Check that: USF-UNC set for ESPN

Forget about what you read last week on ESPN.com's football schedule: Saturday's USF-North Carolina game at Raymond James Stadium will be televised on ESPN, getting the nod Monday over West Virginia-East Carolina, which will go on ESPN2.

ESPN.com's schedule had listed the USF kickoff as being on ESPN2, but the Bulls get the full ESPN treatment. Pam Ward has the play-by-play, Ray Bentley the color commentary and Robert Simmelkjaer the sideline reporting duties. The Bulls have never won a game on ESPN, losing in three previous appearances.

And because we just can't do short posts, some linkage:

-- First, a national ranking, and now this: the Orlando Sentinel's Dave Curtis has anointed a "Next Three" for the state's football programs, including the Bulls, along with UCF and Florida Atlantic. All three have knocked off BCS conference opponents in the last two weeks.

-- USF made it into a column from the political editor of the Lakeland Ledger, complete with unnamed USF sources "confiding" about the on-campus stadium issue. And, yes, a local politician got his name in the paper for writing Matt Grothe a letter of congratulations after the Auburn win.

-- Sportsline.com's Dennis Dodd -- I guess it's CBSsports.com's Dennis Dodd now -- has USF ranked 16th in his new rankings. Then again, he has Duke 25th, so we're not sure where the silliness starts or ends.

-- Can't say I'd heard of Davis Rodriguez before, but he's a freshman at Lafayette and kicked a game-winning field goal Saturday. He attended USF last year and told the Morning Call in Pennsylvania that USF pulled an offer for him to be a preferred walk-on last year because he wanted to hear on financial aid from Lafayette. In full disclosure, my dad's a Lehigh grad.

-- Fun story on USF defensive line coach Dan McCarney watching his old Iowa State team beat Iowa. He told the Des Moines Register it was "extremely strange" to watch the rivalry game, as he's been a part of 25 of the last 30 meetings.

Comments

[Brian Kennedy]

CALLING ON ALL USF FANS!

WE NEED A GOOD SHOWING FOR THE GAME THIS SATURDAY...LET'S NOT HAVE TONS OF EMPTY SEATS.

WE'RE A TOP 25 TEAM PLAYING ON ESPN SATURDAY AFTERNOON...!

EVERYONE NEEDS TO SHOW FOR THIS GAME !

[DELdaBULL]

AMEN Brian!

[JL]

This makes me nervous...Hopefully CJL will keep them focused on this game and not look towards W Va.

Historically we have really stunk after a good win. Auburn was a good win.

GA, can you please find out who is responsible for the USF commercials during the game? THEY STINK! Ballerinas and stuff???? What happened with Top Cancer research? Science stuff? etc?

[Kyle F.]

JL i agree, our commercial sucks this year. I thought I heard some sort of techno/dance music in the background good god.

[TS]

Greg,

Your reporting of all things USF is awesome! I always look forward to reading your reports. Beating Auburn and our first Top 25 ranking is awesome.

My Dad is a Lafayette alum and you know they are going to beat Lehigh again this year!

[Dave]

I don't really like the Pam Ward team. She has a lot of the same issues that plague the lower announcing teams- poor player identification, poor yardage estimates, and nonsensical talk (I know this describes many teams, but at least the top ones, like whomever Flutie is paired with, have poise and more credibility). Not that its a big deal, we're on ESPN, and every game on ESPN is big time for us.

Not a fan of the "next three" notation. The BCS gap between us and the other two makes it difficult to establish any linkage other than the youth of our collective teams. That and we'll beat the snot out of the other two.

[G.A.]

TS, I think my first college football game might have been a Lehigh-Lafayette game, but I was like teething at the time. If your dad really is a Lafayette alum, we'll have to trade jabs when that week rolls around.

One of my big pet peeves watching a game is bad info, especially on player identification. The USF-Auburn game was like that, too -- Johnson and Hester getting crossed up, stuff like that. Can't remember if it was a comment here or on the message boards, but I think Ward had some comment that was a slight against USF a few weeks back. You guys have better memories than I do with those kinds of things ...

[Stephen Blackehart]

I don't like the 'next 3' stuff either, but you've got to give props this week to UCF and FAU. UCF nearly stole the game from #6 Texas, and FAU beat Minnesota 42-39. While a lot of the other Big East teams are loading up on the cupcake non-conference schedule this year, the same can't be said for the Bulls. There are no easy games.

[Jason]

hey greg, wasn't it pam a few weeks back that said during a west virginia game that "their toughest games come at the end of the season," not recognizing that wvu plays usf early in the year and that it would be one of wvu's toughest games

[Jason]

Greg, We are trying to get a large push for all USF Fans to wear Green shirts to the game against WVU. If there is anything you can do to help make this happen that would be great. I think this will go a long way toshow the boosters and Alumni that people really are behind USF.

[Amanda]

A green out sounds like a great idea! We need to let everyone know!

Also, I heard that all students might have to reserve their tickets for the WVU game because they believe it will be sold out before game day. Can you find out if this is true or not?

[D.T.]

I don't understand why UCF is getting so many props for losing. That same Texas team barely won by 8 points against powerhouse Arkansas State.

[cee]

UNC game will be a great opportunity for Butch Davis to return to the sunshine state. he will use this trip to capitalize his recruiting efforts on florida high school talent that is highly touted-- something jim leavitt fails to do on an annual basis.

[Dav]

Dudes,

I've figured out who UceeF is!

He's Tariq Aziz from the Iraq regime! He's resurfaced as the Minister of Misinformation in the United States! "Look... there is no American Army outside.. its just Hollywood special effects... [tank rumbles by camera]... uh..."

[Ari]

I'll be watching the USF game from my nice AC apartment - on my nice 50 inch plasma HD tv..

Its just to hot out there fellas.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

what a great fan I am.

Shalom.

[Ari]

Don't you guys know that the Floirda vs. Ole Miss game is on Lincoln Financial at 12:30?

I got USF on the HD..

The Gators on the old Jefferson Pilot..

I got LSU vs. South Carolina late night.

what a saturday.

[SRQ Steve]

There are ways to stay somewhat cool at the games. Portable fan, bucket hat, moisture wicking clothes, etc. You'll be able to watch the away games on your plasma screen. Everyone should attend homes games and support the school and team.

Go Green!!

[DELdaBULL]

UNC might be the biggest game in the history of USF. They have to win, preferably by blowout fashion. I want to see Gregory throwing the ball in the third quarter!

[DELdaBULL]

OK, Fourth quarter :)

[Ari]

I could see mike ford rushing for 200 yards against UNC..

[DELdaBULL]

That would be nice, but I would rather see Samuels rushing for 100 (meaning Ford and Ben W. are resting on the bench in the second half).
This is our biggest game ever!

[ma469zda]

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