FSU signee Hill says he'll join Bulls in '09

Anthony Hill, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive tackle from Pensacola who signed with FSU in February, said Tuesday he no longer intends to join the Seminoles as planned and will enroll at USF in January.

"It's pretty much official now," said Hill, whose enrollment was to be deferred until January by FSU as a "grayshirt." "My highest interest besides FSU was always South Florida."

Hill, rated as a three-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, said his best friend is USF sophomore Terrell McClain, who he lined up next to at Pensacola; McClain is now a starting defensive tackle for the Bulls. Hill said he told FSU coaches last week he wasn't coming anymore, unhappy with the lack of contact he's had with coaches this fall.

"It seemed like they didn't want me," said Hill, who was the first commitment in FSU's 2008 class in February 2007. "The thing that really turned me off was the way they handled things with me."

Mike Bennett, who coached Hill and McClain at Pensacola, said the two linemen pushed themselves in games, in practice and especially in the weight room.

"They were pretty awesome together," Bennett said. "Terrell would push him to be better, and it was ungodly how they worked out. (Hill)'s strength was his quickness -- he was just so doggone quick, with a great first step."

Rivals.com rated Hill as the No. 91 prospect at all positions in the state of Florida for last year's class; of USF's recruiting class, only quarterback B.J. Daniels (No. 44) and cornerback George Baker (No. 75) made the Rivals top 100 for the state. Scout.com rated him as the nation's No. 37 defensive tackle, ahead of USF signee Cory Grissom (No. 66), who is playing as a true freshman.

If Hill comes to USF, he'll be the second FSU signee to join the Bulls' defensive line; Jatavious Jackson, who signed with FSU in 2007 but didn't qualify, signed with the Bulls in February and is redshirting this season.

Beano Cook likes Bulls for national title game

Longtime ESPN personality Beano Cook, speaking Tuesday morning on Seattle's 950 KJR-AM, predicted a USF-Penn State national championship game. It's just a passing reference -- you can fast-forward to about the 18-minute mark in the link for the "Mitch in the Morning" show if you want to hear it -- but here's the transcript:

Cook: "If I had to pick two teams right now to play for the national title, if I had to pick two, it'd be Penn State to play South Florida."

Host: "South Florida? How? Oh, you said South Florida. Well, who would you root for, Beano? Would you pull for the bully, Penn State and Joe Paterno?"

Cook: "South Florida, I'm a Big East fan. We're in the worst conference, I would root for them."

Host: "You think the South Florida Bulls are going to run it."

Cook: "Well, why, yeah. You're asking me. I thought USC was going to run it. Sports Illustrated thought Georgia would play for the national title."

Host: "Well, they've got No. 24 Connecticut at home, a game at West Virginia. They've got Pittsburgh coming up this weekend, they've got Syracuse -- that will be a win. At Louisville, Louisville's down. Oh, boy."

Cook: "Look, look, look. We have to have a plus-one ... (conversation moves to need for playoff)."

USF coach Jim Leavitt doesn't want to look ahead at all, for obvious reasons, but it seems that the pundits are certainly already looking to January and how things might shake out. There was similar conjecture last year when the Bulls opened 6-0, and the debate was somewhat moot when USF lost three in a row to fall out of the polls entirely, falling out of contention for even a conference title.

But would an undefeated USF team, as Big East champ, earn a spot in the national championship game, or would they be bumped out by a one-loss champ from the SEC or the Big 12? ESPN analyst Craig James, who will work Thursday's game against Pittsburgh and has a ballot in the AP top 25, said he believes his fellow voters might leave the Bulls on the outside.

"I believe the voters would choose a once-beaten SEC or Big 12 champ over an undefeated Big East team," James said Tuesday. "I've been a big supporter of the Big East, but that's what I think the vibe of college football is right now. You've got to face competition."

James said he's the opposite of analyst Doug Flutie, who he called "the ultimate little man with a chip on his shoulder, believing if you go undefeated, you deserve to play for the title no matter who you are. That's baloney."

James, who said he does not think an undefeated BYU team would make the BCS title game, said a Thursday game like this week's against Pittsburgh is crucial for USF because it's the only game in college football, forcing voters and fans to stop and give them a long look.

"South Florida is a really good team, but their perception is just not there yet, not with people in the Big Ten or the Pac-10," he said.

'Spread' offense: 15 receivers and counting

We've talked since the preseason about the depth and balance of USF's offense, with a slew of returning receivers and five running backs rotating through the backfield. Want to quantify that depth? After five games, USF already has 15 different players who have caught passes -- eight receivers, four running backs and three tight ends. Only four schools in the country have passed to more players than USF -- Troy has 18 different targets this season, followed by Oklahoma, Florida State and Miami with 16.

There's even balance at the top of USF's receptions list, with five players -- receivers Jessie Hester, Taurus Johnson, A.J. Love and Carlton Mitchell, plus tight end Cedric Hill -- with at least 10 receptions. Of the 15 teams who have at least 15 players with a catch, only two other schools -- Georgia and Oklahoma -- have even four players with 10 receptions. Connecticut, which has 15 players with catches, doesn't have any receiver with 10.

Crazier still, the Bulls could easily increase that number from 15 players with catches -- they finished last season with 17 such players. Three more possibilities to join the long list in the next few games:

Colby Erskin, receiver: Erskin missed more than a year recovering from two ACL tears in the same knee, but made his season debut late in Saturday's game at N.C. State. Erskin, who was timed as USF's fastest player in spring 2007 before his injuries, could easily crack the two-deep once he's shown he's fully recovered.

Richard Kelly, running back: Of USF's five primary backs, he's the only one without a catch. The other four -- Mike Ford, Ben Williams, Jamar Taylor and Mo Plancher -- have combined for just seven catches, but don't be surprised if they start getting more throws, since USF likes to have them come out of the backfield in motion and line up at receiver. All it takes to join the list is one dumpoff screen pass ...

Daniel Bryant, receiver: He drew all kinds or praise in August, was said to be playing right away as a true freshman, but we haven't seen him since he returned a punt 6 yards in the opener. He's working on the scout team now, so he's got to get back on the travel roster if he's going to catch a pass ...
Don't rule out sophomore Jason Sherman, who had a pass thrown his way Saturday, or walk-on Jeffrey Wilson, who's listed on the two-deep but hasn't seen much playing time.

Greg Auman live chat transcript

Times beat reporter Greg Auman took your questions for more than an hour during a live chat today at blogs.tampabay.com/bulls. Here is a full transcript of the questions and answers:

Q: Greg, Pitt uses running to control the clock, how does USF plan to stop the run especially McCoy. -- Jim

G.A.: A big question this week. USF's been very consistent in praising not only LeSean McCoy, but also LaRod Stephens-Howling, who had two fourth-quarter touchdowns in their win against Syracuse. Both have been very effective. USF's first five opponents haven't really presented a running threat -- none have rushed for so much as 100 yards as a team -- but that changes this week. Instead of the nickel package USF has made its base defense thus far, the Bulls will be back in a standard 4-3 defense, with defensive end Chris Robinson likely sliding back to strongside linebacker, alongside Tyrone McKenzie and Kion Wilson.The run defense has been stout, but it hasn't been challenged like it will be Thursday night. Remember, McCoy had a big game last year against the Bulls, but USF scored 48 points -- I don't think the Bulls will be happy if they give up 37 points on Thursday ...

Q: Greg, our secondary got burned for some big plays on Sat. Are there any adjustments being made to address this or do you not see it as a problem against such a run-based offense? -- Brendan

G.A.: Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said he was "embarrassed" by his defense giving up five pass plays of 35 yards or more in Saturday's 41-10 win against N.C. State. All but one came with USF ahead by at least three touchdowns, and three of the five didn't result in points, but Burnham said it's something that has to be fixed or it'll be more costly next time. Defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said it isn't tackling -- he claimed USF's defensive backs have missed only one tackle in the last two games -- but said it's more about positioning and being in the right place. Pitt quarterback Bill Stull hasn't had great numbers, with just two touchdowns so far, but it's an area that will be a focus in practice for certain.

Live chat with Greg Auman

Yes, we're chatting live here on the blog again this morning -- stop in at 11 a.m. for an hour or so of questions and answers, all on the comments section of this blog. Whatever you want to know about the No. 10 USF football team, about Thursday's game against Pittsburgh, about defensive stars trying to come back from injuries, here's a place you can find out a little more ... If you can't be here at 11 but still have a question, drop it in now and we'll do our best to answer it during the chat ... Then, check back afterward for a full transcript of the questions and answers.

