Three and out: Bulls fall 38-33 to Cincy

I'll be back with more, but here's a first look at Sunday's game story ...

TAMPA – The end was close enough to be heartbreaking, but for USF, the beginning was so record-setting bad you couldn’t believe the game could come down to a single play, an official’s no-call in the end zone.

USF dug itself another huge hole and nearly climbed out, but the Bulls saw their homecoming spoiled by a third straight loss to an unranked team, a 38-33 loss to Cincinnati that gives the Bulls little else but a hollow bowl trip to play for.

National rankings? Gone. Contention for a Big East crown? Not this year. The No. 20 Bulls lost all of that, much the same way they coughed up a school-record eight turnovers. In three weeks, in three close losses, they have gone from No. 2 in the nation to sharing the conference cellar with Syracuse.

“Too many mistakes,” coach Jim Leavitt said. “There’s no excuse really, at all. We didn’t play good enough to win. … You just can’t turn the ball over that many times and expect to win. It’s amazing that we were in it with the turnovers that we had.”

And yet amazingly, the Bulls (6-3, 1-3) were in it. Down 18 in the second half, down 11 with three minutes to play, the Bulls got a late touchdown, then got to the Cincy 18-yard line and had two catchable passes in the end zone in the final eight seconds.

Had Matt Grothe’s final pass found Jessie Hester in the end zone, it would have been an amazing rally, but the pass fell incomplete, with no flag beside it despite apparent contact on Hester from Cincinnati’s Anthony Williams.

“I will be so broken up, my heart would break if I look at this play and there’s interference,” Leavitt said. “I’m sure they made the right call. … I don’t know. Goodness gracious, that was close.”

Grothe finished with a school-record 382 yards, but he had five of USF’s eight turnovers, tying another record with four interceptions. For the second game in a row, one was returned for a touchdown. Still, he led the Bulls with 75 rushing yards, accounting for 95 percent of the offense's 481 yards.

"I am as proud of Matt as you can be," Leavitt said. "The guy's a battler, and I'm going to battle with him forever. I love the guy."

It was a promising start for the Bulls, with Trae Williams returning an interception 73 yards for a touchdown, and Mike Jenkins taking a kickoff 100 yards for a 14-7 lead.

"I thought at the time it would set the tone for the game, but obviously, it didn't," Williams said.

But Cincinnati (7-2, 2-2) fired off 24 points in a seven-minute span, recovering a blocked punt in the end zone, returning a Grothe interception 79 yards for another score, then scoring on one of three touchdown passes from quarterback Ben Mauk.

Just as USF trailed Connecticut 16-0 at halftime last week, the Bulls were down 38-20 to the Bearcats. The defense shut Cincinnati out in the second half, but again, a rally started too late and came up agonizingly short.

Consider the mistakes in the fourth quarter alone: Marcus Edwards muffed a punt on his 16-yard line, and Grothe’s fourth interception set up Cincinnati on the USF 31; another pick was called back on replay. The Bearcats missed one field goal, then had another blocked by George Selvie.

Grothe’s touchdown to Jessie Hester with 2:04 remaining cut the lead to 38-33 – a two-point conversion was intercepted. USF failed to recover an onsides kick, and still got a chance with 29 seconds left.

Grothe completed passes of 20 and 24 yards, putting USF on the 18-yard line  with 0:08 left. Carlton Mitchell nearly came down with one touchdown pass, and then a final shot to Hester fell incomplete, with no pass-interference flag to give USF one more chance.

A third loss, with two of three remaining games on the road, means USF's bowl future is likely in Charlotte, N.C., or in Birmingham, Ala., where they've gone after each of the last two seasons. This time, the Bulls will go there knowing they could have done something more with their season.

“It’s real difficult for us right now,” Jenkins said. “Right now, we’re just playing for pride.”

Comments

[cee]

jim's reign of terror needs to end.. he is embarrassing this university and this city. how in the hell does one choke away a #2 ranking handed down by the media?

leavitt is the Dom Capers of college football. he can build one for you, but he's just not a good coach and get you past meaningless bowl games. go back to 1-AA, jim, we dont need you anymore. we really screwed the pooch when we didnt take the time out to talk to butch davis or anyone other coach available who knows hos to build championship programs with florida recruits.

