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USF Drops The Ball In Bid To Tie

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2007

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - Midway through the fourth quarter Saturday, the University of South Florida appeared to pull even with Connecticut when freshman RB Mike Ford scored on a 1-yard run.

However, TE Cedric Hill was called for holding, giving USF first-and-goal at the 11. The flag was thrown after Ford had crossed the goal line.

'Can't argue with the official,' Hill said. 'They made the call and there's nothing I can do. I didn't agree with it. I was somewhat surprised by the flag. I made a pretty good block.'

Two plays later, on third-and-goal from the 10, Hill dropped a touchdown pass from QB Matt Grothe.

'At the last second, I saw the football,' Hill said. 'It was a play I should have caught and scored.'

USF settled for a field goal, making it 19-15. UConn then answered with a field goal before USF's final drive ended at UConn's 12.

FORD HOSPITALIZED: Ford suffered an unspecified rib injury in the fourth quarter and was taken to a Hartford hospital. WR Amarri Jackson, Ford's cousin, also was injured. He hurt his right knee in the second quarter and did not return.

100 AGAIN: USF, which had gone 14 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, has now allowed a 100-yard rusher in consecutive games. UConn's Andre Dixon rushed for 167 yards a week after Rutgers' Ray Rice had 181.

'I think we just got to play better technique football,' USF defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said. 'For some reason we've just gone backwards.

'We're not putting pressure on them like we should be. We gotta get it turned around, start playing like we were.'

HUNTING SEASON: In what has become an annual tradition, USF coach Jim Leavitt's name is being mentioned for other jobs, this time at Texas A&M and Nebraska.
Citing a source 'very close to the Texas A&M situation,' The Sporting News' Tom Dienhart reported Auburn's Tommy Tuberville and North Carolina's Butch Davis as the leading candidates, with Leavitt as a 'fall-back target.' Leavitt also has been speculated among the leading candidates to replace Bill Callahan at Nebraska by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Tulsa World.

All of the reports were before USF's loss Saturday.

In November 2005, Leavitt signed a seven-year, $7 million deal through 2012, which includes a $500,000 buyout.

DEAD ZONE OFFENSE: The Bulls had five possessions inside UConn's 20, but scored only 10 points on two series.

On the other three possessions, K Delbert Alvarado missed a 22-yard field-goal attempt, Grothe was intercepted in the end zone and USF turned the ball over on downs after failing on fourth-and goal at the 12.

'You're right, we weren't real strong there,' Leavitt said. 'We were strong there the first part of the year.'

ODDS AND ENDS: With senior Walter Walker out with a knee injury, senior Jared Carnes started at left tackle and Marc Dile moved from left tackle to right. ... USF's captains were LB Ben Moffitt, SS Carlton Williams, WR Marcus Edwards and C Jake Griffin. ... USF lost consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 23 and 29, 2006. ... Alvarado made two of four field-goal tries, marking the fourth game he has missed at least one attempt. He's 11-for-20 this season.

Brett McMurphy

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