Football Who on here was at the first-ever scrimmage at the soccer stadium?

[Flowers4Heisman]

T.J. Reeves was calling the plays from up in the old soccer stadium's press box.

 

For some reason that scrimmage sticks out in my head most vividly when it comes to USF football.

[Brad]

Yours truly, of course.

 

I think I have some sort of ticket stub from that, too.

 

That scrimmage was shown on the VHS recap of that first season.  It was great.

 

 

 

 

 

The First Stampede - USF Inaugural Football Season

And if memory serves, Charlie Jackson scooted 85 yards for first TD...

[snarling Bull]

We were

[Ricky the Bull]

I was there with my son, who was 5.  I introduced him to LRS and, being the man that he was, crouched down and spoke with him for a long time.

[Flowers4Heisman]

Thanks for that listing, Brad! I grabbed it. Cool!  ---Yes, I still own a VCR. Actually, I have two.

[Brad]

You're welcome, of course.

 

That tape and the 10 yr DVD are must-haves.

 

One day, I'll convert the VHS to digital, maybe.  But there is stuff in those videos some may never know, or understand, about their program.  Awesome stuff.

[Triple B]

I think I was there but, not surprisingly, I honestly don't remember ...

[Apis Bull]

I'm like trip.  I'm sure I was there, but I don't really remember it.

[BullFan98]

Ditto the above two comments....old age I guess.  I know for sure I was at the Inaugural game, still have my ticket stub.

[Flowers4Heisman]

Festive atmosphere for USF scrimmage

September 25, 1996

 

TAMPA -- University of South Florida football will hold its coming-out party tonight. Events include a pep rally, Bulls players running through a tunnel of students, then an intrasquad scrimmage at the USF soccer stadium.

 

Everyone should be in a good IT: college football

 

mood -- except the team's new mascot. He's Rocky I-AA, a 2,000-pound, 3-year-old ornery bull that will be housed in a specially built pen behind the stadium's bleachers.

 

Note to USF fans: Do not pet the bull.

 

"Are we really going to have a bull there? Wow!" USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "I like that. LSU always had the tiger. It's part of all the fun and atmosphere of college football. I've had a lot of calls from people who want to give us bulls.

 

"You don't see that stuff in pro football. There's a lot of things like that in college football -- bonfires, homecoming. That stuff is fun."

 

Fun also is Leavitt's goal for tonight. After all, his players have just nine practices in pads. The Division I-AA program's first game isn't until next year, Sept. 6 at Houlihan's Stadium.

 

And even though the offensive and defensive execution could be error-filled, it's a chance to play under the lights before a crowd that could approach 5,000.

 

"I have no clue what the atmosphere will be like," said USF flanker Clif Dell, formerly of King High School. "But it sounds like it could be a big party out there."

 

That's the idea. The crowd will include many longtime alumni who never thought this night would arrive. With a potentially festive mood, Leavitt understands the value of an entertaining show.

 

More important, though, is on-field progress for his players. There are no games this fall, but USF has a depth chart. And everyone is shooting for first team.

 

"I'd like to make a few big hits, kind of show what I can do best," said USF middle linebacker Estefano Feliciano, formerly of Bloomingdale High School. "I'll probably be a little nervous and excited. But the nervousness goes away after the first hit."

 

Leavitt's greatest desires? No penalties. No turnovers (well, maybe some that are created by an aggressive defense). No dropped passes. No mental mistakes.

 

"To the coaches, truly this is just another practice," Leavitt said. "To the public, it's an event and we want to celebrate that.

 

"As long as we remember that we're early on in a long process. We're going to get better and better. It will be fun for the fans, and I know it will be fun for our players."

 

What: USF football intrasquad scrimmage.

 

When: Tonight at 8.

 

Where: USF Soccer Stadium.

 

Tickets: A limited amount of $5 tickets are available today until noon at the USF Physical Education building. Call (813) 974-2125. No tickets will be sold at the gate.

