Bulls Ready For Their Close-Up

[bullwark]

By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Oct 22, 2006

CINCINNATI - As long as University of South Florida cornerback Trae Williams can remember, he grew up dreaming of playing in the NFL on Sundays.

Half of Williams' dream will come true tonight when the Bulls visit Cincinnati in the program's first Sunday game.

"It's always been a childhood dream to play on Sunday in the NFL," Williams said. "But I never thought I'd play on Sunday in college."

The Bulls get that opportunity tonight. Because of the World Series, the NFL is not televising a Sunday night game, allowing college football to fill the football void.

"We're the only team playing," USF wide receiver Amarri Jackson said. "No pros playing. No colleges playing. So we're the pros Sunday. It's a good feeling. I've never played on Sunday.

"It's big knowing we're the only team playing. You have to watch us. Football fans will be watching us so you want to make a statement. Hopefully, we can put on a show on ESPN."

Speaking of ESPN, which will telecast tonight's game, we interrupt for an ESPN testimonial from USF senior linebacker Patrick St. Louis.

"It's always special to be on ESPN," St. Louis said. "I watch ESPN every day. How can you flip through the channels and not look at something on ESPN. I wake up every morning with ESPN on my television.

"When you write this story tell ESPN I'm looking for a job. I wouldn't mind being a sports announcer for ESPN. Honestly, that would be one of my dream jobs to work for ESPN - to learn, work my way up."

Back to tonight's USF-Cincinnati game.

"I imagine a lot of people will watch it," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "I don't know what people do on Sunday nights, I know I usually study film, but I imagine there will be some people watching it. It's a good opportunity for exposure."

The Bulls (5-2, 1-1 Big East) need a win against Cincinnati (3-4, 0-2) to stay a game behind league leaders West Virginia and Louisville. USF's last visit to Cincinnati in 2004 was, well, not pleasant. The Bulls allowed 577 yards, still the most surrendered by USF, in the 45-23 loss.

"It was rough," USF linebacker Ben Moffitt said. "I never experienced that very often. It was terrible. It's always in the back of my mind. That was a time we were struggling with defense and different things on offense and we just got exploited."

Moffitt said his family will have a football party after church today. "They'll all get together and watch Sunday night football," he said.

Quarterback Matt Grothe said the game could increase USF's national image.

"It will be fun, especially being the only football game on and being on ESPN," Grothe said. "Hopefully millions of people are watching and if we can get a big win, it would be a big help for our program."

Added Williams: "We want to do our best and come out with a win and show them what South Florida is all about."

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

[Matt]

this game is BIG!!!!!

[Guest wildrover]

Is anybody nervous about it?  I think I might be a little, I do not want them to play flat and blow  what looks like a big opportunity by playing on national TV. Trends look like they might be turning around but my memory still has many more poorly played road games than well played road games.

[Matt]

its on of those games that can move our name up another 2 years or it could also set us back 5 years (kinda like UCF did against Pitt)

however, i am confident in our team so i am saying this moves us up.

you know all the espn announcers will be talking USF up big time too.

[Grateful Dad]

OK, maybe it is my lack of football knowledge showing here, but I don't see this game as anything other than a sure bet way of showing the country just who the University of South Florida is and what we can do.  I am not the least bit worried about this game.

Although I hope our players don't think this way.

[sdgukhsdgl]

its on of those games that can move our name up another 2 years or it could also set us back 5 years (kinda like UCF did against Pitt)

like he said, it is a make or break game for our program, not just this season.  The name USF is starting to leak out to more and more people, so lots of people will be tuning in to see what USF is really about.  We come out and win, and we have a new, huge set of believers.  We come out and lose, and we give a huge number of people another reason to dismiss the program as just another team.  

[E.T.]

I am nervous before all games ...

But I KNOW that our Beloved BULLS will win !

Go BULLS !!!

[Guest BearcatFan]

Stopping run key to starting one

UC climbs to 20th nationally in rush defense

Defensive tackle Trevor Anderson has news for opposing offensive coordinators who might look at the University of Cincinnati defense and figure they can run the ball against the Bearcats.

"A lot of people look at us and say they've got a small defensive line with small linebackers, so we're going to run on them," Anderson said. "No, that's not going to happen. Most people look at us like all they can do is play the pass. They're a small, quick team. No we like to play the run, too. We pride ourselves on playing the run."

They've had a lot to be proud of lately.

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In their past three games, the Bearcats have held their opponents to an average of 59 rushing yards per game. They have risen to 20th nationally against the run, allowing an average of 93 yards per game. Last week, they limited Louisville, which ranks eighth nationally with 214.8 rushing yards per game, to 105 yards on the ground.

UC (3-4 overall, 0-2 in the Big East) will face another test tonight against South Florida (5-2, 1-1) in an 8 p.m. nationally televised game at Nippert Stadium. The Bulls average 164.7 rushing yards.

"A lot of teams want to come out and physically beat the other team by proving that they can run the ball on offense," said UC linebacker Kevin McCullough. "And on defense you want to come out and prove that you're more physically stronger than the other team by being able to stop the run."

Actually, it's not physical strength that has enabled the Bearcats to flourish against the run. Instead, they've done it with quickness and speed.

Their front four of Anthony Hoke (6-1, 245 pounds), Terrill Byrd (6-1, 285), Anderson (6-2, 258) and Angelo Craig (6-5, 220) is not especially big by major college standards.

That's by design.

"We're just trying to get as much speed as we can," said defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. "We don't go out and recruit size. We've never been a big defense anywhere I've been. We've done it with great athletes. Our two defensive ends are like big outside linebackers."

In fact, both Hoke and Craig played linebacker last year, and Narduzzi said that Anderson was recruited with the thought that he might end up playing linebacker.

The Bearcat defense will have to contend tonight with USF quarterback Matt Grothe, a redshirt freshman who unseated incumbent starter Pat Julmiste and leads the Big East in total offense with 264 yards per game. He ranks sixth in the league in rushing with 65.7 yards per game and second in passing (198.3).

Like UC's Dustin Grutza, USF's Grothe is adept at scrambling when the pass protection breaks down, but the Bulls also run a lot of plays that are designed as running opportunities for him.

USF received a boost last week when running back Ricky Ponton, in his first game of the season after a six-game suspension, gained 101 yards on 17 carries.

The Bearcats have talked this week about needing to win three of their last five games to become eligible for a bowl game, but that talk is somewhat premature for a team with a losing record.

UC has lost five straight Big East games dating to last season and is 2-7 in the league since joining the conference last season.

The Bearcats' strong but losing efforts against nationally ranked Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Louisville appear to be indications of progress, but they're losses nonetheless.

"We have to go out and play and prove to people where we're at," said UC head coach Mark Dantonio, "because people still don't know where we're at. That's just the way sports are. We have to go out and win and that's got to start this week."

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