go Down in USF History
Sophomore defensive George Selvie and senior CB Mike Jenkins will forever be remembered in USF lore for becoming the school's first All-Americans at the NCAA FBS level. The duo were both named First Team All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association, which was the first organization to announce its team.
USF had two First Team All-Americans as a NCAA FCS team - Bill Gramatica (AFCA First Team, AP Second Team) and Tony Umholtz (AP First Team). Former Bulls Andre Hall (SI.com in 2005), and J.R. Reed (SI.com in 2003) both earned honorable mention All-America honors at the FBS level.
Selvie Hauls in Postseason Awards
USF sophomore defensive end George Selvie assured himself of being a consensus All-American when he was named a First Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America on December 8.
Selvie has also been named a First-Team All-American by every national media organization but one, The Sporting News.
He is the first consensus honoree in USF history.
The NCAA's consensus All-Americans are based upon point totals through inclusion on five teams ? AP, AFCA, FWAA, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation. First Team selections count for three points, second team for two and third team for one.
The players with the majority of the votes at their position are credited with consensus honors. There are two defensive end spots on the NCAA's con
sensus team.
Virginia DE Chris Long earned 15 points and Selvie had 12, to easily outpace their contenders.
The lone and only omission for Selvie was by The Sporting News, who did not name Selvie to its first or second teams.
TSN did honor USF cornerback Mike Jenkins by naming the lockdown coverman a Second Team All-American. Jenkins was also a First Team All-American on the AFCA team and another All-Film Team honoree by ESPN.com.
Selvie was also USF's first finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top college defensive player) and Ted Hendricks Trophy (top college defensive end) this season.
Selvie Wins Bill Willis Trophy
Selvie was named the winner of the 2007 Bill Willis Trophy by the Touchdown Club of Columbus on December 9. The award is given annually to the top defensive lineman in college football.
Named for the late Hall of Fame legend Bill Willis, who broke the color barrier for all African-Americans in both college (Ohio State) and professional football (Cleveland Browns), the award will be presented during the 53rd Touchdown Club of Columbus Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Downtown Columbus.
Previous winners of the Bill Willis Trophy include North Carolina's Julius Peppers, Arizona State's Terrell Suggs, Oklahoma' Tommie Harris and Miami's Warren Sapp.
Selvie Leads Six All-Big East Bulls
Six University of South Florida football players were awarded all-conference honors and as has been the case most of the 2007 season, sophomore defensive end George Selvie stole the show. Selvie was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first sophomore and the first Bull to earn the recognition. He is just the third USF player to earn a league POY. Last season, Matt Grothe picked up the coaches vote as Freshman of the Year and Ean Randolph was named the Special Team Player of the Year. Selvie is also the first sophomore in BIG EAST history to pick up the defensive honor. Selvie was also a unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection on the defensive side of the ball. Senior LB Ben Moffitt and senior CB Mike Jenkins also earned first team honors. It is the first ever BIG EAST honor for Moffitt and the second for Jenkins, who was named to the second team in 2005. Joining their fellow defensive players were senior CB Trae Williams and junior LB Tyrone McKenzie, who both picked up second team honors. Williams was a first team selection by the BIG EAST last season. The lone offensive player recognized by the coaches was offensive lineman Ryan Schmidt, who was named to the second team. It marks the second consecutive year USF has landed three players on the first team and increases the program's total to seven first team selections in three years as a BIG EAST member. Last year, Ean Randolph (KR), Trae Williams (CB) and Stephen Nicolas (LB) were on the first team.
Slowing the Stars
Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart is 10th in the country in rushing yards with 1,469 this season. The USF defense, in addition to creating an NCAA best 41 turnovers this season, has had some success shutting down the top rushing weapons on opposing teams this season. USF's defense held West Virginia Heisman candidates Steve Slaton (54 yards), Pat White (36 yards) and UCF's Kevin Smith (55 yards), who led the country in rushing yards per game - to a combined 145 yards rushing this season. That is less than Smith's average of 188 yards per game.