THE CHAT IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

Selvie, McClain in limbo; Theo Wilson out

TAMPA -- Three days before No. 10 USF takes on Pittsburgh, two starting defensive linemen remained in limbo with ankle injuries, with tackle Terrell McClain returning to practice Monday and All-American end George Selvie working in a limited capacity.

"We're getting the other guys ready," said USF coach Jim Leavitt, whose team beat N.C. State 41-10 on Saturday with both players on the sidelines. "George is going to do just limited stuff, and see how he feels, probably more (today) and see what he can do. ... McClain's doing a little bit more. ... You've got to be pretty close to 100 percent to play in these kinds of games."

Selvie did not participate in the first half-hour of practice, which is open to the media. Leavitt said he "was doing some things" in drills later in the practice. McClain worked with the second-team defensive line in sled drills, behind junior Aaron Harris and sophomore Sampson Genus. Sophomore Craig Marshall started in Selvie's place Saturday and played well, getting a sack, a forced fumble and his first interception.

WILSON OUT: Junior cornerback Theo Wilson, the Dunedin graduate who has also worked as a punt returner, will miss Thursday's game and likely the Oct. 18 game against Syracuse with a sprained left knee, Leavitt said. "It's probably more realistic about the week after as our best shot," he said.

NEW SPORT: Former walk-on linebacker Houston Hess, a special-teams standout who left the football team after the second game of the season, is trying his hand at another sport.

Hess, 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, is working out with USF's baseball team as a right-handed pitcher. He has not yet earned a spot on the Bulls' roster, but coach Lelo Prado is interested to see what he can do. The 24-year-old Hess, who spent two years on a Mormon mission before coming to USF, had baseball scholarship offers coming out of high school in Oswego, Ill., but has not pitched since 2002. He would have two years of eligibility for baseball.

McClain back at practice, Selvie still out

News and notes from the first half-hour of Monday night's practice, where defensive tackle Terrell McClain has returned to drills while defensive end George Selvie remains a spectator, three days before the Bulls play Pittsburgh on ESPN at Raymond James Stadium.

McClain, who did not play in Saturday's win at N.C. State because of an ankle injury, was working with the second-team defensive line in sled drills Monday; Selvie watched those workouts as he recovers from an ankle injury that also kept him out against the Wolfpack.

Last week, USF coach Jim Leavitt said three days before the N.C. State game that Selvie wouldn't start because he hadn't practiced; we'll see if there's any decision regarding that after practice. Cornerback Theo Wilson, who injured his left knee on a punt return Saturday, did not practice Monday.

THE FAKE McCOY: This is really the first week there's an interest in which scout-team players are playing the part of opposing stars. Playing the role of Panthers sophomore running back LeSean McCoy is freshman Demetris Murray, who was wearing his No. 25 jersey in practice Monday. Murray, at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, is a reasonable physical likeness for the 5-11, 210-pound McCoy.

Freshman quarterback Evan Landi is wearing No. 11 to simulate Pitt quarterback Bill Stull, and it's worth noting that one of two players simulating receiver Oderick Turner is true freshman Daniel Bryant, who got a ton of praise from coaches in August but has now been relegated to the scout team. I don't believe he's played since the opener against Tennessee-Martin.

POPULAR: USF reports that 13 NFL teams will have representatives at Thursday's game to scout potential future draft picks. The Bulls are playing host to 11 bowl representatives as well, including the Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta.

-- A few links ... Matt Grothe is up to No. 9 on SI.com's Heisman Watch, which no longer has Florida's Tim Tebow in the top 10. Connecticut running back Donald Brown, the nation's leading rusher with 906 yards, is in at No. 10.

-- Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop had high praise for Grothe in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Monday: "Matt Grothe is the most underrated quarterback in the country," McKillop said. "He's as good as anyone out there, anyone you can name." Grothe returned the favor in talking about McKillop on Monday, remembering his 18 tackles in last year's game and saying "he was all over the field ... any time you have a guy doing that, it's going to boost the rest of your defense."

Grothe was asked about his 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half last year against Pittsburgh -- all the more impressive because he hasn't rushed for 80 yards in a game since.

"That's a long run, especially for an average-speed quarterback," Grothe said. "At the same time, it was a big confidence-booster for our team. ... It was quite tiring afterwards."

Grothe said he likes the national platform of a Thursday night game, the exposure for the program and the boost for recruiting, even seeing the Sky Cam floating on wires above the field. Last week's game reminded the Bulls that they don't want a national TV audience to see them lose.

"I know most of the guys on the team were watching the USC-Oregon State game," Grothe said. "That's going to be us this week. Hopefully we won't have the same outcome they did."

Mompremier: Neck injury was 'terrifying'

USF linebacker Brouce Mompremier, sidelined since a serious neck injury 10 days ago against Florida International, said Monday that he could not feel his arms or legs for several minutes on the field as trainers attended to him after a violent collision.

"It was the scariest thing I could ever imagine," Mompremier said. "It was terrifying. I tried to get up and I couldn't feel anything. Being like that for probably like five minutes, everything raced through my mind. I'm thinking 'How would I live my life like this?' The only thing I could move was my head and my neck."

Mompremier, a senior from Miami, regained feeling and movement in his arms and legs before he was transported to an ambulance on the field, which took him to a helicopter, which took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital. He said feeling pain from the injury and a pins-and-needles sensation in his arms and legs was a welcome change from the uncertainty of feeling nothing.

"When it started to come back, I started feeling the pain, but at that time, I was glad for the pain," Mompremier said.

Steve Walz, USF's assistant athletic director for sports medicine, said Mompremier suffered a "neuropraxia," a short-term paralysis caused by a concussion or shock to the spinal cord that does not come with any long-term symptoms. "It comes and goes away quickly," Walz said.

At the hospital, Mompremier stayed on his back in a neck brace overnight, as doctors wouldn't let him attempt to stand or walk until the next morning. With USF's team returning to Tampa, the only teammate he saw in the hospital was fellow linebacker Sabbath Joseph, who is also from Miami and stayed in his hometown.

Mompremier has shown encouraging progress since the injury, and while he won't play in Thursday's game against Pittsburgh, he hopes to return to practice next week, with an eye on returning to the playing field for USF's Oct. 18 home game against Syracuse.

"(A team doctor) told me I'm no more at risk than any other guy on the field," he said. "That was a pretty good thing for me to hear, because it gives me confidence to go back out there. The whole thing I'm thinking about is how am I going to tackle? Am I going to change my approach? Is my head going to be way behind my body? I probably forget how to tackle. I have to get back to the basics, so hopefully the game hasn't gotten far away from me."

Mompremier returned to practice as a spectator last Tuesday and has been around the team since; he was selected by USF coach Jim Leavitt to be one of four game captains against N.C. State, a reflection of his leadership on an experienced defense.

"I'm really missing being out there," Mompremier said. "I'm not missing the running after practice, but missing the whole concept of football right now. It's hard, but I'm grateful to be out there with those guys."

Mompremier ran with his teammates at Sunday's practice but said he stopped after getting a headache. The Bulls will likely have a limited practice schedule next week with no game to prepare for, but Mompremier expects to return to drills in time to play in the next game.

"I'm pretty optimistic I'm going to be back (for) Syracuse," he said.

Grothe gets Big East offensive honors again

USF quarterback Matt Grothe has picked up Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after leading the Bulls' 41-10 rout of N.C. State on Saturday.

Grothe, who completed his first 11 passes and threw for 148 yards in the first quarter alone, finished 20 of 29 for 259 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a game-high 68 yards as well.

Grothe earned Big East honors after USF's 31-24 win against Central Florida, and he made the league's honor roll after USF's win against Kansas. He's the first offensive player to win weekly honors twice this season; Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop has won defensive honors twice.

Former Oklahoma State receiver joins Bulls

Nearly halfway through the 2008 football season, USF has made an addition to their roster in walk-on receiver Eddie Cameron, a transfer from Oklahoma State who is sitting out this season as required by NCAA rules.

Cameron, a Pompano Beach native who will have two years of eligibility with the Bulls starting in 2009, is 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds and will wear jersey No. 88. He redshirted in 2006 and did not catch any passes last season at Oklahoma State.

I'd actually traded e-mails with Cameron in late August when I'd first heard he might be joining the program. "OSU was a great experience, just had to find a better niche," Cameron wrote at the time. Not much about Cameron online -- there's a reference to him in spring 2007 here -- but he was named an honorable mention All-Broward County selection by the Miami Herald as a senior at Ely in 2005. He also competed in basketball and track at Ely and was nominated for scholar-athlete honors by the Herald, which reported him carrying a 4.15 grade-point average.

