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Bulls Beat: Pepper Hopes To Win Big On USF Title Shot

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By Brett McMurphy, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 11, 2007

Updated: 10/10/2007 11:45 pm

TAMPA - As a 1993 University of South Florida graduate, Mike Pepper has always been a big Bulls fan.

But nothing like this year.

In May, Pepper, a morning host for WQYK, 1010 AM, was in Las Vegas on business. He went by the MGM Grand looking for the odds to win the national championship.

There were 49 colleges listed. At the bottom was USF.

The Bulls were a 300-1 long shot. Pepper promptly put down $20, so if the Bulls win the BCS national title game, Pepper wins $6,020.

'And people told me this summer I wasted 20 bucks,' said Pepper, the Bulls' radio sideline reporter the past four years.

Pepper said after USF's upset of Auburn that he didn't really give his bet much thought. But that changed after the Bulls upset West Virginia and climbed to No. 6.

'I thought, 'Wow, this is not as far-fetched after all,'' Pepper said.

Pepper keeps the ticket locked in a safe at work. He's the only one with the combination.

'The schedule was manageable if they got past Auburn,' Pepper said. 'There wasn't a game that wasn't winnable.'

Ironically USF is ranked ahead of the MGM Grand's four favorites to win the national title - USC, Michigan, Florida and West Virginia.

Still, Pepper is realistic. 'I know if they lose, I can kiss my ticket goodbye,' he said. 'But if I didn't think USF could do it, I wouldn't have put down the money.'

LIGHTHALL REPLACES RIVES: T.J. Rives, the men's basketball play-by-play announcer since 1997, will be replaced by Jim Lighthall, Rives' analyst the past 10 years.

Because of Rives' radio duties with the Bucs and XM Radio, he had too many conflicts to continue with USF.

'I have enjoyed the last decade,' Rives said. 'There are many people I would love to thank, but I don't have the space here. In particular I want to thank former AD Paul Griffin, who believed in me and gave me the opportunity in 1997.

'After talking with Doug Woolard and Stan Heath, they totally understand the situation and appreciate the fact I can't give them the time and attention they deserve and that it's best that someone else be given that opportunity.'

Lighthall, who teamed with Rives on more than 300 USF games, could not be reached for comment. A decision on Lighthall's analyst has not been made.

'T.J. did a fantastic job,' Woolard said. 'We are losing a great talent, and I can't thank T.J. enough for his decade of work with USF.'

BEHIND ENEMY LINES: Orlando Sentinel columnist David Whitley walked around USF's campus Tuesday wearing a UCF T-shirt and hat - and survived.

'My goal was to find out if the USF student body knows or cares about Saturday's game against little old UCF, which is not currently ranked in the top five,' Whitley said. 'I quickly discovered the students are quite passionate. I felt like O.J. at the Goldman family reunion.'

ODDS AND ENDS: In his midseason awards, ESPN.com's Pat Forde picks Jim Leavitt as the national and Big East coach of the year and DE George Selvie as the Big East's best player. ... Naples Golden Gate DE Anthony Mains (6-6, 220) verbally committed to the football team, picking USF over Wisconsin, UCF and Stanford, while Miami Gulliver Prep C Gene Swindle (6-11, 260) committed to the men's basketball program over Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Kentucky.

Listen to reporter Brett McMurphy discuss the USF-UCF game on 'Hot Lunch with JP Peterson' on WHBO, 1470 AM, today between noon and 2.

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