Selvie Ready For The Books
Sophomore DE George Selvie appears primed to break the NCAA single season tackles for loss record. He has 31.5 this season, which is just 0.5 shy of the NCAA mark of 32 set by Jason Babin of Western Michigan in 2003. The NCAA also tracks the mark on a per game basis and Selvie is setting the pace (tied at 2.63) in that category as well. He has three or more TFL in six games this year.
|
NCAA TACKLES FOR LOSS RECORD |
TFL TOTAL |
TFL PER GAME |
YEAR |
| 1. Jason Babin (Western Michigan |
32 |
2.7 |
2003 |
| 2. Terrell Suggs (Arizona State) |
31.5 |
2.3 |
2002 |
| George Selive (USF) |
31.5 |
2.63 |
2007 |
|
|
|
|
By George!Sophomore DE
George Selvie began the 2007 season with a record breaking evening against Elon ... He hasn't slowed down since ... He has broken the USF single season record with 14.5 sacks and is tied for the career record of 20 ... Below is where Selvie ranks in the USF, BIG EAST and NCAA record books:
|
SACKS |
SEASON |
CAREER |
| George Selvie |
14.5 |
20 |
| USF |
14.5, Selvie (2007) |
20, Stephen Nicholas (02-06) & Selvie (06-P) |
| BIG EAST |
20, Elvis Dumerville, Louisville (2005) |
36, Cornell Brown, Virginia Tech (1993-96) |
| NCAA |
24, Terrell Suggs, Arizona State (2002) |
44, Terrell Suggs, Arizona State (00-02) |
Notes: Dumerville played at Louisville, Brown played at Virginia Tech and Suggs played at Arizona State.
|
TFL |
SEASON |
CAREER |
| George Selvie |
31.5 |
46.5 |
| USF |
31.5, Selvie (2007) |
53.5, Stephen Nicholas (02-06) |
| BIG EAST |
31.5, Selvie (2007) |
NA |
| NCAA |
32, Jason Babin, Western Mich. (2003) |
75, Jason Babin, Western Michigan (00-03) |
Selvie broke his own single game record for tackles for loss with six against Elon ... He owns the top three TFL games in Bulls history ... Below are 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 the NCAA with 31.5 tackles for loss and is second with 14. 5 sacks in 12 games this season ... He has more sacks than 16 NCAA FBS teams ... Terrence Royal (2005) and Shurron Pierson (2001) previously held the USF sack record at 10 ... The career record for sacks is 20 by Stephen Nicholas ... Selvie is tied with Nicholas ... He broke the single season TFL record of 19 that was previously held by Craig Kobel (2003) and Kawika Mitchell (2002)... Selvie had 5.5 sacks as a freshman last season ... He was named a freshman All-American by The Sporting News.
Forcing Plays
With another forced fumble against Cincinnati, George Selvie is closing in on his own single season record for forced fumbles. He established the record last season and shares with three others, including Ben Moffitt. The record list is below:
SINGLE SEASON - FORCED FUMBLES
1. Ben Moffitt - 4 (2005)
George Selvie - 4 (2006)
Kevin Verpaele - 4 (2002)
Terrence Royal - 4 (2005)
5. George Selvie - 3 (2007)
Seven other tied with 3 in a season
Starting Notes
Offensive lineman Marc Dile (14 straight), Ryan Schmidt (19), Jake Griffin (12) and Zach Hermann (12) have started every game this season ... QB Matt Grothe (24) has the longest starting streak on the offensive side of the ball ... USF's secondary of CB Trae Williams (26 straight), SS Carlton Willliams (13), FS Nate Allen (12) and CB Mike Jenkins (12) have started every game this season ... Ben Moffitt has the longest starting streak on the team at 42 games ... DE George Selvie has started every game of his career - 25 total ... USF's defense has 325 combined starts among players on its current two-deep ... The offense has 231 starts and will only lose 65 of those - Walker, Capogna, Carnes and Denson - to graduation ... The defense on the other hand will graduate players that have 190 combined starts ... That does not include DE Jarriett Buie, who is expected to get another year of eligibility.