Quick thoughts off USF-N.C. State ...

OK. I've got a 6:30 a.m. flight, so I've got to make this quick. Lots to get to from tonight's game -- here's my notebook, including Brouce Mompremier saying he hopes to be back for the Syracuse game. Seven or eight quick thoughts ...

-- Injuries: Theo Wilson sprained his left knee on a punt return and didn't return, but he said he thought he could be back for the Pittsburgh game Thursday. Carlton Williams, already dealing with a painful hip injury, re-aggravated that on the fourth-down incompletion in the end zone, so his status remains uncertain for Thursday. Running back Jamar Taylor injured his hand and did not return because he couldn't grip the football, but his injury isn't expected to carry over to the Pitt game.

-- Ranking? My guess is USF comes in at No. 10, jumping ahead of Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin. Alabama's probably in the top three now, so how far Georgia falls depends on whether pollsters see the final score or how Georgia was down 31-0 at home at the half. Hard to see the Bulls higher than 11h in the coaches poll ... Two scores of previous USF opponents I can't say I saw coming: FIU overcame a 13-0 deficit to beat Toledo 35-16 on the road for a big win, and UCF got destroyed 58-13 to a UTEP team that had lost nine games in a row. And yes, that was former USF commitment Dexter McCluster of Largo getting a big touchdown on a direct snap for Ole Miss in their upset of No. 4 Florida.

-- That was Tyrone McKenzie's first interception as a Bull -- USF had as many takeaways against N.C. State as in the first four games combined. "The Lord blessed me with that last one," he said. "I looked up and it came down from the sky." McKenzie, amazingly, wasn't credited with any solo tackles, though he got five assists, two pass breakups and a hurry.

-- Underappreciated? I'd say that would be cornerback Jerome Murphy, who led the Bulls with six solo tackles and got the first turnover with his second interception of the season. He also had a tackle for loss early on -- I'll have to look at the replays to see which defensive backs got burned on the deep passes. To give up five passing plays of 36 yards or longer and still give up only 10 points is ... anomalous.

-- I think the single most impressive statistic after five games is that Matt Grothe has thrown only two interceptions in 144 pass attempts this season. Off memory, I can't even think of a pass that was close to being intercepted against N.C. State -- 20-of-29 for 259 is solid, but his first quarter -- 11-of-12 for 148 -- is what had USF in control from the start.

-- On a night where high snaps cost N.C. State two safeties, I thought you saw a lot of poise from Delbert Alvarado, who fielded two high snaps without a problem. The second one went over his head, but he tracked it down, took a step to the side and got off a rugby-style punt that went for a net 31 yards. Alvarado had double-duty again, taking kickoffs from Justin Teachey (thigh), and while he didn't get a touchback, the kickoff coverage was fine. USF's average drive after a kickoff started on the 39; N.C. State's average was the 33.

-- After three games as kicker, Maikon Bonani is 7-for-10 on field goals after hitting three Saturday and having a fourth clank off the upright. In USF's short history, there's only been one season where a kicker has hit 70 percent of his field goals for the year -- Santiago Gramatica in 2002. Bill Gramatica's best rate was 66.7 percent, and Delbert hit 65.5 last season ...

-- Very excited to see the Phils win the NL East for the second year in a row, and hope they can last a little longer in the playoffs ... More to come Sunday, as the Bulls are jumping right back into practice at night in preparation for a short week leading up to Pittsburgh on Thursday. ...

No, they didn't forget about those quotes ...

As you can imagine, there were some things said in the newspapers this week that motivated USF's defense to play at a high level Saturday against N.C. State.

But it wasn't the comments from Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien that got the Bulls fired up. It was the response that defensive coordinator Wally Burnham was confident enough to make Tuesday, inspiring his defensive players to back up his words on the field.

"We didn't really take it to heart until we saw Coach Burnham say that comment," linebacker Tyrone McKenzie said. "Once he fired back, the whole defense fired back. You know we're going to back him up. He's our coach, he's our leader in war. Whatever he says, we live by. I loved it. When you have a coach like that, that has that swagger like that, you can't help but play with swagger."

Burnham said he thought his players would be motivated by O'Brien's comments and didn't mind letting them take the slight personally.

"There's no doubt, they took it personal (to suggest) that our defense wasn't any good, those kinds of things. We let them take it personal," Burnham said. "We'll take anything that helps us. We're not greedy."

Safety Nate Allen said players naturally came to Burnham's defense, wanting to make a statement on the field to match the one made on the bulletin boards.

"We've got Coach Burnham's back, and when our coach says something like that, we're going to back him up," Allen said. "It gets us excited, puts a fire in us to see our coach talking like that."

Bulls get 'complete' win, 41-10 vs. NCSU

Here's the game story for Sunday's paper ...

RALEIGH, N.C. – This time, there was no late-game collapse, no offensive struggles, no disappointing letdowns against an unranked opponent.

No. 13 USF shook off last week’s lackluster effort at FIU and dominated N.C. State at a sold-out Carter-Finley Stadium, cruising to a 41-10 win that should vault the Bulls (5-0) into the top 10.

"We really talked about how we were disappointed with how we played last week, and I thought they came out and played much better today," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "The courage, I thought, was extraordinary."

The defense, with three key starters out with injuries, stayed in control of N.C. State (2-3), holding them to four first downs in the first half. After three quarters, the Wolfpack had rushed for minus-12 yards, and for the first time this season, the Bulls shut out their opponent in the second half.

"It's the first time we've played a complete game. It's about time," said defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, whose defense played without end George Selvie, tackle Terrell McClain and linebacker Brouce Mompremier.

The Bulls looked like a ranked team on both sides of the ball, dominating the first 20 minutes of the game. USF had touchdown drives of 76, 68 and 81 yards on its first three possessions, piling up 225 yards of offense. By halftime, the lead was 31-10, and the Bulls had outgained the Wolfpack 354-63.

"We pretty much manhandled them up front," said left tackle Ryan Schmidt, whose line didn't allow a sack for the first time this season. "We came right out and did what we were supposed to do. Everybody was on our guy, and our offense is pretty powerful when we get going."

USF piled up 514 yards of total offense, with Matt Grothe completing his first 11 passes and throwing for 148 yards in the first quarter. Running backs Mike Ford, Moise Plancher and Ben Williams combined for 144 yards and two touchdowns. It’s the kind of performance that should give USF some momentum heading into its Big East opener, Thursday night in Tampa against Pittsburgh.

"Tonight, we just executed and took care of the ball," said Grothe, who rushed for a game-high 68 yards. "It's what we've been doing most of the year, and it showed on the scoreboard."

Perhaps the only weakness was allowing deep passes – former Countryside star Harrison Beck completed only nine of 32 passes, but threw for 239 yards. A 41-yard pass set up a field goal on the opening drive, and a 48-yarder set up N.C. State’s only touchdown. Three other passes for 36, 49 and 36 yards didn't result in points, but were a blemish Burnham didn't like.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "I'm embarrassed. Nine for 239 yards? I've never been around anything like that in my life. We've got to straighten that out, or somebody's going to beat us real bad doing that. I hope they're embarrassed, and I hope we're embarrassed as coaches."

N.C. State, which upset then-No. 15 East Carolina on the same field last week, struggled to keep up with the Bulls. Their troubles escalated as heavy rains began to fall in the second quarter. Twice in a three-minute span, high snaps deep in Wolfpack territory forced N.C. State to take safeties, and when the Bulls stopped scoring touchdowns, they got three field goals from freshman Maikon Bonani, who had a fourth attempt bounce off the right upright.

In a weekend in which three top-10 teams – No. 1 USC, No. 4 Florida and No. 9 Wisconsin -- lost to unranked opponents, the Bulls played well enough to move into the top 10 themselves. With No. 3 Georgia losing to No. 8 Alabama, the Bulls could be as high as No. 9 when today's polls come out.

"It's huge," Grothe said. "We have the second part of our season now. We're 5-0, but realistically we're 0-0. These are the games that matter."

Still in control: Bulls up 34-10 in fourth

After scoring touchdowns on their first three drives, the Bulls haven't found the end zone since, but they remain in control of N.C. State, getting a third field goal from Maikon Bonani -- this from 44 yards -- to lead the Wolfpack 34-10 with 13:54 left here at (thanks, fixed) Carter-Finley Stadium.

