USF student hit by car dies

TAMPA -- A University of South Florida student died Wednesday morning after she was hit by a car while crossing Fletcher Avenue the day before, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Jessica Palmer, 18, of 1828 SW 102 Way in Miramar, was running across Fletcher not far from USF Palm Drive when a 1993 Volkswagen driven by Sharon Sanchez, 25, of Dade City, struck her, said Debbie Carter, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

Palmer had not been using a crosswalk, Carter said. The student was taken to Tampa General Hospital with serious injuries.

No charges have been filed against Sanchez, Carter said.

--Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer

USF student hit by car, taken to hospital

TAMPA -- A University of South Florida student was hospitalized Tuesday night after she was hit by a car while crossing Fletcher Avenue, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Jessica Palmer, 18, of Miramar, was running across Fletcher not far from USF Palm Drive when a 1993 Volkswagen driven by Sharon Sanchez, 25, of Dade City, struck her, said Debbie Carter, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

Palmer had not been using a crosswalk, Carter said. The student was taken to Tampa General Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. "She was pretty banged up," Carter explained.

No charges have been filed against Sanchez, Carter said.

--Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer

Finally, some heart!

Steve put a nice comment after my previous blog entry. I missed every one of my predictions. I'm ecstatic that I did. But prior to yesterday, USF hadn't shown any ability to stop high-caliber running attacks (as in, we'll stop the average to pretty good running teams, but watch out for the elite, powerful ones), the stats show USF as being about .500 when Grothe gets picked, and team just laid an egg against Rutgers. So I think my predictions were well-founded.

It seems that when I have any level of hope, something screws it up. But if I'm a pessimist coming into the game, they come through. So I'm saying I don't think we have a chance at WVU. Hopefully I'll be wrong again.

Pessimism has a benefit, too. If you're right, you get to brag. If you're wrong, you get to feel happy about a win. Really can't miss. Maybe college football has a place in philosophy classes. Move over Nietzsche- Dr. Lou Holtz will be required reading! Actually, the ESPN college football encyclopedia should be for any college football fan.

This was an anomalous win for USF, for sure. Grothe struggled (9-18 with a pick in the red zone), the running backs, outside of Jamar Taylor's big run, were bottled up (about 3 yards a carry), and we racked up an amazing number of offsides penalties (I can't think of a worse penalty. No positive can come of it). Normally when two of those three happen, we lose. See the three previous games. In the fourth quarter, I thought the team did a good job maintaining composure. That's something that doesn't always happen.

I have to give Tyrone McKenzie a shout out. He's one of my favorite all-time Bulls, and he showed up big time. He should have been the Big East defensive player of the week. And Dontavia Bogan showed great speed on those kick returns. Can he return punts?

So the focus is now on WVU. Wally has plenty of time to prepare for Pat White's final home game (that means he's likely to explode). Grothe's ankle looked tender, so he's got some time to heal. Getting to 8-4 would be a huge boost, although I don't think anything stops us from going to the St. Pete Bowl. I just don't see the offense having enough to get past WVU (which actually has decent defensive stats in Big East play), especially if Grothe has the same struggles.

On the Big East picture, I hope that Rutgers knocks Louisville out. Why? To screw Notre Dame over, thats why. Any time that happens, I'm happy. And hopefully Cincy takes care of Syracuse. I think Cincy has the best chance to win a BCS bowl game, and for purposes of showing why we're better than the ACC, that's an important thing. Especially because it means Brian Kelly probably will be gone (to Notre Dame maybe?), and that guy is a USF killer.

I might talk about basketball at some point in the next two weeks. But I probably won't.

And let's go Bulls soccer! I'm not a big soccer fan in general, but anytime USF is winning, I'll support them. A Big East championship is an awesome accomplishment, and the bracket in the NCAAs is such that we might get in a nice little run. 

Your photos: Matt Grothe and Rocky

Melissa Bidgood, a USF grad, shares photos of Matt Grothe and Rocky visiting Sand Pine Elementary.