Monitoring Matt
Matt Grothe broke the USF career rushing record for quarterbacks in the 22nd game of his career (Cincinnati - 2007) ... He currently has 1,454 rushing yards, 
which bests the previous record of 1,235 set by Marquel Blackwell (1999-02) ... The USF career rushing record is 2,731 (Andre Hall), which he could reach at his current pace ... The Lakeland native also broke the single season QB rushing record in the ninth game of 2007 (Cincinnati) ... He currently has 832 rushing yards ... He broke his own single season record of 622, which he set last season as a rookie ... The signal caller also broke the USF single game passing record with 382 yards against Cincinnati ... The sophomore is the only player in USF history to throw for 5,000 yards and rush for 1,400 yards ... He rushed for a career high and USF quarterback record 146 yards against UConn, which was the ninth best rushing day by a QB in BIG EAST history and the second best day by a BIG EAST QB this season (at the time) ... His three 100-yard rushing games is a USF quarterback career record ... Became just the eighth player in USF history to rush for 1,000 career yards during the Rutgers game ... He is just the second USF quarterback to accomplish the feat ... Grothe has completed 74 percent of his passes in the last two games ... Went 17-23 for the second consecutive game passing for 159 yards and rushing for 67 and a TD in win over Pittsburgh ... Work-man like effort on 17-23 passing for 194 passing yards and two TDs, also ran for 67 and a TD in the win over Louisville ... Efficient with 181 yards on 15-22 passing and 73 yards on 14 rushing attempts in 41-10 win over Syracuse ... Also ran for a TD and tossed two TDs vs. the Orange ... Grothe rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games against UCF & FAU ... He had 100 yards against UCF, needing less than three quarters to accumulate the yardage ... Grothe accounted for four touchdowns against UCF ... He rushed for two and passed for another two - both to WR Taurus Johnson. ... He had 312 yards of total offense before leaving midway through the third quarter ... Grothe is just the second USF quarterback to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing days ... No USF QB has done it in three straight games ... He set a career high with 122 rushing yards against FAU ... It was just the third time a USF quarterback has rushed for 100 yards ... 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 TDs ... For his efforts last year, Grothe was named to the Manning and Maxwell Award watch lists prior to the season.
NCAA Leaders - Dual Threat QBs
Matt Grothe is one of only two NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players to have rushed for at least 800 yards and to have thrown for at least 2,400 yards. Below are some comparisons between Grothe and other QBs with similar statistics:
Matt Grothe - 832 rushinig / 2,473 passing
Tim Tebow (Florida)- 838 rushing / 3,360 passing
Pat White (West Virginia) - 1,185 rushing / 1,548 passing
Jake Locker (Washington) - 986 rushing / 2,062 passing
Michael Desormeaux (La.-Lafayette) - 1,141 rushing / 1,405 passing
NCAA Leaders - Rushing Yards BY QB
1. Pat White (West Virginia) - 1,185
2. Michael Desormeaux (La.-Lafayette) - 1,141 yards
3. Dan Lefevour (Central Michigan) - 1,008
4. Jake Locker (Washington) - 986
5. Stephen McGee (Texas A&M) - 858
6. Tim Tebow (Florida) - 838
7. Matt Grothe (USF) - 832
USF Sophomore - QB Records
Grothe is chasing Marquel Blackwell, the greatest QB in USF history, for nearly every USF career and single season quarterback record. Below is how Grothe's sophomore year is stacking up to Blackwell's:
Pass-TD Rush-TD Efficiency
Grothe 2,473-13 832-10 123.43
Blackwell (2000) 2,882-20 241-9 119.32
BIG EAST Records - QB career rushing yards
1. Pat White (West Virginia) - 3,583 (2005 - Present)
2. Rasheed Marshall (West Virginia) - 2,040 (2001-04)
3. Donovan McNabb (Syracuse) - 1,561 (1995-98)
4. Walter Washington (Temple) - 1,468 (2003-04)
5. Matt Grothe (USF) - 1,454 (2006-Present)
BIG EAST Records - QB Season Rushing Yards
1. Pat White (West Virginia) - 1,219 (2006)
2. Pat Whilte (West Virginia) - 1,185 (2007)
3. Pat White (West Virginia) - 952 (2005)
4. Walter Washington (Temple) - 889 (2004)
5. Rasheed Marshall (West Virginia) - 861 (2004)
6. Matt Grothe (USF) - 832 (2007)
Trae & J
Seniors Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins are one of the most experienced CB combos in college football, the two have combined for 83 career starts ... Both have been invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game on January 19 at the University of Houston ... Jenkins has also been invited to the Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 26 in Mobile, Ala. ... Combined they have 22 pass breakups and 10 INT this season ... Both rank 17th nationally with a combination of pass breakups and interceptions that adds up to 16 .... Jenkins has 12 breakups and four picks ... Williams has 10 breakups and six picks ... Williams is also 10th nationally with six interceptions ... The Plant City native has returned each of his last three interceptions for TDs (Cincinnati, Louisville & Pitt) ... He and Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest are the only players in NCAA FBS to return three INT for TD this season ... Both did them in succession ... He has 13 interceptions over the last two seasons, which is the highest total of any player in NCAA FBS ... Their lock-down cover abilities allow USF to play a lot of man defense on the outside ... Jenkins had 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 and the 12th best senior prospect on his “Big Board” ... Kiper has predicted that Trae Williams would be a second round selection ... 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 cited as the best in the BIG EAST and the state of Florida by several outlets, including ESPN.com expert Mark Schlabach.
