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E.T.

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    Spring Practice - QB POLL !

    in USF South Florida Bulls Athletics

    Posted

    masthead.gif

    Spring training? No, spring football

    March 16, 2004

    The USF football team opens spring practice today, with USF coach Jim Leavitt looking for some players to step up in the next month to challenge for a few voids on the squad.

    The Bulls' most notable vacancy is at quarterback, though the team will have several to work with.

    Headlining the race is redshirt freshman Pat Julmiste, who came on midseason to replace junior Ronnie Banks.

    Julmiste may be able to improve his chances of becoming the team's starter in 2004, especially with Banks being limited in spring drills after undergoing knee surgery after last season.

    The Bulls are scheduled for 12 practices and two scrimmages. The spring game is April 10 at Raymond James Stadium.

    Spring Practice - QB POLL !

    in USF South Florida Bulls Athletics

    Posted

    Bulls Kick Off Spring Still Searching For QB

    By BRETT McMURPHY bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

    Published: Mar 16, 2004

    TAMPA - When South Florida begins spring football practice today, the Bulls will feature new assistants Carl Franks and Lawrence Dawsey. However, USF still is trying to solve a year-old problem: replacing quarterback Marquel Blackwell.

    Blackwell has been gone since 2002, but USF couldn't settle on his replacement last year.

    Ronnie Banks entered 2003 as the starter, but his confidence wavered in part because of a leaky offensive line and a knee injury. Pat Julmiste relieved Banks midway through the season but was inconsistent. The Bulls even used converted wide receiver Brian Fisher at quarterback.

    ``Finding a No. 1 quarterback this spring is our priority,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said.

    Julmiste will start the spring with a slight edge on Banks, Leavitt said, since the sophomore started last year's season finale. Banks, a senior, also may be limited this spring after undergoing knee surgery Feb. 6.

    Last year Banks started eight games, finishing 127 of 261 for 1,448 yards, eight TDs and eight interceptions. Julmiste (two starts) was 26 of 59 for 402 yards, three TDs and three interceptions; Fisher (one start) was 15 of 23 for 107 yards, with one touchdown and an interception.

    Leavitt said other priority areas were running back (having to replace two of last year's top three backs) and wide receiver (leading receivers Huey Whittaker and Elgin Hicks and captain Chris Iskra are gone).

    Ironically, those are the positions Franks (running backs) and Dawsey (wide receivers) will coach.

    ``I've been very impressed with the players,'' said Franks, who was running backs coach at Florida before becoming Duke's head coach in 1999. ``I'm on a little bit of a learning curve, but this opportunity was one of those unusual things that made it so much sense to be here.''

    Dawsey, a Bucs third-round pick in 1991 out of Florida State, played seven years in the NFL, five with Tampa Bay.

    ``I'm anxious to see what I'm working with and what we need to do to get better,'' Dawsey said. ``South Florida is headed to the Big East, but it's still a young program. This will give me a chance to get in and help build the program.''

    Spring Practice - QB POLL !

    in USF South Florida Bulls Athletics

    Posted

    What position battle(s) will you most be interested in ?

    I will personally be watching the DE's ... of course, hoping to see Eric Thomas #50 (his HS # - formerly #92) getting some serious playing time.

    We are very deep at DE, but hoping that his RS season paid off and he lands on our final c-usa All-Freshmen Team.

    etsquared.jpg

    Go BULLS !!!

    UT Men's Basketball Coach is . . .

    in Tampa Bay and General Sports

    Posted

    ... is rumored to be retiring.

    Don't know if any have ever watched this guy, but he's animated. Been at Tampa for a while.

    D2 Basketball is strong in Florida. Three state teams in the Final 64, outta some 300 teams. Florida Southern (Lakeland), Eckerd (St. Pete) and Rollins (Winter Park).

    Regional Tourney of 8 being played at Valdosta St. in Georgia.

    Big East's Legal Strategy Looks Flawed

    in American Athletic Conference

    Posted

    Inside Dish: Big East's Legal Strategy Looks Flawed

    02/29/2004

    Matt Hayes

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

    Though lawyers for the Big East continue to take legal action following

    the ACC's raid of the league last summer, it appears their fight is

    futile. After losing three straight court rulings to the ACC, the Big East

    now will seek monetary damages from Miami (Fla.) and Boston College --

    two of the three defectors to the ACC -- in another suit. The problem:

    Virginia Tech, the third defector, isn't part of the suit. "You're

    going to prove malice by picking and choosing who to sue and who not to sue

    of the three who left? Good luck," says one BCS administrator. . . .

    Duke coach Ted Roof wants to compete for the state of North Carolina's

    top recruits, and he took a big step last week by adding legendary

    Charlotte high school coach Tom Knotts to his staff. Knotts coached Florida

    star QB Chris Leak at Independence High and led the Patriots to four

    straight state championships. Knotts will coach quarterbacks at Duke, and

    one of the state's top recruits next year will be Independence QB Joe

    Cox. . . .

    West Virginia picked up a key late recruit and beat out Nebraska for

    blue-chip RB Raymond Williams, Ohio's Mr. Football. Williams might have

    to sit out his first season as a partial qualifier. WVU also got an

    early start on 2005, landing one of the nation's top juniors in RB Jason

    Gwaltney, who chose the Mountaineers over recruiting power Southern

    California. . . .

    TCU is close to completing a contract extension for coach Gary

    Patterson that would make him one of the highest-paid non-BCS coaches.

    Patterson is signed for $650,000 a year through 2006. The new deal would bring

    him close to $1 million a year with incentives.

    Staff writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News.

    Email him at mhayes@sportingnews.com and include your name and location.

    Louisville's class conflict

    in American Athletic Conference

    Posted

    Louisville's class conflict

    02/23/2004

    Matt Hayes

    Sporting News

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

    A hotshot 17- or 18-year-old saunters in front of a television camera,

    and grown men wait breathlessly for him to announce where he'll play

    college football. Moments later, some program's future never looked so

    bright.

    Last year, Michael Bush came to Louisville with his All-American

    credentials, rocket arm and NFL frame. This year, Brian Brohm, the poster

    child for perfect quarterbacks, enters the mix. And there stands Stefan

    LeFors, Louisville's undersized incumbent starting quarterback, looking

    more every day like the student manager dodging towels.

    "I've had to prove people wrong all my life," LeFors says.

    Why should this time be any different? Because there's $13.5 million

    riding on coach Bobby Petrino's decision, that's why.

    Petrino says Brohm will have every opportunity to win the job in the

    summer. Bush, whom Petrino has tried to convince to move to tailback,

    likely will get a shot at unseating LeFors in spring practice. The issue

    is this: Louisville -- which returns 17 starters in its last season as a

    non-BCS team -- could be the first non-BCS team to earn an at-large bid

    to the Sugar, Rose, Orange or Fiesta Bowl and the eight-figure payout

    that comes with it.

    Does Petrino sacrifice the stability, efficiency and success of LeFors

    for the potential of Brohm? Does he sacrifice team chemistry and all

    that goes with it -- karma, confidence, character -- because he has a

    freshman who can make all the throws? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the

    13.5 Million Dollar Question.

    LeFors won't scare you with his arm, speed or scrambling ability, but

    he's one of those rare college players whose best comes out when the

    lights and silk jerseys are on. He won the job in two-a-days last year and

    then, late in the fourth quarter of the season opener against rival

    Kentucky, won over his teammates. With Louisville facing fourth and 4 and

    trying to run out the clock, LeFors scrambled for a first down -- after

    his primary receiver failed to stay with his route -- and got drilled.

    "After that," he says, "I earned their respect and confidence."

    Yet for some reason, Petrino has yet to give his senior quarterback --

    an all-Conference USA selection last season -- the job unconditionally.

    He says competition is good for players, that it makes them hungrier

    and more focused. That's fine if you've got two experienced quarterbacks

    competing. When one is a senior and one is an incoming freshman, that's

    a huge gamble with so much at stake.

    So there sits LeFors, the best offensive player on the team last year,

    the guy who made Petrino's first season at Louisville significantly

    easier with his throwing and running and who made a whole lot of something

    out of nothing in a nine-win season. Now he has to prove himself all

    over again. "They keep bringing them in," LeFors says. "One by one, I'll

    beat them."

    Bush came to Louisville as the savior of the program, an in-state

    recruit Petrino had to have to save a class that was hurt by the loss of

    coach John L. Smith to Michigan State. Bush was promised a chance to play

    as a freshman, his signing trumpeting a new beginning for Louisville.

    He couldn't get on the field at quarterback because Petrino couldn't

    afford to take LeFors off it. So Bush played tailback part time.

    Fast forward a year, and Brohm is with the Cardinals after turning down

    Tennessee -- and its wide-open starting job. Not a big surprise,

    really. His father (Oscar) and brother (Jeff) both played quarterback for

    Louisville. Petrino talks confidently about his second recruiting class

    and freely admits he promised Brohm a chance to play this fall. Except

    there's one teeny-weeny problem: Louisville already has a quarterback.

    "I don't think it will cause a problem at all," Petrino says.

    Not if LeFors has anything to say about it.

    Staff writer Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News.

    Email him at mhayes@sportingnews.com and include your name and location.

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