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Bulls' Frenzy: Catch It

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 18, 2007

Updated: 10/18/2007 03:26 pm

Photos From The Sun Dome

TAMPA - In the four corners of the USF Sun Dome, the massive screens flicker to an eye-piercing bright green, catching, only for a moment, the attentions of the women's basketball team on the court below, practicing fast breaks.

Then, it's back to the drill. The screens are tuned to ESPN and show a rodeo, with a bull rider sporting a gap where his front teeth should have been, grinning for the camera.

Like the basketball team, students on the USF campus today go through the drills. Classes are in session, students are strolling back and forth between buildings, though there may be a little more green and gold evident in the choice of T-shirts.

Tonight's game was touted all day on ESPN as the game of the year, pitting the upstart USF Bulls football team against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

For the Bulls, a win in New Jersey would mean a step closer to a national championship bid. The team is undefeated and is in the middle of a Cinderella season that has the college football pundits scratching their heads and asking, "Where exactly is USF and where did they come from?"

On campus, fans who can't hop a plane to New Jersey to catch tonight's game in person can file into the Sun Dome on campus for the next best thing.

The game will be shown on those big screens inside the cavernous building tonight, and the network will have a camera there to show a national audience the live faces of USF in a football frenzy.

"Bulls' Frenzy" is what the marketing people are calling it. Whatever the name, excitement about the football team, which rose from obscurity at the beginning of the season to being ranked second in the nation, is unprecedented.

And yet, life goes on for this university today.

Lara Wade laughed when asked if any night classes would be canceled. This is, after all, an institute of higher learning.

"We've had hurricanes and we didn't cancel classes," she said.

The mood here is one of nervous anticipation, said Jeff Wuerth, assistant sports information director.

He's setting up the event at the Sun Dome tonight. Initially, only students were invited, but ultimately the event was opened to all Bulls fans, he said.

He has no idea how many are going to show up.

"It could be just 1,000," he said, or it could be packed to the rafters.

Kickoff tonight is set for about 7:45, and the doors at the Sun Dome open at 6:30 to start the party. Tailgating is expected in the adjacent parking lots The event also offers a chance to introduce the men's and women's basketball teams, which begin their seasons next month.

There'll be games on the court and free T-shirts for attendees.

"We really wanted to provide a unique event for our students by having them watch the Rutgers versus USF game on the video boards in the Sun Dome and wanted to tip off the men's and women's basketball seasons with a midnight madness-type of event," said Ayo Taylor-Dixon, assistant athletic director for marketing on the USF Web site. "Our students have provided tremendous energy and spirit so far this fall and have showed strong support for all of our sports, and we wanted to keep that energy."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or at kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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