Moffitt Anchors Defense
Ben Moffitt is the lone returnee out of USF's stellar trio of linebackers from last season ... He is second on the team with 100 tackles, plus 12 tackles for loss ... He is ranked as the third best senior inside linebacker prospect for the NFL Draft according to Mel Kiper ... Moffitt was a semifinalist for the Butkus and a quarterfinalist for Lott Trophy ... He collected 10 tackles - 2.5 for a loss - and one fumble recovery against Rutgers ... Recorded 10 tackles and an interception and 60-yard return against Pitt ... The senior was named Camp & Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week after picking off two passes, including one for a TD, against West Virginia ... Moffitt also had nine tackles, including two for a loss and a pass breakup vs. WVU ... He followed that effort with 11 tackles, seven solo, three TFL, two pass breakups, one third-down stop and one fourth-down stop in the Bulls win over Florida Atlantic (Oct. 6) ... 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.
Moffitt Has Company Too
While Moffitt steals most of the headlines at linebacker for USF, the Bulls would be hard-pressed to find a weak side linebacker that can replace Tyrone McKenzie and the numbers he posted this season. He leads USF with 111 tackles and is just seven shy of breaking Kawika Mitchell's record of 117 from 2002. He fell one short of the USF single game record against Pitt when he had 18 tackles. He has 240 tackles over the last two seasons, including 129 as a sophomore at Iowa State.
Below is the USF single season tackle chart:
1. Kawika Mitchell (2002) - 117
2. Maurice Jones (2003) - 116
3. Ben Moffitt (2005) - 112
4. Tyrone McKenzie (2007) - 111
Moffitt On USF Career List
CAREER - TACKLES
1. Kawika Mitchell - 367 (1999-02)
2. Ben Moffitt - 331 (2004-Present)
3. Stephen Nicholas - 326 (2003-06)
CAREER - TACKLES FOR LOSS
1. Stephen Nicholas - 53.5 (2003-06)
2. Greg Walls - 48 (1999-02)
3. Terrence Royal - 47.5 (2002-05)
4. George Selvie - 46 (2006-Present)
5. Ben Moffitt - 40.5
CAREER - FUMBLE RECOVERIES
1. Anthony Henry - 6 (1997-00)
2. Ben Moffitt - 5
Terrence Royal - 5
J.R. Reed - 5 (2000-03)
Bernard Brown - 5 (1997-01)
CAREER - FORCED FUMBLES
1. George Selvie - 7
Kevin Verpaele - 7 (2005 & 06)
3. Maurice Jones - 6 (2000-03)
4. Ben Moffitt - 5 (2004-Present)
Mike Jenkins - 5 (2004-Present)
Glenn Davis - 5 (1997-00)
Tchecoy Blount - 5 (1998-01)
Shurron Pierson - 5 (2001-02)
Leavitt Paints Up
Following through on a promise to local cancer survivor and close fried Jeff Wagner, USF head coach Jim Leavitt painted himself in green and gold for the Bulls basketball game against UAB on Dec. 8. The USF athletic department gave out 3,000 finish strong bracelets to fans. Wagner's personal motto is the force behind the bracelet and something the entire football program has embraced this season. Leavitt donned green and gold body paint that was applied by member of the student fan group, the Beef Studs.
