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Former Plant LB Spires No Longer With Program

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2007

Updated: 12/29/2007 11:45 pm

EL PASO, Texas - University of South Florida sophomore LB Donte Spires, of Plant, has left the program and is considering transferring to another school.

"I haven't made up my mind yet," said Spires, who played all 12 games this season on special teams and as a backup linebacker but did not travel with the team to El Paso.

USF coach Jim Leavitt said Spires left the program for personal reasons. "He has an open door to return if he wants. We want him to be happy."

NOT THE BEST: With Central Florida RB Kevin Smith finishing with the second-best season in NCAA history Saturday, USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said Smith ranked behind at least four backs the Bulls faced this year.

Rutgers' Ray Rice, "Auburn had a couple of backs" and Pittsburgh's LeSean McCoy were better, Burnham said. "Smith's a good back, but we've played against some a little better," Burnham said.

USF held him to a season-low 55 yards.

ENJOYING EL PASO: USF senior Nick Capogna said he is enjoying this trip to Texas a lot more than the Bulls' last trip to the Lone Star State in 2004.

USF won at TCU 45-44 in double overtime, but the Bulls had to remain in Fort Worth for an additional day after flights home to Tampa were canceled because of Hurricane Jeanne. And then several players got food poisoning.

"During the game, TCU's fans were chanting 'Hurricane Jeanne,'" Capogna said. "Then we went to some barbecue place on Sunday and got food poisoning. My last trip to Texas wasn't the trip I had planned. This has obviously been much better."

ON THE BORDER: USF senior DE Jarriett Buie, of Armwood, was among several players who visited Juarez, Mexico, on Saturday afternoon.

"I bought some gifts and stuff for my family," Buie said.

Junior WR Marcus Edwards, who had been to Cozumel, Mexico, twice in high school, didn't go. "When we were driving on the Interstate and I looked over to Mexico, it scares me a little bit," Edwards said.

LEAVITT'S DOUBLE: Earlier in the week, senior CB Ryan Gilliam did a dead-on Leavitt impersonation during a Sun Bowl talent show.

"All the players can impersonate the coaches and the coaches impersonate the players," Gilliam said. "It's an on-going joke we have. I've got down a lot of his catch phrases. You'd be surprised how many people on this team can do Jim Leavitt."

At a bowl function Friday, several players, including QB Matt Grothe, were hypnotized into believing they had 11 fingers.

A CUT ABOVE: Sophomore K/P Delbert Alvarado, who has had "Finish Strong" and "Family" shaved in his hair for earlier games, will go without a slogan for Monday's game.

"I don't know a barber here, they might mess it up," Alvarado said. "I only trust my barber back home."

ODDS AND ENDS: Who Oregon will start at QB won't be known until Monday. When the starters were recognized at Friday's Sun Bowl luncheon, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti had both Justin Roper and Cody Kempt introduced. Burnham said it doesn't matter who starts, the Bulls must stop RB Jonathan Stewart, the Pac-10's leading rusher. "If Stewart has a career day, it will be tough for us to win," Leavitt said. ... The Hillsborough County Commission and Lane County (Ore.) Commission have wagered the usual - Oregon hazelnuts, berries and wine against Ybor City cigars and Plant City strawberries - on Monday's Sun Bowl.

Brett McMurphy

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