Grothe is now the face of South Florida football.

[Grateful Dad]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20070812/NEWS/708120489/1002/SPORTS

FACE OF USF

As Lake Gibson Grad Goes, So Will Bulls Go

By Patrick Zier

TAMPA

Jim Leavitt is resigned to it, South Florida fans second it and Matt Grothe shrugs it off. Because there's nothing he, or anyone else, can do about it. Like it or not, approve of it or not, Grothe is now the face of South Florida football.

If you don't believe that, all you have to do is take a ride down Fowler Avenue here, where you will be greeted by a billboard dominated by a larger than life image of Grothe, the sophomore quarterback out of Lake Gibson.

This is not something Leavitt, the Bulls' coach, would go out of his way to promote. As a general rule, Leavitt prefers to wait until players have a complete body of work before heaping accolades on them. Thus, he normally saves his plaudits for seniors.

But even Leavitt realizes that, just as his team might be on the verge of a breakthrough that could put it on the national stage, so too is Grothe.

"It's just the way things work," Leavitt said. "The quarterback is always the focus of attention on any team. If we do good, he's going to get a lot of credit. If we don't, there'll be criticism. It's the nature of the position."

In past years, South Florida's quarterback hasn't generated much controversy - good or bad - outside the city limits of Tampa.

But the times they are a changin', as the song goes.

"I think people started paying more attention to us after we beat West Virginia last year," Grothe said. "We started getting more recognition, we got noticed more. Now, we're being mentioned as a possible top 25 team, a contender in the Big East.

"We have an opportunity to accomplish some things this year, and the team is aware of that," he said. "Everybody's been working really hard because we can see what's in front of us. I've never seen the confidence so high."

And how successful this team becomes depends, in great measure, on how successful Grothe is at quarterback.

He has many attributes, perhaps the most important his poise under pressure. Even the fans get that. When Grothe stepped on the field for the first time in the first game last year, there was a sense of anticipation. And when he went out with an injured foot in the sixth game against Connecticut, there was an audible groan from the stands.

The foot injury, aggravated in a game against Pittsburgh, is now completely healed, as is a hairline fracture of his right leg suffered in the Bulls' bowl win over East Carolina.

And just as South Florida is hopeful of challenging favorites West Virginia and Louisville in the Big East, Grothe is ready to push Mountaineer quarterback Pat White and Louisville's Brian Brohm for individual recognition, although that's not something he consciously thinks about.

For the most part, Leavitt says Grothe is the same as last year. "I don't see any difference," the Bulls' coach said.

How about being more confident, more ready to play?

"He looks the same to me," Leavitt said. "He still has a lot to learn. He needs to get better. He's going to make mistakes. But do I expect him to suddenly come apart? No. That's not his makeup. In time, he has a chance to be a very good player. We'll have to see what happens."

Whether South Florida is indeed entering a new era likely will be decided by the end of September, after games against Auburn, North Carolina and Louisville. Beat North Carolina and one of the other two, and South Florida is on the national football map. Beat all three, and the Bulls are on the map in capital letters.

"September is big for us," Grothe acknowledged. "But we can't get caught up in that. You handle it by looking at each game like it's a one-game season," Grothe said. "Beat Elon, and we're 1-0. Beat Auburn, and we're 1-0. You keep thinking like that, at the end of the season it all works out."

As for the attention he's likely to be get if South Florida does run up a bunch of those 1-0's, Leavitt said he hasn't talked to Grothe about it.

"That's just something you have to deal with if you're a quarterback," the Bulls' coach commented. And Grothe? "I don't know, I don't think about things like that," he said.

But he is thinking about Elon. One-and-0 and 11 to go.

[Mama_Bull]

Whether South Florida is indeed entering a new era likely will be decided by the end of September, after games against Auburn, North Carolina and Louisville. Beat North Carolina and one of the other two, and South Florida is on the national football map. Beat all three, and the Bulls are on the map in capital letters.

I think that should be WVU.  We don't play Louisville in September, or did I get the schedule wrong?

BTW it is an awesome article.

I do understand what Leavitt tries to do, but in this particular case the ground swell has taken on a life of its own where Matt is concerned.

GO BULLS!!

[Grateful Dad]

You got it right, mom.

[E.T.]

I just got back this morning and got the paper ... Front Page & above the fold. AWESOME !!!

The Ledger is doing well.

[bullsmania]

The Ledger is doing well.

Thanks to your constant badgering ET!

[MikeG]

The Ledger is doing well.

Thanks to your constant badgering ET!

ET the MEDIA BADGER!

[E.T.]

LOL . . .  ;D

If you badger, they will print 

And actually don't badger, just send emails of appreciation and sometimes ask where the coverage is  8)

I have been better and it is easier with email.

Back in Season One, I sent faxes to Brett on a daily basis during summer practice until he called me at work to ask me to stop ... nicely 

[snarling Bull]

Keep it up ET

[Jihme]

It's nice to see all USF all the time in our HOME TOWN!  That's all you see in every other big name schools' respective home towns.  This is just another indication of us growning.  We'll get there soon enough.

[crambone]

Nice job, E.T.

I kept my Sports section from Sunday.  It has a nice picture of Grothe from the Spring Game.