University of South Florida Sports News

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Date	Opponent*	Result		Record
Aug. 30, 2008	Tennessee Martin	W	56-7	1-0
Sept. 6, 2008	at UCF	W	31-24	2-0
Sept. 12, 2008	Kansas	W	37-34	3-0
Sept. 20, 2008	at Florida Int'l	W	17-9	4-0
Sept. 27, 2008	at NC State	W	41-10	5-0
Oct. 2, 2008	Pittsburgh	L	26-21	5-1 (0-1)
Oct. 18, 2008	Syracuse	W	45-13	6-1 (1-1)
Oct. 25, 2008	at Louisville	L 20-24		6-2 (1-2)
Oct. 30, 2008	at Cincinnati	L 24-10		6-3 (1-3)
Nov. 15, 2008	Rutgers	L 16-49		6-4 (1-4)
Nov. 23, 2008	Connecticut	W 17-13		7-4 (2-4)
Dec. 6, 2008	at West Virginia	TBA

* Regional or local telecasts may
not be available in your area

Bulls Roll Past Outmanned Skyhawks, 56-7
Courtesy: USF
Release: 08/30/2008

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - - Matt Grothe had a good feeling about No. 19 South Florida's season opener, and not just because the Bulls were facing an outmatched opponent in tiny Tennessee-Martin.

In the days leading up to Saturday night's game, the junior quarterback and teammates harped on a lesson learned from a meteoric rise - and fall - in 2007. Don't take any opponent for granted.

``I kind of saw it coming, just (because of) the things that happened here last year,'' Grothe said after South Florida scored on its first four possessions, bucking a tendency to play up - or in some cases, down - to the level of competition in a 56-7 rout at Raymond James Stadium.

``It would be nice,'' he added, ``if all of them were like that.''

USF climbed as high as No. 2 in the country before plummeting from national championship contention with three straight losses in the Big East last season.

And while no one dared try to compare facing Tennessee-Martin to playing Rutgers, Connecticut or Cincinnati, the Bulls struggled for stretches of season-opening wins over Elon and McNeese State the previous two years and didn't want to begin with another sluggish performance.

Mission accomplished.

Grothe threw TD passes of 18 and 22 yards to Jessie Hester and Mike Ford scored on runs of 4 and 6 yards, helping the Bulls build a 35-0 halftime lead. A 12-yard scoring run by Benjamin Williams finished a school-record 28-point first quarter.

Tennessee-Martin, sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference a year ago, opened on the road against a Bowl Championship Subdivision team for the fourth time in five seasons and has been outscored 162-23 in those games.

The Skyhawks won't face another high-profile opponent until they visit Auburn on Nov. 8, but the large checks FCS schools typically receive for playing games like these make the trips more than worthwhile.

``I was happy with how we played,'' South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. ``I do recognize that we've got different teams ahead. None of you have to share that with me. I recognize that, and I think our team does, too.

``I'm sure that Tennessee-Martin will do good in their league, but that's not what we're going to be facing.''

Cade Thompson, one of two returning Tennessee-Martin quarterbacks who threw for over 1,000 yards last season, started but had little success moving the ball against a defense led by USF All-American end George Selvie.

Backup Dexter Anoka played, too, but was unable to get the ball to the end zone, either.

There were only a couple of highlights for the Skyhawks, both involving defensive back Dontrell Miller, who had a second-quarter interception and later picked up a third-quarter fumble by USF backup quarterback B.J. Daniels and ran 64 yards for Tennesee-Martin's only TD.

Thompson finished 6-of-19 for 25 yards and one interception, while Dexter was 3-of-7 for 13 yards for the Skyhawks, who were outgained 520 yards to 97, with nearly half of Tennessee-Martin's production coming in the fourth quarter.

Miller returned his interception 33 yards to the USF 30. Four plays later, the Skyhawks punted from the 36.

In addition to sloppy performances in the past two openers, Leavitt said the Bulls were driven by recollections of their final game of last season - a lopsided loss to Oregon in the Sun Bowl.