USF hasn't gotten more than a field goal out of its last six drives, but N.C. State hasn't threatened much, either. The Bulls made a strong defensive stand on the goal line in the third quarter, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal from the 2. The Wolfpack outgained the Bulls 121-77 in the third quarter, but neither team scored in the period ...

More Bonani: USF up 31-10 at halftime

Given the ball on his 36 with 0:57 left in the half, Matt Grothe found receiver Marcus Edwards for a 32-yard gain, setting up Maikon Bonani's 32-yard field goal for a 31-10 halftime lead at N.C. State.

How dominant has USF been? The Bulls have outgained the Wolfpack 354-63 -- the school record for total offense, if you're wondering, is 580 yards, set against Liberty in 2001. First downs? USF has a 19-4 edge there.

Defensive linemen George Selvie and Terrell McClain haven't played tonight, and given the scoreboard, there's little reason to think they'll get in. USF has used Aaron Harris, Sampson Genus and Keith McCaskill at tackle, with Chris Robinson rotating in to help Jarriett Buie and Craig Marshall at end ...

It's still raining hard here ...

Deep pass, TD cut Bulls' lead to 28-10

N.C. State's Harrison Beck, facing a second-and-27, found a wide-open Owen Spencer for a 48-yard pass play to the 1-yard line. Andre Brown's touchdown run cut USF's lead to 28-10 with 1:06 left in the half.

The deep pass came immediately after USF's best defensive play of the game, as end Craig Marshall sacked Beck and forced a fumble, which N.C. State recovered for a 12-yard loss.

Short Bonani FG puts Bulls up 28-3

It looks like a normal football score: 28-3. Two safeties and a field goal can look just like a touchdown from a distance, so Maikon Bonani's 20-yard field goal has extended the Bulls' lead late in the first half.

More red-zone struggles for the Bulls, who had four plays from inside the N.C. State 12, unable to punch it in on four straight Ben Williams carries. He got to the 1, but on third down, he was dropped for a 2-yard loss, setting up the Bonani field goal.

Safety dance: Another 2-pointer for Bulls

Safe to say this is a USF record for safeties in a quarter: Another high snap has resulted in a safety, as a high snap went through the hands of N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck, and he kicked the ball from the 2-yard line through the back of the end zone for another safety. USF is up 25-3 -- if I had better rugby knowledge, I'd make reference to a "try" or whatever it is they call that ...

It is a USF record for safeties in a game, for what it's worth. USF had just five safeties in its first 130 games entering tonight ...

Getting ugly: Safety puts Bulls up 23-3

Another three-and-out for N.C. State's offense, and things are getting ugly, as the snap to punter Bradley Pierson -- from the 27, no less -- sailed over his head and into the end zone, where Pierson took a safety to give USF a 23-3 lead.

It goes down as a team rush for minus-27 yards, so by my count, USF is outgaining the Wolfpack 256 to 12 right now. USF's offense has been stopped, and with a pouring rain coming on, Maikon Bonani's 44-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright ...

Ford's back: TD puts USF up 21-3

We're only 18 minutes into tonight's game, and USF already has touchdown drives of 76, 68 and 81 yards, piling up 225 yards of offense on three possessions.

Running back Mike Ford, making his first appearance on the third drive, did a little bit of everything, including a 1-yard touchdown run that has USF up 21-3 with 12:18 left in the second quarter. Ford matched his career total of receptions on the drive -- he had just two entering tonight, and caught passes of 2 and 20 yards, to go along with 35 yards on six carries on the drive.

Again, N.C. State hasn't been able to stop the Bulls at all. The Bulls continue to use an unbalanced offensive line with both tackles lined up on the right side, and it's worked well, converting two third-and-1 plays on the most recent drive.

Crazy stat on Ford: In his first 30 carries of the season before tonight's game, his longest run had been 6 yards. That's SIX. He had carries of 17 and 9 yards on this drive and looks like the old Mike again ...

Offense in gear: 191 yards in 1st quarter

USF's offense is back on track, if the first quarter of Saturday's game is any indication. The Bulls piled up 191 yards of total offense in the opening 15 minutes, leading N.C. State 14-3 and outgaining the Wolfpack by 124 yards.

Matt Grothe connected on his first 11 passes before one miss out of bounds. After throwing for a total of 136 yards against FIU, Grothe already has 148 yards in the opening quarter against N.C. State.

Grothe 8-for-8; TD pass makes it 14-3

You could say USF coach Matt Grothe is off to a good start -- 8-for-8 for 111 yards, the last 9 coming on a touchdown pass to Carlton Mitchell that has USF up 14-3 in the first quarter at N.C. State.

The Bulls have moved the ball with ease -- in two long touchdown drives, their only third-down play was Jamar Taylor's touchdown run on the first drive. The Bulls haven't clicked this well since that 31-point burst in the Kansas win -- Carlton Mitchell, who has been quiet after leading the Bulls in receptions and yards last season, is getting involved in the offense, with three catches on the last drive.

This keeps up, I don't know if many coaches will be coming to Raleigh next spring to talk to Tom O'Brien about his defensive schemes ...

Beck's long pass sets up Wolfpack FG

N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck, the former Countryside standout, found freshman receiver Steven Howard for a 41-yard gain on the Wolfpack's first drive, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Josh Czajkowski to cut USF's lead to 7-3 with 7:51 left in the first quarter.

USF's defense stepped up in the red zone, dropping N.C. State running back Jamelle Eugene (of Naples) for a 1-yard loss, then getting two Beck incompletions, the latter on a Chris Robinson deflection, to force the field goal ...

Taylor TD has Bulls up 7-0 early

It's a promising start for USF's offense, which marched 76 yards on the opening drive and got a 1-yard touchdown run from Jamar Taylor for a 7-0 lead at N.C. State.

It addresses two problems from last week's game at FIU -- short yardage and red-zone offense -- though the big play was a 38-yard pass from Matt Grothe to a leaping Marcus Edwards. Grothe went 3-for-3 for 59 yards on the opening drive, adding a 9-yard run.

The Bulls used an unbalanced offensive line on the touchdown run, shifting left tackle Ryan Schmidt to the right side. From left to right, you had tight end Ced Hill, left guard Matt Huners, center Jake Griffin, right guard Jake Sims, Schmidt and right tackle Marc Dile, and Taylor ran through a hole created by the two tackles. Tonight's the first time I've seen the unbalanced line this season ...

-- USF opened the game with five wide receivers -- A.J. Love, Jessie Hester, Taurus Johnson, Marcus Edwards and Cedric Hill. Jamar Taylor was the first back in the game on the next play ...

-- Sophomore walk-on Lucas Darr, who started his college career at N.C. State in 2006 before transferring to USF, was on the kickoff return team on the opening kickoff.

-- With kickoff specialist Justin Teachey nursing a thigh injury, the Bulls had punter Delbert Alvarado handle their first kickoff, which landed on the 2-yard line and was returned to the 33.

-- Sophomore Sampson Genus got the start at defensive tackle, and USF opened in a nickel package, so Danny Verpaele got the start for the second week in a row. Linebacker Kion Wilson got his first start as part of the nickel, lining up next to Tyrone McKenzie.

Live blog: Warmups promising on injuries ...

Greetings from Carter-Finley Stadium, where there's a decent crowd for tonight's USF-N.C. State game. You can never really tell too much from pregame warmups, but I can report that all the questionable-injured players -- defensive linemen George Selvie, Terrell McClain and Sampson Genus and safety Carlton Williams -- are all dressed and running through pregame drills at their positions as normal.

We've been told that Selvie and McClain won't start, and that sophomore Craig Marshall will get his first career start in Selvie's place. It looks like redshirt freshman Keith McCaskill might get the start at the other tackle spot, ahead of Genus, who missed last week's game with an ankle injury and was limited in practice much the same way Selvie and McClain were. When the d-line lined up as a first-team unit, Genus was initially lined up with the starters, but assistant coach Kevin Patrick told McCaskill he should be in there. We'll have to see. Linebacker Brouce Mompremier is here, wearing a jersey and warmup pants -- he'll get the nod as one of four game captain, an appropriate gesture for his leadership on this defense ...

Where will the Bulls be ranked if they win? Good question. I don't think top-ranked USC will far below USF, but I think No. 4 Florida and No. 9 Wisconsin, who both lost to unranked teams as well, will drop below. And if No. 8 Alabama falls to No. 3 Georgia, that's three teams the Bulls would logically pass with a win, jumping into the top 10 ...