[Ari]

I have never seen so many turnovers. Unreal

[cee]

Ari, it's good to see you posting on here after such a tough time.. only bandwaggon and fairweather fans run when the times are tough (kinda like leavitt running from the media and hiding his players from the media after losses).. nothing about the way this program is being developed is correct.

[Tampabaysportsfanatic]

You cannot make mistakes against Cincy, if you do they will make you pay. Thats why they had so many turnovers.

[Windbane]

cee, you were nowhere to be found after the UCF win. What an idiot.

Btw, the media never gave us a #2 ranking. The computers had us #1. They are objective. We beat 2 great teams.

How about you get on the bandwagon once before you criticize others for getting off. Oh wait, you're a UCeeF fan. I forgot.

[cee]

when you are coached by jim leavitt, mistakes are inevitable in every game.

[Windbane]

mistakes are inevitable in every game no matter who you are. You are clueless.

[JL]

1.) Ari is a bandwagoner
2.) I have always known that
3.) Cee is an idiot
4.) Grothe had a bad game
4.) Make that 2 bad games
5.) HE IS A SOPHOMORE
6.) We will be better next year
7.) Cee is an idiot
8.) We are building a PROGRAM!
9.) This is our first year ranked
10.) We will handle it better next year
11.) I can go on all night.
12.) Ari is a bandwagoner!
13.) Is that a word?
14.) Go Bulls!!!!!!!!

[Dave W]

I still don't understand why Marcus Edwards is returning punts. He has to have had one major mistake in almost every game we've played. He's awful.
I also still cannot understand how these guys have such a hard time hanging on to the stupid football. I just cannot comprehend how the same mistakes are made 2 weeks in a row, and the coaches not only fail to resolve the problems, but exacerbate them in the third week- AT HOME. Pathetic showing; only one more home game to suffer through in what has to be the fastest rise and the fastest subsequent fall in history. This is why football shouldn't be played during the school year; I have spent so much time following the team instead of studying and working that I feel like an idiot. And I don't even get paid to run the nonsense.

[Ari]

HA. Ari is a bandwagoner. I have season tickets to both basketball and football an I am a bandwagoner..

I never said we weren't buildign a program.

But I am going to give my critique of our beloved QB who has thrown 6 Ints in two games -- two of which have been returned for TD's. He has also fumbled the ball twice.

I like Grothe -- but he has made a lot of mistakes the last two games. Live and learn I guess.

[Bill]

come on JL, ari a bandwagoner? thats laughable. maybe irrational at times but as many times as I have seen him post he is no bandwagoner

[Ari]

Brett Musberger just called us "Florida Southern" on ABC..

Like salt in the wound.

Hilarious.

Florida Southern. We are freakin 8th biggest school in the country and the play by play guys can't even get our name right.

What a day - what a night.

[Ari]

Hey -- Thanks Bill. appreciate that.

[steve oneal]

Grothe makes mistakes, like everyone does from time to time, but he seems to always give us a chance to win. We have not that since Blackwell was QB. Grothe wouldn't make so have so many int's and fumbles if he didn't have to do so much by himself. He's got 2 more yrs and should only get better. Ari might complain, but he also praises team when he thinks they deserve it. That is a fan. The bandwagon folks aren't even at the game this week, much less posting here. GO BULLS!!

[JL]

I understand all the frustration. All of it is valid, but you have to remember that all the penalties/turnovers/etc are not a sign of a bad team....it is a sign of a YOUNG team.

We will get better, we know that. Look at out history! Started beating top teams, changing conferences, etc.

In about 5 years we will constantly be in the top teams in the nation!

