UConn 29, USF 27
December 5, 2009
East Hartford, Conn.
Rentschler Field
Team Notes
- USF moves to 7-5 on the season and 3-4 in the BIG EAST.
- With the loss, USF falls into a fourth place tie with UConn and Rutgers in the conference standings. USF is now 17-18 all-time in BIG EAST play.
- USF moves to 1-3 against UConn, and 0-2 on the road against the Huskies.
- Tonight's game time temperature was 34 degrees. It is the second time the Bulls have played in falling snow. The first was in the 2008 season finale at West Virginia, when it was 29 degrees at kickoff. Tonight is the third coldest temperature. USF is now 1-3 in temperatures under 40-degrees.
- USF is now 2-5 in the month of December.
-Jim Leavitt (Missouri '78) is the only coach in USF history. He has a career record of 94-57 and is in his 13th season at USF. Leavitt and the USF program are 30-34 in away games.
- Tonight's attendance was 35,624.
Individual Notes
- Offensive starters: LT Jamar Bass, LG Jeremiah Warren, C Kevin MaCaskill Genus, RG Chaz Hine, RT Mark Popek, TE Andrew Ketchel, WR A.J. Love, WR Carlton Mitchell, HB Richard Kelly, RB Mo Plancher and QB B.J. Daniels.
- Defensive starters: LE Jason Pierre-Paul, NT Cory Grissom, DT Terrell McClain, RE George Selvie, LB Jacquian Williams, LB Sam Barrington, LB Chris Robinson, LC Kayvon Webster, SS Jon Lejiste, FS Nate Allen, RC Jerome Murphy.
- Kevin MacCaskill, Sam Barrington, Jon Lejiste and Jacquian Williams all made their first career starts.
- Captains for the game were Kion Wilson, George Selvie, Mo Plancher, Nate Allen and Matt Grothe.
- With his two receptions on the night, WR Jessie Hester surpassed Charlie Jackson for fourth place on USF all-time reception list with 105.
- Hester's 36-yard reception, which helped set-up the Bulls' second touchdown, was the longest of the senior's career.
- DB Jerome Murphy played his 51st game tonight, moving ahead of Stephen Nicholas for the most games played in school history. DE George Selvie is now tied with Nicholas with 50 career games played.
- WR Faron Hornes 21-yard punt return in the first quarter matched his career long.
- WR Carlton Mitchell had four catches for 49 yards, and in doing so broke Hugh Smith's career receiving yards record of 1,523 yards. Mitchell sits at 1,554 for his career. Mitchell broke the record on 98 career receptions, compared to the 131 Smith needed to set the initial mark. He broke the record with an 11-yard reception with 9:18 remaining in the game.
- Mitchell tied the USF record for career receiving yards in the second quarter on a 12-yard reception.
- Mitchell's 612 receiving yards on the season is the second best single-season mark in USF History. Mitchell's mark is second to Hugh Smith's record of 661 receiving yards.
- RB Mike Ford's second quarter touchdown was his fifth rushing touchdown of the season and the 22nd of his career. He is now just two shy of Andre Hall's 24-career rushing touchdowns for the most in USF history.
- Ford's 74 yards on 20 carries, both season highs, moves him into fifth place all-time on the USF career rushing list. He now has 1,295 for his career, which surpassed Marquel Blackwell and Dyral McMillan.
- FB Richard Kelly's 27-yard reception was the longest of his career and it was also his first reception of the season.
- QB BJ Daniels' had three rushing touchdowns. One from two yards out in the third quarter, a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter and then a 8-yard scamper with 40 seconds remaining. He now has nine rushing TDs in 2009. On the season, Daniels has 21 touchdowns (12 passing, 9 rushing).
- Daniels three touchdowns is a career high. He is 15th player in USF history to rush for three or more touchdowns in a game.
- Daniels is the second USF QB to run for three touchdowns against UConn. Matt Grothe ran for three touchdowns against the Huskies in 2006. Grothe's three touchdowns against UConn marks the last Bull to run for three scores.
- Daniels is one rushing TD shy of tying Matt Grothe's USF record for quarterbacks. Grothe had 10 rushing TDs in 2007.
- Daniels 88 yards on 17 carries, gives him 800 yards on the season, which sets a new freshman rushing record. The total is the fifth best single season mark in USF history. It is the second most by a USF quarterback. Matt Grothe ran for 872 yards in 2007.
- DE George Selvie had 1.5 tackle for loss, giving him 70 for his career, which is just 5.0 TFL's shy of the NCAA career record (75) held by former Western Michigan player Jason Babin.
- DE Jason Pierre-Paul blocked a 46-yard field goal attempt by UConn mid-way through the fourth quarter, setting up BJ Daniels 27-yard touchdown run. It is the first career field goal block for the junior.