Will USF be top-ranked team in Florida?

Could USF be the highest ranked team in Florida at the end of the weekend? If the Bulls can win convincingly tonight at N.C. State, the opportunity is there. No. 4 Florida went down 31-30 in Gainesville to unranked Mississippi on Saturday afternoon, opening the door for USF to move into the top 10 with a win.

If there's anything to be learned in the last 48 hours, it's not to underestimate an unranked opponent. Oregon State and Ole Miss have shown that with huge upsets against top-ranked USC and the Gators.

Wolfpack awaits: Gameday is here ...

Good morning. I'm going to go make it a doubleheader today, taking in the Duke-Virginia game in Durham from the stands at Wallace Wade Stadium -- Death Wally, as they say. Looking forward to seeing Blue Devils quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who considered USF out of Miami Lakes before picking Duke. Want to throw out a few links for USF-N.C. State before I'm off ...

-- The Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Alan Dell points out that this area has been bad for the Big East, with West Virginia losing at East Carolina and Rutgers getting mauled by North Carolina.

-- Jeff Berlinicke, writing for Florida Today, says USF is getting used to its higher profile and the idea that all of their opponents will be trying to make the most of the opportunity to upset a ranked team.

-- Really didn't hear anything objectionable about USF from N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck, but another Floridian, linebacker Ray Michel, had this to say about the Bulls in the Times-News up here: "When they were recruiting me out of high school, I didn't even look that way," he said. "I was looking at big-name schools. To see them where they're at, it's surprising." Again, he was making his college decision four years ago, when USF wasn't even in the Big East yet ...

-- The N&O's Caulton Tudor is picking an N.C. State upset here, calling for a 17-15 Pack win. The Lakeland Ledger's Tom Zebold picks a 31-17 USF win. The Miami Herald -- which calls for Marshall to beat West Virginia -- has USF winning 30-16. More to come ...

Greetings, links from Raleigh ...

As travel goes, this is my favorite road trip of the season, just because I lived in Raleigh from seventh grade until college, so I still have friends in the area that I haven't seen since, well, two years ago when the Bulls played at North Carolina. So while I'm normally one to fly in the night before a game, I'm in early today, with time to share a few links leading up to Saturday's game with N.C. State ...

-- More on N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck from the News & Observer here in Raleigh. Beck has a good memory, recalling Thursday how he'd faced Jarriett Buie (and, actually, Jake Griffin) three years in a row in the state playoffs when he was at Countryside. He even remembered that in 2002, Armwood advanced from that game to face a Lake Gibson team led by a sophomore quarterback named ... Matt Grothe. Checking our archives, I see why he remembers Armwood so well -- the scores in those games were 52-17, 46-9 and 35-13, ending his season each time ...

-- Great, fun read in the latest ESPN The Magazine, as writer Wright Thompson followed George Selvie around for a day, trying to eat everything Selvie eats as he tries to add weight to his 245-pound frame. I don't know if I would have made it past lunch ...

-- The back-and-forth between Tom O'Brien and Wally Burnham has gotten a lot of press, with everyone from the New York Times to ESPN.com writing about it.

-- USF doesn't play Connecticut for another two months, but there's great reading at "Thoughts From A Fat White Guy," a blog by Huskies defensive tackle Rob Lunn. He's funny and writes a lot, two things that go a long way with a blog ...

-- Predictions? Bleacherreport.com has USF winning a close one, 24-21. ESPN.com's Heather Dinich is more convinced about the Bulls, picking a 31-7 win. And Brian Landman, the Times' FSU writer, does pics -- sorry, picks on the ACC games each week with former USF student Jenn Sterger. Both are picking easy wins for the Bulls. It's worth noting that Regis Philbin, celebrity picker at Rivals.com, is calling for an N.C. State upset.

Mompremier gets captain nod for Saturday

Thursday's practice notes from correspondent Joe Rienzi ...

TAMPA — Senior linebacker Brouce Mompremier, sidelined with a neck injury suffered against FIU, will not only make the trip to Carter-Finley Stadium for Saturday's game at N.C. State — he will be a team captain.

"I needed a tremendous leader, and he’s a tremendous leader," USF coach Jim Leavitt said. "He’s meant a lot to me and this team, and I wanted to do it."

Seniors Taurus Johnson, Jake Griffin and Tyrone McKenzie are the other three captains.

Leavitt said senior kicker Justin Teachey, who handles kickoffs for the Bulls, is doubtful for Saturday’s game with a thigh injury. He said that junior Delbert Alvarado is taking the majority of the reps at kickoff, but sophomore Ilia Petrov was also an option.

"We’ve got some guys who can boom that thing," Leavitt said. "Ilia Petrov looked great today. He kicked one that was in orbit."

Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said that with several players injured on the defensive line, he will be looking for senior defensive end Jarriett Buie to have a big game.

"I’m looking for him to be a leader and have a great game," Burnham said. "He doesn’t have great stats right now, but he could have that breakout game that gets him on a roll, and that’s what we’re hoping for."

Chat with Greg Auman on Tuesday

Want to talk about USF's performance against North Carolina State? How the Bulls match up with Pitt? Which injured players will return?

Join Times beat writer Greg Auman for a live chat on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to noon. In the meantime, feel free to leave a question for Greg in the 'Comments' area below.

N.C. State QB hoping to avoid 'backbreakers'

N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck, thrust back into a starting role after an injury to Russell Wilson, didn't have to look at tape to know about the USF defense he'll go up against Saturday in Raleigh.

The former Countryside standout said he's watched several USF games in the past two years and recognizes how turnovers have helped the Bulls in big wins against Auburn, West Virginia last season and Kansas two weeks ago.

"They play pretty good defense, but the turnovers are usually backbreakers," said Beck, a transfer from Nebraska who started four games last season before suffering a shoulder injury. "Against Kansas, they sealed the deal at the end with a pick off the post route, and last year against West Virginia, their linebacker picked Pat White and returned it for a touchdown."

Avoiding turnovers will be a key for Beck, whose career numbers against BCS opponents are zero touchdowns and nine interceptions. His biggest test was a trip to Boston College last season, where his rushing touchdown helped N.C. State to a 10-7 lead, but the Eagles scored the next 30 points, helped by five Beck interceptions and a fumble. N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien, talking about Beck this week, said "we're just going to have to tell him that we're wearing the red jerseys on Saturday night, and we'll be in good shape."

Beck said USF recruited him out of Countryside, where he was rated as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com, but he didn't seriously consider the Bulls because he knew he wanted to play out of state and was courted by major programs such as Michigan and Nebraska.

"I lived in Florida my whole life, so if I had a chance to have my college degree paid for, I wanted to go away," Beck said. "USF wasn't the USF they are now. They weren't ranked, hadn't beaten the kinds of teams they've been beating. You could see them starting to turn things around then, but I just didn't want to stay in Florida."

Beck has an opportunity for a big win against the No. 13 team in the nation and said his key will be keeping his focus against a tough defense.

"It feels good," Beck said. "It's been an up-and-down kind of career so far. It's going to come down to focus. It's a system where if one thing doesn't work right, the whole thing goes downhill. What you saw last week (in an upset of No. 15 East Carolina) was everyone staying within the offense and it all working smoothly."

Selvie, McClain won't start because of injuries

Starting defensive linemen George Selvie and Terrell McClain, still slowed by ankle injuries suffered in Saturday's win against FIU, won't be in the starting lineup this week at N.C. State, coach Jim Leavitt said. Having established that, both could see significant action.

Leavitt said he's optimistic both might play, and three other injured starters -- defensive tackle Aaron Harris, cornerback Tyller Roberts and safety Carlton Williams -- have shown enough progress they could start against the Wolfpack.

"(McClain and Selvie) did some things, but not a lot," Leavitt said. "We're going to take them both, but we're getting the other guys ready. Is there a chance they might play? You know, maybe. Probably a long shot. ... Selvie's not going to start no matter what. I'm not going to allow it, just because he hasn't practiced. These other guys have taken all the reps. That doesn't mean George won't play a lot of football, but we're going to start guys who have practiced and worked hard."

Leavitt said sophomore Craig Marshall will start in Selvie's place, and he hasn't decided who will start for McClain. Sophomore Sampson Genus, who missed last week's game with an ankle injury, is one option, as are untested reserves such as redshirt freshman Keith McCaskill.