T-Mac & D-Mac
Junior LB Tyrone McKenzie led Iowa State in tackles in 2006 and transferred to USF after the season. He was able to play immediately thanks to a NCAA hardship waiver. McKenzie was on the USF campus to start the spring semester in January. And in early February his former head coach at Iowa State, Dan McCarney, arrived in Tampa and took the position as the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Line Coach.
The two have teamed up on defense and produced impressive results. McKenzie, who had 129 tackles for Iowa State in 2006 and was 10th nationally, leads the team with 111 tackles this season, including 7.5 tackles for loss. He tied the USF single game record for tackles with 18 against Pittsburgh. His two year total of 240 tackles is the 13th best among NCAA FBS players.
McCarney, who oversees the defensive line, has helped energize the entire unit which leads the country in turnovers, fumbles recovered and interceptions. He has also brought along consensus first team All-American George Selvie.
Looking Ahead to 2008
At the start of this season many prognosticators had earmarked 2008 as the breakout season for the Bulls. The Bulls arrived one season early and could be a trendy top-10 preseason pick next season. The Bulls will return 10 offensive starters, only losing left tackle Walt Walker. On defense the Bulls will lose five seniors and three award winners in Ben Moffitt, Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins. The loss of starting defensive lineman Richard Clebert and Woody George will also leave a hole. The defense certainly won't be depleted with George Selvie, leading tackler Tyrone McKenzie and budding star Nate Allen all returning, plus a well of depth that has contributed this season.
What will Return on Defense
INT - 10 of 23 (.423)
Tackles - 602 of 882 (.683)
TFL - 74.5 of 107 (.696)
Sacks - 23 of 30 (.767)
What will Return on Offense
Rushing Yards & TD - 100%
Field Goals - 100%
Receiving Yds - 2362 of 2742 (.861)
Receiving TDs - 15 of 17 (.882)
Passing Yds & TD - 100%
Individual NCAA Stats
For just the second week this season, George Selvie does not lead the country in sacks (14.5) ... He trails Greg Middleton of Indiana who has 16 ... Selvie still leads the country in tackles for loss (31.5) ... His closest competition is Michigan's Shawn Crable, who has 26.5 ... Matt Grothe is 27th in total offense (275.4 per game) and ninth among sophomores in the category ... Trae Williams is tied for 10th in interceptions (6) ... The NCAA FBS leaders in interceptions have eight ... Mike Jenkins and Williams are 17th nationally in passes defended (16) ... Jenkins has 12 breakups and four INT ... Williams has 10 pass breakups and six interceptions.
Team NCAA Stats - Rank (Stats)
Turnovers Gained - 1 (41)
Fumbles Recovered - 1 (18)
Interceptions - 1 (23)
Tackles For Loss - 3 (8.92)
3rd Down Conversion % Defense - 6 (28.5)
Pass Efficiency Defense - 7 (102.13)
Turnover Margin - T-9 (1.00)
Total Defense - 22 (326.75)
Scoring Defense - 26 (20.67)
Rush Defense - 19 (112.00)
Scoring Offense - 20 (35.83)
Rushing Offense - 28 (193.1)
Total Offense - 39 (421.58)
Getting Offensive
USF is the midst of one of its best offensive seasons in program history. Based on a per game basis, since USF will play 13 games this season, the Bulls are on a record pace in total offense, while coming in third in rushing yards, passing yards and points per game. Below are the 2007 averages and the USF records:
| |
Rush |
Pass |
Total |
Points |
| 2007 |
193.1 |
228.5 |
421.6 |
35.8 |
| Record |
203.0 (?05) |
273.2 (?01) |
408.9 (?98) |
36.5 (?98) |
USF has set a team single season record with 30 rushing TDs this season ... Sophomore QB Matt Grothe (10 TDs) and freshman RB Mike Ford (12 TDs) are the first duo in USF history to have double digits in rushing touchdowns in the same season ... Matt Grothe has set the USF single season record for rushing yards by a QB with 832 ... He is the first USF quarterback to rush for 800 yards ... That total ranks fourth by a player in USF history ... His 2,473 passing yards is the fourth best total in USF history ... Grothe accounts for 275.43 yards per game (rushing & passing) which is the second best average in USF history ... The Bulls as a team have rushed for 200 or more yards on four occasions this season, including three of the last six games ... Freshmen WR Carlton Mitchell has set USF freshman records for receptions (37), and yards (537) ... His yardage total is the third best single season total in USF history ... His two games of 100-yards receiving (UCF & Cincinnati) are the second best single season total in school history ... Mike Ford's 637 rushing yards is the second best freshman total in program history ... The record is 729 by Rafael Williams in 1997 ... His 12 TDs is the freshman record and the second best mark in school history ... He is the first freshman in program history to rush for 100-yards in consecutive games, a feat he accomplished against Syracuse and Louisville ... USF has had two rushers with 100 yards in the same game twice this season ... Ben Williams (186) & Grothe (120) against FAU ... Ford (134) and Ashton Samuels (101) against Syracuse ... The two occurrences account for half of those instances (4) in school history ... While not technically an offensive category, Jerome Murphy has 560 kickoff return yards (24.3 per attempt), which is the third best total in USF history ... The record is 578 by DeAndrew Rubin in 1999.