``We talked a lot. They took it upon themselves, and they wanted to come out and start real strong and play well,'' the coach said. ``Our last game that everybody remembers was our bowl game, and that wasn't a lot of fun. So it was kind of important to get out and play good football.''

Bulls Win Thriller Over UCF in Overtime, 31-24

Courtesy: USF Release: 09/07/2008

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - - The evening began with Moise Plancher learning he would make his first start in two years. It ended with No. 17 South Florida beating Central Florida 31-24 in overtime, and the running back paying tribute to the late cousin who was on his mind all night.

Ereck Plancher, a UCF freshman receiver who died during offseason conditioning drills, was remembered with a moment of silence before the game. His teammates are honoring him by wearing decals on their helmets, and the initials ``EP'' are painted on the Knights' field behind the end zone where Moise scored a first-quarter touchdown.

Postgame Reactions
Video - Post Game Interview: Coach Leavitt


``I was just proud to wear Plancher on the back of my jersey representing my cousin. ... I didn't know I was going to start. It meant a lot to me,'' said Moise, who had mixed emotions about facing Ereck's team.

``Especially (Friday) when we came to look at the field. It's pretty hard,'' he added. ``I just tried to stay focused. I had a lot of support, family and friends.''

Matt Grothe threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns, including a 25-yarder to Taurus Johnson in overtime, to pace the victory in the final scheduled meeting between the rivals whose campuses are barely 100 miles apart.

UCF's Michael Greco threw touchdown passes of 13 yards to Corey Rabazinski and 31 yards to Rocky Ross within a span of 66 seconds to make it 24-all with 1:40 remaining in regulation. The game went into overtime after South Florida's Delbert Alvarado hooked a 42-yard field goal attempt to the left in the closing seconds.

``We knew it would be a heck of a game. It is hard to beat a team four times in a row,'' Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said.

Grothe put South Florida (2-0) ahead with his TD throw to Johnson, who had six catches for 143 yards, on third down. UCF's bid to extend the game to a second OT was stopped inches shy when the Bulls' Tyrone McKenzie and Brouce Mompremier tackled Greco for a 5-yard gain on fourth-and-6 from the 21.

UCF coach George O'Leary thought Greco had the first down, but said the final play was not the difference.

``When you have the opportunity to make plays you have to make plays,'' O'Leary said. ``Their quarterback made those plays.''

Moise Plancher gained 27 yards on his first carry of the game, then capped South Florida's opening drive with a 14-yard TD run. He started because Mike Ford sat out with an ankle injury and finished with 55 yards on nine carries.

Grothe completed 23 of 40 passes, including scoring throws of 18 and 27 yards to Cedric Hill. He set up the TDs that enabled the Bulls to pull away from a 10-10 halftime tie, with completions of 46 yards to Carlton Mitchell and 37 yards to Johnson.

UCF (1-1) stayed close, thanks to Joe Burnett's 91-yard kickoff return, but didn't get much going offensively until scoring after an interception and Burnett's 35-yard punt return set up the TDs that forced overtime.

Although the series has been a hit with alumni and fans who like the idea of earning so-called ``Interstate 4'' bragging rights, USF no longer feels it has anything to gain by playing UCF on annual basis.

Instead, coach Jim Leavitt has set his sights on building a rivalry with Miami. The Bulls and Hurricanes have met once, in 2005, and are scheduled to play five consecutive seasons on Thanksgiving weekend beginning next year.

USF won the first three games of the series by a combined 119-43, including a 64-12 blowout last year that left Grothe boasting that the Bulls didn't run up the score, but were simply that much better than the Knights.

This one wasn't nearly as easy.

UCF answered the Bulls' first touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, when Burnett burst through an opening in USF's coverage and brought a sellout crowd of 45,805 to its feet by outracing the pursuit to the end zone.

Nick Cattoi's 38-yard field goal made it 10-10 at the half, however UCF mistakes began catching up with the Knights in the third quarter.

At one point, UCF had 108 yards total offense and 104 yards in penalties, including a costly blocking in the back call that wiped out what would have been a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by Johnell Neal.