[cee]

if anyone is a bandwaggoner, it's windbane.. he cant eat crow when necessary.. it's easy to run around with your pink panties after the bulls beat crappy opponents like UCF. when we play teams that matter like the ones in our conference, we gotta face our problems and come to terms with the fact that our program is trash.

we lost 3 games in a row.. 3 conference games.. this is the biggest chokejob since the mets went on a losing streak at the end of the regular season.. newsflash: jim leavitt recruited these kids and coached them.. it is obvious that they are not very talented and neither is the coaching. windbane, i hope you are happy with the 'prestigious' meineke car care bowl-- a bowl we make NO MONEY from and get paid just enough to transport our players up there. if you wanna accuse me of having high expectations for our program, consider me guilty as charged. .500 seasons are unnacceptable to me, but people like windbane love them

[JL]

Go Ari!!!!!

jajjajjjaaaa

:o)

[JL]

On a separate note......Delbert still sucks.

[Ari]

A lot of problems could be solved on this team if we could just figure a way to run the stupid ball. Its amazing that we have 2 of the biggest running back recruits out of the state of florida in the last 4 years and we can't even run the stupid ball.

our run game is non-existent.

[Ari]

On a postive note: Jenkins was unreal returning kicks. Even with the long one for a td put aside -- the other kick returns were sick as well.

[steve oneal]

Cee, OUR program is not crap. YOUR program, whichever one that is, might be crap. You are not a fan of the Bulls. You are a F*CKIN IDIOT and I'm sick of your stupid baseless B*TCHIN. You call out windbane for not eating crow. Where the hell are you after a victory. That's right, NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. Who can't eat crow? Like I said before I'd LOVE TO SLAP THE CRAP out OF YOU! GO BULLS!!

[steve oneal]

Another thing Cee, how many seasons have the Bulls been .500 or less? Yea another one of your baseless b*tches.This program is going in the right direction and I look forward to watching this team as they continue to grow. GO BULLS!!

[Windbane]

cee, you have no credibility because you have never said one positive thing about USF. You can not even see the bandwagon. All you see is negativity. I'm able to see reality. Must be a terrible life you live to be so negative.

We've been under .500 twice in 10 seasons. You're an idiot.

[JL]

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “That’s the ugliest baby that I’ve ever seen. Ugh!” The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I’ll hold your monkey for you.”

[JL]

GA,

If that is not the funniest joke you have ever heard...I will become a UCF fan!

hahahaha

Grothe for Heisman. Bulls for the BCS title game. Undefeated season.

Wow, how quickly Commuter U has fallen.

I really hope Fan Attic and The Sports Authority gave you guys your money back, or at least a store credit for you to pick up your old Gators clothes.

[Windbane]

yeah, because the gators are doing so well this season, mr nameless

[cee]

umm, windbane, the gators are doing better than us.. at least they are still ranked. not to mention, at least they don't lose to unranked opponents.. get your facts straight before you start boasting that our program is the model of perfection. are you jim leavitt's half-brother or something? you do realize that our program isn't very good, right?

[Reality]

The Reality is.....Tampa is a bandwagon town, and USF is our college.

The bandwagon is broken.

USf shirts will now sit on store shelves and eventually go on heavy clearance prices, so the real usf fans can enjoy the savings.

That is the bright side for the day.

[nybullsfan]

Putting all the heat on CJL and Grothe is just wrong.

Focus your lasers where they'll do the most good - Gregory. Our play calling is asinine and predicatable. The reason we can't run is that we only have 1 running play, the shotgun handoff, and every defense just keys on our tendencies.

Fire Gregory! Now! Somebody who lives down in the area should stick a For Sale sign in his yard.

Our defense is awesome, and keeps us close enough to win. Let's go out and hire a real offensive coordinator. Somebody like they have in Nevada, Boise State, etc.

Go BULLS! Beat 'cuse!

All that Bulls apparel will be moved back to the back of the stores to the clearance racks and the Gator and Nole stuff will be back front and center.

[Steve]

I love all the sky is falling attitude... I've never posted here before, but I read here often... Here's my not so quick points...

1. The season isn't over, and even though we've got three conference losses, if we run the table we'll be 9-3 heading into the bowl game... If you told me before the season we'd be 9-3 with a win at Auburn and home against WV and Louisville, I'd be thrilled...

2. I don't know how you can blame it on the Jim, or at least all on him... Grothe is who he is and he takes chances... They've burned us the last couple games... He's still growing and his senior year is gonna be special... 8 turnovers with 5 from your qb, is not the coaches fault... What're you gonna do? Put Gregory in?