Mitchell Claims USF Rookie Records
In his first collegiate season, WR Carlton Mitchell is shredding the USF record books. He already owns the USF freshman records for receptions (37), receiving yards (537) and is one away from the TD record of five. The previous freshman record for receptions was 28 and yards was 469 by Johnny Peyton in 2004. The record for TDs is five by DeAndrew Rubin. He is the only receiver on the USF squad with a 100-yard receiving game this season - and he has two. He had 107 against UCF and 110 against Cincinnati. He is also second on the team in yards per reception at 14.5. 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.
Family Connections
Redshirt-freshman Carlton Mitchell is making 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.
Lineman Numbers
USF offensive line has battled injuries and depth issues since the start of fall camp, yet the group came together and helped lead the way for a USF offense that has scored more points and gained more yards than any team in program history.
Below are the percentage grade numbers for assistant coach Mike Simmonds' offensive line, plus total knockdowns. Knockdowns include cut blocks, decleaters and drive and finishes:
Regular Starters
Jake Griffin - 76% - 59 Knockdowns
Marc Dile - 73% - 80 Knockdowns
Zach Hermann - 72% - 70 Knockdowns
Ryan Schmidt - 66% - 64 Knockdowns
Walt Walker - 68% - 36 Knockdowns
Reserves
Jared Carnes - 70% - 33 Knockdowns
Nick Capogna - 71% - 14 Knockdowns
Matt Huners - 85% - 6 Knockdowns
Sampson Genus - 61% - 5 Knockdowns
Jacob Sims - 64%
ESPN Love
USF is a popular commodity around Bristol ... The Bulls will have a streak of 19 straight games on the ESPN/ABC body of networks snapped when they play to a national audience on CBS in the Sun Bowl ... The USF-Rutgers game received a national rating of 3.39 (approximately 3.25 million homes) ... It is the highest Big East rating on ESPN or ESPN2 this season ... Previous high was 2.72 on ESPN2 for WVU-USF ... It is USF's highest rating ever on ESPN ... This is the third time this season that USF has set a new all-time USF record for ESPN/ESPN2 ratings (1.61 ESPN for UNC, and then 2.72 ESPN2 for WVU) ... The MLB playoffs - Red Sox & Indians - did not out-rate the USF-Rutgers game in the Tampa area ... The Sept. 28 game with West Virginia was the second highest rated ESPN2 college football regular season broadcast in the station's history.
Money Plays
The NCAA statcrew system calls them ?Money Plays' and defines them as plays resulting in a first down or touchdown. By that criteria, Jessie Hester might as well be the Money Man. Of Hester's 30 receptions 22 have gone for a first down and four have gone for a touchdown. That's 87 percent of his receptions resulting in a fresh set of downs or six points.
Also of note is Matt Grothe, who has 54 rushing money plays - 44 on first downs and 10 TDs.
Among other receivers, Carlton Mitchell leads with 28 money plays - 24 first downs and four TDs. Taurus Johnson is right behind with 22 (19-3). Mitchell is the only USF receiver with multiple - he has three - money plays on fourth down. Eight of Courtney Denson's nine receptions have resulted in a first down.