"Marshall I've been very happy with," Leavitt said. "I really have been. He can play either side. He's about 6-5, 260, a big end, only a sophomore. I've been real happy with (redshirt freshman Patrick Hampton) this week."

Again, not starting might be little more than a gesture.

"Will they go in the second play? I don't know," Leavitt said.

Harris and Roberts returned to practice Tuesday, though Williams, who suffered a hip pointer in Saturday's game, "has a ways to go," Leavitt said, leaving the door open for him to make his team-high 39th career start.

-- Sophomore David Bedford, a highly touted junior college transfer who has played sparingly in the first four games, has moved from defensive end to "three-technique" defensive tackle, where he was lined up with the second team at Wednesday's practice.

-- Offensive guard Zach Hermann, still on crutches after undergoing surgery two weeks ago for a broken foot, won't be in position to make a return until USF's Oct. 18 game against Syracuse at the earliest, Leavitt said. At the time of the injury, offensive line coach Mike Simmonds had said he thought he could return for next week's game against Pittsburgh.

Catching up on links, mid-practice ...

Have a few minutes between the first half-hour of Wednesday's practice and the interviews afterward to get caught up on links. Not much of an injury update to give -- defensive end George Selvie and tackle Terrell McClain remained very limited in practice, with tackle Sampson Genus working in a limited capacity. USF hadn't worked its defensive backs by position in the opening half-hour, so it's hard to get a feel for where safety Carlton Williams is as he recovers from a hip pointer.

With Selvie out, USF had sophomore Craig Marshall working with the first-team line; regular starters Aaron Harris and Jarriett Buie were there as well, along with redshirt freshman Keith McCaskill. Looks like David Bedford is getting most of his reps at defensive tackle, where he was working with the second line. Linebacker Alonzo McQueen isn't practicing, but is out of the boot he had been wearing on his left foot. Onto the links ...

-- Good news for Bulls fans: Rivals.com has a way-early list of their top 100 NFL Draft prospects for 2009, and Selvie isn't among the projected first-rounders. They have Selvie ranked down at No. 49; linebacker Tyrone McKenzie is listed at No. 98, which would work out to a late third-round selection.

-- Remember Steve Goins? The prep center from Chicago got a look from USF's basketball staff, but ultimately wound up at Maryland, where he just now has been cleared by the NCAA. Keep in mind that Oklahoma State still hasn't heard back on former USF signee Teeng Akol; USF is still waiting to hear back from the NCAA about a hardship waiver for Maryland transfer Gus Gilchrist.

-- We're doing a note for Saturday's paper on N.C. State quarterback Harrison Beck, who's from Clearwater and takes over for injured starter Russell Wilson. Beck's career numbers at N.C. State have him with four touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, none of his touchdown passes have come against BCS-conference opponents. How's this for a ringing endorsement?

"He can wing it around," O'Brien told the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., this week. "We're just going to have to tell him that we're wearing the red jerseys on Saturday night, and we'll be in good shape."

-- We're just a third of the way through the college football season, but ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman is already wondering what will happen if more than two teams finish the season undefeated. He mentions USF, and with the national perception of the Big East hurting, it's entirely possible the Bulls could go 12-0 and still be on the outside looking in.

-- An update on Orlando prep forward Keith Clanton, as the Orlando Sentinel reports that the 6-foot-8 forward has USF among his final three schools and will make an official campus visit Oct. 4. He's visited South Carolina and will visit UCF on Oct. 11 before making a decision.

-- The Bradenton Herald's Ryan Boyd looks at how USF's takeaways are radically down from a year ago -- 17 in the first four games of '07, three this season. Tyrone McKenzie says offenses are aware of the Bulls and are being more careful with the ball this year.

Mompremier makes appearance at practice

Here's Tuesday's practice report from correspondent Joe Rienzi ...

TAMPA — USF coach Jim Leavitt said he liked the energy at Tuesday’s practice — a practice that had a welcome spectator on the sidelines.

Senior linebacker Brouce Mompremier, who suffered a neck injury during Saturday’s game against FIU, attended Tuesday’s practice. He was walking around in a T-shirt and shorts and without a brace around his neck. The team gathered around him after chanting "Brouce Mompremier" and he led a chant after stretching drills.

"It means a lot (to the team) just to see him up and walking around," USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. "I’m sure it will make the other guys run harder and practice harder."

Leavitt said it was nice to have Mompremier at practice, and that it provided some inspiration for the team.

Junior Colby Erskin, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament during spring drills, was working as a punt returner behind senior wide receiver Marcus Edwards.

Senior cornerback Tyller Roberts and junior defensive tackle Aaron Harris returned to practice Tuesday. Leavitt said defensive end George Selvie, safety Carlton Williams and defensive tackle Terrell McClain did not practice for the second day in a row.

-- We'd told you Monday that walk-on linebacker Houston Hess was no longer with the team; USF issued a statement Tuesday saying that freshman walk-on linebacker Chris Breit, a Plant graduate who joined the roster at the start of fall classes, has also left the team.

-- Here's a link to this week's USF notebook that will run in Wednesday's paper, including a baseball update from Lelo Prado -- find out who the new closer will be, along with likely starters at shortstop, second base and third.

Burnham fires back at N.C. State

USF's defense took a shot from N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien last week when he told reporters he saw no reason to consult with the Bulls about stopping the spread offense, as Ohio State and Colorado coaches did in the offseason after USF beat West Virginia for the second year in a row.

"Did you watch them against Oregon?" O'Brien asked, referencing the Ducks' 56-21 trouncing of the Bulls in the Sun Bowl in El Paso. "Go look at that game. That was the spread that they were defending. I'm not saying anything about South Florida's defense, but if they're the gurus, we'd better go somewhere else."

USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham, asked about the quote Tuesday afternoon, laughed for a moment and said he agreed with O'Brien's statement, though he questioned the need for it.

"Here's the way I feel about it: He's right. We're not gurus," Burnham said. "On the other hand, we try to handle things professionally and not say anything ... with class, not say anything about anyone else's coaching staff. He can say what he wants to. The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."

N.C. State, of course, lost its last two games last season to finish 5-7.

Six defensive starters held out with injuries

No. 13 USF began preparations for Saturday's game at N.C. State with more than half its defensive starters held out with lingering soreness and injuries.

Only one -- linebacker Brouce Mompremier, who is out indefinitely as he recovers from a neck injury -- is definitely out for Saturday, and USF coach Jim Leavitt said he'll know Wednesday about the rest: defensive end George Selvie, defensive tackles Terrell McClain and Aaron Harris, cornerback Tyller Roberts and safety Carlton Williams.

"We usually wait until about Wednesday's practice," Leavitt said. "If they're really hobbling Wednesday ... then probably normally if they don't practice Wednesday, 80 percent they don't (play). We're going to prepare everybody else as if these guys aren't playing, and then we'll see."

With Mompremier out, USF has shifted strongside linebacker Tyrone McKenzie to the weak side, and junior Chris Robinson will step in as the starter at strongside, according to defensive coordinator Wally Burnham. USF has worked primarily in a nickel package with five defensive backs and only two linebackers, and junior Kion Wilson, the starter at middle linebacker, was lined up next to McKenzie on the first unit in 7-on-7 drills Monday.

"Last game, we had five starters out on defense the entire fourth quarter, and a lot of the third," said Leavitt, whose team gave up nine points in the final three minutes of a 17-9 win against FIU. "That's why I was really proud of the defense, what they did hanging in there."

With reserve Alonzo McQueen sidelined with a boot on his left foot, the Bulls have just four healthy linebackers they'll use Saturday, with sophomore Sabbath Joseph backing up all three positions.

Who else would step up if the starters can't go? Quenton Washington was working with the first defense at cornerback, and senior Louis Gachette had Williams' spot at safety -- both of those have played significantly in USF's first four games. Defensive line is anyone's guess, as the top reserve at defensive tackle, Sampson Genus, was also held out of drills with an ankle injury that kept him out against FIU.

-- USF's coaches shed a little more light on Mompremier, saying team doctors likely won't evaluate his neck for another week or two, deciding then when or if he would return to the team.

"We're going to wait a week, two weeks," Leavitt said. "Does the Lord heal him tomorrow? I don't know. We're going to take it day by day, take time, see how he is, how the neck feels, and we'll go from there. There's no real answers. None."

Burnham said he spoke with Mompremier and his spirits were good, but it's too early to start thinking about his future on the football field.

"He's doing good, thank God," Burnham said. "He doesn't know what the future holds for him right now. That part of it is so far removed from what he's going through, I don't know that he's thought about it. ... People have had these kinds of injuries and come back, but you don't know how severe it is."