3. Our Defense is still top notch, we limit turnovers, we win... Simple as that...

4. Even though we have lost 3 straight to "unranked" teams, all 3 that we have lost to have been ranked at some point this season and UConn and most likely Cincy will be ranked this year... It isn't like we've lost to teams in the bottom 30 of the country... More like the top 30 or 40... We're young, we're growing and we're gonna get better...

5. cee, you're an idiot... CJL has done amazing things here, that no otehr coach can claim... He's a great coach that plenty of other schools would love to have...

6. Peace to the bandwagoners... all schools have them... we're gonna be ok... This is a process... We will be back...

USF sucks, you might be ranked again in 3 or 4 years. Go NOLES.

Maybe the Bulls should go back to CUSA. They clearly cant compete with the big boys on a consistent basis

[Ken]

We've lost close games to very good teams. No shame in that, but HUGE disappointment when we all think of what might have been.

When we won, we had something of a running game; we aren't even trying to run any more, other than Grothe. When our whole offense is one player, we have to expect he will falter a little, get tired, throw badly. Obviously, turnovers killed us, but perhaps the root of some of that is in an incredibly unimaginative and one-dimensional offense.

I don't mind people making arguments about USF's strengths and weaknesses, but I would like consistency, or at least acknowledgment of changing one's mind. My problem with a certain poster here is that his only consistency is being negative (he'll rain on anything and everything). This week he started with how we chocked away our #2 ranking--but wait, you can only choke away what you were good enough to have. Previously, we didn't deserve the ranking, and thus, couldn't be choking when we lose.

Hang in there Bulls fans.

[Jim in Williamsburg, Va (Class of '68)]

At least Coach Leavitt has finally come to the realization that there are "no excuses." Perhaps he'll begin looking for actual reasons, rather than excuses.
I suggest he start with the miserable lack of any running game by anyone other than his QB. Once he's identified a few reasons, he and his staff can go about fixing the reasons, rather than looking for excuses. Suggestion for reason #2: Can we find the handle on the football, or at least remove the grease from players' hands and replace it with some sticky stuff?

[Chris]

When you don't have a running game your quarterback is throwing the ball 50 times with 7 or 8 defenders dropping back to cover 5 receivers. Not good odds. I say without the freak of a first quarter we handled them like we should have.

Stuff happens. I had a good time, the weather was fantastics, and I will be there in two weeks with my expectations just as high as they were the first day of the season.

GO BULLS!

'yeah, because the gators are doing so well this season, mr nameless"

Yeah and I'm sure Windbane is your real name, jackass.

Bandwagoners exist for every team but they make up 90 percent of USF's "BULLPEN". Enjoy another pre-Christmas bowl while the Gators reload for another title (if that word doesn't register for you, try a dictionary. I'm sure Commuter U has one somewhere).

[Mike]

Funny how none of the posters that bash USF think it important enough to put a NAME with their post.

A #2 ranking is a HUGE accomplishment. How many teams that have been around ALOT longer can say that? We'll be back!!!!

[Windbane]

Both USF and the Gators have lost 3 games. The only reason UF will be ranked higher is preseason rankings and timing of losses.

[cee]

no windbane, the only reason UF will be ranked higher [or ranked at all] is because they are better than us.. UF has lost to auburn (ranked), georgia (ranked, and lsu (ranked).. they lose, but they dont lose to bad teams.. jim leavitt cannot coach up big games.. he has 1 big game every year and he shuts it down for the reason of the season.. he embarrasses our university the way we lose. not to mention, he neglects some of the best recruits in the state of florida. combine that with a terrible gameplan (like starting walk on RB's over transfers from programs like alabama) and you get a team that loses 3 conference games in a row.. going from #2 in the nation to unranked. he's a pathetic excuse for a BCS coach and should be fired.. but casual fans like you who probably never even attended USF (or any other institution of higher learning for that matter) see the 1-AA days of blowing out crappy teams like kentucky wesleyan and get all hot and heavy. give me a break.