Fast Starts
USF is 8-1 when it scores first this season and 4-0 when it has the opening offensive possession. The Bulls have received the ball first via coin flip three times. They also had the first offensive possession against Syracuse, when the Orange muffed the opening kickoff. USF has recovered a muffed kickoff and forced a fumble on the opening kickoff of the last two games ... The Bull's Nate Allen took the forced fumble in three yards for a TD against Louisville.
Making Plays
USF's defense is led by a bunch of play-makers, which are producing turnovers at a record pace ... The USF record for forced turnovers was 36 set in 2000 ... USF has already forced 41 in 12 games and is on pace for 44 this season ... The Bull “D” leads the country in turnovers gained (41), fumbles recovered (18) and interceptions (23) ... USF has forced three or more turnovers on seven occasions, including a six-turnover game against West Virginia and a seven-turnover game vs. Louisville ... Trae Williams has six interceptions, including a 73-yard TD return against Cincinnati, 64-yard TD return against Louisville and a 21-yard TD return vs. Pitt ... FS Nate Allen has four interceptions and a TD on a fumble recovery vs. Louisville and another TD on interception against Pitt ... LB Ben Moffitt has four interceptions and not having any entering his senior campaign ... CB Mike Jenkins has three interceptions this year.
Secondary to None
USF's secondary has proven that it may be one of the best in America ... And one of the most consistent ... The regular four defensive backs - free safety Nate Allen, strong safety Carlton Willams, cornerback Mike Jenkins and cornerback Trae Williams - have started every game this season and have a combined 127 starts between them ... Currently, the Bulls are No. 7 in pass efficiency defense (99.98), third in 3rd-down conversion percentage defense (27.4) and third in interceptions (20) ... USF is also ranked No. 33 in pass defense at 207 yards per game, but that does not tell the whole story ... The secondary has 17 interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles ... Prior to West Virginia, the Bulls had only allowed 250 passing yards combined to 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 Bulls collected four interceptions against Louisville, including three against likley NFL first round draft pick Brian Brohm ... USF has held two teams below 100 yards passing ... UNC had 85 yards and UCF had 84 yards ... CB Trae Williams has six INT and three TD, sophomore FS Nate Allen has four INT and two TD and CB Mike Jenkins has three picks ... SS Carlton Williams has 5.5 TFL, one sack and 63tackles this season ... The secondary as a whole already has 41 pass breakups, led by Mike Jenkins with 12 and Trae Williams with 10.
Close But No Win
While mistakes and early holes hurt the Bulls during the three-game losing streak earlier this season, USF had opportunities to win or tie the game at the end of regulation in all three games. Despite committing 11 turnovers and only forcing six, the three losses came by a combined 15 points with only UConn being by a touchdown.
The Bulls were down 10 points twice in the second half at Rutgers before battling back and having possession on the Scarlet Knights' 49-yard line with 1:33 to play.
Against UConn, USF trailed 16-0 at halftime and battled back to a 22-15 deficit in the fourth quarter. The Bulls had the ball at the UConn 1-yard line twice in the fourth quarter but were unable to punch in a touchdown.
At home versus Cincinnati, USF trailed 31-14 after the first quarter and committed eight turnovers in the game. Despite that, the USF defense held UC scoreless in the second half and Matt Grothe had two shots at the end zone from the Cincinnati 18-yard line in the final eight seconds.
Attendance Increase
Only eight schools increased their attendance average by 10,000 or more from 2006 to 2007. USF leads the pack among all NCAA institutions with an increase of 22,948 from 2006 to 2007. Below is the list:
1. USF - 2006: 30,222 - 2007: 53,170 = Difference: +22,948
2. Temple - 15,810 - 28,850 = +13,049
3. UCF - 31,569 - 44,000 = +12,431
4. Kentucky - 57,330 - 68,824 = +11,494
5. Illinois 43,445 - 54,872 = +11,427
6. UCLA 64,955 - 76,379 = +11,424
7. Washington - 57,483 - 67,732 = +10,249
8. UNLV - 19,240 - 29,281 = +10,041
Final Ticket Numbers
USF played in front of 319,019 in six games at Raymond James Stadium this season for an average of 53,170 ... USF's 2007 attendance average of 53,170 is actually more than the single game attendance record prior to this season ... The single game record prior to this season was 49,212 in the inaugural game against Kentucky Wesleyan on Sept. 6, 1997 ... USF eclipsed that mark in the last four home games and set the new standard at 67,012 on Sept. 28 against West Virginia ... Last year, USF averaged 30,222 ... The Bulls have increased that average by 22,948 this season, which is the largest improvement in the NCAA this season ... USF sold out the West Virginia (67,012) and UCF (65,948) games ... They were the first two sellouts in program history ... The crowd of 67,012 is the largest in the league this season ... On Sept. 18 the USF ticket office announced that it had surpassed 20,000 season tickets ... At the end of the season ticket push, 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.