Looks like Rocky had some fun on the school's playground, too.

Share your favorite Bulls photos: E-mail them to submit@tampabay.com. Make sure to take credit; include your name and some info about the photo in the body of the message. Then view your photos in our Bulls gallery.

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I have no faith in Bulls football team anymore

Before enrolling in law school, I knew I was in for a challenge. I'm still really happy I decided to come, but I swear that I heard a snap come from inside my head on Wednesday when we turned in our big legal writing assignment for the semester. It was at that point that I knew my brain was broken. It didn't really hurt- the only way to explain it is that I was filled with an emptiness inside my noggin.

I didn't watch a single game yesterday, and will be withholding from the NFL today, but here are my football thoughts:

1) Myron Rolle- a true ideal of the student-athlete. Probably hasn't received enough publicity.

2) Every ranked team in the ACC lost. I think that is hilarious. What a joke of a conference.

3) Syracuse over Notre Dame. Let there be no confusion- I hate Notre Dame and everything their overrated joke of a program stands for. Charlie Weis now has the same winning percentage as Bob Davie and Ty Willingham, except neither of those guys ever really stunk up the joint in quite the same fashion. And congrats to Greg Robinson. He set Syracuse back light years, but for the seniors up there and for him, it has to be gratifying to go in to South Bend and win (because who doesn't want to beat Notre Dame at their place?).

4) Cincinnati over Pitt. Cincy is a really resilient football team. In fact, they are the exact opposite of USF. When Cincy is in trouble, they rally around Brian Kelly and their seniors. Pitt even mounted a comeback. USF would have just laid down and taken the beating. The onus is now on Cincy to not embarrass the conference in the BCS game.

5) National Championship. I don't care. Some worthy team will get left out. The Big 12 really ate itself up this year. Oklahoma looks like a shoe-in at this point, but they lost to Texas, which lost to Texas Tech. There is no logical way to sort this mess out. And a playoff won't solve it, because even if we go with a 16 team bracket, instead of the 8 I've seen proposed, who gets left out of the Big 12? Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma would all deserve a spot, but someone would be left in the cold. My solution? Go back to the pre-BCS days. Just have one big vote at the end of the bowl season. Every coach gets a ballot- no media and no "legacy" voters.

Onto the USF game.

1) It's Sunday night. You're kidding me. It's NFL night, OK. Can we get that straight?

2) UCONN will run all over us. 200+ yards sounds about right.

3) If USF turns it over in the first half, we'll lose.

4) Tyrone McKenzie and Ben Williams will go down as two of the most important players in USF history.

5) UCONN will win 31-17. I have no faith in this team anymore.

And quickly on basketball- I didn't pay to watch the UVA game, but I listened to it online. I thought the guys played hard, and with Gilchrist and Mercer, we would have won. That said, you can't blow two chances at the end. Heath probably could have come up with a better play than letting DJones try to be Kobe.

Take Flat Santa to Sunday's game

Going to Sunday's game against Conneticut? Make sure to take  Flat Santa.

Print him out, cut him out   (please!) and pose him with tailgating fans, players or Rocky.

Wow us, people, because we'll award gift card prizes in four categories: Best Overall, Best Photo with a Celebrity, Must Unusual Location and our fave, Flat Santa/Pet Look-alike Contest. (Dress your dog/cat/rabbit/hamster in little Santa hats or suits and pose them with Flat Santa. Awww.)

Then e-mail your photo to submit@tampabay.com. Be sure to include where Flat Santa is, who is in the photo, what town you live in and your e-mail address (we won't publish it). Then view them in our Flat Santa gallery.

Bulls fans still had fun

 

Garrett Baskind, Marissa Dean, and Chelsea Lawson had fun tailgating before Saturday's game against Rutgers. (Not sure whether they were still smiling after the game; the USF Bulls lost to Rutgers 49-16.)