The Knights finished with 12 penalties for 149 yards. The last one, for a false start, left them facing fourth-and-6 on the last play of the game.

``I have never seen so many penalties against one team,'' Burnett said. ``We just need to be able to keep our composure and play through what is going on. ... The penalties really hurt us.''

Bonani & Bulls Pull Out Another Thriller, 37-34
Courtesy: USF
Release: 09/13/2008
Game Stats

TAMPA (AP) -- South Florida coach Jim Leavitt had a hunch about Maikon Bonani that turned out to be right.

The freshman's third field goal, a 43-yarder as time expired Friday night, gave the 19th-ranked Bulls a 37-34 victory over No. 13 Kansas in a game both viewed as an opportunity to make a strong case for more national attention.

Bonani, making his college debut, also converted kicks of 34 and 23 yards after missing badly on a 41-yard attempt in the second quarter, justifying Leavitt's decision to use him instead of junior Delbert Alvarado.

Alvarado, USF's kicker the past two seasons, was 1-for-4 on field goal attempts in the team's first two games.

``I knew it was the right thing to do,'' Leavitt said. ``Maikon's a very good kicker. He certainly showed that tonight.''

Matt Grothe threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns for USF (3-0), which overcame a 17-point deficit to take a 34-20 lead before Kansas' Todd Reesing tied the game with two fourth-quarter TD passes.

Reesing had the Jayhawks (2-1) on the move again when safety Nate Allen intercepted a deep throw that would have moved Kansas into field goal range, then returned it 40 yards to the Kansas 27 with 30 seconds remaining.

Bonani kicked the game-winner two plays later.

``He's a great kicker. We saw it in practice,'' Allen said. ``We had confidence in him sitting over there. We didn't think it was going to overtime, and he nailed it.''

Grothe won the matchup of undersized quarterbacks who elevated their teams into the national spotlight with TD passes of 21 yards to Taurus Johnson and 37 yards to A.J. Love during an 18-minute stretch in which USF outgained the Jayhawks 346 yards to 15 to climb out of its big hole and take a 34-20 lead.

A week after throwing for a career-best 412 yards against Louisiana Tech, Reesing went 34-of-51 for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnathan Wilson caught two TD passes and finished with nine receptions for 160 yards, while Kerry Meier had 11 catches for 120 yards for Kansas.

``I like the way the kids displayed character and fought back,'' Kansas coach Mark Mangino said. ``But we put ourselves in that position, so hopefully this is a learning experience.''

The Jayhawks and Bulls were two of college football's biggest surprises of 2007, with both climbing as high as No. 2 in the country before dropping out of contention for a spot in the BCS championship game.

This season is about establishing that they can be major players on the national stage for years to come.

Kansas lost for just the second time in 16 games with Reesing as its starting quarterback, the other a neutral-site loss to Missouri. The Jayhawks scored on their first two possessions, building a 10-0 lead, and Reesing's 4-yard TD run made it 20-3 late in the second quarter.

Grothe began USF's comeback with a 28-yard TD run.

Reesing, who looked unstoppable until USF limited Kansas to 9 yards in the third quarter, rallied his team with TD passes of 18 yards to Wilson and 14 yards to Angus Quigley with 5:32 remaining.

``It's a tough loss,'' Reesing said. ``We had all the confidence in the world that we were going to drive down and score (at the end). ... We had a chance for a big play, and the ball was a little underthrown. The safety made a heck of a play.''

Meanwhile, a relieved Leavitt played down the significance of winning the matchup of ranked teams.

``It's so early. I don't think one game makes a season,'' he said. ``Our players have to keep it in perspective.''

GoUSFBulls.com Multimedia
• Gameday Final: Kansas vs. USF
• BigEast.tv Highlights | Bonani's Game Winner | 31 Unanswered Points
• ESPN360 Replay

Good game last night!

Go

Yeah! Normally I root against ranked teams not from Michigan but when they're schools with no tradition that's not the case. So go S. Florida, Utah, BYU, and those types of schools.

The neat thing is they get to play in a pro stadium, and students get in free, or at a great discount! Not like most schools!

