Sunday Game Gives USF National Exposure(Trib)

[E.T.]

Sunday Game Gives USF National Exposure

Published: Oct 17, 2006

TAMPA - With no NFL game Sunday night because of Game 2 of the World Series, the University of South Florida will have the full attention of the football-watching population when it plays at Cincinnati.

While Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said he prefers to play on Saturday, the money and exposure of playing Sunday on ESPN was too hard to pass up.

"Some people don't like baseball and won't watch the World Series," he said. "But the football people are going to watch us. No NFL. No college. I imagine it's going to be a lot of people watching this game."

Potential recruits included.

"If you play well it's good. If you play bad, you tell them you need help," Leavitt said. "The visibility is going to help you regardless"

!WHO NEEDS 'EM? When Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College bolted from the Big East to the ACC, many questioned whether the Big East should retain its BCS status.

Leavitt wasn't one of the doubters.

"I really don't get caught up in all of that," he said. "I knew the Big East was very strong because we had played Big East teams before we even went in, so nothing has surprised me. The Big East will continue to get stronger."

!ODDS AND ENDS: OG Jake Griffin, who had his cast removed from his broken foot, will travel to Cincinnati but is questionable to play, Leavitt said. … WR Marcus Edwards, who sat out the North Carolina game with a concussion, practiced. … USF will get an extra day of practice this week because of the Sunday game.

Gregg Becnel

Great news regarding Griffin and Edwards.