Built Ford Tough
True-freshman Mike Ford is second on the USF team in rushing yards with 637 (57.9 per game) ... He leads the team with 12 rushing TDs, which is one shy of tying the USF single season record ... He also has one TD reception ... Became the first freshman in USF history to record back-to-back 100-yard games with a 140 yard outing against Louisville ... Also scored two TD and opened up the night with a 43-yard gain ... He ran for a career high 134 yards and two TD against Syracuse ... Teamed up with Aston Samuels, who had 101 yards rushing, to be the first freshman duo in USF history to rush for 100 yards in the same game ... Ford scored from 12 yards out against UCF and ran for 39 yards in limited action ... Ford 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 HS product ran for 74 yards, including 59 in the first half, and one TD at Auburn ... He set USF freshman debut record with three 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.
Ford's Firsts
Mike Ford has a knack for doing something dramatic on his first two carries of games:
? Against Auburn he busted a 20-yard run on his second carry.
? Against North Carolina he popped off a five-yard TD on his first carry.
? On his first carry against West Virginia he took off for 35 yards.
? On his first carry against Central Florida he trotted in for a 3-yard TD.
? On his opening carry against Syracuse he ran off for 19-yards.
? Against Pittsburgh, he took off for runs of 43 and 23 yards on his first two carries.
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 second the country in sacks (14.5) and leads the nation in tackles for loss (31.5) this season. He has been named a consensus All-American and won the 2007 Bill Willis Trophy, which is given annually to the top DE in college football by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.
Grothe's numbers and recognition as the 2006 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year set the ground work for acclaim. Grothe and Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow are the only NCAA FBS quarterbacks that have rushed for at least 800 yards and thrown for 2,400 or more yards.
Nate Allen is putting himself all over the stat sheet with four INT, 76 tackles, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, two TD and two tackles for loss. Allen was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (9/10) and Nagurski National Player of the Week (9/11) after playing a part in three turnovers against Auburn.
USF has only one senior among its projected bowl starters on offense and just five on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive Experience
USF's defense is led by 62-year-old coordinator Wally Burnham, who has been in the game for 34 seasons. He isn't the only vet on the Bulls defensive staff. USF has the most experienced defensive staff - in terms of years coaching - in the BIG EAST. Rich Rachel (32), Dan McCarney (31) and Troy Murphy (19) all have at least 18 years on the sidelines. Combined, the defensive staff has at least a 30-year lead in experience on every other team in conference:
1. USF 116
2. West Virginia 86
3. Rutgers 82
4. Louisville 78
5. Pittsburgh 72
6. Connecticut 70
7. Cincinnati 50
8. Syracuse 38
** Note does not take into account the loss of staff at West Virginia**
Home Cooking
USF has only lost three home games over the last three seasons and just nine since the 2000 season. The Bulls have recorded one home loss or gone undefeated in nine of 11 years. USF played six home games in 2007 and was 5-1 at Raymond James Stadium.
USF in the BCS
USF reentered the BCS Standings at No. 23 this week. The Bulls debuted at No. 2 in the initial standings released on Oct. 16.
Notes
? (Courtesy Greg Auman, St. Pete Times) When USF was ranked No. 2 in the AP and BCS on Oct. 16 it established a new precedent in the BIG EAST. No other current member of the Big East has ever been ranked as high as No. 2 while a member of the Big East. The next-highest ranking before Sunday was No. 3, attained by West Virginia and Louisville last season and by West Virginia in 1993. Pittsburgh and Syracuse held the No. 1 ranking before the Big East started playing football in 1991, but neither team has done so since 1982.
Among former Big East schools, Miami is the only school to ever be ranked higher while a member of the Big East conference. The Hurricanes held the top ranking in four seasons, 1991, 1992, 2001 and 2002.