That is cool! Jeffery Dahmer University doesn't do things like that at their piece of junk stadium.

USF now ranked #12 and Ohio State #13

USF Escapes FIU,17-9
Courtesy: USF
release: 09/20/2008

MIAMI (AP) -- South Florida got two scares Saturday night, and survived both.

Mike Ford ran for two short touchdowns and the 12th-ranked Bulls spoiled FIU's debut in its new on-campus stadium, winning 17-9 in a game marred by a frightening scene involving Bulls starting linebacker Brouce Mompremier.

Mompremier who was airlifted to a downtown Miami hospital after colliding with a teammate in the third quarter but apparently escaped catastrophic injury.

He was expected to remain hospitalized overnight for tests and observation, but was regaining movement in his arms and legs. South Florida officials said Mompremier - a Miami native who had family at the stadium for his homecoming - was experiencing tingling in his neck and shoulders, and doctors at the stadium originally feared he suffered a spinal injury.

``I was going for the ball. He was going for the hit. His helmet hit my hip,'' said South Florida safety Carlton Williams, who was also shaken up on the play. ``I was devastated - but I felt better once I heard he was OK.''

Matt Grothe completed 14 of 22 passes for 137 yards for South Florida (4-0), but was held without a passing or rushing touchdown for just the second time in his 30-game career. The Bulls led 17-0 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, yet needed to recover an onside kick with 50 seconds left to hold off FIU (0-3), which came in as a four-touchdown underdog.

``We really, really played with everything we had,'' FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. ``Effort was not questioned today.''

FIU came in ranked last among all FBS schools in total offense (178.5 yards per game) and scoring (5.0), but got a 61-yard catch-and-run from Wayne Younger to T.Y. Hilton with 2:03 remaining, setting up Julian Reams' 1-yard TD run - the Golden Panthers' first offensive touchdown this season.

South Florida's A.J. Love recovered the onside kick with 50 seconds left, and the Bulls held on.

Mompremier got hurt with 6:43 left in the third quarter, remaining on the turf for about 20 minutes. Players from both teams met at midfield, kneeling for moment of prayer before Mompremier was driven off the field.

``He's a fierce competitor,'' USF linebacker Kion Wilson said. ``I saw he didn't want to stay down, but as a safety precaution he was told to stay down.''

USF's Jerome Murphy intercepted a pass on the first play after Mompremier's injury, and Ford rushed in from 1 yard out early in the fourth for a 17-0 lead that seemed safe.

It wasn't.

Ford got tackled in the end zone for a safety with 2:20 left, and FIU then made it plenty interesting after Hilton - who had the only other TD for FIU this season, a punt return in the opener against Kansas - set up Reams' touchdown.

``We got the win,'' Grothe said, ``but we should have played a lot better.''

Amid all the opening-of-the-facility buzz, it didn't take long for South Florida to set a FIU Stadium record that'll never be broken - a 99-yard scoring drive.

The Bulls fumbled the ball away on their first possession, started their second series on the USF 1, and needed 13 plays before Ford rushed in from 2 yards out for first points ever recorded at the stadium. FIU safety Jeremiah Weatherspoon forced the turnover on the opening drive and knocked the ball loose twice on the next drive as well, but USF kept possession and took the early lead.

From there, though, FIU's defense held tough, keeping the upset hope alive.

``We played with a lot of passion, a lot of energy that helped us out,'' Weatherspoon said. ``We just made a few mistakes that cost us.''

The stadium is on the same site as FIU's previous football home, a 7,000-seat facility that was more suited for high school games than big-time college football. The current structure - which still lacks a scoreboard on one end, isn't yet enclosed on the visitors' side and will eventually have a massive field house attached to it - was built in 16 months.

Building FIU into a winner is taking a bit longer.

The Golden Panthers have lost 26 of 27 games since the start of the 2006 season, but have long pointed to the opening of the stadium as the first significant step toward a turnaround. And recruits in talent-rich South Florida are quickly taking notice; a slew of players from the Miami area have already committed to enroll at FIU next fall, and plenty more attended the stadium's debut.