"Funny how none of the posters that bash USF think it important enough to put a NAME with their post."

And what does a post with simply "Mike" prove? How does that back up your point (or complete lack thereof) more so than anyone else who doesn't bother to put a name? Would you like for me to post my name and address? I have a whole block full of Gator alums as neighbors and we would LOVE for you to come chat with us, since attributing a post to a name is SO important to you.

Idiot.

[Reality]

There you did it again. Making bold predictions about beating up "mike" with your Gaytor fans and didnt leave your name. Be a man and stop worshipping the Gaytors like the rest of your buddies that never even saw the campus.

[steve oneal]

Cee, is it a requirement to be an alum of USF to be a fan? And tell me what makes you the super fan and the rest of us that actually support the team "casual fans"? Do you have to go back to the first year to try and make your point? You keep saying he neglects the best recruits, but I bet he trys to recruit them and he is getting better recruits and will continue to as the program improves. I believe his recruiting classes have been ranked higher each year. Again, it is hard to recruit such a new program and CJL has done a good job. If CJL is so terrible, how come other big schools keep trying to hire him? It seems that you are in the minority with your opinion on CJL. Maybe you are the casual fan that doesn't know your a** from a hole in the ground and just hates Leavitt. Your obsession with hating CJL is really kinda creepy and REALLY GETTING OLD! Are you happy about anything or are you this miserable all the time? Me? I have to much fun enjoying life to get so miserable about a GAME! And NO, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ME A CASUAL FAN, it just means I'm not obsessed. If the Bulls go 9-3 and win a bowl game against another BCS school will you say it was a succesful season and an improvement over last season? GO BULLS!!

[Here you go, Mike...love, Anthony.]

"There you did it again. Making bold predictions about beating up "mike" with your Gaytor fans and didnt leave your name. Be a man and stop worshipping the Gaytors like the rest of your buddies that never even saw the campus."

You idiot USF fans and your obsession with leaving a name on blog posts, when you leave absolutely nothing of relevance for your own identity. Mike. Wow...that's really powerful stuff. Reality. Yeah...that's another winner. Poor little USF babies need a name to know who's whipping their asses around much?

Post your email address and ill show you a photo of my MA from UF (the BA is framed in my office so no go on that one, at least for tonight).

Seriously.

[Your Daddy]

And it isn't so much a bold prediction as it is, you guessed it, REALITY.

This has always been and forever will be a GATOR town. Suck it up and live with it you little pansy bitches. You work for us, you live amongst us and come 2009 we'll give your bandwagon asses a warm Swamp welcome you can cry your eyes about for years to come.

Taste it, loser.

[Ken]

Won't that be great! We've been wanting to play UF, and UF has been postponing playing USF for years. There's a very good chance that they'll postpone again or buy out of the game. And, no, I don't think this is anything like a "gator town." And don't tell us again who you lost to--we lost to very good teams, too, and beat some as well. We aren't in UF's league, yet, but we're getting very, very close.

[Mr. Two Bits]

This isn't anything like a Gator town? You don't see all the UF gear sold and worn in this area? All the attention given to the team on local radio (let's forget that fluke month when people here actually cared about the ranked Bulls) and television? All the car flags? All the license plates...

from TBT

"Here's the top five specialty plates for Hillsborough County:

1. Bucs 8,399

2. UF 4,996

3. FSU 3,205

4. "Protect the Panther" 2,997

5. USF 2,966"

The only thing keeping the amount of UF alumni in the area from completely dwarfing (as opposed to just simply outnumbering) USF's base is the fact that a BA from South Florida can be obtained with $1.99 shipping and two proofs of purchase from a box of Frosted Flakes.

[Reality]

I will never understand you state school guys. Rutgers fans are the same as you Gaytors. You are going to a public university, let's not act like the place is Harvard or Duke or even Vanderbilt. You have guys like Channing Crowder that go to school there. He doesnt even know where England is. He didnt even know they spoke English. And if Willie Williams wanted to be a Gator, you would have let him in as well. Stop acting like you are some elite school. You are part of the Charlie Crist disaster just like FIU and FAU and West Florida and the rest.

