Andre Hall back at practice ...

Guess who stopped by USF's practice Thursday? Former USF running back Andre Hall, enjoying the Denver Broncos' bye week. Here's what correspondent Brendan Galella e-mailed in ...

TAMPA -- With his team on a bye week, running back Andre Hall stopped by Bulls practice Thursday to offer the team congratulations on its fast start.

Hall, who spent two seasons with USF from 2004-2005, was immediately showered with taunts from his former teammates because Ben Williams broke his single-game touchdown record with his four scores against Florida Atlantic.

After he graduated from USF, Hall left the Bulls as the most dominant rusher in school history.

Even though he has a busy schedule with the Denver Broncos, Hall said he has still has seen the Bulls defeat Auburn, North Carolina and West Virginia. Their No. 5 ranking came as a surprise to nearly everyone but him.

"Why does that seem so crazy to everyone? It's not that crazy to me, I always expected it," Hall said. "It's about time this happened. The people out here (practicing) worked so hard to get there, now they just can't let it go."

As the Bulls prepare to face in-state foe Central Florida, Hall wanted to let the team know the importance of not making too much of the contest.

"It's just a regular game, you have to treat it as that," Hall said. "For the fans, they can make it as big as they want it to be but for the guys right here it should be just another Saturday."

Comments

[Jim]

Maybe he can get our offense cranked up for the UCF game we need them to come out on fire.

[Adam]

Suit him up. He loved running all over UCF.

I miss Andre, really wish he and Grothe could have played at the same time, that would have been a special offense. I think our RBs combined are getting the job done, but he carried us. Glad he is back on campus for a week, things are looking pretty good for him to get on the field, just needs a suspension get going.

[Dave]

Andre and Grothe would've been a great duo, for sure. Hopefully he'll get a crack in Denver soon. Will he be at the UCF game?

Is there a USF football Hall of Fame? The pun works so well right there. The Andre Hall of Fame. First members: Marquel Blackwell, Andre Hall, Kawika Mitchell.

[Amanda]

I miss Andre, he's so good!! I still have a picture I took of him at the spring game before the draft he should have been drafted at. He was wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates cap and we all assumed that was a secret way of saying the Steelers were going to draft him... not true. I hope he does well in Denver when he gets his chance.

[Woot]

Andre Hall did run all over UCF. I remember going to the last UCF/USF at RJ. Every time USF got a first down, I would have to hear that stupid Mcdonald's chime. I haven't eaten there since.
Broncos eh? Maybe he and Brandon Marshall will become friends. UCF and USF side by side? The NFL is a miracle worker!!!

[Adam]

In a not so un-related story, when is Travis Henry getting suspended? If Andre gets on the field, they won't get him off. This could be the break he needs to get on the field and show how good he is.

[steve oneal]

I will agree with you on the McD's jingle, Woot, that was annoying. You only had to listen for one game. I don't think anybody misses that.

[Ari]

Greg..

We need an article about how the media hyped us up as everyones favorite dark horse, but now seems to be gathering like a bunch of sharks -- just licking their chops and waiting to wack us if we have a mis-step.

I have never seen anything like it. The naysayers are growing by the day.

What is their beef?
It can't be our schedule - because we have wins over Auburn and West Va.

Would they really have the gall to hold us out of the BCS pic if we went undefeated. Mike Tranghese and the Big East would explode.

I have never seen the likes of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbsteit, Lee Corso, Jimmy Johnson, Urban Meyer, Nick Saban have such disdain for us. Have you heard Chris Fowler discuss USF football on Tv....? You can feel the venom through your. I don't get it. Kirk Herbsteit just seems flat out annoyed by us. Like we are this annoying fly that wont go away.

We should be the "feel good story" of the year. Instead -- they are sitting around the fire waiting to pounce.

What gives?

[Mike Damone]

All I'm saying is this: If you're last game was played on the same field as the state soccer championships, you haven't quite reached the big time.

[Ari]

Mike,
You sound like an idiot. I'll repeat, outside LSU, name another team in the top 25 that has two higher quality wins than USF.?

Keep looking, you won't find it. The closest around, might be Cal over oregon and Tenn. But Tenn is awful.

USF is for real. Hate all you want.

"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it."
Mohandas Gandhi

[AnhVu Nguyen]

How much as expectations change for the Bulls? Nobody has mention this week a feat that was always huge in years past for the bulls. A win against UCF makes USF bowl-eligible.

[Michael Harding]

HI AMANDA! I still have that autographed flyer from him as well.

GO ANDRE!

[Jerome]

In response to the post about the USF Football Hall of Fame...

No USF Football Hall of Fame would be complete without USF's best NFL player and member of the original 1997 team, Anthony Henry. My man from Estero is not only a great player but an even better person.

[revenge]

Maybe USF Fans should have the signs "Jimmny Johnson is an idiot" for the national audience on Saturday. Bottom line Jimmy, no one cares about your opinion and no one wants you as a coach. (Can substitute Nick Saban into sign too)