-- Walk-on linebacker Houston Hess, USF's top special-teams tackler for the past two seasons, is no longer with the team, Leavitt said.

Leavitt said he took Hess off USF's kickoff coverage team after the Bulls gave up a 91-yard touchdown to UCF's Joe Burnett three weeks ago. Hess, who had 24 career tackles, including four in USF's first two games, would have still played on USF's punt and kickoff return units.

"He's never come to see me," Leavitt said. "I took him off kickoff team, and that's the last I saw of him. He didn't show up for practice, so I assume that he didn't want to play football anymore."

Erskin back at practice, will travel to NCSU

Receiver Colby Erskin, sidelined for the past 14 months by a pair of torn knee ligaments, returned to practice Monday and will travel with the Bulls for their game Saturday at N.C. State, coach Jim Leavitt said.

Erskin, a former walk-on from Seminole, was timed as USF's fastest player in spring 2007, but missed last season recovering from knee surgery, then tore the same ligament this spring. Leavitt said he went "full speed" at Monday's practice, an encouraging step in his recovery.

"He looked good today," Leavitt said. "He's going to go regardless on Saturday. We'll take him. Whether he'll play or not, I don't know whether he's as good as the other guys or not."

Lots more to come tonight, so keep checking back ...

NCSU coach on Grothe: 'He's done it all'

We told you earlier today of a not-so-flattering comment about USF's defense from N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien, but he had nothing but nice things to say about USF quarterback Matt Grothe on Monday in his weekly news conference with local media.

"They're led by probably the most versatile quarterback in the country, throwing at 65 percent," O'Brien said, according to a transcript at Thewolfpacker.com. "He's thrown seven touchdown passes and only two interceptions. You look at their career record, he's third or fourth in career rushing, third or fourth in career rushing attempts. Score four touchdowns, he's got their record for touchdowns. So hopefully we don't let him set any records here, but he's done it all. The defense is even better. The defense is 12th in the country."

Here's one you don't hear often: O'Brien had equal praise for USF defensive ends George Selvie and Jarriett Buie, even though one is a consensus All-American and the other went without a tackle in the first three games of the season:

"(Selvie) is excellent, and the other end is excellent," O'Brien said. "Both guys at the perimeter make the other guy better. They've got two guys coming off the edge that are really special rushers."

Wolfpack will be without QB Wilson vs. USF

USF's game Saturday at N.C. State just got a little bit easier, as Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien said Monday that freshman quarterback Russell Wilson, the ACC Offensive Player of the Week, will not play against the Bulls because of an unspecified injury.

What's more, linebacker Nate Irving, N.C. State's leading tackler, will miss the game with a lower leg injury, O'Brien said. With Wilson not playing, the Wolfpack will turn to former Clearwater Countryside and Nebraska quarterback Harrison Beck, who started four games last year and has played off the bench this season. Here's the full story at Gopack.com.

More fans behaving badly: FIU's cheering

I'd addressed this in the comments Saturday, but I've gotten enough e-mails and there's been enough talk about appropriate fan behavior that I figured I'd post something here about FIU's students in the end-zone seats cheering "Bulls--t" while two USF players lay injured on the field in Saturday's game.

The cheer came from the same corner of the stadium where the press box was, but watching ESPNU's broadcast, the cheering was clearly picked up by the network's microphones. Two minutes after their collision on the field, as linebacker Brouce Mompremier and safety Carlton Williams were being addressed by trainers on the field, the cheer started. You hear the word 11 times before fans had the sense to stop, and ESPNU's broadcasters addressed the behavior: "The crowd in the end zone is saying something perhaps they shouldn't," play-by-play man Doug Bell understated.

Moments later, after the two teams met at midfield for prayer in a remarkable showing of sportsmanship and perspective, color analyst Charles Arbuckle came back to the cheering, calling it "totally uncalled for" and "totally insensitive." Again, it's not the first time you've heard inappropriate cheering following an injury and unfortunately won't be the last.

Williams was helped off the field but later returned to the game; Mompremier was taken to a hospital with a neck injury but has since cleared CT and MRI tests on his neck and returned to Tampa. He's expected to miss at least two games, with the timetable for his return still unknown.

Go ahead and fill up that bulletin board ...

It's only Monday, and we already have some "Wow, did he say that?" quotes to pass along, a full five days before USF travels to Raleigh to face N.C. State, fresh off its overtime upset of No. 15 East Carolina.

It comes from N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien, who talked with coaches at other colleges in the offseason about the spread offense and how to stop it. O'Brien told local media last Thursday that USF wasn't one of the schools he consulted.

"Did you watch them against Oregon?" O'Brien asked, referencing the Ducks' 56-21 trouncing of the Bulls in the Sun Bowl in El Paso. "Go look at that game. That was the spread that they were defending. I'm not saying anything about South Florida's defense, but if they're the gurus, we'd better go somewhere else."

I'm thinking that should motivate USF's defense -- and its defensive coaches -- just a little this week ...

The question: Who steps in for Mompremier?

With weakside linebacker Brouce Mompremier sidelined at least two games after injuring his neck in Saturday's win against FIU, the question now is how USF will fill the hole in its defensive lineup.

USF had lined up almost exclusively in a nickel package Saturday until Mompremier's injury -- can't say I saw a third linebacker at all up to that point -- which explains why starting middle linebacker Kion Wilson didn't have a tackle in the game. Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham likes the speed he has on the field with five defensive backs, so now he must decide which linebacker is the best complement to Tyrone McKenzie in such a package.

It could be Wilson, but he has only six tackles in four games but might be better suited against a run-first offense. N.C. State has struggled with its running game -- just 419 total rushing yards in four games, as opposed to 762 for USF. The Bulls could turn to sophomore Sabbath Joseph, who had the strongside job at one point in preseason before USF opted to put McKenzie there and start Wilson in the middle. Joseph has eight tackles in a reserve role, and a third option could be junior Chris Robinson, who was a potential strongside starter this summer but fell out of contention; he's worked primarily as a third-down defensive end this fall.

USF's new depth chart released Sunday night shows McKenzie as the starting weakside linebacker, since he's often on that side in the nickel defense. It lists Robinson as the strongside starter, but that might just be because he was the top backup there under McKenzie.

USF coach Jim Leavitt said Sunday that his coaches haven't yet discussed or decided what the best choice is to replace Mompremier. It could be a combination of the players mentioned, depending on the circumstances of the play and the offensive tendencies of USF's opponent. We'll know more in the next few days ...

Mompremier OK, but out at least two games

Linebacker Brouce Mompremier, hospitalized after a collision with a teammate in Saturday's 17-9 win at FIU, has cleared CT scans and MRI exams on his neck at the hospital but will miss at least two games as a result of his injury, according to a USF release.

Mompremier, a senior in his second season as the team's starting weakside linebacker, is expected to return home today and will undergo additional testing from USF trainers and doctors to learn more about the specifics and severity of his injury. He'll miss USF's games at N.C. State and at home against Pittsburgh, but USF said no other timetable has been set for his return.

With Mompremier out, the Bulls are likely to move sophomore Sabbath Joseph into his starting role. Joseph was listed as the starting strongside linebacker in the first week of preseason but has played in a reserve role. He has eight tackles in four games this season; Mompremier had 10.5.

POLLS: Despite the lackluster win, USF moved up two spots to No. 14 in the USA Today coaches poll, jumping ahead of Auburn and Oregon, who lost this weekend. The Bulls, ranked 12th in last week's Associated Press poll, could lose ground there, as No. 13 Ohio State, No. 14 BYU and No. 16 Penn State all won by convincing margins.

TAKEN AWAY: Biggest difference between last year's defense and this year's? In USF's first four games last season, the Bulls forced 17 turnovers, crucial in upsets of ranked Auburn and West Virginia teams. In their 4-0 start this season, the Bulls have forced just three turnovers -- only three schools in Division I-A football have forced fewer this season.

THIS AND THAT: USF and Connecticut, both 4-0, have as many wins as the other six Big East teams combined -- they're 8-11. ... USF leads the Big East in total offense (450.5 yards per game) and total defense (238.5) but has given up eight sacks, which matches the league high. ... USF's eight penalties Saturday included five false starts, including back-to-back penalties that led to a safety in the closing minutes. ... Matt Grothe leads all Big East quarterbacks in touchdown passes (7) and yards per game (229.0).

USF-FIU: Ten quick thoughts ...