[Mr. Two Bits]

"you state school guys"

Meaning you are either a.) not from Florida, b.) did not attend college in Florida, if at all or c.) graduated from the honor's program at USF and think that South Florida is not a state university.

Florida isn't Harvard. Florida isn't USF, either. Florida consistently ranks in the top 50 of all nationwide colleges - well below the Ivy leagues but far above USF. The numbers speak for themselves, and they very politely ask you to cease embarrassing yourself.

Yes, Channing Crowder is a dope. We all know that one dope makes up the lot, correct? Should we apply this same logic when considering Brian Fisher, Carlton Hill or one of the many Bulls arrested in the last few years? Thought so.

And that's reality, my misunderstood little friend.

[Rob]

Two Bits, War Eagle!

War Eagle, go back out of another FSU game!

[Gators and Noles for Real Football Programs]

Ironic isn't it? Three weeks ago when this phony USF team had its phony ranking of #2, these blogs were filled with the "USF Nation". Well, it turns out the USF Nation is more like the USF Bandwagon. Rankings don't define class and tradition in a program. Look no further than the Gators and the Noles. Neither one of these teams is having the season they hoped. Yet go to Gainesville or Tallahassee and you wont find an empty seat in the place. What happened to all the car flags and shirts (newly bought the day of the West Virgina Game). Are you allowed to return them after using them once? Well look on the bright side, KMart probably has a nice clearance section of Green and Gold. Florida and Florida State could be 0-11 each and we would support our programs fully as if we were 11-0. USF a first rate program that is as good or better than UF or FSU?...What a bunch of Bull! Oh and as a side note, I would much rather loose to teams called Auburn, LSU, and Georgia than to Ruthers, Connecticut, Cincinatti, the Police Athletic League, Jesuit HS, the Arizona Cardinals, The Girl Scouts of America, and a bunch of guys that play football for the Save the Panther Society.

[Reality]

Mr. two bits, you are a piece of work. I happen to have my master's degree from this commuter school as it turns out. Thus, I am a state school grad just like you pretend to be. Although, I am not sure you actually graduated from UF, or are just still on their bandwagon from the national titles. There is no reason to pump up your education. Government Schools cannot match the product of the private schools. You can only get so much out of government. So Go Gaytors!!! War Ron Zook, and I am out!

As a side note to the guy who would be proud if USF lost to Jesuit. I would not be. Jesuit has not been good in many years.....although, I think they could give UCF a run for their money. If Ciao and Weiner were still around, then I think Jesuit could take them.

[Gators and Noles for Real Football Programs]

I can say the same for the Police Athletic League too! They had Sargaent Friday coaching them a few years back as well as Commodore Lassard. Since they left the program just hasn't been the same. I mean yeah Mahoney and High Tower did some nice things against USF with Captain Harris coaching but you can see that program is a mess. Same is true with the Girl Scouts. Little Nancy and Little Heather need to stop complaining about cookie sales and strap up their little green vests to play some football. Now the Panther Society guys...well I am just glad we don't have to play them. Do you think USF will get another shot at those guys at this years Build a Bear Bowl in Idaho? I'm betting the over on that game. If Grothe doesn't come to play those guys are gonna make him turn the ball over 15 times. They may even play in the Big East Championship Game on....Oh wait, nevermind!

[Mr. Two Bits]

Like I pretend to be? Like I am (with an MA in the bag from UF and a JD on the way), so bite me. Pump up your USF sheepskin and then try and tell others they can't boast about their real degrees from real schools. Yeah, that's logic at work.

And to the gentleman who mentioned Jesuit, good call (c/o '99 baby). I am sure with Coach Weiner (or even Coach Cano for Christ's sake) at the helm the Tigers could take USF and the mad rush for bandwagon apparel would begin over at Alumni Field!

And with that, you run your ragged butt out with your bull tail tucked firmly betwixt your Gator chomped haunches. See ya!