 

Format: USF's offense (white jerseys) will take between 80-90 snaps against USF's defense (green). First-teamers will take a set of eight snaps beginning at the 30-yard line, followed by second-teamers. Then a new offensive series will start at the USF 40, the 50, then the opposing 40 and 30-yard lines. It's primarily a practice session, so USF coaches will be on the field, not the sidelines. There will be no kickoffs, punts or field-goal attempts (although goalposts will be moved to the USF Soccer Stadium for this scrimmage). Conference USA football officials will work the scrimmage. It's expected to last between 90 minutes and two hours.

--------------------

 

In practice, USF wows 'em

September 26, 1996

 

The first groan could be heard before the festivities began, when the quarterback lofted a practice pass in stride to a wide-open receiver - who dropped the ball.

 

Talk about demanding fans.

 

Perhaps it's because University of South Florida supporters waited a long time for Wednesday night, when the newly created football team was on display for the first time during a scrimmage at the USF Soccer Stadium.

 

In truth, the 4,975 spectators who attended the coming-out party were a loving bunch eager to embrace the team.

 

They gave the Bulls a standing ovation and cheered wildly as the players ran onto the field through a tunnel of students. Cheerleaders were in full garb, screaming at success as well as setbacks. Even Rocky I-AA, a 1,200-pound Brahman bull that is the school's mascot, was in his pen behind the stands.

 

And no sooner had the national anthem been played when quarterback Lance Hoeltke was hooking up with receiver Charlie Jackson on a 70-yard touchdown pass.

 

It was the first play of the first public scrimmage, and if the Bulls proved one thing, it's that they have a nice flair for the dramatic.

 

The rest of the night did not go as smooth, as there were plenty of penalties, dropped passes and various foul-ups. But that is to be expected. This group has been practicing together for less than three weeks.

 

""This is only our ninth day in pads, so the expectations have got to be low,'' said USF head coach Jim Leavitt, who took the job in December and left Kansas State, where he was co-defensive coordinator.

 

""We haven't had them very long. It's a group of people we put together with two weeks of recruiting. Am I happy with the group? Yes. They are good, good people. They work hard. They're trying and they'll get better. The best thing about it is they are (mostly) freshmen. Some might say that's the worst thing. But they have time to get better. They might not be where we want them to be by next Sept. 6 . . .''

 

That is when the Bulls begin their first season as a Division I-AA program with a game at Houlihan's Stadium. For now, USF fans have to be content with two more scrimmages like the one Wednesday night. And for many in attendance, that's just fine.

 

Delroy and Carol Wallace made the trip north to Tampa from Coral Springs, where their son played high school football at Coral Springs High but figured his playing days were over when he enrolled at USF two years ago. Then Craig Wallace, now a junior running back, heard that football was coming.

 

""He was very, very thrilled,'' said Delroy Wallace. ""He talked about it for days. This was another chance for him. He really loves football.''

 

Hoeltke, who later hooked up again with Jackson on a 10-yard touchdown pass, is one of the many home-state players who are taking advantage of USF's foray into college football.

 

A sophomore from Palm Beach Lakes, Hoeltke currently is listed as the Bulls' first-team quarterback. He transferred to USF despite his year as a starter at quarterback last season for Austin Peay.

 

""It was a little bit strange,'' said Hoeltke, who completed 3 of 6 passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a score. ""I wasn't quite sure how we'd do because we haven't been tested. But I'm very pleased with how things turned out. It was really neat.''

 

Hoeltke and his teammates did not play a game Wednesday night. The 96-play scrimmage essentially worked like this: The first-team offense went up against the first-team defense starting at its own 30-yard line. The idea was to take eight snaps - or more if a first down was gained. Then the second-teamers took the field.

 

New series began at the 40-yard line, then the 50, then the opposing 40- and 30-yard lines. There was no kicking or punting.

 

In essence, the scrimmage was a glorified practice session, with coaches on the field. The only difference was the lights and spectators.

 

There were 10 touchdowns. Tailback Rafael Williams, a freshman from Perry, carried 19 times for 111 yards. Jackson caught two passes, both for touchdowns, and scored on a running play. The offense was penalized six times for 45 yards and the defense five times for 33 yards.

 

But afterward, Leavitt was smiling. ""I'm extremely happy,'' he said. ""I thought both our offense and defense were tremendous. And the crowd was tremendous. What a turnout for a scrimmage. To see that many people made it more enjoyable.''