TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Leavitt Recounts 'Overwhelming' Week On Rome Show

ADVERTISEMENT

By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2007

TAMPA - USF coach Jim Leavitt always knew the Bulls program had potential. But the potential to, in the same week, have a better national ranking than Florida, Florida State and Miami?

Sports talk show host Jim Rome posed Leavitt that question this afternoon on his nationally syndicated radio show (locally on WDAE 620 AM). He asked the Bulls' coach to think back to 2001 – when Leavitt and Co. were still in those infamous trailers – and ever believing then that the scenario above would be possible, let alone accomplished a mere six years later.

''That'd probably be a reach,'' Leavitt said. ''At that point, I always felt like there wasn't any ceiling for our program. I thought we could get to a point to where we could be competitive with those schools, but I don't know if we would have been in this position just yet.''

That was one of the more intriguing responses from Leavitt during his 10-minute interview with Rome, which also included good responses from Leavitt on the crowd during Friday night's win over the Mountaineers and whether this is USF's chance to crash into the BCS bowl mix.

Leavitt, never one to speak badly of the USF fan base even when the Bulls struggled to draw a crowd large enough to fill the bottom of Raymond James Stadium, spoke glowingly of USF's first-ever sellout.

''The fact that we had 67,000 and whatever in the stadium was really humbling. We've always had great support here, and people here in this area have been just so embracing of this program. But that moment [Friday night] will never be forgotten,'' Leavitt said. ''You know, to run out in the stadium and see every seat filled, every single one, was overwhelming.''

USF's win over West Virginia, coupled with early losses by both Rutgers and Louisville this season, seems to have put the Bulls into the frontrunner position towards a Big East title and the BCS bowl berth that goes along with it. Rome asked Leavitt whether he felt this was finally USF's chance to crash the BCS party.

''We've been in the Big East three years now and I don't think we've ever felt like we didn't have the opportunity,'' Leavitt said. ''I don't think that's changed with what we've done now or what we did before. ... I say right now that there isn't a frontrunner for who's going to win the Big East. I think it's absolutely wide open, and I think everybody's got a shot.''

Oh, and one last thing, Bulls fans: you can throw Rome into the Bull-iever category.

''[USF's ranking is] not just a function of all the upsets that were this past weekend,'' Rome said at the interview's close. ''They're good; real good.''

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT