Jim Johnson

Shoop... From the 2004 NCAA Rule book: The call on Jenkins was the same as the call for OSU to beat Miami a couple of years ago... it was interference early in the pass (he got in the receivers way, kinda held him back), not when the pass got closer to them. The only penalty I thought was questionable was the roughing the passer call on Kobel - for what appeared to be "phantom" blow to the head. But the replay wasn't 100% sure - there may have been some accidental contact, and a better angle might have shown it.

Okay.. I will be the first to say that I was calling for Mike Hobbie's head after two games. Let me eat crow by saying he did something this week I hadn't seen in weeks 1 and 2 -- he made adjustments. Here are some comments I have on the game. Mike Hobbie 4th and six, need a TD to tie... call a slight roll to the right, throw back to the RB down the left... TOUCHDOWN. There were a few other plays that I thought were great calls, but the players didn't execute well (Gipson's TD pass, the reverse that lost a few yards because PJ couldn't block the defensive end.) He made some adjustments... he still tried to hand the ball off to Hall from the shotgun - tough to do unless its a pitch or a draw. All in all, I would give Hobbie an A- for the calls he made tonight... far better than what I saw at TTU or heard at USC. Pat Julmiste The man played like he was possessed. 22 of 33 is amazing -- but he had a few problems towards the end that he was able to overcome. On USF's last two TD drives in regulation, PJ overthrew receivers four or five times - we must have had four or five 3rd down "must convert" plays on those drives because the 1st and 2nd down plays were short, overthrown, or otherwise missed. Still, PJ made some amazing throws on those 3rd and long situations - and that 4th and 6 TD pass to Hall was brilliant! I expect that PJ has gained some new confidence - and he has certainly answered both his critics AND the question about who should start for USF. Andre Hall He's the man! If our OL could block just a little bit better for him, he might be a dominant running back. Having a man like Hall takes a lot of heat off our passing game. I hope Hobbie continues to do what he has done, give Hall the ball. "Flag on the play..." Leavitt realizes that we have some discipline problems -- he commented on the post-game interview on WTBN. Not to mention that after one early penalty, he wa on TV and you could tell he was pissed - mouthing words that can not be repeated on public television. TCU's first two touchdowns were direct results of penalties - and the first OT might have been the only one had it not been for two penalties. Finally, #61 (Miller?) needs to learn the snap counts. He had two false start penalties at key times. Oh, and it seems that if they call fair catches on punts and kickoffs, then they can eliminate the illegal blocking and holding penlaties that seem to plague the special teams. I haven't looked at the stat sheet, these are the things I found last night while watching the game. The Bulls did very well, and I will publicly say that Hobbie seems to be better than I thought.

You were right Smazza... we scored 45.

Remember, ABC 28 games are produced by ESPN Regional not by ABC 28. So, if you want to complain about they "lost the signal" right at 11:00pm... or about how Al Keck and Doug Graber have the combined IQ of a wet sock... Here you go: ESPN Regional Chris Lahey, General Manager/Tampa (813) 974-7495 christopher.s.lahey@espn.com Sarah Kay, Account Executive (813) 974-7497 sarah.kay@espn.com Brett Dulaney, Account Executive (813) 974-6975 richard.b.dulaney@espn.com Ivy Willing, Office Manager (813) 974-7496 ivy.willing@espn.com FAX #: (813) 974-3802

Okay, so we will have to fill FIVE OOC games each year instead of FOUR. Hell, we haven't even filled the 2005 schedule as of today. Looks like we may have to have TWO I-AA games every year... of course the other BCS conference teams will also need to pick up games now... Imagine ... Colorado, UCLA, Purdue... hmmm....

TCU, USM, UAB, Memphis, & Louisville = 5 C-USA teams... I think we are fighting with TCU an UAB for fourth and fifth spots (Hawaii or New Orleans)... of course, we could run most of the table (@ Louisville might be tough) - and end up in Mobile or Fort Worth... the Liberty Bowl may be a bit of a stretch. Hard to believe that if TCU is eligible for a bowl that they won't go to Ft Worth, though.

From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram: Frogs can count on Hassell By Damien Pierce Star-Telegram Staff Writer [ize=3]TCU quarterback Brandon Hassell was racing down the line of scrimmage Saturday when Texas Tech defensive end Adell Duckett nearly broke him in half with a body slam to the artificial surface of Jones SBC Stadium. Hassell didn't writhe in pain or pray the trainers would help him out. He popped back up and showed his offensive linemen a classic mug. "Everybody always freaks out when he goes to the sidelines because he always takes hard hits," offensive tackle Anthony Alabi said. "But he'll get absolutely smashed on a play and he'll jump back up and come to the huddle with this Mr. Magoo face acting like he likes it. It's hilarious. I've never seen a guy have more fun playing football except for maybe Brett Favre." Mark the tough guy down for a few more Mr. Magoo moments Saturday. Hassell will start his first game of the season in TCU's Conference USA opener against South Florida because of an ankle injury to starting quarterback Tye Gunn. Gunn, who suffered a high ankle sprain against Texas Tech, could miss a significant amount of time, and the offense very well could be turned over to Hassell for the remainder of the season. Hassell, a senior, is hardly new to the situation. He is 7-2 as a starter in his career and led the Horned Frogs through the bulk of their flirtation with an undefeated season in 2003. The performance earned Hassell a chance to win the starting job in preseason camp, but Gunn won a tight battle. Hassell probably doesn't have Gunn's arm strength, but he is quicker running the option and has displayed plenty of toughness. The TCU offense, which is averaging 42.3 points and 467.7 yards per game in three games, won't have to alter the playbook with the backup playing. "We're glad he's here," offensive coordinator Mike Schultz said. "He manages the offense the same way Tye Gunn does and he's mentally tough." While Hassell has routinely showed such toughness by taking hits under the chin, he has displayed nearly as much by handling this season's situation. The Sam Houston High School graduate had a legitimate case to be TCU's starter. Hassell didn't pout or throw a fit when Gunn was the choice. "You're always going to be a little disappointed because you come out here and work hard, but I felt the same way the coaches did," Hassell said. "Tye came out and proved he deserved it. I'm looking forward to starting this week, but this is the last way I wanted it to happen. Tye's a good friend and I didn't want to see him get hurt." Hassell will be replacing an injured Gunn for the third time. Last season, he replaced Gunn twice, making his first career start Sept. 20 against Vanderbilt. Hassell had three fumbles and an interception in that game, but overcome a sluggish start for 227 passing yards and a touchdown. The Frogs went on to average 31.7 points per game with him as the starter, and he helped the offense pull out of a funk with a 375-yard passing day against Houston in a 62-55 victory. The Frogs were averaging 23.6 points per game before that performance. The only significant playing time for Hassell this season came against SMU. He replaced Gunn, who took a shot to the ribs, and came up with 264 passing yards and two touchdowns. "We have the same confidence in Brandon that we have in Tye," running back Lonta Hobbs said. Of course, they might have even more confidence if Hassell weren't taking the shots he routinely takes. "Don't let him fool you, he doesn't like taking all those hits," Schultz said. "He's tough, but I wished he'd learn to get down on the ground." IN THE KNOW No hassling Hassell Quarterback Brandon Hassell will make his 10th start for TCU on Saturday against South Florida. How he has performed: Category Statistic Record as starter 7-2 Points per game as starter 31.7 Touchdown passes 13 Interceptions 8 Completion pct. 57.5 Passing yards 2,382 Rushing yards 343 Rushing TDs 5 GAMEDAY SOURTH FLORIDA AT TCU 6 p.m. Saturday Amon G. Carter Stadium TV: None Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM, KTCU/88.7 FM Records: TCU 2-1, 0-0 C-USA; South Florida 1-1, 0-0 Tickets: Call (817) 257-FROG (3764) or go to www.gofrogs.com Gotta love that we get to see the game, but TCU doesn't!!

From the Trib: USF's Jenkins Will Start At Cornerback Vs. TCU Published: Sep 24, 2004 TAMPA - South Florida freshman CB Mike Jenkins, who started the season opener but came off the bench against South Carolina, will return to the starting lineup Saturday at TCU. USF's defense allowed 356 yards passing to South Carolina, including 210 yards receiving by Gamecocks WR Troy Williamson. ``When we started putting Mike Jenkins over on [Williamson] he didn't catch a pass, so I thought Mike did a really good job of shutting him down,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ``They tried to keep getting the ball to him, but they couldn't. ``Mike's one of our best corners. Mike did a great job on him.'' Jenkins replaces freshman Trae Williams of Durant, who still should see a lot of action. DEJA VU AGAIN: For the second consecutive week, USF's opponent will start its backup quarterback. Last week, South Carolina sophomore Syvelle Newton started in place of senior Dondrial Pinkins. Saturday, senior backup Brandon Hassell starts for junior Tye Gunn, who is questionable with a sprained right ankle suffered last week at Texas Tech. Hassell is 7-2 as a starter, Gunn is 10-1. Hassell did not play in last year's contest at USF. ``We know it's a big game,'' Leavitt said. ``They're all big. We'll give it our best. I believe the guys will play hard.''