I'm here in Naples, which I picked as a halfway point home -- didn't want to drive all the way back, didn't want to have to drive all the way in the morning. Still hoping I can find a pair of tickets for the Rays game so my 5-year-old can run around the bases after their last home game ... of the regular season.

-- Can't say enough about Brouce Mompremier and what he means to this team. He and Carlton Williams are two of the biggest leaders on this team, fifth-year seniors who came in during the Conference USA days and have seen it all. My recorder's batteries just ran out, so I can't get you the great quotes from his teammates and coaches -- I'll add them Sunday. Tyrone McKenzie recalled how much Mompremier taught him last season, said he cried for a second thinking that something serious might have happened to his friend. This was a proud homecoming for Mompremier, who played at Miami Edison and had lots of family on hand. The word from USF was very encouraging Saturday night -- a night in the hospital, mostly as a precaution, with lots of tests on his neck to make sure everything is OK. We'll keep you posted ...

-- I think USF will take a hit in the polls as a result of such a lackluster final score: 17-9 is just unimpressive from No. 12. Will No. 10 Auburn fall below USF for a close loss to No. 6 LSU? Probably. But I bet No. 13 Ohio State leapfrogs them, and No. 14 BYU, having outscored UCLA and Wyoming 103-0 in the past two weeks, could jump them, too. No. 16 Penn State, who beat Temple 45-3, could even move ahead. Again, last week I thought USF should have moved up two spots to No. 17, so this isn't that huge a deal either way ...

-- There's a ton to say about the offense, especially in the red zone, but fans shouldn't be too hard on USF's defense. FIU didn't cross USF's 35-yard line until 8:54 was left in the game, and the defense essentially gave up one big play, and that was in the final two minutes. Again, especially considering the way they've finished the last two games, it's not the way fans want to see the game end. In the last three games, USF has given up more points in the fourth quarter -- 37 -- than they have in the rest of the games combined (30).

-- I wouldn't be surprised if you see a change on punt returns. Marcus Edwards hasn't done much since his record-breaking game in the opener. FIU had eight punts, and USF totaled 12 yards returning them. There were three downed inside the 20, including two Edwards simply let go past him rather than attempt a difficult catch. The safety with two minutes left? If Edwards doesn't let the punt past him to be downed on the 1-yard line, it's not an issue. I thought the special-teams kick coverage was solid, both on punts and kickoffs.

-- With the exception of Jamar Taylor on one third-quarter drive -- 51 yards on six carries -- it wasn't a good night for USF's running backs. The rest of their night adds up to 32 carries for 85 yards. Taylor loses a fumble on the opening drive. Next drive, Richard Kelly has runs of 8 and 10 yards, but fumbles, recovering the ball himself -- he didn't get another carry rest of the night. Two carries after Kelly's fumble, Mo Plancher gets popped at the 2-yard line, but officials rule his forward progress had stopped before he fumbled -- he only got two more carries from there.

-- That leads me to this: Mike Ford isn't his old self. He had two crucial touchdown runs, yes, but his final numbers are 14 carries for 24 yards, with no run longer than 6 yards. He's a guy USF needs healthy, especially in short-yardage situations. Twice in the third quarter, he was stopped short on third-and-1. The latter I just don't get: Taylor runs six straight plays, gaining 13, 19, 5, 8, 1 and 5 yards ... and then USF lets Ford try to finish the drive, with no luck. On fourth-and-1, with three backs in the backfield, they go for a Grothe keeper that comes up short. I'll have quotes from Greg Gregory when I get home.

--  Is Rutgers really 0-3? Did the Knights really lose to a Navy team that had lost to Duke and Ball State? After Morgan State this week, Rutgers opens Big East play at West Virginia, then at Cincinnati, which could easily have them 1-5, with Connecticut and trips to USF and Pittsburgh still on the schedule. Pittsburgh got a solid win against Iowa, but the Panthers' rush defense still looks suspect.

-- I'm going to have to do some research on the defensive line this week: FIU had given up nine sacks in two games, the most of any team in the country, and USF can only muster one sack? Yes, FIU only passed the ball 21 times, and George Selvie was sidelined with an ankle injury. The Panthers shouldn't have more sacks than USF does, whatever the score is. And for all the turnovers forced last season, the Bulls have three takeaways in four games -- they're not good enough to keep winning without short fields and/or a defensive touchdown now and then ...

-- I wrote a feature on USF receiver Taurus Johnson, and one thing receivers coach Mike Canales talked about was the need for Johnson to be consistent, to not disappear and become a non-factor in games. Johnson had two catches for a total of minus-4 yards against a defense that had allowed 82 points in its first two games. The receivers as a whole were nearly absent after the first quarter -- Grothe went 6-for-9 for 88 yards in the first, then 8-for-13 for 48 yards the rest of the game. It's not like the game was out of hand where you'd want to stop throwing the ball ...

-- If that 8-for-13 for 48 seems unimpressive, how about 8-for-13 for 46 yards? That's what FIU's Paul McCall threw for in three-plus quarters, while rushing eight times for 15 yards. The Panthers seemed to pick up a step when Wayne Younger came in -- he converted a fourth-and-1 and third-and-1 on his first drive, which led to a missed field goal, then converted another fourth-and-1 on the next drive, then had the 61-yard pass to set up the touchdown. I'd play Younger more if I were FIU ...

'Pretty disgusting': Bulls edge FIU 17-9

Here's the game story from Sunday's paper. Lots more to come ...

MIAMI – For the past two years, Florida International has been generally regarded as the worst team in Division I-A football, losing 25 of 26 games entering Saturday’s game with No. 12 USF.

The Bulls, 28-point favorites coming in, were almost as bad Saturday night, struggling near the goal line and giving up another fourth-quarter collapse that had the Panthers attempting an onsides kick in the final minute. The Bulls hung on for a 17-9 win, but coach Jim Leavitt wasn’t excited about much.

"We played about as bad as we can play. I really don’t see how we could play worse," Leavitt said. "We won a ballgame, but we’re not real happy about it. It was pretty disgusting. … We made every mistake you could possibly make."

After seeing 14-point fourth-quarter leads disappear in wins against Central Florida and Kansas, the Bulls nearly did it again. Leading 17-0 with three minutes to play, USF allowed a punt to be downed on the 2-yard line, and after two false starts, saw running back Mike Ford tackled in the end zone for a safety.

The defense, having held FIU to 79 yards in three scoreless quarters, then gave up a 61-yard pass to the 2-yard line, setting up a touchdown with 53 seconds left. FIU’s onsides kick was recovered by safety Nate Allen to thwart the rally.

"We just messed around the whole game," Leavitt said. "There’s no excuses. If we want to be a real good team, we need to find a way to change. … To play a team like this and not just move through it, it’s embarrassing, to be honest with you."

The scoreboard was never as frightening as what USF faced in the third quarter, when linebacker Brouce Mompremier collided with a teammate and lay motionless at midfield. After several minutes, he was taken off the field in an ambulance and taken by helicopter to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition, with full movement in his arms and legs.

On a night when FIU’s fans didn’t have much to cheer about, awkwardly half-filling FIU Stadium for its grand opening, they found a certain joy in having given the Bulls a scare. “Overrated,” the fans chanted, and USF’s players said they have to play better to earn their national ranking.

"We moved the ball well all night, but when we got into the red zone where it mattered, we couldn’t punch it in," said Grothe, who went 14-for-22 for 136 yards after back-to-back 300-yard efforts in his previous two games. "I thought we were (ready), but apparently not."

USF’s offense got just 10 points from its first four trips inside the FIU 10-yard line, with a field goal blocked and Grothe stopped on fourth down from the 1.

"A lot of the mistakes we made were self-inflicted wounds," tackle Ryan Schmidt said. "We were inside the 10-yard line (four) times in the first half and only scored twice, one a field goal? That’s just not acceptable for us. We’re much better than that. We didn’t even get it from the 1-foot line. We got stopped. We’ve got four senior guys (on the line) so that’s not what we’re looking for."

In the first half, USF outgained FIU 216-40, but the Panthers outgained the Bulls 149-102 in the second half. The Bulls’ defense, while stingy, forced just one turnover, giving them three takeaways in four games, among the lowest totals in the nation.

So while the Bulls are pleased to be 4-0, there’s little else to be pleased about, especially with a road trip ahead to N.C. State, which upset No. 15 East Carolina in overtime Saturday.

"It's a wake-up call," Schmidt said. "It's a good thing we got a W, but it's