Army Has The Bulls' Attention

[Guest HowieP1]

Published Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Army Has The Bulls' Attention

By Patrick Zier

TAMPA

Jim Leavitt is emphatic. No, the USF coach says. Absolutely not.

No way are Leavitt and his Bulls looking ahead to the next two weeks.

No way are they thinking about anything but beating Army Saturday.

No way have they used a week off to take a sneak peak at Louisville, up after Army, or UAB, which follows Louisville.

But in truth, Army is the appetizer.

The game is big only because if the Bulls blow this one, they blow any chance at having a breakout season.

The 1-4 Black Knights set the table for what could be the biggest two weeks in USF football history.

Consider this. At present, Louisville is unbeaten with a 28-0 win over Kentucky of the SEC and a 34-0 win over North Carolina of the ACC in its pocket.

Thursday, the Cardinals travel to No. 3 Miami, and they should lose this game, still...

Miami is also unbeaten, but the Hurricanes have really only played one team of note, Florida State, and Florida State hasn't really played anybody except Miami.

So, while it isn't probable that Louisville will cut down the 'Canes, it is possible.

And think what that would mean for USF if it, in turn, beats Army and then travels to Louisville to meet what would probably be an unbeaten top 10 team on national TV.

UAB isn't far behind.

At the moment, UAB has only one loss, to FSU, with TCU coming in Friday.

Even if Louisville does lose to the Hurricanes, that game still looms large for South Florida, as does the UAB contest, because how the Bulls do in these two games could determine whether they play in their first bowl after the end of this season.

Leavitt, though, does not want to hear any of that.

"We just lost a game," the Bulls' coach said, referring to Southern Miss. "We're trying to prepare the best we can for Army. It will take everything we have to beat Army. Army is a very good football team."

Leavitt says he's "not sure" how good USF is. "The team is talented," he said. "But we've got to play with more consistency. We've got to play better.

"I know we want to win. I know we'll practice hard. But we can't keep making mistakes. We've got to keep from getting penalties."

Bulls' quarterback Pat Julmiste echos his coach. If the off week did nothing else, it did give Julmiste's sore knee a chance to heal.

"We can't afford to look ahead," Julmiste said. "We have to play better. I think we can be a good football team, but we have to improve.

"If we get better, we'll be a good team, if we don't, we won't. It's as simple as that."

USF does not have to be real good to beat Army, but it's still a must-win game. In Leavitt's eyes, they all are.

But this game gives USF a chance to correct mistakes that cost it a win against Southern Miss and build momentum for the next two weeks, two weeks which, with a win over Army, could make a major imprint on USF's football program.

Patrick Zier is a correspondent for The Ledger.

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041013/COLUMNISTS0613/410130421/1113/SPORTS

[Goldenbuc]

Louisviiiiillleeeee....Loouuuuuiiiiviiillllleeeee.............LOUISVILLE!!!!  

THEY'RE NEXT WEEK!!  Better start preparing for LOUUUUUIVIIIILLLEEE!!! ;D

[bulls96go]

nice story

love PJ

[smazza]

how can bulls look past anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bulls96go]

how can bulls look past anyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by playing RB