Looks like Tampa area Bulls fans may not miss any more USF games this year!! Much thanks to the USF Athletic Department for making this happen. From the Tampa Tribune: Sunshine Network Adds 2 USF Games Published: Sep 24, 2004 Two more USF football games have been added to television listings as Sunshine Network will air the Nov. 13 game against East Carolina (7 p.m., Raymond James Stadium) and the Nov. 20 game at Cincinnati (1 p.m.). It marks the first time USF games have appeared on Sunshine. The games will be produced by ESPN Regional. With the addition of these games, eight of the Bulls' 11 games will be on television. Saturday's game at TCU, along with home games against Southern Miss (Oct. 2) and Army (Oct. 16), will air on WFTS, Channel 28. ESPN will carry games at Louisville (Oct. 22) and home vs. Memphis (Nov. 27); the Nov. 3 game at UAB will air on ESPN2. The rescheduled game vs. Pittsburgh is the only remaining game currently not scheduled for television but that may change. The game was to air on ESPN and it's possible the network will air the contest, which will be rescheduled for Dec. 3 or 4. Rick Harmon To recap: 9/25 - @ TCU - ABC 28 10/2 - vs USM - ABC 28 10/16 vs Army - ABC 28 10/22 @ Louisville - ESPN 11/3 - @ UAB - ESPN2 11/13 - vs ECU - Sunshine 11/20 - @ Cincinnati - Sunshine 11/27 - vs Memphis - ESPN 12/3-4 - vs Pitt - T.B.A.

Getting soft, LOB ?? You're usually much more pessimistic.

CJL should stay for life, and anyone who thinks otherwise should be taken out behind the Sun Dome and shot. However, CJL would also begin to list a few people he probably feels are as good if not slightly better than him: Bear Bryant Jimmy Johnson Tom Osbourne (Nebraska... right last name?) Bobby Bowden Joe Paterno Lou Holtz Nick Saban Bob Stoops Despite this, I would take Leavitt over any of the above any day of the week, and twice on Saturdays. I will, however, complain about Hobbie's shortcomings. I believe that he hasn't found an answer to "what happens when the players can't execute"... (my answer is to find out what works and STICK WITH IT, but Hobbie hasn't shown that he gets even that much). I'll give him a few more chances - TCU, USM, and Army... Giving him some benefit of the doubt that he can make week-to-week adjustments. However, there will be a breaking point for me with him ... Jim Leavitt is a loyal coach - an admirable attribute - but he needs to realize that sometimes you have to make changes - from minor tweaks of a system to replacing staffers. And how the next few weeks play out will be a picture of whether or not he is willing to do what it takes to win.

At least we'll be able to watch some good schools beat us ... I'd rather lose to Villanova, Providence, & Syracuse than Tulane, UAB, and Charlotte.

The USF Bull Backers will be hosting the South Tampa Watch Party at Elmer's -- a GREAT time should be had by all. Go Bulls! Beat TCU!!