These Bulls fans were all pumped up before the game.

tbt* photographer Luis Santana captured more smiling fans before Saturday's game.



Stephanie Tassoni, Maria Classon, Lindsey Fairbrother, and Amanda Fairbrother tailgating at the Raymond James Stadium parking lot before the Rutgers game.          

View more of Santana's pics

That was a nice season the Bulls had once

[USF backup quarterback Grant Gregory scrambles but later fumbles on the play against Rutgers. Willie J. Allen Jr. | Times]
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I might write a full requiem for the season later, but all I'm going to say before diving headfirst into the world of torts is that this season is now officially a failure.

Going into the game, we still had a chance to get the most wins in school history. We still have a chance to match the past two seasons. But we have a losing record in the Big East in a season in which we were the clear favorite following a perfect non-conference schedule.

Wally Burnham, Greg Gregory, Mike Simmonds, and one of the D-line coaches all need to go. The Big East has obviously figured Wally out. Gregory can't figure the Big East out. Simmonds can't get a senior-filled line to do anything (we're terrible in both pass protection and run blocking). The D-line isn't poorly coached, but the time has come to use one of the spots on a special teams coordinator, which may be extraordinary, but is clearly necessary. I'm not sure which coaches are responsible for which recruits, so we might want to hold off on firing 4 guys at once, but I guarantee there are some younger position coaches at bigger schools or young coordinators at D-1AA schools that would love a shot to coordinate in the Big East (especially considering we're one of the 3 most talented teams).

The problem is that we grew too fast. Expectations mushroomed unfairly. But (unrealistic?) expectations are no excuse. The team looked like they gave up in the second half, which is different from when they don't try for 3 quarters of a game. I haven't seen the team give up since the Sun Bowl  last season and then back to 2006 against Louisville. The program is still on the rise- look at the list of recruits that ESPN shows as considering us. Eugene Smith is gone, which stinks (even more so because he picked WVU), but there are plenty of guys considering USF that never have before, like Ryne Giddens of Armwood.

Next year will be Matt Grothe's last. He's the guy that single-handedly accelerated the growth of the program. Matt, it's on you to save this season and prevent the same thing from happening next year.

Also, CFN predicted us to go 7-5. They might be right, which would be the first time in history they actually got something about USF correct. 

Men's Basketball: Mired in mediocity, mitigated by a mission to meet median with mega-tall men

I'm not sure what I'm least excited about: final exam study, getting my wisdom teeth out, or the USF men's basketball team. Exams will be over before Christmas, wisdom teeth recovery is pretty quick, but the basketball season is pretty darn long. So there's your answer.

I still have faith in Stan Heath. The team played harder and actually had plays with an intent to put a ball through a hoop. They didn't do it particularly well, but they tried. Which was an improvement from Bobbyball (about as exciting as watching curling).

Missing is Kentrell Gransberry, who I heard was recently cast to play Shrek for an off-broadway, off-continent team in France. Or he's playing the 5. Regardless, he was by far and away the most "Big-Easty" player we had. No other big man on the team, or in the conference, could bang like KG. He had a lot of flaws which prevented NBA success, but he will be sorely missed. His intensity was noticeable. No one will miss Holmes, Chin, Bozeman, or Curry.

Stan added three potentially strong pieces: Gus Gilchrist and Mike Mercer. Gilchrist tried to convince us that no one explained NCAA/ACC transfer rules (like Gary Williams didn't know that), while Mercer got kicked off of an SEC team. Given what SEC star players (as Mercer was) get away with, I don't even want to imagine what he did. That said, we know that Mercer can ball, and Gilchrist was thought very highly of by much bigger programs than ours. The third guy we got is the one who could be a big addition- Eladio Espinosa. We really need help up front, and GA said that he has a 42 inch vertical leap. Wow! He played a big role at Hargrave Military, so he has a good pedigree, too.