[cee]

gator fans, i apologize for all the USF bandwaggoners on here.. i like to call them "casual" USF fans-- because they worship jim leavitt and this mockery of a program that he has built. i have said from day one that this season will be a fluke year for us if it every does get going.. and it did for a little bit, before the true colors of this team was exposed. now, we are finally showing off the thug commuter school image that has haunted us over the years, and leavitt has perpetuated the negativity by publicly embarrassing us on a national stage 3 weeks in a row. up until this point, it is the big 3 and will always be the big 3 until we get a new coach.. just because we are in a BCS program doesnt mean we are big time. hell, the state of texas has 4 schools in the Big 12 and you don't see baylor bragging about being in their big 4.. we are just the florida version of baylor in terms of tradition.. probably a little worse, considering we let in a lot of trouble-making thugs who were 1 and 2 stars coming out of high school.. baylor may pull the 1 and 2 stars, but at least they dont have the criminal background that our recruits have.

UF fans, please go easy on us.. we are trying to hold on to any shred of dignity that we still have (after jim leavitt has burned all of the rest of it). we hope that some day, we can give some of the state's top talent an opportunity to play BCS ball in tampa.. but even if that day comes, jim leavitt will probably start a walk-on, partial-qualifying criminal over him.

[cee]

Mr. Two Bits,

i think Dom Ciao would be a better fit at USF that jim leavitt. he is a legendary coach that every kid in the area respects and knows who he is.. Weiner would be too.

RIP Mr. Mann

[Gators and Noles for Real Football Programs]

Finally a USF fan who makes sense! I can respect a fan like Cee. Finally a USF fan who talks out of his mouth via his brain as oppossed to other USF fans and where they speak out of. As a Bucs and Lightning Fan as well as I have seen first hand how fans in Tampa are. Half, like Cee, support their teams at all times. The rest go to Mons when times are tough. Wait, I go to Mons during the good times too so I guess that argument doesnt hold all its water. Anyways, Cee, just want ya to know that I respect a true fan like yourself, not like most of the clowns who post on here. The best thing USF could do is can Leavitt. Look at coaches like Myer and Bowder. While they may have moments of anger and frustration, they still carry themselves with class and dignity. Leavitt looks like a 3 year old who just had his toy taken away. He also plays up to the camera as some kinda Bill Parcells wanna be. Note to all other USF fans. True fans support their team in good times and bad. A 3 loss Gator team sold out another game in the Swamp to lowly Vandy. I know, I was there. Other than Cee who I would bet money was at the USF game Saturday, where was the rest of the "Bull Nation"?

[Ari]

I love listening to the idiot Florida fans. Took the university 48 years to win its first SEC title and they come talking smack about a USF team that reached the #2 ranking in like 5 years of D-1A football.

And all this thug talk..

Wasn't it that Florida Gators that got stripped of a conference championship for NCAA violations and was put on probation by the NCAA for like 5 years for acadamic and booster violations. They ran one of the dirtiest programs in the country for the first 80 years of existence.

That place was nothing but average until sprurier showed up. They would draw 50K to watch Emmit Smith play. So give me a break about the bandwagon crap. It's real easy to fill up the swamp and get a nice season ticket fan base when the ole ball coach shows up and wins 7 SEC titles. That program was a rat for decades.

In the late 70's the Gators went damn 0-10!!!

So give me a break. Read up on your history Mr. Gator and thank Steve Spurier for coming to town, because it took the "Mighty Gators" 95 damn years to go undefeated in the regular season.

I gotta feeling it won't take the bulls that long.

read up on your alma mater my friend. They weren't nearly as good as you think Mr. Bandwagon -- because I am sure you were making the 2hr drive to G-ville in the late 70's and early 80's when the Gators were still the total doormate of Southeast football

[Ari]

And it was 88 years until the Gators finished a regular season undefeated. They have been playing so long my math was a little off.

And they entered the Southeastern Conference in 1933 and won their first offical conference title in 1993.

The two others they won in the mid to late 80's were stripped because they got caught cheating. That was like 3 straight coaches that got canned for NCAA violations.

Gaylin Hall -- Guy was a total slime bag.

Give USF that long and the burgeoning renegade program will produce just as much.