USF 27-24 OT 340 Gipson

From the Trib Julmiste Returning To Starting Role By GREGG BECNEL The Tampa Tribune Published: Sep 21, 2004 TAMPA - Coming off its 34-3 drubbing at South Carolina, South Florida began preparing for Satur day's Conference USA opener at TCU with sophomore QB Pat Julmiste back as the starter. ``Pat's going to start,''Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said after Monday's practice. "He worked with the [first team].'' Quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said Julmiste (sprained right knee) is healthy and that he was pleased with how well he and senior Ronnie Banks, who started against the Gamecocks, practiced. ``It's amazing. They're night and day,'' Smith said. ``It was completely the opposite of what it was [against South Carolina]. I told them that's the level we have to have to win.'' Smith said both quarterbacks were unhappy with their performances Saturday. Banks was 12 of 22 for 104 yards and an interception before being replaced by Julmiste midway through the third quarter. Julmiste, who sprained his right knee in week 1, finished two of 10 for seven yards. ``They're embarrassed. They know that's not their capability,'' Smith said. ``That was about as low a point as they've probably had.'' Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Rick Kravitz said DB Johnnie Jones (neck stinger) practiced and is expected to play Saturday. SIMPLE SOLUTION: USF has two offensive touchdowns in eight quarters, so during Monday's C-US A coaches press conference, Leavitt was asked what the offense needed to do to be more productive. ``Score points,'' Leavitt said. ``We need to find a way to get into the end zone. That's been frustrating.'' The solution to the Bulls' woes might be TCU's porous defense, which gave up 70 points and 586 yards to an average Texas Tech team. From the St. Pete Times: USF picks Julmiste at QB By GREG AUMAN Published September 21, 2004 TAMPA - USF coach Jim Leavitt wasted no time announcing his starting quarterback, saying Monday opening-week starter Pat Julmiste will do so in Saturday's Conference USA opener at TCU. Julmiste, a sophomore, sprained his knee in the second quarter of the season-opening win against Tennessee Tech. Senior Ronnie Banks started Saturday's 34-3 loss at South Carolina but was ineffective and replaced in the second half by Julmiste, who fared no better, completing 2 of 10 passes for 7 yards. Julmiste took all of the snaps with the No. 1 offense Monday and has recovered well from his injury. Quarterbacks coach Rod Smith said both practiced well after a frustrating game Saturday in which the Bulls had only eight first downs and 191 yards of total offense. "Today, I just told them this is the level we have to have to win," Smith said. "It was very pleasing what they did." Starting strong safety Johnnie Jones, who was sidelined early Saturday by a neck stinger, practiced in a limited capacity, co-defensive coordinator Rick Kravitz said. He expects Jones to be ready by Saturday. NOT A PROBLEM: During the weekly C-USA conference call, a reporter from Texas asked Leavitt about the rash of missed extra points around the nation. "Ours haven't missed any. Of course, we haven't had a lot of touchdowns to try them," said Leavitt, whose team failed to score a touchdown Saturday for only the fifth time. "I have no idea. I wish we could miss a few. We haven't had a real issue with that." - GREG AUMAN, Times staff writer

This Saturday, USF Men's Soccer plays against St. Louis (formerly ranked #4 in the College Soccer News poll)... Too bad I'll be at Elmer's watching the USF-TCU game instead - this would have been a good game to watch.

USF needs to hire officials to come in during practices ... This may sound funny, but we had a local high school that was having problems with too many penalties... so they brought in a few local officials to watch for penalties during practice. They didn't stop plays or blow whistles, but they threw flags when we saw penalties -- the coaches would ask the officials what they saw, then try to correct it by working with the offending player. For the rest of the season, that high school cut its penalties in half. If it worked for them, it should work for USF.

From the Tampa Tribune:

From the St. Pete Times:

TCU may win by nine points, but their Defense is about as good as Tenn Tech... I mean, how can Texas Tech score 10 Touchdowns on a team that limited us to 10 points last year? TCU's Defense just isn't that good this year. We won't be shut out, thank god, but it won't be easy to win...

Good thoughts in general, BB... just a comment on this: RB threw several passes down the field that floated ... one was called "the worst pass ever". RB had a few problems with dropped passes (blame the WRs), and he threw into the flat a lot (blame the OC). PJ's first pass attempt landed several yards short of a wide open tight end. He wasn't pressured - he just threw it into the ground. There were several other passes that were behind or over the intended receiver. Overall, RB is better than PJ - but neither of them are doing well. The QB Coach (Smith) needs to work with them in more realistic game situations.

Our offense has been anemic for sometime - in 12 games going back to Alabama at the start of 2003 (3 of them were against I-AA teams!)- we've scored more than 2 offensive TDs only 4 times, not including overtimes: South Carolina (3) Offense - 1 FG Texas Tech (21) Offense - 2 TDs Defense - 1 TD Memphis (21) Offense - 1 TD Special Teams - 1 TD Defense - 1 TD UAB (19) Offense - 2 TDs, 1 FG ECU (38) Offense - 4 TDs, 1 FG Defense - 1 TD Cincinnati (24) Offense (Regulation) - 1 TD, 1 FG *2 TDs in Overtime Southern Miss (6) Offense - 2 FGs Charleston Southern (55) Offense - 7 TDs, 2 FGs TCU (10) Offense - 1 TD, 1 FG Louisville (21+10) Offense (Regulation) - 3 TDs *1 TD, 1FG in Overtime Army (28) Offense - 2 TDs, 2 FGs Defense - 1 TD Nicholls State (27) Offense - 4 TDs Alabama (17) Offense - 2 TDs, 1 FG

