On his most hectic days this spring, Bryce Archie's schedule looked like this:

6 a.m. — Wake-up call.

7 a.m. — He's a quarterback. Arm rehabilitation.

9 a.m. — He's still a quarterback. Spring football practice.

Noon — He's a student. Lunch (with some academic work packed in).

1:30 p.m. — He's a pitcher. Baseball practice.

4:30 p.m. — He's back to being a student. Rest.

5 p.m. — He's back to being a quarterback. Football meetings.

7 p.m. — He's back to being a student. Dinner.

7:30 p.m. — He's still a student. Back to academics.

And after that?

"Get to bed as soon as possible,'' Archie said.

It's not for everyone. Heck, it's practically impossible for anyone. But Bryce Archie — the USF equivalent of mild-mannered Clark Kent racing into a phone booth, then emerging as Superman — has learned to thrive with a demanding dual-sport life.

And that typically crazy schedule doesn't account for the complications posed by baseball game days or road trips — not to mention the football-only focus needed for Saturday night's Spring Game presented by LifeLink at Corbett Stadium.

With last season's injury to Byrum Brown, Archie became USF's starting quarterback, a leader who improved each week, helping the Bulls to a 5-3 finish over the last eight games and an epic five-overtime victory against San Jose State at the Hawaii Bowl.

Then he jumped right into baseball training — his second season with the USF baseball team — and has shown great strides as a fireballing pitcher (3-1, 3.41 ERA, eight appearances, three starts, 11 walks and 26 strikeouts over 31 2/3 innings).

"I'd be lying to you if I said it was just easy,'' Archie said.

His coaches can attest to that.

"There might be athletes who want to do something like this, but there aren't many who actually can do it like Bryce,'' baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs said. "It is grueling. He's fitting into two locker rooms — and he's fitting in very well in our baseball locker room. And I'll tell you, it has been impressive to watch him not get much (baseball) work, yet he consistently goes to the mound, competes like crazy and throws quality pitches.''

"I know what Bryce brings to our football program, but I think he brings a cool energy to our baseball program,'' football head coach Alex Golesh said. "I'm so proud of his growth and his position for us as a leader. I don't know a lot about baseball, but I feel like I've been on this journey with him.''

Golesh and Hannahs worked together for nearly an hour to map out a schedule that accounted for Archie's day-by-day schedule. Even then, there were moments that seemed problematic.

"He's supposed to have an off-day (each week), per the NCAA,'' Golesh said. "The baseball team is (typically) playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday — our (football) off-day. So, when is Bryce's off-day? Because he's still practicing with us.

"When we (football team) took a week off for spring break, the baseball team was in Birmingham the previous week, then playing Florida Gulf Coast, home and home. Our (football) guys were, I'm thinking, working out and maybe on a beach somewhere. Then you get to the end of the semester and our (football) guys get about two weeks off to unwind before we pick up with our summer program. That's right around conference (baseball) tournament time. It's a lot.''

But Archie, who said he was physically and mentally worn down after last season's spring football/baseball double-play, feels more equipped to handle the workload. He appreciates the flexibility and understanding of Golesh and Hannahs, who have planned to the point where Archie sometimes strategically loads up with a heavy football practice so he can have an off-day before his scheduled pitching outing in baseball.

Archie, whose fastball tops out in the mid-90's, said he feels similar physical challenges in each sport.

"A lot of people look at me crazy when I say it, but it kind of feels the same,'' Archie said. "After a football game, you're more bruised and beat-up. After a baseball game, you feel probably every muscle in your body just tight — your arm is sore, your elbow, calves, hamstrings. It's still a full-body workout.''

Football or baseball?

Which sport does Archie prefer?

"I like them both in different ways,'' he said. "But I like them both. I know one day I'll look back (at playing both sports in college) and say, 'Wow, that was challenging, but I'm glad I did it.' ''

Archie's teammates — in both sports — are the beneficiaries.

"I love to watch Bryce pitch,'' said Brown, Archie's close buddy and fellow quarterback. "Getting to follow him and the entire baseball program has been a great thing for USF Athletics.''

"It's a tough AB (at-bat) when you face Bryce Archie,'' baseball catcher Lance Trippel said. "His fastball has a lot of ride on it. He's got the sinker and when the slider's on, it can give anybody a problem. He's a really good pitcher — and a good quarterback, too. Truthfully, I can't imagine doing what he's doing.''

Archie has an admirer in James Rowe, the USF football defensive pass game coordinator/safeties coach who once was a Bulls baseball player.

"The talent in Bryce's arm is ridiculous,'' Rowe said. "But his mental focus is even more impressive. He goes from locking in and focusing, pitch to pitch, batter to batter, in a baseball game to coming out here and remembering 100 plays that the offense runs, how every receiver breaks out of the routes, all those things.

"I think this takes some mental toughness, you know? I just think about it like, 'Man, I might have a bad football practice, then two days later I have to start in baseball and wipe that football practice out and move on with the right outlook in baseball.'

"Obviously, he has some talent. Like he throws a baseball 95 miles an hour. That's not normal. There's definitely some talent in the kid.''

And it keeps showing up.

On the football field.

On the baseball diamond.

–#GoBulls–