The other additions, Alex Rivas-Sanchez, Gaby Belardo, and Justin Leemow, don't excite me at all. Sanchez looks like he could be a more reliable rebounder than Ajayi, but if he couldn't 10 points a game in JUCO ball, how on earth will he be an offensive force in the best conference in the land? The Champ says that Belardo can shoot, which will be a welcome addition, but I'm not counting on him. I don't know much about Leemow- GA had a positive report, but I'll wait until the Big East season to make a judgment.

Stan had three other guys ready to go, but we won't have Teeng Akol, Gene Teague, or Dwan McMillan. Akol would have been a great get, but I'm glad that the university didn't eliminate any pretense of academic integrity by letting him in. Teague had some potential, but he looked like Zaronn Cann to me (or he could be DeJuan Blair). I though McMillan had Big East quickness and could have replaced Howard.

The returning guards have some promise. DJ should have been a pre-season conference honorable mention. He's a sure thing, so I won't really address him. All you need to know is that he was our only other Big-Easty player last year. I can't stand Chris Howard. That's all I'm saying about him. The onus for the season is on Jesus Verdejo. He needs to take the leadership reigns from KG and provide the heart for the team. He needs to pick up his defense a little and to be more consistent on the offensive end.

The team now has three Big-Easty players- Jones, Mercer, and Gilchrist. Verdejo could turn himself into a Big-Easty. That's 4 good players. Espinosa may be a 5th. The problem is, the 9th best team in the Big East has 4 great players and 8 good players. USF's only chance to beat a Pitt, Louisville, or really anyone else not named Rutgers, St. Johns, or Seton Hall is to hope that the opponent misses the bus and has to run from the hotel. And the three "bad" teams I mentioned will all make significant leaps. Rutgers in particular killed on the recruiting trail this year.

I propose a line up (after the semester ends) of Gilchrist, Espinosa, Verdejo, Jones, and Mercer. It's small, yes, but it is very athletic and has some scorers. Plus, Heath can get them amped enough to be a decent defensive unit.

That said, the depth isn't there. Looking at the schedule, I say 8-4 in the non-conference part (losing to Virginia, UAB, Vandy, and Oral Roberts in the tournament), and 5-13 in the Big East (wins over DePaul, Providence, and Cincy at home, and at St. Johns and Seton Hall). So 13-17 overall. In C-USA, this team would make the NIT. But the Big East is just too tough for us to compete over the course of two months.

Stan needs to secure Keith Clanton during this signing period. Take the line-up I put up above, subtract Verdejo and add Clanton, and that team would be decent, considering that the depth should pick up with this year's freshmen adding some experience, and then Noriega and Dumars coming in ready to give minutes. Gene Teague will be available, still, and his muscle could be useful. I'd like to give him a shot in the Big East, so if there is a scholarship available, lets give it to him.

Thoughts? Someone get The Champ over here.

Photo by Daniel Wallace | Times

Lauren and Kaeli's green & gold pics

Lauren Burg shares a photo (on right) of herself with best friend Kaeli on the bus getting ready to leave to go to USF St. Petersburg night vs. Kansas.


Lauren rides the mechanical bull at the Homecoming carnival at USF St. Petersburg on October 16.

On the right, Lauren and Kaeli give Bulls fingers at the 2008 season opener vs. Tennessee Martin.

View more photos from Lauren and other Bulls fans, then share your favorites. E-mail your pictures to submit@tampabay.com. Make sure to take credit; include your name and a description of the photo in the message. Then view your photos in our Bulls gallery.

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It's not Leavitt who must go ...

I think many people felt the same way as David Weber, but at the same time, don’t we pay Jim Leavitt to make the necessary changes?

Does anyone really think that we were the No. 2 team in the country last year? Honestly, without bias, No. 2 in the country.

Does anyone really believe that we were a top 10 team this year? Come on now, no need to get personal or start throwing darts my way. Just answer the question honestly.