We all agree that neither PJ nor RB have been a good replacement for Marquell Blackwell... the statistics prove that to be so. It's amazing that we've won as often as we have. Working backward -- here we go: 2004 SOUTH CARLONA (USF lost 3-34) PJ was 2 of 10 for 7 RB was 12 of 22 for 104, 1 INT TEXAS TECH (USF won 21-7) PJ was 4 of 6 for 23 RB was 9 of 17 for 70, 1 INT 2003 MEMPHIS (USF won 21-6) PJ was 8 of 17 for 167 UAB (USF lost 19-22) PJ was 6 of 16 for 74, 3 INTs RB was 6 of 15 for 70, 1 INT ECU (USF won 38-37) PJ was 4 of 6 for 15, 1 TD RB was 6 of 16 for 86, 2 TDs CINCINNATI (USF won 24-17) PJ was 5 of 12 for 67, 1 TD RB was 1 of 6 for 3 SOUTHERN MISS (USF lost 6-27) RB was 22 of 52 for 260 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (USF won 55-7) PJ 2 of 7 for 72, 1 TD TEXAS CHRISTIAN (USF lost 10-13) RB was 11 of 21 for 68 LOUISVILE (USF won 31-28) RB was 26 of 47 for 256, 1 TD, 3 INTs ARMY (USF won 28-0) PJ was 1 of 1 for 7 RB was 22 of 41 for 218, 2 INTs NICHOLLS STATE (USF won 27-17) RB was 16 of 31 for 288, 4TDs, 1 INT ALABAMA (USF lost 17-40) RB was 17 of 33 for 199, 1 TD, 1 INT 2002 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (USF won 56-6) RB was 4 of 8 for 60 OKLAHOMA (USF lost 14-31) RB was 5 of 7 for 100, 2 TDs ARKANSAS (USF lost 3-42) RB was 2 of 3 for 22 2001 (I don't have the individual game stats for 2001, but the 2003 Media Guide includes this) In 2001 RB was 12 for 22 for 96, 1 TD, 1 INT OVERALL PJ is 32 of 75 (42.7%) for 432 (13.5 yards per completion or 5.76 per attempt), 3 TDs, 3 INTs [That's a rating of 96.25*] OVERALL RB is 171 of 340 (40.3%) for 1900 (11.1 yards per completion or 5.6 per attempt), 11 TDs, 11 INTs [That's a rating of 101.44*] Hmm... is it personnel or the scheme??? *(For info on how to calculate the passer rating, see: http://football.stassen.com/pass-eff/ -- Note: NFL ratings are lower for the same statistics - a rating of 100 is an exceptional NFL passer, but a below-average NCAA passer).

Pat Julmiste started a few games last year (not all of these are PJ starts). His stats so far as a Bull (from what I could find): SOUTH CARLONA (USF lost 3-34) PJ was 2 of 10 for 7 TEXAS TECH (USF won 21-7) PJ was 4 of 6 for 23 MEMPHIS (USF won 21-6) PJ was 8 of 17 for 167 UAB (USF lost 19-22) PJ was 6 of 16 for 74, 3 INTs ECU (USF won 38-37) PJ was 4 of 6 for 15, 1 TD (take out his 10 yd TD and he was 3 of 5 for 5 yards). CINCINNATI (USF won 24-17) PJ was 5 of 12 for 67, 1 TD (take out his 36 yd TD and he was 4 of 11 for 31 yards). CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (USF won 55-7) PJ 2 of 7 for 72, 1 TD (take out his 53 yd TD and he was 1 of 6 for 9 yards). ARMY (USF won 28-0) PJ was 1 of 1 for 7 In these games PJ is 32 of 75 (that's a 42.7% completion percentage) for 432 yards (13.5 yards per completion or 5.76 per attempt). Take out his 3 TD's - yes a total of 3 career touchdown passes - take out his 3 TD passes and he is 29 of 72 for 333 yards (40.3% - 11.5 yds per completion, 4.6 yards per attempt). If PJ doesn't have it yet -- then he'll never get it.

Mark, I might agree -- except that on the kickoff RIGHT AFTER halftime, there were three flags (one for holding, two for illegal blocking in the back). I mean, I can imagine losing focus if you're tired - but on the kick for the 2nd half - after we went in with a 47 yd field goal! C'mon. Like I posted earlier - USF Football has problems with penalties; USF Basketball has problems with free throws. It's a curse.