Hanging close to a nationally ranked team wasn't a consolation prize, Cristobal said.

``Our guys are as down as they can possibly be,'' Cristobal said. "But it does say something. It does say that we can do some things that can make us have a successful season.''

Brouce Mompremier is in stable condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He can move his arms and legs. He has some tingling in his shoulders. He is undergoing a CT Scan and MRI on his neck.

Mompremier will likely stay the night at the Jackson Memorial hospital.

Pitt Pulls Off Upset of No. 10 USF, 26-21
Courtesy: USF
Release: 10/02/2008

TAMPA (AP) -- LeSean McCoy ran for two touchdowns and Bill Stull threw for another as Pittsburgh upset No. 10 South Florida 26-21 on Thursday night.

The Panthers (4-1, 2-0 Big East) have beaten the last three nationally ranked teams they have faced, including No. 23 Cincinnati and No. 2 West Virginia in 2007. They have won two of the last three games with South Florida (5-1, 0-1) in Tampa.

Stull finished 16-for-27 for 228 yards.

Quarterback Matt Grothe accounted for most of South Florida's offense, but the Bulls didn't score any points on offense in the first half. Grothe was 11-of-20 for 129 yards and rushed 11 times for 25 yards, including a 1-yard keeper for a TD in the third.

Grothe threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jessie Hester in the fourth quarter to give the Bulls a 22-20 lead. But Pittsburgh came right back to take the lead, covering 60 yards on three plays in a quick drive that ended with a 3-yard run by McCoy. The 2-point attempt failed.

McCoy, a sophomore, rushed 28 times for a game-high 142 yards, his second straight game over 100. Mike Ford ran 14 times for 73 yards for the Bulls.

South Florida struggled in the first half with the offense was held to just 77 yards. Grothe was 5-of-12 with an interception. The pick by Don DeCicco was the first interception for Grothe in 107 passes and just his third in six games.

The Bulls had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked by Greg Williams, and on their next field goal attempt, South Florida faked the kick but backup quarterback Grant Gregory failed to convert on fourth down.

The Bulls scored first when Quenton Washington broke through untouched and blocked a punt by Dave Brytus. Charlton Sinclair picked up the fumble, returning it 27 yards for the score.

However, Pittsburgh scored on its next drive with Stull hitting receiver Jonathan Baldwin for a 52-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers took a 14-7 lead on a 6-yard run by McCoy and extended the lead to 10 when Conor Lee hit a 35-yard field goal with 22 seconds left in the first half.

Lee's 31-yard field goal made it 20-14 in the fourth.

All-America junior defensive end George Selvie did not start for the second straight game for South Florida, although he entered the game with 10:22 left in the second quarter and recorded two tackles, one for a loss.

South Florida forced two fumbles, both recovered by linebacker Kion Wilson, the first two of his career.

Go Bulls

TAMPA (AP) -- Quarterback Matt Grothe threw three touchdown passes and ran for another and No. 19 South Florida topped Syracuse 45-13 on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulls (6-1, 1-1 Big East) seemed to be back on track after a disappointing loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 2, which knocked them out of the top 10 in the polls.

Grothe, who was also the team's leading rusher with 72 yards, finished 19-for-26 for 255 yards. His second touchdown pass in the third quarter was the 40th of his career, good for second in the history of South Florida.

Running back Ben Williams also had a 1-yard rushing touchdown, finishing with 25 yards.

South Florida pulled away in the third following a sack and a forced fumble by defensive tackle Aaron Harris and a recovered fumble by Craig Marshall. That set up a 2-yard touchdown pass from Grothe to A.J. Love.

After forcing a punt, the Bulls went up 34-13 after a 9-yard pass from Grothe to receiver Taurus Johnson.

Johnson, who had two touchdown receptions, had three catches for 29 yards.

The Bulls have outscored their opponents 59-7 in the third quarter this season.

Running back Curtis Brinkley was the Orange's lone bright spot, rushing for a team-high 117 yards on 21 attempts and a touchdown. It was his fifth 100-yard plus game of the season.