A top 30 offense? Well we should all just keep quiet and go with it. We should have a top 30 offense. It is not as if we're playing the best of the best. I have watched a lot of football this season, and I see a lot of offenses that make ours look much worse. I don’t want to bash USF at all, that is not my motive. I just wish people could show a bit more passion for our flaws. We must admit that change is needed, and it is not Leavitt who must go.

In my own opinion, USF has established themselves as a very nice program that should undoubtedly be in the top 25, but not at this moment. We have very good talent that is being misused. I expect Jim Leavitt to be the face of this program and continue to bring in very good athletes. You don’t build a perennial powerhouse in college football overnight. We must prove to the pollsters that we belong and a league championship will follow.

I feel as if I have the right to be disappointed in a season like this one. Last year was a year that put USF on the map. We were no longer the University of Southern Florida. We were no longer a surprise. This was the year that we were to step away from other schools within the Big East and show that we were the cream of the crop.

USF is not the 6-3 team that we are witnessing right now. I know that they are a better team, but it appears as if they are having a difficult time finding their identity. I know that it does not happen in sports very often, but it would be refreshing to hear Leavitt stand up in front of the media and admit that a change is needed. I hope it is not too much to ask for consistency each week that we show up.

I also would ask this question: Does anyone know of any young up-and-coming assistant coaches that would be a good fit?

It should be an interesting off season.

-- Brian Taylor

Fire Leavitt? Not so fast

So the chatter on the message boards and GA's blog is that people want coach Jim Leavitt fired.

Yes, the same man who built the program from scratch and into a consistent top-35 team.

BC, Clemson, Texas Tech, and Cal have all recently gone through stretches of continuous "very-goodness." Two of these teams made rash decisions with their coaches. BC appears to have gotten lucky with Jeff Jagodzinski (sorry for the spelling). Texas Tech and Cal have grumbled about their coach, despite being higher than they have ever been in the recent past (not so much this year for Cal, but last year). Many other more historical programs, like Minnesota, Illinois, Syracuse, Pitt, Nebraska, Miami, and Florida State have all been passed by USF in terms of on-field results.

Leavitt is making it in a system that promotes elitism and oligarchy. College football does not like the USFs and Boise States of the world. For USF to rise, an established program necessarily must fall. USF rose, many fell. Leavitt is the primary reason for that.

Leavitt is terrible at special teams and discipline (in the penalty sense. Our players have largely been staying out of trouble, which is more than programs like Penn State, Iowa, or Virginia can say). Leavitt is a pretty mediocre decision maker. Never goes for it when he should. Calls two timeouts in the third quarter while on defense. Hired Mike Simmonds. And Greg Gregory (and I would like to point out that the USF offense is still one of the 30 best in the nation).

Find me a coach without a flaw. Even USC, UF, and Oklahoma lose head-scratchers. Before yesterday, Mike Leach made some of the dumbest personnel and play-calling decisions in history.

USF was extremely lucky to get Leavitt and will be extremely lucky to retain him. This program was not supposed to rise so quickly (if at all). Does that make him immune from criticism? Absolutely not. Does one season of disappointment mean he should be fired (anyone who claims to have expected better than 9-4 last year can wash their mouth out with soap, because they're lying)? Absolutely not.

So the goals for this season have not been met. Let's use 2008 Texas Tech as an example of why fan bases shouldn't get too hot and bothered by stringing together 4 winning seasons. Eventually, things will click. Anyone expecting USF to turn into one of the major powerhouse programs on an annual basis needs to take a look at history. It ain't happening. But a Big East championship every few years is a reasonable goal. I thought this would be the first year. It wasn't. But Matt Grothe will be back, as will many other good players, coupled with the most sought-after recruits we've ever had.

Things are still looking up for USF. And a 10-win season is still possible (probable, though? No.).

Perspective people, perspective. Unless you want us to turn into UCF-west.

Jim Leavitt photo by Al Behrman | AP