usa today

[smazza]

SOUTH FLORIDA

INSIDE SLANT

South Florida needs one win to become bowl eligible for the second straight year.  

But after the Bulls played poorly in their appearance on Sunday night football at Cincinnati –- a 23-6 loss that was almost a shutout who knows if that victory will come.  

Now 5-3 (1-2 Big East), USF if off next week and then goes into November staring at a schedule that shows home games against Pittsburgh and Syracuse and murderous road contests at No. 6 Louisville and No. 4 West Virginia.  

The time to take care of that sixth win may well have been at Cincinnati, but the Bulls were manhandled. The offense was non-existent against a determined home team.  

USF had just 92 yards rushing and turned the ball over three times as their two-game winning streak came to a grinding halt. Overall, South Florida came in averaging 379.4 yards per game of total offense and had 219 Sunday night, its lowest in 15 games.  

"Their defense was very good and they certainly dominated us," said USF coach Jim Leavitt. "You’ve got to give Cincinnati a lot of credit. They did a great job. They're a good football team."  

Sunday night, USF was not a good football team.

NOTES, QUOTES

GAME BALL GOES TO: LB Stephen Nicholas –- He led his team with 12 tackles in Sunday night's 23-6 loss at Cincinnati. He had eight solo tackles, 1 1/2 for a loss and registered one-half sack.  

KEEP AN EYE ON: QB Matt Grothe -– The redshirt starter, the key to the USF offense, had a bad night Sunday and will deal with real adversity for the first time when the Bulls return to action after a bye week. He was pulled Sunday night in favor of Pat Julmiste, who threw a touchdown pass to help the Bulls avoid the second shutout in USF history.  

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Give Cincinnati their due. They just beat us. It happens. You don't like it, but it happens." -– South Florida coach Jim Leavitt after his team was beaten, 23-6, at Cincinnati Sunday night.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

LOOKING GOOD: The South Florida defense wasn't bad Sunday night. In fact, the Bulls were down, 9-0, and the offense had nothing to do with it. LB Stephen Nicholas led the charge, with 12 tackles, eight of them solo, 1 1/2 for loss (including one-half sack).  

P Justin Teachey -– He did his part Sunday night. His first punt was downed on the Cincinnati 1 and he later made a big tackle on a return.  

WR Amp Hill –- Hill, who couldn’t hang on to the last-minute two-point conversion pass that could have beaten Rutgers, had his first touchdown catch in the game’s final minute, allowing his team to avoid the shutout.  

DE George Selvie -– His first-quarter sack moved him into a tie with NT Allen Cray for the team lead, with 4 1/2.  

STILL NEEDS WORK: The USF team attitude will need an adjustment after a game like this, when the Bulls wilted under the national spotlight and were manhandled by Cincinnati. The running game, which had become re-born the previous two weeks, was non-existent against the No. 20 rushing defense in the country –- and the passing game took four sacks as the Bulls narrowly avoided the program’s second lifetime shutout.  

ROSTER REPORT: WR Taurus Johnson was leveled on a fourth-quarter hit, but, with the cart nearby, got up and walked off the field.  

QB Matt Grothe left after his nose was bloodied and was replaced by Pat Julmiste, whose late TD pass to Hill got the Bulls on the board for the only time.

[flsportsfan83]

Grothe was pulled?

really were they watching the same game i was?

[amie_abull]

SOUTH FLORIDA

KEEP AN EYE ON: QB Matt Grothe -– The redshirt starter, the key to the USF offense, had a bad night Sunday and will deal with real adversity for the first time when the Bulls return to action after a bye week. He was pulled Sunday night in favor of Pat Julmiste, who threw a touchdown pass to help the Bulls avoid the second shutout in USF history.  

...

QB Matt Grothe left after his nose was bloodied and was replaced by Pat Julmiste, whose late TD pass to Hill got the Bulls on the board for the only time.

Can anyone say "inconsistent reporting"????   :

[USFPDiddy]

SOUTH FLORIDA

KEEP AN EYE ON: QB Matt Grothe -– The redshirt starter, the key to the USF offense, had a bad night Sunday and will deal with real adversity for the first time when the Bulls return to action after a bye week. He was pulled Sunday night in favor of Pat Julmiste, who threw a touchdown pass to help the Bulls avoid the second shutout in USF history.  

...

QB Matt Grothe left after his nose was bloodied and was replaced by Pat Julmiste, whose late TD pass to Hill got the Bulls on the board for the only time.

Can anyone say "inconsistent reporting"????   :

It's true that it's not very clear.  However, I would "pull" almost any player that was hurt like that.  It's hard to throw the ball with getting all over the place (worst of all in the eyes).

[MikeG]

the day after a loss is basically a thorough autopsy of the team and all it's faults. It is so much fun. I really look forward to it. Best of all-- we get to do this for TWO WEEKS.

Yay!

[BullDoug]

The term "manhandled" really bothers me.  I don't see it that way.  Yes the play wasn't stellar but our Bulls were not manhandled.  This team's D played well.  The O had turnover issues and questionable play calling.  Special teams "pressed" on a punt return which caused a mental error.  "Manhandled" is not accurate is all I can say.  Yes, Cincinatti played a tuff game defensively but until late in the 3rd qtr when the fumble was returned for score, the game was freakin' even.  You could even argue the game was pretty even until the fake punt  :.  Everytime I think about the fake I havta exhale & sigh.  Anyway the game was a one score game until 12:52 in the fourth qtr and thier two scoring drives started at the USF 27 after stupid coaching decisions.  IMO USF was more of a victim of shooting themselves in the foot, TOs, second half bad field position and questionable coaching decisions but not manhandled.  The game is totally different at 7-2, 7-5 or even 7-8 if Grothe doesn't throw an INT...totally.  Man it bothers me to no end when opportunities are lost.