Quarterback Cameron Dantley struggled to get drives going in the second half, going 11-of-28 for 129 yards in the game.

The Bulls opened the scoring early in the first quarter. A 20-yard Grothe screen pass to Williams set up a 1-yard score by Williams on the next play.

Syracuse (1-6, 0-3) had a 43-yard field goal by Patrick Shadle on the next drive.

South Florida scored on its next drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Grothe to Johnson.

The Orange answered on the first play of the second with a 24-yard touchdown run by Brinkley, but Grothe added an 11-yard touchdown run.

The Bulls led 21-13 at the half following a 24-yard field golf by Shadle.

Bulls kicker Maikon Bonani added a 31-yard field goal in the fourth, and Richard Kelly had a 2-yard score late in the fourth.

All-American defensive end George Selvie, who has been nursing an ankle injury, made his first start since Sept. 27 at N.C. State. He finished with two tackles and a sack.

Linebacker Brouce Mompremier also started his first game since suffering a serious neck injury in the Sept. 20 win at Florida International, in which he had to be airlifted off the field. Mompremier finished with two tackles.

That loss to Ohio State; AKA; Dahmer University; was huge for MSU


Poor Spartans

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) ---Hunter Cantwell threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Scott Long, their second scoring connection of the game, with 7:07 left in the fourth quarter and Louisville upset penalty-plagued South Florida 24-20 on Saturday.

The 14th-ranked Bulls committed 14 penalties for 109 yards, including a defensive holding on a missed field goal by Louisville that would have given USF (6-2, 1-2 Big East) the ball back late in the fourth quarter.

South Florida's Matt Grothe threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns, but he also was picked off twice. His fourth-quarter interception gave the Cardinals the ball at USF 27 and allowed the Cardinals (5-2, 1-1) to run out the clock.

Cantwell threw for 212 yards and ran in Louisville's other touchdown from the 1.

With Pittsburgh losing to Rutgers on Saturday and UConn knocking off Cincinnati, the Big East race is muddled behind first-place West Virginia. The Cardinals have bounced back well following a disappointing first season under coach Steve Kragthorpe and are in the thick of the chase.

The Bulls had been averaging 195 rushing yards per game, but the Cardinals held them to 8. Linebacker Jon Dempsey, the Cardinals' leading tackler, had nine tackles and a sack. Defensive linemen Earl Heyman and Adrian Grady sacked Grothe twice each.

The Cardinals contained Grothe's running but when Louisville's pass rushers didn't pressure him, he had an easy time making completions. He was 30-for-30 for 344 yards.

The Bulls struck first with a 32-yard field goal by Maikon Bonani in the second quarter but the Cardinals hit back with Cantwell's first touchdown to Long, a 69-yarder that was a career long for both players, and Long's first career touchdown catch.

Cantwell ran the ball in for Louisville's second touchdown of the quarter with less than a minute to go before halftime.

The Bulls drove 63 yards in 48 seconds but had to settle for another Bonani field goal from 24 yards with 2 seconds left in the half that made it 14-6.

Grothe threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Richard Kelly late in the third quarter to make it 14-13 and his 15-yarder to Ben Busbee with 9:22 left in the fourth quarter gave USF a 24-20 lead.

The home team has won five straight games in the series.

Bowl Bound Bulls Beat UConn, 17-13
Courtesy: USF
Release: 11/24/2008

GoUSFBulls.com Multimedia
• Leavitt Press Conference Video • Wally Burnham • Greg Gregory
• George Selvie • Tyrone McKenzie • Jamar Taylor
• Matt Grothe • Dontavia Bogan
• Gameday Final: USF vs. UConn • Photo Gallery: USF vs. UConn
• Watch: ESPN360.com Replay • ESPN.com Highlights

TAMPA (AP) -- USF's swarming defense was every bit as tough as Connecticut's Donald Brown figured it would be.

The Bulls slowed down the nation's leading rusher Sunday night, limiting the UConn star to 96 yards on 28 carries and keeping him out of the end zone to end a three-game Big East losing streak with a 17-13 victory.