As you said, you're talking about 100 years vs. 10. It goes both ways. The point is, UF has HISTORY and titles. What does USF have that gives these bandwagoners the right to spit on other established programs? NOTHING!! :)

And no, I wasn't attending games during those years, since I wasn't born until 1981. I didn't start going until I was about nine, so I guess that makes me a bandwagoner.

Stupid Bulls.

[Reality]

Well Thanks for Cee with the breaking Jesuit update. I had no idea Joe Mann was dead. Mr. Two Bits, since you are a Tiger like me, then you should know the smart kids in the class go to Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Vandy, and the second tier kids go to UF. I know you have that excellent sense of I am better than everyone else, because we did go to the best program in the State if not Country, but let's calm it down about Florida. AMDG for life.

[steve oneal]

Cee you don't speak for me or any other true USF fans. I don't apologize to uf fans that find it necessary to get on our blog and slam USF. I don't gat on there blogs and slam them, we don't even play them. Cee, why don't you cite some specific cases of all these thugs at USF with some actual facts. Didn't uf have some players in legal troubles like weapons charges, throwing beer kegs at other uf students, breaking into private property,etc,etc. I would say that the few problems we have had at USF have been minor compared to many other programs. Cee, you are not a fan of USF, NOT EVEN A CASUAL FAN. JUST AN IDIOT! GO BULLS!!

[Reality]

Steve, I think Cee would have no problem citing numerous player's issues on the Bulls. I think you could have possibly set Cee up for the largest post in his history with that one. Brian Fisher and all his arrests could take up a page, could they not? Mike Ford even got arrested earlier in the summer. Cee will I am sure do a thorough job of all of the issues. Don't let me down Cee.

Sidenote for Greg, I still think you should do a story on the Thug rankings of the State's schools. I know the Orlando Sentinel did this one time, and USF was #1 in the state baby!!

[G.A.]

USF certainly had its share of arrests this spring, but I don't think they can compete with the Gators in that category. Tony Joiner's got dropped quickly, but he was the eighth UF player arrested since the national championship. I count USF with five in the same span, and Woody George still hasn't had formal charges filed against him in the Bootgate deal.

[steve oneal]

G.A. do you know the nature of the problems at UF vs USF. Guns and fights at UF vs suspended license, child support, smoking pot, parking tickets. Reality, show me the school that doesn't have kids getting in trouble. I believe that none of the Bulls were involved in violent types of trouble. Not excusing or condoning illegal behavior, just pointing out how Cee is always calling our players thugs and criminals. I bet the overwhelming majority of the kids on these programs are fine young men, but like most news the bad news sales more. I think it is unfair to lump all these kids under one label at any school. AS for Cee, he has no credibility. He enjoys when our program has a bad day just so he can justify his obsession with getting rid of CJL. It must be pretty frustrating when you obsess over something that wil not change. Leavitt's not going anywhere. HA HA Cee. GO BULLS!!

[keith]

it's a pretty pathetic time to be a gators fan if their only consolation is to kick bulls fans when they're down.

from champs to chumps, no doubt.

LMAO

[Reality]

I will use examples. USF, UCF UT and Saint Leo's girls softball teams have no arrests during the past 5 years. Same number of girls as one football team. Awful lot less issues.

[cee]

i'm not even going to go after that one.. it would take me all day and night to create a laundry list of USF criminals. at that point, we might as well rename ourselves after a correctional institution-- but the irony would be that there would be no "correction" occurring with our program.. the same misguided thugs making the same misguided mistakes and coached by the same misguided blonde. i have said numerous times that this would all be alleviated if we just moved on and found a new coach (a QUALIFIED coach).. if not, i wouldnt be all upset if we went after an offensive coordinator through the high school ranks.. we all know coaches like earl garcia, sean callahan, or the legendary Dom Ciao have a lot more clout in the bay area than homeboy with the blonde hair and visor. hell, bring in wild bill minahan out of retirement. we need some kind of credibility and a coach who is known throughout the area that does not shun the media would be a good fit.. at this point, anything is better than "3-conference-loss-in-a-row-chokejob" jim

[Reality]

War the Wild Bill Minahan reference!!!
I always knew Cee was good people.