``Coming in here, we knew they were a good rushing defense,'' Brown said. ``Despite their record in conference, they're a really good team.''

Jamar Taylor ran 25 yards for a touchdown, snapping a fourth-quarter tie and helping USF (7-4, 2-4) improve its bowl prospects. Benjamin Williams also scored on a 3-yard run after Dontavia Bogan returned the opening kickoff deep into UConn territory, one of several special teams lapses that hurt the Huskies.

``It's not too hard to figure out or explain the mistakes or missed opportunities. ... We ended up making more mistakes and giving them the short field. We couldn't gain the short field all evening and because of that, we came out on the disappointing end,'' Connecticut coach Randy Edsall said.

USF finished off the Huskies, stopping a potential go-ahead drive in the closing minutes by forcing a fumble by quarterback Tyler Lorenzen.

Lorenzen tied it 10-all late in third quarter with a 43-yard TD pass to Ellis Gaulden on a flea-flicker play. He answered Taylor's touchdown with a field goal drive that trimmed UConn's deficit to 17-13, then had UConn (7-4, 3-3) on the move again when Lorenzen fumbled just before his knee touched down after he scrambled for a first down on 4th-and-4 inside the USF 30.

``They were relentless. ... I thought they played so hard all the way through,'' Bulls coach Jim Leavitt said of his defense.

Brown began the night leading the nation in rushing at 153.70 yards per game, but rarely found much running room against a defense determined to redeem itself after being dominated during a 49-16 loss to Rutgers the previous week.

UConn, coming off a 39-14 rout of Syracuse, didn't get anything going offensively until late in the second quarter when USF gambled on fourth-and-1 from its own 45 and Matt Grothe was stopped for no gain on a quarterback sneak.

Lorenzen scrambled for 10 yards on third-and-9, Brown bolted 13 yards around right end and Lorenzen converted another third down with a 7-yard completion to Anthony Sherman before the drive stalled at the USF 4 and the Huskies settled for a field goal that trimmed their deficit to 10-3.

Grothe threw his ninth interception in the past four games, costing USF an opportunity to build onto the lead just before the half. UConn pulled even when Jordan Todman took a handoff from Brown on a reverse before flipping the ball back to Lorenzen, who had Gaulden running all alone down the middle of the field.

The pass hung in the air long enough for USF defenders Nate Allen and Tyller Roberts to close in on the receiver, but Gaulden made the catch between them and twisted away from Allen inside the 5.

``At first, I'm like, `Oh, my God. Where's the ball? When's it coming down?'' Gaulden said. ``But it finally came down to my hands and I did my best to get in the end zone.''

Lorenzen, playing his second game since returning from a broken foot that sidelined him for four games, completed 10 of 24 passes for 119 yards and no interceptions.

Grothe, playing on a sore left ankle that limited his practicing time during the week, was 9-of-18 for 124 yards. He also led USF with 51 yards rushing on five attempts.

Future USF Football Non-Conference Schedules

Courtesy: USF

Release: 09/01/2006

Sept. 5 WOFFORD TAMPA Sept. 12 at Western Kentucky Bowling Green, Ky. Sept. 19 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL TAMPA Oct. 10 at Indiana Bloomington, Ind. Nov. 28 MIAMI TAMPA Sept. 4 STONY BROOK TAMPA Sept. 11 at Florida Gainesville Sept. 25 WESTERN KENTUCKY TAMPA Oct. 2 FLORIDA ATLANTIC TAMPA Nov. 27 at Miami Miami, Fla. Sept. 10 BALL STATE TAMPA Oct. 1 at Notre Dame South Bend, Ind. Nov. 26 MIAMI TAMPA Sept. 8 MICHIGAN STATE TAMPA Sept. 22 at Ball State Muncie, Ind. Nov. 24 at Miami Miami, Fla. Sept. 7 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. Sept. 14 FLORIDA ATLANTIC TAMPA Nov. 30 MIAMI Miami, Fla. Sept. 13 NC STATE TAMPA TBA at Florida Gainesville